No matter how many times I think about it, and try to figure out a way to make it make sense for my particular usage case, I don’t think I’ll ever own two tablets. At this point, I can barely figure out why I need one tablet in my life. Yesterday, I had someone trying to convince me that a tablet would be really beneficial to the way that I do things on a day-to-day basis, and for the most part they painted a pretty concise picture. However, no matter how great a tablet has been (the new iPad or the Nexus 7, for instance), its ultimate fate is to just sit there, unused, on a table.

I love reading news from a tablet, but the point that I start to want to do work from one, it all comes crumbling down. Because then I want to attach a keyboard to it, and there goes the whole point of a tablet, right?

In any event, a tablet doesn’t work into my day-to-day, but I know plenty of people, both professionally and in a non-professional light, who use tablets every single day. We all know how our own Taylor Martin feels about tablets, for example. And even yesterday, the person who was trying to persuade me to get excited about owning a tablet pointed to school was the perfect place for a tablet to exist.

And they’re absolutely right. Tablets are the perfect device for a student. Especially considering how light and portable they are. And, depending on the tablet you have, you can probably find some quick, all-purpose ways to use a stylus and make taking notes cool again. (Was it ever cool? Probably not.)

Back when it was a notebook and pen or pencil, you didn’t have any other route but to take your notes through some handwriting flair. Now, though, that laptops have found their way into pretty much every single college and university classroom around the world, writing notes in such a way has started to die down. I prefer to take notes with a keyboard, because I can type fast enough to take more notes, rather than have to pick-and-choose on the fly. That’s why, in my case, a tablet still doesn’t work.

It’s great to use a stylus to draw a quick picture or something, but actually trying to take notes quickly leaves something to be desired. But, that’s too be expected, considering the media. So, attaching a keyboard to my tablet seems to be the quickest solution, right? So, why wouldn’t I just bring my laptop?

For those students out there who have huge, hulking laptops, the ones with 15-inch displays and a weight that’s noticeable in a bag right after you shoulder it, I can understand the tablet argument. Even adding a keyboard, the tablet is still more portable.

I have used a tablet to write, though, and it wasn’t a terrible experience by any means. It wasn’t as quick as I’d like, but adjusting wasn’t necessarily a deal breaker. And, yes, I have used my phone to take notes or write extended “papers.” (In my defense, I was using a BlackBerry Bold 9930, with that magnificent hardware keyboard. Still, it wasn’t ideal.)

Simply put, while I would love to completely adopt “more mobile” devices into my life, I think that in some instances they just make more sense as “emergency” devices. If I was in class, I’d love to have my laptop with me, but I know that I could use a tablet if I had to. Forgetting your laptop isn’t completely unheard of, after all, right? Just pull out the laptop, maybe even that keyboard attachment, and make it work!

But! Maybe one of you can give me some examples that would make me realize something I’m missing. I want to know how you use your mobile device, whether it’s your tablet or smartphone, for school. How have you integrated the device you love so much to be an integral part of your daily school life? Or are you like me, and you just haven’t found a way to include it quite yet?

image via TabTimes