On the laptop score, the downside is the sheer amount of paper I accumulate. No laptops means the school prints out paper handouts for every class so that students have something to take notes on.

For the know-how bank:

-I've experimented with "being ahead of the game" by reading cases days in advance, and it didn't help at all. I just end up forgetting the details and I would have been better off reading the case the night before or during the lunch break before class. Procrastination comes out on top for once! :D

-For intro finance & accounting: If you actually have the discipline to read the textbook before class (approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour), do it because it helps SO MUCH in retaining the concepts. Reading the text introduces you to the material, and then the lecture seals it all in your memory. Why this will make your life easier is because these two classes tend to build on early concepts into topics with deepening complexity--so it's best not to fall behind. As an analogy, you don't want to be memorizing multiplication tables the night before an exam on differential equations.

-Dressing up for company presentations: I keep a permanent pair of dress shoes in my locker. That way they don't get scuffed/wet/muddy on my way in to school. For women specifically, it could mean the difference between wearing heels all way and being comfortable.