The iPad definitely isn't just for recreation. Last semester, I took probably around 90% of my lecture notes on my iPad. Used it also for the majority of the powerpoints posted on Blackboard.

Not to mention, the battery life on this thing is incredible.

You'd probably get laughed at if you brought a tablet into class lol. The only tablet with Microsoft Office are the Surface's and those are overpriced and dumb.

I don't see the need for either if you have something at home to write papers on. You can always take notes by hand which is what I did my first year of college

Laptop. Why the hell do you need a tablet?
They're so overhyped, it isn't funny.
Kind of like the monsters overhyping Marry The Night and then hating the song once they found out it was a flop.

Tablets are mostly for gaming & watching movies. Laptops are for those purposes + school work.

Tablets are meant to be used for media consumption only not for productivity.

Plus, not every website is tablet / mobile compatible or authorized for tablet / mobile use. There are youtube clips, movies, tv shows, visual media etc. that i cant stream on my ipad mini. Laptop is more versatile in that regard. Laptop is also better for multitasking.

The new Air also has great battery life.