The tradition, dating back to 300 B.C., was later incorporated into the Christian church.

We think this is the way the future is going to work," said Kyle Dickson, co-director of research and the mobile learning initiative at Abilene Christian University in Texas, which has bought more than 600 iPhones and 300 iPods for students Although plenty of students take their laptops to class, they don't take them everywhere and would prefer something lighter

Abilene Christian settled on the devices after surveying students and finding that they did not like hauling around their laptops, but that most of them always carried a cell phone, Dr. Dickson said. Dickson said.

At least four institutions - the University of Maryland, Oklahoma Christian University, Abilene Christian and Freed-Hardeman- have announced that they will give the devices to some or all of their students this fall.

Kyle Dickson at Abilene Christian University think that mobile technology will be more widely used in education.

Christian Vazquez, a first-generation Yale graduate, is another exception, his success story setting him far apart from students such as Nijay.