Worth using ipad for studying?

I have almost completed my first semester in Mechanical Engineering and have used paper + pen for the entire semester. Probably 70% of my peers have been however using a tablet/ipad to note take. I already own an ipad and am wondering if I should make the switch.

I waste heaps of time copying diagrams and graphs or making notes to refer to a certain page in lecture notes for a diagram, which I never remember to do, so I am wondering if it would be worth using my ipad to study.

I dabbled with my laptop as it features a pen function and the screen rotates 360 degrees, but found that hard to use when I needed my laptop as references for notes and everything else.

Also the fold out desks in lecture halls are too small for a laptop + notebook, so my ipad would fit much better as I can rest it on my lap or against the desk.

p.s. if anyone has an alternative to an apple pen that is suitable for a 10th gen ipad, what do you use? I don't want to spend $150 on an apple pencil in case I don't like it?