I brought along my desktop PC to college, which was good for me because like you, I retain information better when I write my notes by hand. So I only needed my computer when I was in my dorm room anyway.
However, laptops are good for dorm-life just for the fact that if your room gets too noisy you can just take your laptop to a quieter study place or to the library on campus. Or, if you want to go off and study with friends it's easy just to take it wherever.
Also, when moving around between semesters, a desktop PC can be extremely inconvienent... heaviest freakin' boxes that I had to haul up and down flights of stairs and always bother with hooking it up when I moved in and when I lived with my dad during breaks.
I guess it's really a matter of whether or not you'll be taking it out of your room that often.
