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Computers: not
just for nerds
By Thad M. Paulson
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
Computers. What
would a college student do without them?
From term paper
preparation using word processing programs to curriculums
integrating Internet information and CD-ROMs, computers have
become as much a part of college as the textbook.
"I could not
have graduated without a computer," said Cal State Long
Beach graduate and current graduate student Dana Leskovar.
Not all students
can afford their own computer, however, and the on-campus
Computing Services is available to solve this problem. Computing
Services provides options for CSULB students in need of PCs,
most notably at the University Library computer lab located
in the lower level of the Library, and the open lab in the
North Campus Center located between the Business Building
and the Gold Mine.
"The computer
labs on campus are great," Leskovar says. "You can
prepare your papers there, and they have the fastest Internet
[access]."
Both labs have
current software, such as Windows 2000, and the student assistants
are available for answering questions and solving problems
whenever lab users need them.
"The systems
are updated with the newest software as soon as it comes out,"
says Yih Tan, student consultant at the Library computer lab.
"The school keeps their equipment up to date." Tan
says the assistants at both computer labs are paid to help
lab visitors with any problems they have with lab equipment,
and all the assistants have a working knowledge of the different
software and equipment in the labs.
The North Campus
Center is equipped with 150 personal computers, both Macintosh
and Compaq, along with modem connections for laptop computers.
The University Library Computer Lab provides access to 100
personal computers and a number of scanners are also available
to lab users.
A student ID card
with a current sticker is the only thing needed to access
to the labs' equipment. Documents can be printed out on lab
printers, at a cost of $0.20 per page.
"I've printed
out so many pages at the library lab," Leskovar says.
"Everybody needs a computer in school, but I didn't really
need my own computer while I was an undergraduate here [at
CSULB]."
Free CSULB e-mail
accounts and passwords are given to all students online at
webmail.csulb.edu. Computing Services provides assistance
with student e-mail issues such as lost passwords, and questions
are fielded in the room 371 in the Liberal Arts-5 building.
These accounts
are becoming more important, Leskovar says, since many instructors
send class information via e-mail. CSULB e-mail accounts also
give students access to posted information through Internet
services for teachers, such as Blackboard, which can be located
at courses.csulb.edu.
"The school
has been experimenting with class-specific informational boards,
like Blackboard, so CSULB student accounts and passwords are
becoming a necessity," Tan says.
"I have noticed
an increase in the use of the Internet in the classes that
I've taking the past couple of semesters," Leskovar says.
"Professors are posting grades online, and holding some
classes in the computer labs."
Labs are also located
around campus in department buildings such as LA5 and Social
Science/Public Affairs, but they are open fewer hours and
are often reserved by instructors for class instruction. The
University Library Computer Lab and the North Campus Center
are the best bets for students looking to use a campus computer,
according to Tan.
"We're here
to help," Tan says. "The labs are here for student
convenience,"
For hours of operation
during the fall semester and specific equipment information,
the University Library Computer Lab can be reached at (562)
985-7820 and the North Campus Center at (562) 985-5965. The
University's Computing Services can be contacted at (562)
985-4505.
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