Rhode Island School of Design - Computers

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

It may sound surprising for an art school, but computers are actually a big part of most major curriculums at RISD. Many majors use CAD (Computer Assisted Design) programs in in order to prepare students for competitive job markets, as well as the different ways they may approach their art on a personal level. If you already have your own computer and printer, they are extremely handy to have at school. However, there is a chance that you will enter a major that will require you to purchase a very expensive laptop package through the school, so it is a really bad idea to buy a computer before you come. Also, even if your major does not participate in the laptop program, you may have to learn CAD programs for which there will be plenty of computers available—you would not be able to obtain the appropriate software for a personal computer.

Aside from the more major-specific labs that have certain CAD programs on them, there are general labs that students may use to type and print papers and use the Internet. These labs are equipped with several computer stations that usually have two flatbed scanners and a negative scanner and two LaserJet printers, one color, one black and white. Students who sign in and are recognized by the network may print from any computer station and get their work within a matter of seconds. Also, almost all the labs on campus are networked, which means that if the printer is down in one lab, a student may put work on the network space and print it in another lab. RISD also has a wireless network, but in order to print work, a student must send a project to the printer from a physical computer station in one of the labs. The network is fairly reliable, although it does go down from time to time. The computers in the labs are replaced every few years, and you will always have the newest versions of programs with fairly new computers. The lab resources are sufficient, and labs are rarely overcrowded.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Really, what we need computers for... Really, what we need computers for is all the design stuff. It doesn’t really help to bring a computer for that because you’ll be using programs that the school has to license only to its controlled labs. However, if you’re into academics and plan on ‘concentrating’ and writing a lot of papers, it may be helpful. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

The computers at school are really... The computers at school are really nice and really fast. There are a number of labs across campus, so they are rarely really crowded, except maybe during finals week. If you have one, bring it; that’s nice, too. The network often has issues and can be annoying. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

I can’t concentrate on writing... I can’t concentrate on writing papers and doing major stuff in a lab, so I brought a computer, and it’s been essential. I didn’t go into the laptop program, though. A lot of kids that end up in those majors sell the computers they had cheap, so you could always come and buy one off someone else. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

From the experience of working in... From the experience of working in the AMC lab in the second floor of the Design Center for almost an entire year, I don’t think that Computer Network Services is very good with maintaining the G5 Macs they have. A lot of them have network issues and won’t let you log in properly or won’t print properly. Now, I don’t even use the Mac labs since I have my own laptop and printer. Personally, I think it’s ridiculous that we have to pay to print black and white, and even more ridiculous to pay a dollar for each A4-sized printed color copy. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

CNS is terrible! The only help you... CNS is terrible! The only help you can get is from other students. Don’t buy a computer if you’re going into a major with the laptop program. 12345 Computers Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Many majors have their own Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs. Everyone knows that Architects use AutoCAD, but did you know that Textiles, Furniture, ID, Glass, and even Apparel have their own CAD programs?

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