Swarthmore College - Computers

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

The computer situation at Swarthmore is mediocre at best. The network service is generally much slower than it should be, and a number of viruses often cause the College to stop network service for several hours at a time. It might not sound like a big deal, but the network outages often occur without warning, sometimes compromising the all-important priority of the Swarthmore student—getting work done. Information Technology Services (ITS) has been doing its best to recover from the viruses, but the College’s computer system still requires some major improvements.

On a brighter note, Swarthmore provides access to computers across campus. There are labs in every dorm and in all academic buildings. The College’s ITS Help Desk is, well, helpful and generally well-equipped to deal with students’ computer problems. Dorm consultants and other student computer attendants range from very knowledgeable and friendly to hardly helpful and irritating. Most have at least some experience in both Macintosh computers and PCs because, while most campus computers are Apples, most student computers are PCs. Either type of computer can be easily accommodated by the network and ITS, which is a big plus. Most students agree that it is possible to succeed at Swarthmore without bringing your own computer, but almost none would recommend it.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

My freshman year I bought my own... My freshman year I bought my own computer and I did find it very convenient, especially when I had to write a paper at 5 a.m. Last year, though, I lived off campus and I found it much easier to just work on the computers in the library rather than work at home with my inconsiderate roommates. Sometimes, it is kind of hard to find an empty computer, but the longer you are at Swat, the more public computers you know about. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

The ITS department is incompetent,... The ITS department is incompetent, but usually the network works fine. Also, there are plenty of public computers around. Still, I would definitely recommend bringing your own computer, since the major computer labs close by 2 a.m. There are only a few public computers in each dorm, and it’s just more convenient to have your own computer when you want it. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

The computer network is very... The computer network is very useful. Each student is provided with a user folder on the network in which one can store any documents necessary. There are a few computers in each dorm and a number of labs in each of the three libraries. Also, students can check out laptops in McCabe for use over a few hours. Students can take these laptops anywhere within the library itself or directly outside the library on sunny days. The labs are used by many students, but it is not impossible to maintain a full course load without a personal computer. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

You can usually find a computer,... You can usually find a computer, unless it is finals or midterms. The laptops are nice, and we have wireless Internet in the library. The network used to be good, but the administration has been cutting back on IT Services. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

It’s an okay network—a little... It’s an okay network—a little undependable, but there are usually enough computers for everyone. You just have to know where to find them. 12345 Computers Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Each dorm at Swarthmore is assigned at least one Dorm Consultant, a student trained by Information Technology Services, to deal with computer problems in his or her dorm.

Ever heard of a laptop tan line? McCabe Library provides wireless Internet service that extends to Parrish beach (not really a beach, but actually a giant lawn), directly outside of the library.

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