University of Pennsylvania - Computers

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Approximately 95 percent of Penn students bring their own computer to school. Most would agree that possessing a personal system makes life easier when it comes to late-night work sessions and work on last minute assignments. A computer also allows students to download music and movies, a common procrastination tool at Penn. On the other hand, the fact that so many people own a computer means that those who don’t have more than their share of public computer stations; there are many more public computers on campus than there are students without one of their own.

Wireless Internet is available in every Penn building. The fast and easy connection proves to be important as the school largely bases its communications system around the computer. Some classes distribute information through Blackboard, an online teaching tool, and many important school announcements are made through e-mail. Things are complicated and busy enough at Penn; don’t make things more confusing for yourself by not bringing or renting a computer.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

There are some computer labs that... There are some computer labs that are open for 24 hours, like the Wharton computing center in Huntsman Hall. The main library, Van Pelt, also lets you rent out laptops that have wireless Internet, so it’s very convenient. I would recommend bringing your own computer just to have one, but you can also get by using the computer labs on campus. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

Each dormitory has some sort of... Each dormitory has some sort of computer lab if necessary, but I bring my own computer to school out of convenience. For example, I can do work in my room real late at night, but most labs only stay open until 2 a.m. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

Definitely bring your own... Definitely bring your own computer. I haven’t used a computer lab once, and I find it most convenient to have your own. It’s amazing to have Ethernet and be online all the time. Downloading music, movies, and TV shows is fun. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

Penn is very reliant on computers,... Penn is very reliant on computers, so I would suggest owning your own. Computer labs usually shut down too early, and since you most likely will not start studying until after those hours, it’s more convenient to have your own computer. However, the Wharton building does have a 24-hour computer lab. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

The computer network is... The computer network is great—incredible speed. The labs are not too crowded, but that depends on which college house you live in. I would definitely have to say though, that you should bring your own computer if you have one . . . almost everyone does, and I personally feel it is a necessity. 12345 Computers Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Yahoo!’s Most Wired Colleges cited Penn College House Computing as an outstanding model for its “impressive tech-support network” and innovative student computing services. College House Computing also sponsors free classes covering topics ranging from HTML programming and Flash animation to using Excel or PowerPoint, mastering hardware basics, and more.

The world’s first large scale electronic computer, ENIAC, was developed at Penn in 1946.

The ratio of Penn students without personal computers to public access computers on campus is 1:1.4. The ratio of students with or without personal computers to computers is 27:1.

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