Wesleyan University - Computers

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Computing at Wesleyan is pretty much a no-brainer. Almost every student has a laptop, and most of the laptops are Macs. When problems occur (and it always seems to be right before midterms when they do), the Information Technology staff will come to your aid. The wireless network is campus-wide, which means you could bring your laptop out to Foss Hill on a sunny day (if you really think you’ll get any work done that way). And, of course, computer labs are available across campus. I use them mostly for printing papers and readings. A lot of professors put PDFs of the chapters they want you to read on Blackboard, a sort of online academic organizer. The labs do tend to get more crowded around exam time, but most students aren’t doing the majority of their work on those computers.

A free campus-wide network is available for students who wish to trade files, including anything from music downloads, movies, and documents. The network, since it is paid for by the university, is clean, simple, and mostly legal, making it much more preferable than Limewire or any of its various imitators. This network is really the gem of the Wesleyan ITS family, providing students with access to scores of free music and movies, acting almost as a free television for students who weren’t able to bring a TV from home. It is not uncommon to find a Wesleyan student huddled around the glow of their PC, watching an episode of Family Guy or a ripped version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The downside to this network is that, with so many students logged on, computer viruses have been known to spread through like the plague.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Computer labs are hell-on-earth... Computer labs are hell-on-earth during finals and during class registration. They’re absolutely packed! People leave their stuff at a terminal for hours. It’s called ‘camping.’ It’s against the rules, but people do it anyway. The labs are good for emergencies, but I’d say definitely bring your own computer from home. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

There are a couple of computer... There are a couple of computer labs on campus. One is in the Public Affairs Center, one is in the Science Tower, and there are more computers in Olin Library. These are great for checking your E-mail (or whatever) throughout the day, but I could never write a paper on one—it’s too distracting. People work on group projects occasionally in the computer labs, so things can get kind of noisy. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

The computer network here is... The computer network here is pretty good. The helpdesk people are a little clueless and insensitive, but for the most part, they’ll get you out of trouble if your PC or Mac goes down. I’d suggest bringing a Mac if you have the option. They’re susceptible to fewer viruses, and viruses are big on campus. They circulate through the network like Ebola. They can kill your computer. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

Bring your computer—definitely.... Bring your computer—definitely. The Wesleyan Network is a great way to trade music and movies right in the comfort of your own room. I have friends who didn’t have computers for awhile, but it’s just silly not to bring one. There are computer labs, but it’s a pain to walk across campus to get to one, especially when it’s 2 a.m., freezing cold, and you still need to finish that psychology paper. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

I made it through freshman year... I made it through freshman year without a computer, but I did have to resort to my typewriter during finals week. I might as well have done my paper through morse code! 12345 Computers Report

Facts

Did You Know?

The class of 2010 was the first class to register more Macs than PCs, 90 percent of which were laptops.

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