Decisions, Decisions

You have lots of decisions to make before coming to college: what to pack in your suitcase, which classes to take, who you will live with, and how you will stay connected to your friends and family. 

Another decision to make is whether or not to buy a computer. If you decide that you want to take a computer with you, then you need to decide whether to buy a laptop or a desktop.

There are many factors to consider when you are buying a computer such as: mobility, memory size, RAM, graphics cards, and software, all of which play an important role in purchasing a computer.  

Whether you decide to buy a laptop or a desktop, it seems that either one serves students’ needs ranging from writing a paper and producing a PowerPoint presentation to surfing the Internet and chatting with friends. Although, I believe it is important to point out that while all Penn State campuses are wired, many of them offer wireless hotspots. Thus, with a growing number of wireless access points on and off campus, a laptop may serve as a more convenient and mobile tool to stay connected without having to stay planted in your dorm room or on-campus apartment.

The next big decision is what type of operating system you may want to use: Mac or Windows-based.  Both types of systems work at Penn State so the decision is in your hands. 

Mac
Mac computers are mostly used for more complex Web site development and photo and movie editing.  They are built for heavier multimedia use but also perform the basics like word processing, PowerPoint presentations, or instant messaging.
 
Windows-based
Students seem most familiar with a Windows-based computer, and yet they can perform many of the same functions as the Mac computer, including Internet surfing and instant messaging. Windows-based computers also offer a wide array of Microsoft Office software.  

If you still can’t decide which system fits you best, you may want to contact the Penn State Computer Store for additional information about both operating systems. All campuses also offer both Mac and Windows-based computers in their computer labs.

Getting Hooked Up
           
Now that you have decided which computer you think best suits your needs, next is getting hooked up to the Penn State network in the residence halls.  Penn State’s Housing and Food Services provide every student living in the residence halls with one Ethernet connection to directly access the University’s network.  Students who own a computer and reside in the residence halls must register for an Ethernet connection to access the Internet from their room.  You will need:  a Penn State Access Account (given to you at First-Year Testing, Counseling and Advising Program - FTCAP), a computer (a laptop or desktop), an Ethernet card (equipped in most computers), and an Ethernet cable (25 ft. or longer). 

In every living area at Penn State University Park, there is a common building that houses Residential Computing, ResCom for short, which provides free computer support to students living in the residence halls.  ResCom operates five helpdesks at University Park, located in Findlay, Pollock, Redifer, Waring, and Warnock Commons.  The Commonwealth campuses also provide their own version of support for students who live in the residence halls. 

Computing Resources on Campus

In addition to working in your room, many students utilize many of the computing resources available on campus. 

Ken Cara, a senior broadcast journalism major at Penn State University Park, started at Penn State Hazleton for his first two years. While he was at Hazleton, he used the computer labs in the library and the Graham Building.  He also worked wirelessly in the library if he needed a quieter place to work.  

Many students take advantage of on-campus resources ranging from computer labs to computer classrooms. Students use the computers to check their e-mail in between class, to work on a class project, individually or with a small group, or to chat with their friends.  Penn State University Park offers over fifty computer labs, many of which are open twenty-four hours, conveniently located in many of the classroom buildings, residence hall areas, and the Hetzel Union Building (HUB). All of the computers in the computer labs are equipped with the latest software for word processing, Web development, digital imaging, email clients, and more. 

Also, available are wireless access points on all the Penn State campuses.  With well over 100 wireless access points at University Park, students are sure to find a place to access the Internet.  Wireless hotspots on the University Park campus include the Hetzel Union Building, Information Science and Technology Building, Willard Building, Forum Building, and new Business Building.  At Penn State Harrisburg, wireless hotspots include the Olmsted Building, Library, and Classes Center.   

It gets better!  Every semester all students are allowed 110 free pages of printing at any of the student computing labs on campus.  Students use the computer labs to print their class notes, class assignments, high-resolution graphics, and more.

One account, a million resources

At FTCAP, every student is given a username and password to access all of Penn State’s online resources, called an Access Account.  More specifically, this Access Account, among many other uses, is a portal to over a million online resources at any of the libraries.  Penn State’s library system is linked to one online catalog system, which includes all Penn State campuses; this program is called The CAT. This means that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, students have access to the libraries’ resources as well as a plethora of electronic resources like e-journals, full text articles, digital media, databases such as Lexis Nexus, ProQuest, and more.  With these resources at the tips of your fingers, papers, presentations, and research never became so easy.  Did I mention all this was free to you, as a student? 

Don’t Miss Out

With a bounty of computing resources at any Penn State campus, online access never became so simple.  Everything is free, quick, and convenient and with all these amenities available, staying connected with friends and family and making good grades are at the touch of a keyboard.