Take a look at the new Guide to Student Computing . To receive the latest on SC&I computer lab hours, policies, etc, subscribe to the Library and Information Science Student Association listserv by using the link provided on the mailman webpage, which is https://email.rutgers.edu/mailman/listinfo/ Click on the SCI_LISSA link and fill in the information. If you have problems or questions regarding the computer lab, send a message to help@comminfo.rutgers.edu. Be sure to take advantage of the Rutgers computing services: http://www.nbcs.rutgers.edu and http://rucs.rutgers.edu. Also take a look at https://www.eden.rutgers.edu/webtools, where you can learn how to link e-mail accounts, create vacation messages, etc. You may wish to review http://www.comminfo.rutgers.edu/~ruasis/help.htm and other online tutorials; see, for example, http://www.webjunction.org.
Be aware of dangers lurking in cyberspace, and learn how to avoid them at http://rusecure.rutgers.edu/best
If you consider yourself to be hopelessly computer-illiterate, there are two things we want you to know:
- The machine is dumb, but you are smart.
- You can't hurt the machine; in fact, the less you know about it, the less damage you can do.
Yes, that sounds contradictory, but believe it for now.
If, on the other hand, you consider yourself to be a computer whiz, please be warned: you can create havoc for yourself and your colleagues if you try to change the way the computers in the lab are set up, or if you do not follow guidelines. Our computers are loaded to execute a number of programs commonly used in classes, and tampering with anything is bound to cause trouble. If you detect a problem, report it immediately to the lab assistants. If the problem involves a policy issue,. Contact Jon Oliver, Assistant Dean, Network and Information Technology. See the SC&I directory and e-mail listing for ways to make contact.
You should be enrolled in 610:550 during your first semester, because that course is designed to introduce you to the technology you will be using throughout the program. If you have not registered for 550, it is not too late to consider a drop-add. If you have had considerable computer experience, consider asking for an exemption from 610:550; consult the 610:550 course coordinator, Professor Spoerri, aspoerri@rutgers.edu.
Usually the computers will be turned on, and all you have to do is hit the "Enter" key to get started. If you see a log-on box, don't pay any attention to the line asking for a password. Just hit enter again to bring up the icons for Telnet (which will take you to e-mail), Internet Explorer, and a few others. For Word, other Microsoft software, and software used in specific classes, double-click on "Start" at the bottom left corner of the screen, and then click on "Programs".
If you have never used a computer, there are some simple, painless ways to overcome the very understandable anxiety you may have as a novice computer user. Start by taking a basic course at your public library or community college; follow up by attending our technology workshop; and then spend some time in the lab with a lab assistant or a fellow student who can help you to reach a reasonable comfort level. You will be much more confident when you attend your first lab if you know something about those keys that are not on your typewriter, for example. If you have always used a Mac, you will also benefit from spending a little time in our lab getting acquainted with the SC&I PCs, which run Microsoft Windows.
Most importantly, ask questions when you don't understand something -- right away! Don't assume everyone else is with it. Misunderstandings cumulate and will hamper you more and more.