Lab Experience at Elizabeth City State University

            Computers are becoming more important everyday.  Here at Elizabeth City State University, the computer is incorporated in most classrooms or homework assignments.  As a computer science and mathematics double major, I use the computer almost everyday.  In Computer Science 215, I use C++ to write and execute programs.  Mat Lab is used in my Linear Algebra class to solve matrices.  Other departments also have computer labs.  This paper is designed to highlight several of the places where one can find a computer and how I plan to gain lab experience.

           

Most teachers require students to hand-in typed assignments.  The Information Technology Center (ITC) is home to the computer labs that are open to the entire student body.  Its hours are from 8 a.m. to 12 midnights, Monday through Friday, except during classes.  On Saturdays, the labs are open from 1 to 5 p.m.; the lab is open from 4 p.m. to 12 midnight on Sunday nights.  Mrs. Shelleé R. Rust is in charge of hiring student workers for this particular lab.  Her extension is 335-3373.  The E.V. Wilkins Academic Computing Center is also used for classes and students.

           

While researching, I found that several labs were closed to the general student body.  Many of the other departments and programs, such as Technology, and the Ronald McNair Scholars Research program have their own labs available for their students only.  Currently, I am an ONR/NASA Researcher.  Our lab is open to students who are in the program.

If I was given the opportunity to work in another computer lab of my choice, there are a couple of places that I would consider.  First, I would choose to work at ITC because I would learn more about how the system works.  My second choice would be the Calculus lab because I am also a math major.  Working in the Business and Economics Lab would be interesting; there, I would apply my basic computer skills and observe some of the work that the Business students produce.

 

I already have lab experience set up for myself.  As an ONR/NASA Researcher, I will be working on several tasks that will involve working with Microsoft software and graphic rendering software.  We will also become familiar with the Unix operating system.  I will be working on a research team and help design our web page.  I will also improve my current web page.  Therefore, I have some lab experience and more to come.   I look forward to gaining more experience in the future.