huffingtonpost.com: Do you need access to Facebook and Twitter at all times? Whenever you walk into a room are you instantly scouring for outlets and checking for a wifi network? If so, you'll definitely need to consider these schools that students have raved are the most technologically wired campuses in the 2012 Unigo College Rankings!
15 comments:
I am not surprised that Carnegie Mellon made this list. Anything relating to wifi or any computer usage I have not had any problems. I think it is extremely important to be at the forefront regarding new technologies and Carnegie Mellon is a place that openly embraces that.
I haven't found a spot on campus yet without wifi coverage. Integrating technology into schools is now necessary in our world where technology is a part of daily life. It is used to communicate and in the workforce and students are severely impeded if they do not have easy access to the internet and computers and printers and technology in general.
I am actually a little surprised that CMU is in the top 10. Here is why: CMU advertises the original wifi and stuff. Except sometimes it feels as if they never upgraded. Logan Int'l has wifi for all 6 terminals and associated buildings and tarmac, it is a public network (ie. anyone can access it if they're in range), and it's faster and less spotty than CMU's network. However, it does beat a lot of other schools, especially public ones. UMass has wifi in most buildings, but no where between, except fot the tunnels.
What I think makes CMU unique in its use of Internet, wifi, and general technology is how much we use technology for even the simplest and most basic uses of organization and communication. While we are nowhere near a "paperless" university, CMU and its affiliate websites and networks are a solid place where I can go to find reference. Everything is online, from the Drama production website to The Hub to SIO. I don't necessarily know how we compare to other schools when it comes to a network of reference, but it has definitely made my life at CMU easier.
As a school so widely known for technology and innovation, I would be shocked if CMU did not make this list. As a heavily research-based school, it is important for CMU students to have access to the internet all over campus, and at all times of the day and night. I have not had a single experience thus far where I haven't been able to connect to CMU's netwrok. Perhaps some students suffer more than benefit from the unlimited, abundant Wi-Fi across campus. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter are certainly visited by students several times a day, however if students did not get Wi-Fi in certain places on campus, they would still find other ways to procrastinate. Also, for such a great school widely known for Computer Science, CMU's general website can totally be re-vamped and easier to use!
I always complain on how in my room, my wifi get disconnected after every one hour, so I have to reconnect every time. Therefore, it was a little surprised to see the picture of Carnegie Mellon University in this website. Thinking back to our school, it sounds obvious because CMU is so well known for technology and computer. This article led me to think that maybe it's just my phone and computer that have problem setting in or maybe other school's internet connection is way worse than ours that I don't feel appreciated. I was also surprised how our society became so technology-based, that even colleges are ranked based on their availability on wifi.
(Has anyone else noticed that there are lists comparing EVERYTHING about colleges lately?)
It is really nice to be able to have wifi almost everywhere I go on campus. I'm sure that our tiny campus size is a factor, but I especially enjoy being able to connect from outside, on the cut or sitting at a picnic table, etc. This article didn't mention that our wifi is also really *good*. There is a serious connection speed change between when I am on campus and when I'm at my apartment, and I'm grateful that CMU has a really fast connection as well as a wide-spread one. Also, I'm proud to say my brother's college is also on this list.
I was so confused while reading this article because the whole time i was definitely thinking it said "top 10 weird colleges" ....whoops
So I am definitely someone who wakes up checking their email, and falls asleep with their smart phone within reaching distance. I definitely know that I couldn't function without the techological resources that CMU provides.
However I think of a time when I didn't have a smartphone. Not really that long ago, a little less than two years. I would check my email periodically throughout the day, but never anywhere near this magnitude. Same with social websites. The second they made Facebook "mobile" it literally went all down hill from here.
I was completely functional without the technological advancements, and now they are so intricately implimented in my daily life. This is the future...but proceed with caution.
I wasn't going to comment on this article, but I just had to due to the fact that while I was trying to do my comments the wifi kept dropping in and out. This however I must admit doesn't happen that often and no I don't expect it to be perfect, but it was just funny to see that article while having that problem. I don't know many of the universities on that list but I would expect that CMU should be on the list as it is one of the leading universities in technology.
I agree with Jess that the CMU website needs to be revamped. It can be very confusing and very hard to find what you are looking for. It took me forever to find where to make health service appointments online the first time. I am also not very surprised that CMU made the list. To me it is a little surprising that we didn't make the top 5.
The biggest problem I find isn't with the wifi network, but all the different printers and plotters. There have been many occasions where something is wrong and I need to print things for an assignment thats due and the printers not working. I also wish the School of Drama would get a colored printer, even if they have to charge us more then that $100 a year.
This is disturbing to me for so many reasons. Maybe I'm a troglodyte, ok I am a troglodyte, but I think the accessibility of the internet should rank right behind how closely the grass is cut when evaluating a school. If anything, the less available the internet is at an institution might be a more accurate litmus test of how engaged the student body might be, and how high the level of discourse among them. I must avoid, bodily, on a daily basis, students too engrossed in their devices to even navigate campus without harming themselves or their fellows. I force myself to ignore comrades who spend class time on the Facebooks or some equally pernicious waste of time instead of focusing on their studies. I can't even listen to my beloved Science Friday on the radio because the interference from our electronic hive mind is too fierce. Again, troglodyte, but when the lights go out, I hope to be the one who still knows how to build a fire.
I was honestly almost a bit surprised that CMU was listed as the 6th most wired campus. I thought we would have been higher! I've found wifi everywhere, and it seems CMU has integrated technology extremely well into curricula and our daily lives. We even take "Computing at Carnegie Mellon"… Although I'd agree with Ruben that at times CMU's computing services feel a bit old fashioned, for the most part they still do what they're intended to do- albeit at times not as streamlined as Apple or Google might do it. But I agree 100% as others have said that our website needs to be redone- I always turn to Google in order to find something on it.
Im not entirely sure if its good thing we are on this list. I just recently went on a technology fast and it was very therapeutic. But i guess always having the option is very nice. It definitely has us very spoiled.
I'm glad we're at least 5th on the list, but at the same time, I'm not really sure we should be on it. I have so many problems with the internet and the technology on campus that I constantly ask myself why one of the most technologically advanced schools in the country has so many problems.
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