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"We're one of the 'Most Wired Colleges!'" your tour guide shouts out as you pass by a computer lab that's filled with dusty, mute boxes. "We've got over a dozen computer labs for student, faculty, and staff use!" But after doing some quick math in your head, it looks like you'll only have access to a computer about two hours per week. While the presentation is definitely energetic, you've got to wonder how easy it is to just "hop on" a machine if you're sharing it with the rest of campus.

Just What Defines A "Connected" College?
Today's wired colleges go way beyond offering lifetime e-mail accounts. Some colleges encourage students to post online portfolios for prospective employers. Others have network hook-ups in the dining halls. Some even allow roommate selection online and boast 24-hour tech support in each residence hall.

But how do you, a savvy soon-to-be college student, sort out what matters and what doesn't when it comes down to college computing?

Download the Low-Down
If you happen to be on campus for a tour or visit, take advantage of this by asking your tour guide any or all of the questions suggested at the end of this article. If you've already gone on a tour or can't make it to campus, look for answers on the college's Web site. In addition to the specific information you'll dig up, the site's overall design can also give you some insight into how seriously this college takes technology.

In the Big House
Your biggest area of concern should be how connected your Dorm really is. Ask your tour guide about the campus' "port-to-pillow" ratio -- the number that compares computers to students per room. What's ideal? 1:1. If you're checking out the campus' site or have a chance to stop by the computing services office, look for information on residential computing. (It may have some sort of nickname like "ResNet.")

You'll also want to find out how you get started: Look for details about whether you'll get your username and password your first day on campus, and how to go about applying for these (an online form is best). If you're bringing a fairly new computer to campus, it's likely that you already have a network card (or NIC) installed. If you don't, see if you can purchase a network kit from the computing services office and if they can help you install it.

Find out if status reports for the campus network (and related Web and mail servers) are online, and how to go about reporting problems. If these issues are addressed on the school's site or by your tour guide, this college has passed the first test.

Dissecting the Help Desk
A connected college, however, is more than a campus with plenty of jacks in your room; it also means service-with-a-smile from a knowledgeable help desk. Ask your tour guide how responsive the help desk staff is. In a perfect world, you'll be able to call a friendly help-staffer who can walk you through the solution to your problem.

The ability to receive a prompt e-mail response is also a plus. But in the real world, help-staffers are often just like you -- a techno-savvy student with a super-busy schedule. Try to stop in for a chat when you're on campus, or drop them an e-mail to gauge their response time. No sign of a help desk is a bad sign.

High-Tech Learning
You're going to college to learn, and your campus' connectivity can be the icing on the cake. Just think -- fully-stocked computer labs, enhanced multimedia classrooms, a range of workshops and seminars, and full-featured online library services will round out your learning. Look for information on the number of general access computer labs (note that the total number of labs may be deceiving, as some are restricted for certain majors or faculty use).

Also check out the number of computers in each lab, what type of computers they are, what other services the labs offer (like printing or scanning, or equipment check-out), and the hours of availability. Even if you're bringing your own computer, the labs across campus will prove useful for between-class work, a quick chat with friends, or as back-up when your roommate wants to sleep and you need to pull an all-nighter. Having at least one all-hours lab on campus is a huge perk!

But the academic facilities are only part of the game. Your professors need to know how to bring learning to life in your campus' technological playground as well. You can get a good sense of their capabilities by surfing their home pages and checking out how current and comfortable they seem to be with the idea of supplementing in-class work with Web sites, online assignments, or discussion boards. On campus, ask to sit in on a class or two in one of the more sophisticated classrooms.

After all this research, you'll have a good handle on how your selected colleges measure up to their claims of cutting-edge technology and promises of available computing. Hopefully, they'll measure up to your standards, too.

Questions to Ask, On Campus or Online

• Can you register for classes, check your Financial aid details, and look up (or pay off) your bursar account online?


• Is the library's catalogue available online?


• Can you reserve books or request interlibrary loans online?


• Does the campus bookstore allow for browsing and purchasing online?


• Is there some sort of online campus community or events calendar that makes it easy to see what's happening on campus?


• How many computer labs are on campus? Are printing services free or reasonably-priced?


• Is the faculty Web-savvy? Do they have course home pages, online syllabi, and do they respond quickly to e-mail?


• How savvy does the faculty expect students to be, and are you required (or allowed) to e-mail in assignments?


• What operating systems and software does the college officially support?


• Which instant messenger do most students on campus use?

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