Throughout the semester our class has been focusing a lot on the advancement of technology. Several times we have discussed the positive and negative effects of technology when working on different assignments. I feel as if I have been paying more attention to the negativity associated with technology than the good things that come with it. Now that I have completed my first year at a University where the knowledge of how to use technology is a must, I can look back and see how I would not have made it through without that knowledge and without owning the pieces of technology that I use every day.
Not everyone in college has a laptop, but most do because it makes school so much easier. Almost all of the homework for classes (as far as I know) is done either online or typed and neither of those types of assignments could be done without a computer, unless a typewriter is used, but that is a form of technology as well. Math, psychology, chemistry, and zoology were some of my classes that required almost all of the homework to be done online, plus any research done for English papers. There are computer labs that are available to students, but there are a limited number of computers and not all of them can be used for internet. If I did not own a laptop I would have spent 2/3 of my life in a computer lab. That is not my idea of a good college experience. Computers have made school so much more convenient and made our lives more comfortable while getting even more done than before computers were used for classes.
For some unknown reason my laptop has been having a ridiculous amount of problems since the beginning of second semester. Ever since coming back from Christmas break, I’ve felt like the technology gods were trying to ruin my GPA. It’s had several viruses, it kicks me off of the internet several times a day (without saving any homework that’s been completed), and freezes up just as much or more often than it kicks me off. These are just problems that specifically my computer has and maybe that’s why I’ve been bitter toward technology, but these problems bring me to my main point of what a savior my iPhone has been lately. I may not be able to do homework on it, but I can do other things with my iPhone that save me when my computer is not working. Since it has internet, I can do research wherever I am just as well (and sometimes faster) as I could with my computer. Another thing about college that relies on technology is email. Before this year, I never used email, but now I check it several times a day because it is how teachers get in touch with students. I am always getting important emails from teachers about due dates, assignment clarifications, exams, and so on. With my iPhone, I can read those messages as soon as they are sent and waste no time on receiving the information. Not only can I read emails, but I can send them at any point in the day no matter where I am with my iPhone. I can even email myself drafts of writing assignments from my iPhone to my computer for when it is working again.
There are countless reasons for a college student to love technology, and even though it has its bad side, I have come to realize that so does every other good thing mankind has created. I’m excited to see how technology continues to get better within the next several years. Hopefully it won’t result in laziness but in productivity and will continue to be a huge convenience for students in the future. I’m curious though, if the advancements of technology have made as positive an impact for other students that it has for me. Has technology made school easier and better for you or would you rather not have so many online assignments? Has it been more of a hassle for anyone than a help?
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Technology has been nothing but a hindrance for me at college. When I sit down to write on my computer, I immediately feel the urge to get on the internet or listen to Pandora. When I sit down without electronics and just write on paper, I can write much more and for a longer period of time. Yes, technology has been a hindrance, but it has also helped me. When I had to do research for a class, I had the internet right there at my fingertips. Also, I had access to D2L and I could submit everything I needed. Overall, I would say technology has been positive for me, but I became less productive because of it :)
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