With the current economic crisis that we are facing, every business and institution is forced to make budget cuts and, understandably, the University is no different. But I do have a few problems with the proposed solutions, namely reducing the amount of computer lab space on campus.

First off, simply requiring students to have laptop computers is not going to significantly reduce the need for the computer labs (especially not by 50 percent). With courses requiring students to use large computer programs, such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Maple, Matlab, etc., thousands of students need to access this software. 

Sure, you could get the University to install these programs onto your personal computer and be able to use them whenever and wherever you want, but have you ever tried this before?

I have and it slowed my computer down so much that I couldn’t operate these programs without my system temporarily freezing and/or crashing. I got so frustrated that I had no choice but to uninstall these programs and complete my projects in a computer lab on campus.

The fact of the matter is the majority of students’ personal computers don’t have the capacity to effectively utilize these programs to complete simple homework assignments, let alone semester long projects.

And what about those students who own Apple computers? Many of these computer programs aren’t compatible with Macintosh systems. Are these students expected to purchase brand new computers just to be able to complete homework assignments?  It just doesn’t seem fair to the majority of the student population.

Second, most people already know how much of a hassle it is now to try and find an open computer on campus, during peak hours.  Now imagine what it will be like if they decommission 50 percent (or more) of these computers… complete mayhem! Maybe instead of taking away computers that students actually use, why doesn’t the University decommission the 40″ HDTV’s that seem to only be there to inform you of what building you’re in? Couldn’t a simple bulletin board serve the same purpose? Or what about taking away the video game systems in the library that only serve as a distraction to those who are actually trying to do school work?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought students used the library  for studying, not butchering Sweet Child of Mine on Guitar Hero.

I understand the University needs to make budget cuts, but I feel that there are more common sense solutions that can be explored, which don’t inconvenience tens of thousands of college students.