Get Connected with IT
I’ll be the first to admit it: since I never needed to have my computer fixed in my first three years of college, I found myself with no reason to connect with the IT department. In fact, I was not even entirely sure where on campus I could find the IT department. I always viewed IT as a comforting, but distant friend: there if I needed them, but not part of my regular routine.
After spending the past year serving as the Student Communications Intern for W&M IT, I have come to realize how many opportunities I missed by not connecting with this department sooner. Behind the doors of Jones (for those of you unsure where IT actually lives), lays the inner workings of the campus network and an entire team of IT staff that’s here to help you.
I realize that as students we tend to schedule our weekly routines down to the last second. You know when you’ll be getting coffee, when you say hello to your roommate on campus, and how many times you can hit snooze without being late to your first class. However, I encourage you to break that schedule every once in a while to get to know the campus around you. W&M IT holds a wealth of knowledge that I never knew existed until this past year. Here are some ways to ensure that that wealth of knowledge will not be a mystery to you:
Peruse the website: As a student, I know we spend a substantial amount of quality study time on social media sites. The next time you find yourself looking at the same posts on your newsfeed for the third time, I encourage you to take a look around the departmental websites W&M offers instead.
Did you know that the W&M IT website has a listing of the Williamsburg TV stations? Seems like a little thing, but I know for ¾ of my college career, I spent the five minutes leading up to my favorite TV show frantically searching for the correct channel, because somehow, I could never seem to remember.
Did you also know that there is an entire page devoted to FAQs? From Banner to printing to course evaluations, the answers to your questions are right here!
How about SciClone? Ever hear of that? How about ways to keep your computer and identity safe? Info on the new online course evaluations? Recent computer donations? These are just a few things that the IT webpage has to offer if you take a second to look.
Just say hello: The W&M IT directory is filled with friendly faces who are really here to help you. Don’t be afraid to shoot someone an email or come in to ask questions. In fact, this is exactly how W&M IT managed to help campus organizations donate computers to those in need.
Perhaps you’re planning on pursuing a technology-related field. What better place to look for advice than straight from the experts? You may be surprised and interested to hear the educational journeys that got our staff members here.
Look for on-campus student opportunities: I can say with certainty that had I not been given this opportunity, I would not be graduating with a future career in Public Relations. There are student opportunities in W&M IT for future engineers, computer technicians, and even aspiring PR executives like myself. Don’t let this campus just be the home of your academics and social life. It can also house valuable work and life experiences that will enhance your impressive academic career.
William & Mary IT really sits at the heart of campus life. I’m sure there is not a single student on campus who could complete his or her school work without a functioning computer and reliable internet access. So take the time to get to know this department before it is too late. After becoming acquainted with IT this past year, I know that it is a resource that will be available to me long after I graduate.
