Greetings and salutations everyone!
Today I will be talking about the different resources we have around the University, that we can use at all times here as students!
Within our University, we try to enforce our open door policy, where we will have access to all points of interest within the University, which would include but is not limited to:
- Technology Labs
- Computer Commons
- Computer Labs
- Hardware Studio
- Maker Studio
- Green Screen Studio
- Classrooms
- And more!
Regardless of your major, you're able to use any of the rooms provided, and they generally run on a 24 hour basis, or I guess more realistically, 23 hours with an hour set aside for cleaning, but if you don't mind the noise, you can generally stay down at all points in time!
Within these labs, or more commonly in the computer commons, you will find students of all backgrounds working on different projects, or even playing games as well. Here at UAT, we are predominantly PC gamers, but we do have a soft spot for some console games, of which you will find them at all times perhaps at the Founders Hall living environment, or out in the cafeteria as well playing on one of the TV's provided. Regardless, at around 2 AM if when the computer commons reaches its height, and then you will find that everyone will be down there either taking over an island of computers and working on different projects, or perhaps inhabiting "League Island" where they will namely be playing League of Legends.
One of our newest and coolest labs would the New Technologies Lab, or shortened to the NT lab! Inside of this lab alone would be a ton of different technologies that we can use, and it certainly saves us money in the case that we would need to get this stuff on our own! Some of the contents of the room would include:
- Windows Application Dev Kits
- Macintosh Application Dev Kits
- PS3 & Xbox360 Development Kits
- Oculus Rift Development Kits
- Google Glass
- Two 3D Printers (One of which has a 3D scanner)
- Mobile Application Dev Kits
- And more!
This room was one of the newer additions into the campus as of this semester, and contains a lot of great technologies that we can basically use at any time as long as we have a key to gain access into the room. It saves us a lot of money too, because to get my own pair of Google Glass can cost me easily around $1500!
That is only one of the rooms, as there are plenty of computers to go around as well, which means that we are not required to have our own computers! Even though I have two laptops for schooling, I still find myself using the computers provided, partially because they're still really nice machines!
With everything provided to us, being a student here is nice because we don't usually have to worry about hardware costs, especially when it comes down to having to buy our own as well. With it so prevalent, it definitely makes our time easier!
Next time I'll go over some of the software that we use as well!
Until next time,
-Nicholas "TAE"
