From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!alice!rabbit!jj Newsgroups: net.followup Title: Re: Schools requiring personal computers Article-I.D.: rabbit.834 Posted: Sat Oct 23 22:28:24 1982 Received: Sun Oct 24 00:46:51 1982 References: sdcarl.4231 Yes, indeed, I agree with sdcarl!lin about students on work study. I staggered through 3 years of undergraduate school as a work-study student with all my calculations done on a $5.00 plastic slide rule. I habitually got 90-95% on tests in which I knew exactly the answer in fractional form, simply bacause I didn't have the time to solve to more than 3 digits. I finally bought a calculator (4 banger) after my junior year when I had $66 left to spend for the summer, and I used it to buy a calculator. I borrowed money several times the next year to buy batteries since I couldn't afford the model with ni-cads. (AND- the first to laugh in my presence will find some serious weaknesses in my sense of humor) I can't help but think that my unlamented alma mother (expletive) is going to wind up as a school for the rich and totally underpriveleged (who get one free), with not a single merely poor person in the school. While I do agree that the idea is indeed good for engineering students to have to use computers, I think (and maybe CMU is ahead of me) that the school that does so may have to buy the computer for most of their students. This would, however, represent a complete turnaround at the financial aid office there, as they used to tell you that a calculator was "not necessary". Sometimes they would even ask you if you had a calculator, and if you said "yes" tell you that you had too much money. In short, while I think that requiring engineering students to buy computers is not all that bad, the idea will have to be VERY carefully executed to avoid locking out a great portion of the freshman class. The care and planning that were evident during most of my stay wouldn't encourage me to have a lot of hope, although I was only part of the Cyert school for one year. A question,--- what is an artist or a sculptor, of which there are a lot at CMU, going to do with a computer (or have I missed the qualifications for those required to buy one?). As an aside, when I went to CMU, the only computer available was an ancient IBM360/67 that broke twice a week and couldn't handle the load placed on it. All those 10's and 20's you hear about were, at that time (and may well still be, I'm not speaking to the place) only for C-S grad students. Don't mail me, I don't really care. If the world might, write an article. rabbit!jj