Dodging the Internet in high school was easy. I didn't take any computer classes and I only used the word processor for writing papers. If I felt risky, I would surf the Internet for research material and e-mail friends; however, college has forced me to face my fears.
At UWEC computers have affected my education severely. Class syllabi, e-mails, Power Points, and web projects challenge me to use the computer because they affect my grades. Conservation of the environment was the first class that introduced me to the online class syllabus and my professor's use of power point. I spent hours in the computer lab trying to figure out how to get to her course web page. After accomplishing that, I had to map a W drive. To this day I couldn't tell you what a W drive is, but I could tell you how to map one. Professor Theo had the students fill out video documents from her course page and then place them into her file. Being computer illiterate, I went in for help several times until I finally understood the basics. Learning how to explore her course page, map W drives, and locate her power points has made it easier for me to figure out other professor's web pages. Power Points are helpful when you miss class or don't have time to write all the notes in class. Without computer knowledge, I would fail the majority of my classes.
E-mails are my communication source to family and friends. Writing brief messages got me comfortable with using the computer. It also gave me a chance to write daily and get in the habit of checking my college e-mail account. Having an account, freely allows students and professors to communicate and ask questions.
Now I am faced with creating web pages for my English 110 class. This task is my ultimate fear and causes a lot of stress. Step-by-step instructions on how to create and publish web pages were given to all students to follow. Even though the instructions were straight forward they were overwhelming for me. If one link doesn't work, all hell breaks loose and you panic. Help from friends is needed at first, but getting through the first web page is probably going to be the hardest. Creating web pages better get easier because I still have three more to accomplish for English.
I am a part of the computer age and I am terrified; however, being forced to learn about technology makes me feel somewhat current with computers. Gaining a little knowledge goes a long way. I feel more confident in helping others with technical problems they run into. In college there is no way of getting around the use of computers. If you don't know how to use them, then you will be forced to because your grades depend on it plus it becomes a habit. You might surprise yourself and realize computers aren't all that bad--I did.