We return again, to the end of a semester. It has had ups and downs for all of us. We have all had that tough class that has put more stress on us than we thought we could take and we’ve had that class that seems to drag on forever. Its finals week and we need to focus more than ever. We have exams that we all need to do well on and one way to prepare, is to research on our specific topics. However, this access to research is not readily available for all students. I myself have had Internet problems in the past, and they continue to this day.

Back at the beginning of October, I wrote an article that focused on the Internet problems that I had been having and the problem had occurred for a few weeks before then. To this day, my Internet is not fixed. I do not write to complain about my Internet because I am able to access the Internet in other ways. My University has provided me, and my fellow students with computer access and Internet access in the library. This privilege is one that is often overlooked.

However, finals week is a different story. The library will be packed and the Internet will be slow. Competing with other students for computers and Internet access is not something that should be forced upon students. Internet access in our rooms on campus is a privilege as well and I realize that this was not always the case on this campus and many others. The issue with the newness of being able to access the Internet in our rooms is that instructors expect more from students as technology advances. This can create more stress on students if they are not able to access the Internet in their rooms.

Another student on campus, in a different dorm than I live in, recently had some Internet issues. This student contacted our help center and someone came out right away to assess the problem. Once they diagnosed the problem, the Internet was up and running the next day. The student’s Internet is running consistently. The Internet only goes in and out and night but this, admittedly is from more people using it and this is expected. During the day, the Internet is still out in many places on campus, regardless of whether or not the Internet is flooded with people. If the Internet is inaccessible at seemingly random times, research can be very hard to accomplish.

If I still have Internet problems now, two months later, and other students are able to have Internet access the next day after they make a request to have it looked at, then there are not enough people to solve the issues. The staff is small in the solution center, and I realize that, but this does not mean that the staff is unable to grow. The students here pay for Internet access, twenty-four hours a day. If this service is being paid for then the University needs to direct more funding into either a new Internet provider, or a larger staff to address the current issues. Montevallo, I know what you have done for me and what opportunities you have provided. Now let me take full advantage of them.