1. Be prepared. Always bring your disks, any assigned reading, a notebook or paper, and a pen or pencil. Have assignments completed on time and be prepared to discuss them. Come to class on time, and stay until the class is dismissed. Then:

Check to be sure you have not left any disks, personal belongings, or trash behind.

Log out

Leave the classroom promptly so that you will not disrupt the next class.

2. Show respect for the instructor and for your classmates. When the instructor is talking, pay attention and take notes. Important information may be provided that you will need later, and it may not be available at other times or places. Do not check email, browse the web, or do other work on the computer while the instructor is talking. Listen respectfully when other students are talking.

3. Use your time wisely. Class time is limited, so be sure you take full advantage of it. When you are in class, work on material related to class only. Do not use the computers for other class work or for personal use during class time. If you have spare time, work on your ongoing projects, reading, or other preparations for this class. It's very evident in the quality of the work when students have not used in-class time effectively.

4. Invest time in your own education. Expect to spend at least 10 hours each week outside of class working on class assignments, perhaps more as deadlines approach. You may do this work on any computer available to you, or you may come into the lab during open hours to work on class assignments.

5. Some students in CWRL classes have more technical expertise than others. If you are experienced with computers, you may feel that discussions of computer "basics" do not involve you. However, you can make a real contribution to the class by providing assistance to students who are less experienced or adding to the information provided by the instructor. This will have a positive impact on how you are evaluated in the class. Please don't distract other students by expressions of boredom, impatience, and disinterest during these discussions. You'll have plenty of opportunities to show off your expertise through your work in class.

6. On the other hand, if you are inexperienced with computers, make sure that you ask questions and get help with any aspect of the class which confuses you. Don't assume that you will look foolish because "everyone else already knows." We can't know what isn't clear to students until they ask. Here are some of the resources available to help you figure out what you need to know: Ask questions in class (there's a good chance other students share your confusion), post questions to the class email list (again, other students might benefit from the answers you receive), use the class forum on the web site, visit the instructor during office hours (yes! we do want to talk to you!), spend time in the CWRL during lab open hours, visit the Undergraduate Writing Center, browse the CWRL web site (http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu), attend workshops given at the library by the computation center, ask other classmates.

7. Lab open hours are for students enrolled in classes taught in CWRL classrooms. If you abuse the use of the labs, you may lose the privilege of working in them. You will certainly lose the goodwill of the lab community. The labs are staffed by instructors who are also teaching CWRL classes. Lab staff can provide some technical assistance with the use of the computers and the software in the lab, but they will not help you compose work for your assignments. That is your responsibility; if you have questions about the assignment, ask your instructor. Always, always be courteous and respectful to lab staff; they are doing their best to assist you.

Questions? Email Peg Syverson: syverson@uts.cc.utexas.edu