Networks and academic support are your friends

MATT WIEGLE/YH

For most of you, electronic mailing (e-mail) and the Internet were optional in high school. At Yale, though, these and other computer network tools are no longer just fun pastimes. E-mail becomes a necessity, while the Internet and search databases become very handy research tools. Here's an overview of some of the basics of Yale's networking system.

If you're part of any organization at Yale or have any hint of a social life, chances are you'll check your e-mail at least once a day. For the social butterfly, there's always "n-talk" (a real-time typing conversation link) with which you can contact even your friends at other universities. E-mail and n-talk are handled through Yale's UNIX computer system. Think of them as your post office serving the Internet, delivering information to 60 million places in the blink of an eye. Federal Express never dreamed of such great service.

For the researcher, LEXIS and NEXIS are indispensable tools, allowing one to connect to a database of over 600 publications. Need another bibliographic source at 1 a.m.? No problem—just run a quick search through the database, copy the text to your document, add a few quotation marks, and presto—you're done!

Do you feel the need to roam? Try surfing the Internet through the World Wide Web. The web is the unifying mode of accessing information on the Internet, combining Gopher, Usenet, and even e-mail into linked hypertext pages.

Regardless of your electronic IQ, be sure to attend one of the computing orientation sessions which occur during the first week of school. Yale also provides a whole team of Computing Assistants whose sole job is to help you with your computer. Feel free to ask them about setting up an e-mail account, creating your own web page, or even converting your computer to a file server. Whether you are a computer neophyte or a hard-core hacker, you and Yale's networking system undoubtedly will not soon become friends, like it or not.

—Jessica Winter
Hugh Hunter contributed to this article.

It's 11 p.m., your chem lab report is due in the morning, and you're still stuck on the second question. Your English 129 professor has scribbled an ominous note on a draft of your paper. Your Math 120 midterm is tomorrow, and you think you're coming down with the flu.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, or if you just have a few (hundred) questions about your courses, Yale has a variety of resources that can help you. Your residential college Dean is the first person to see when you need academic guidance. He or she can advise you on choosing courses or settling on a major. Not only can college Deans set you up with a regular tutor, they can also issue the "Dean's Excuse," which allows you to postpone an exam or paper due to extenuating circumstances.

But what if you just have a quick question on a problem set or want someone to read the rough draft of your paper? Yale also offers tutors you can visit on an informal, drop-in basis.

Math and Science Tutors: Old Campus has two math and science gurus who work with freshmen. They won't provide answers, but they will help you figure out the problems. Both tutors are usually available for a five-hour stretch one night per week.

Each residential college also has a math and science tutor accessible to any Yale student during regular office hours. Students working at all levels can come for help, and the casual atmosphere can be a welcome change from the classroom. "Students can get personal attention that may be unavailable in their classes, and many students like it because tutors are completely separate from the grading process," former math and science tutor Aimé Fournier, GRD '90, explained. He said that his students ranged from the "totally confused" to those seeking an extra challenge and a different perspective on their coursework.

Writing Tutors: The writing tutors in the residential colleges offer similar assistance for all types of writing. It is important to realize that these tutors offer more than remedial help.

"People come in at all stages of the writing process," TD writing tutor Diane Charney said. "Some people come to polish up, some people come because they can't get started. Writing tutors have tricks to get people over the hump. The writing tutor is always on your side."

So when that problem set or paper starts to worry you, or when you just want advice, don't forget the valuable resources located right inside the residential colleges. Yale academics might sound intimidating, and with good reason, but there is plenty of help and support available when you need it.

—Mary Tobler

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