Instead of calling my desktop “my computer,” it’s about time my computer refers to me as its very own human. Once upon a time, computers were considered a luxury. For today’s traditional college student, computers have become a necessity. Computers have had a major role in nearly the entirety of our academic careers.

University Relations, on the Iowa State web site, estimates that 65 to 75 percent of students have full-time access to a personal computer. Roughly, every eight students share a computer on campus. With these numbers, it’s obvious computers are very accessible to students. With the increase in computer availability in the past decades, computers have increased in importance in the academic environment.

Any student can rattle off the most common and preferred stylization of a typed document: 12 point Times New Roman, double spaced with one inch margins.

While we have gotten used to doing our papers and projects on computers, educators are starting to request that even the simplest of assignments be typed out for the convenience. The computer age began so innocently, but now it’s running out of control.

Last semester, my biggest foe was WebCT. For the first time in my college career, I had a course where my professor administered all of the quizzes and assignments over WebCT. I can remember the huge disappointment I would feel before bed when all of a sudden I would realize that I had missed the deadline for submitting some online homework or taking a quiz. With the new technology, students are expected to continually check online and remain proactive to keep up with the course. While we should maintain initiative in our education, adjusting to educational advances doesn’t always happen overnight. This semester, I am winning a personal battle with WebCT as I have become more attentive to online requirements.

The computer is taking over all parts of college life. E-mail has also become a near-necessity. Assignments and deadline changes are often mailed out by TAs, so it can be potentially dangerous to those of us who may not use computers or check our e-mail too often. I have gotten in the personal habit of checking my e-mail whenever I am near an internet-accessible computer simply because I get at least ten important “read me and reply to me” e-mails per day, often telling me of a last-minute change in a meeting location or asking me for some emergency help with an event.

Along with extra academic and work responsibilities, computers have also modernized the age-old practice of procrastination. While social activities have gotten in the way of academics for years, instant messengers are replacing verbal communication with Internet text swapping. After writer’s block begins to set in, students can get lost in a maze of online chatting, or even wasting time setting profiles or looking at away messages.

When my old computer crashed on my freshman year, my life came to a confusing halt. I had to spend my free time in computer labs working on my homework and share computer time with other people. The one thing that worked out about not having my own computer was that it eliminated the computer as a means of procrastination.

This past weekend, my “new” desktop decided to give me a little hassle. I sat there and begged it to pull through, and after hours of attention, I managed to work out the infected files that were holding my computer hostage. Rest assured, my computer is fine and we are again united.

Heavy computer reliance for academics can additionally be a pain, since instructors are extremely wary of electronic excuses. Gone are the days of the homework-hungry dog, but students of today have endless other excuses — blaming the Internet connection or printer, for example. The bad apples have spoiled it for the rest of us who might actually have a printing problem while trying to get a printing assignment in (regardless of the fact that you had three months to work on the project, but are only getting around to printing it five minutes before class. Score one for the addictive instant messenger.)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a proud Cyclone. The Atanasoff-Berry Computer was the world’s first electronic digital computer, and it was created on our very own campus. So it’s only fitting that our campus is wired. Keeping up with the professors on WebCT and with online readings will be a daunting task for me this semester, but I think my computer and I will make it.