A dorm room can serve many needs, but for one Iowa State student, it is an office.

Even while taking 12 credits of classes, finishing up his senior design project and taking part in the ISU marching and pep bands, Doug Inman, senior in computer engineering, finds time to work as a part-time programmer for IBM out of his room on the fifth floor of Friley Hall.

Inman said his job is mostly individual work, such as writing software programs, scripts and Web tools — tasks he can accomplish for IBM without actually being at the plant in Rochester, Minn.

“It’s been a nice challenge,” he said.

Inman has secured a full-time position at IBM after he graduates in the spring, after taking part in the summer co-op program at IBM the past two summers and in fall 1998.

Inman knows most of the people he works with and does not mind communicating only by telephone and e-mail, but he said working alone out of his dorm room is definitely different from working on-site in Rochester.

“When I was in the plant, it was a lot of team-type work,” he said.

Inman said the practical experience allows him to more clearly see how his classes relate to real-life on the job.

“A lot of my classes are team or group-oriented, and that plays a big part in working for a corporation,” he said.

Inman said his past experiences with IBM have benefited him in several ways.

“I’ve really been able to see if I would fit in with these groups [of employees] and enjoy the work I’ll be doing,” he said.

David Stephenson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, coordinates the internships and co-ops in his department, and he believes students can learn a lot from working for corporations while they’re still in school.

“They are more motivated in classes where before they were just taking classes and not understanding where they were leading,” Stephenson said.

Not only do classes make more sense, but future careers are more clear, he said.

“These students are actually experiencing what it is like to work in their chosen professions,” Stephenson said.

Students can find out what they will be doing in the future and also expand their job opportunities, he said.

“The hiring rate and average number of job offers is higher for those students who have had internships,” he said.

Stephenson also said he can see a difference in students when they come back from internships or co-ops.

“They have become professionals during that time,” he said.

Right now, Inman is working on projects that he has been involved with during his previous time at IBM, as well as beginning projects that he will continue to work on when he graduates and takes the position in Rochester.

Inman said working four to five hours every day for IBM has forced him to learn how to balance his classes and activities in addition to his job.

He said he lives on a quiet floor and has an advantageous room because he is a senior.

“My room is kind of isolated from the rest of the floor,” Inman said.

Although Inman’s long-distance, part-time work for IBM is unusual, he said he enjoys the challenge.

And despite all his time commitments, Inman said he still finds time to have fun.

“You gotta enjoy college while you’re here,” he said.