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| Home >> Index Pages >> Informational Pages >> Discount Computer Systems >> News >> Collection of Essays from Scholarship 2007 >> |
Shawna Harpole- by Shawna Harpole Amazingly enough, it has only been in the last 15 years that society has become so dependent upon computers that a major power outage could seemingly ruin lives. There is much more information available to each of us than we could possible consume in a lifetime, but I sure will die trying to learn it all. As a child of the late 80s and early 90s, I schlepped around a ton of cassette tapes and later, compact discs. Imagine my little 5'0" frame trying to lug 750 CDs across the street to my best friend's house. Not happening! Unless, of course, I had a little wheelbarrow, which would be oh-so-uncool! These days, kids can carry around 10,000 songs in their front pocket with a nifty little gadget called the MP3 player. One little computer chip has made it possible for a person running a marathon or going on a journey to another country without repeating a song on his or her song list. Going back in time to the early nineties, I used a little (or rather large, chunky) machine called the electric typewriter for all of my school papers and essays. Now this was a step up from the manual typewriter where one mistake could force a person to retype an entire page worth of information. I was so excited when my mom purchased the electric typewriter because if I caught my mistake mid-sentence, I could correct it without the use of white-out or correctional tape. Woohoo! Kids these days (and starving college students such as myself) have it SUPER easy!! Not only can the computer make fixing errors easy for a student, it spells and gives grammar lessons as well! Teachers across America must be doing a cheer for the word-processing programs. Papers are easier to read now and there are less spelling errors to try to comprehend. Students, on the other hand, do not learn to spell as well, but that's okay as long as they continue to use a computer for all of their work. The most impressive asset of computers is Internet access. The Internet has made life so much easier and accessible than one could ever imagine. Currently I do things online that would not be possible if I had to go outside of the home to complete them. I am earning my B.S. in Nutrition at Eastern Michigan University. First of all, attending classes there would be a bit difficult since I am across the country in San Diego, CA. Secondly, I have a husband and two kids to take care of, so attending class during my spare time is much more liberating than attending classes in a traditional classroom. I am able to do homework from the couch or even in bed at 2 a.m. The Internet has so much information that as long as I can find reputable sources, I could complete an entire research paper without stepping foot into a dusty library. The second amazing thing that I do from home on my computer is WORK! Yes, I work at two part-time call center jobs from the comfort of my home. Without a computer and the Internet, I wouldn't have access to a travel reservation system or the scripts that I need to answer phone calls. Both jobs have instant messaging where I can ask my supervisor a question and get an answer in a split second. I don't even know if that is possible at a brick and mortar job where supervisors are usually hanging out in the break room gossiping and/or counseling other employees in their office. I love the instant feedback I get from my bosses. Working at 5 a.m. at an onsite job is horrible. I'd have to take a shower, get the kids ready, eat breakfast, and commute just to get there on time. At home, I just roll out of bed at 4:45a, brush my teeth and turn on the computer. Working from home saves me time, but it also saves me money. My work uniform consists of pajamas, a robe, and fuzzy slippers. I tried to wear this at a brick and mortar job once, but they sent me home for some reason. The point is that I do not have to buy special clothes, spend money on gas for the car, and worry about where to go for lunch every day. I can change my work schedule around my family's appointments and activities. For that reason alone, I feel that computers have made it possible for me to live in sunny (and expensive) San Diego, CA without sacrificing the needs of my family and myself. There are a few drawbacks of computers. First of all, I feel like I am accessible to everyone and anyone at all hours of the day. It has now become a faux pas to not respond to an email within a reasonable amount of time. I'm still trying to figure out if this time is 1 hour or 24, either way, you must answer the email! Also, if your computer happens to break down, life stops. My cheesy and cheap notebook computer has died about six times in the past year. While I'm grateful for the warranty so I didn't have to pay for the repairs, I got behind on my schoolwork while I waited for my computer to comeback from the doctor. The prognosis is good now and I've gone a few months without any computer incidents, but I sure did learn my lesson to back up everything often! Overall, computers have made my life much easier. I am able to earn my degree and money at home while tending to my family's needs. At the end of the day I am tired, but I feel like I am able to accomplish much more with my computer and Internet access. When I do make time for myself to work out at the gym, I love my little song computer (or MP3 player) as it allows me to rock out to whatever music I'm in the mood for. It also looks much better connected to my arm then my old cassette Walkman did. Hopefully with the help of my word processing program, this paper made sense to you and all of my spelling has been corrected. References: | Directron.com College Scholarship | Related Items: | Chris Covington | Cirrus Foroughi | Jack Salamanchuk | Jennifer Furtado | Jennifer Story-Salacup | Jie Li | Maria Khan | Paul Frederick | Steven Li | Veronica Muo | |
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