Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Students

Computer Ownership? Yes!

The university strongly encourages you to own a personal computer. Although you are not required to own a computer, a computer will enhance your learning experience. If you decide to purchase new equipment, you will probably review the merits of different models: desktops and laptops. Choosing between a desktop and a laptop is generally a matter of personal preference and computing style. Only you can decide what’s best for your needs.

The university has a new discount computer purchasing program offering Dell and Apple computers at discount prices, with additional benefits such as extended warranty protection and on-campus warranty repairs. Visit www.act.umd.edu for the latest information. For information regarding current Computer Hardware Recommendations, go to www.helpdesk.umd.edu/topics/general/minimum_recommendations. Some departments also have specific recommendations which can be found at www.oit.umd.edu//Student/hardware.html.

Before being able to access most online resources at the university, you will establish your online identifier, your Directory ID, and an associated password. Once your Directory ID and password have been established, you can activate your Mail@umd e-mail account and your Workstations At Maryland (WAM) account. WAM accounts are UNIX shell accounts that you can use for file storage and putting up a Web site. Your WAM account is also used when you sign on to computers in the WAM computer labs on campus.

You have access to high quality laser printing in university computer labs. There is a charge and you will need a print account (www.helpdesk.umd.edu/systems/lpcr) to use this service. Your printing charges are deducted from your pre-paid Terrapin Express debit account. Visit the Terrapin Express Web site (www.dining.umd.edu/terrapin_express) for information on how to apply for your account. It's best to get your Terrapin Express account before applying for your print account.

Visit the OIT Help Desk Web site on "Getting Started" www.helpdesk.umd.edu/topics/getting_started for more information and instructions.

Our online student system, Testudo, sets the standard. Testudo is a Web-based, one-stop-shop to online UM student services--resources that you will need to use throughout your years at Maryland. It allows you to perform transactions such as planning each semester's class schedule, checking seat availability in the classes you want to take, actually registering yourself into your classes, and viewing individual registration and course information, financial account information, grades, exam schedules, and more.

Visit Testudo for a complete listing of online student services you can use from the comfort of your own space.

Online Help and Information? Yes!

Want to know today's menu in the dining halls? Need to know what time the concert is? You'll find a wide range of information online. Many university services provide Web sites with detailed help or information for students. You can visit them online at the following URLs.

Athletics at http://www.umd.edu/athletics/
Book Center at http://www.ubc.umd.edu/
Career Center at http://www.CareerCenter.umd.edu/
Commuter Affairs and Community Service at http://www.umd.edu/Cacs/
Counseling Center and Services at http://www.umd.edu/cc/
Dining Services at http://www.dining.umd.edu/
Disability Support Services at http://www.umd.edu/dss/
Health Center at http://www.umd.edu/health/
Human Relations Programs at http://www.umd.edu/OHRP/
Information Technology Help Desk at http://www.helpdesk.umd.edu/
International Education Services at http://www.umd.edu/IES/
Learning Assistance Service at http://www.umd.edu/LASRV/
Libraries at http://www.lib.umd.edu/
Multi-Ethnic Student Education at http://www.umd.edu/OMSE/
Orientation at http://www.umd.edu/Orientation/
Parking at http://www.umd.edu/DCP/
Performing Arts at http://www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu/
Police at http://www.umpd.umd.edu/
Recreation Services at http://www.crs.umd.edu/
Resident Life at http://www.resnet.umd.edu/
Shuttle UM at http://www.umd.edu/shuttle/
Student Union at http://www.union.umd.edu/
Study Abroad at http://www.umd.edu/StudyAbroad/
Writing Center at http://www.umd.edu/WritCenter/

Between classes and on your study breaks, you can get online by stopping by any of the more than 35 workstations labs across campus. This is an easy way to check your e-mail or to put in a couple of hours of work on that paper or project that's due next week. You can check lab hours and locations at www.oit.umd.edu/wheretogo.

Many classrooms and all faculty and deans' offices in the Colleges and Schools also are connected to the university network. A "port-per-pillow" is the standard in Maryland's residence halls. Each room is wired with a high-speed connection to the university's information technology infrastructure, one connection per student in the room.

In its student housing, Maryland provides a data jack for each student and a phone line and shared voice mail account for each room. Last year over 90% of residence hall students activated their data connections and became regular users. All you need for your computer is an Ethernet card available from the University Book Center and a copy of ResNet's "Getting Connected Manual" which is distributed at check-in. This manual provides step-by-step instructions on how to connect your computer to the university network. Resident Life Information Systems provides Ethernet connection support for all residence hall students. They can be reached at 301.314.DATA.

If you commute, you can access Maryland's networked resources through your own Internet Service Provider, DSL Provider, or cable modem provider.

The university also has one of the largest known wireless networks for a school of its size. All students whose computers have wireless cards can access the wireless network from almost anywhere on campus. Visit www.oit.umd.edu/wireless for more information.

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) Help Desk provides technical support for computer accounts, e-mail, Web pages, and other services. The OIT Help Desk staff can be reached at 301.405.1400. Visit Resident Life's ResNet, NTS Network Operations Center, and the OIT Help Desk for more information.

In addition to having their own data jack and high-speed connection to the Internet, students living in the university-owned residence halls and fraternities and sororities, Terrapin Tower, University Courtyard Apartments, and South Campus Commons also are provided with telephone service and voice mail in their rooms.

Your telephone number will be provided with other assignment information. If you live on campus, there will be only one university land line in each single, double, and triple bedroom within the residence halls (and two land lines in each quad bedroom). Roommates can begin using university phone services by plugging the phone set (any analog touch-tone phone with a standard plug and line cord) into the voice port in the wall jack in their bedroom in order to receive dial tone. Visit www.connect.umd.edu for information you and your roommate(s) will need to set up your shared voice mail (single voice mail log-in or password and single voice mailbox). This same site is used to register your computer, gaming console, or PDA for access to the campus network. To make an on-campus call, simply dial the last five digits of the campus telephone number. Telephone numbers are assigned by room. Therefore, if you move to another room, your telephone number will change. You will need to update your contact information by visiting Link2UM or calling x51400 (press 2 for assistance with your telephone).

In addition to voice mail, your telephone features include free unlimited calling throughout the university community and local area, receipt of calls from anywhere, call transfer, last number redial, conference calling, and maintenance of line and dial-tone repairs. Fees are about $20 per month; they are charged to student accounts or included in apartment rents.

Long distance and international calls are additional expenses. To make these types of calls on your university phone, you will need to contract with the carrier of your choice for a telephone credit card or purchase pre-paid calling cards.

Visit www.oit.umd.edu/units/nts/voicesys/index.html for details about the telephone service provided to you upon move-in.

You can use Maryland's networked computers and specialized courseware and software 24 hours a day, seven days a week. University computer labs (www.oit.umd.edu/wheretogo) offer more than just computers and advanced workstations. Some labs are open 24 hours a day, there is access to scanners and printers, and there is specialized courseware, design software, and other tools. The labs are available to you if you do not have your own computer or if you need a different platform or configuration. You may be a commuter who needs computer access while at the university or you may need specialized courseware or software that is required by a specific course.

Assistive technology (www.oit.umd.edu/adapt) is available for those who need it.

Technology is being used to support many courses at Maryland through the use of the Internet, e-mail, and/or a variety of online resources. Numerous courses provide access to electronic communication with your teachers. In addition, some courses provide access to online resources such as syllabi, class notes, or relevant reference sites. Depending on your major, your courses might also require special software, special interaction online, or have other requirements for how you use a computer. For more information about departmental requirements, contact your department.

At Maryland, ELMS (www.elms.umd.edu - powered by Blackboard Academic Suite) is the enterprise learning management system that we use to support our online instructional program. Through a variety of tools that are integrated into an "online environment," students can access online course materials and interact with the instructor and other students in the class. An increasing number of courses each semester use ELMS to support courses that meet face-to-face on campus. Activities vary from discussions that occur either prior to or after class meetings to access to lecture notes to group projects.

Besides access to online materials, technology is also being used in the classroom. Many classrooms have Internet access that enable faculty to "bring in" online materials during lectures. Maryland also has 170 high-tech classrooms equipped with computer-projection systems. And, for high-end use, there are four Teaching Theaters on campus which provide a networked computer environment along with a sophisticated computer and AV projection system to provide an environment for collaborative learning. Visit our academic support Web site (www.oit.umd.edu/as) for more information.

Do you know what good "Netiquette" is? Are you a socially responsible Internet user? Do you know what your responsibilities are when you use Maryland IT resources? Maryland cares that our students understand ethical issues surrounding the use of information technology. You should be familiar with the university's acceptable use policy (www.umd.edu/aup).

Project NEThics (www.umd.edu/nethics) promotes the responsible use of information technology resources through policy enforcement and education designed to inform community members about the legal and ethical implications of IT use. Contact Project NEThics (NEThics@umd.edu, or 301.405.8787) when you have questions or need to report an unethical use of IT.

Practice safe computing! The Office of Information Technology (OIT) Virus Notification Program (VNP) is available to everyone in the university community. VNP provides antivirus software and updates and warnings for new viruses as they appear. While there are a variety of antivirus programs on the market, the University of Maryland has a licensing agreement with the McAfee software company that allows us to freely distribute copies of the McAfee antivirus software to students. If you are a member of the university community and do not currently have an up-to-date antivirus program, you can download the McAfee software from us by selecting the appropriate link located at www.helpdesk.umd.edu/virus.

You will need many resources beyond your textbooks to complete your courses successfully. University of Maryland Libraries (www.lib.umd.edu) are an incredible resource. You will search the Libraries' extensive collections on campus using the online catalog, called VICTORWeb (http://victorweb.lib.umd.edu). You will also have electronic access to full-text articles from newspapers, popular magazines, and research journals from around the world via the database page (www.lib.umd.edu/cgi-bin/databases.cgi) and the MdUSA gateway (http://mdusa.lib.umd.edu/). The Libraries also give you access to a wide variety of e-journals, e-books, and other electronic resources (www.lib.umd.edu/UMCP/ETC).

You will find many other online resources are made available to students by departments and instructors. Some will be available in specialized labs and others will be made available from specific Web sites.

The Office of Information Technology Help Desk will answer all of your computer- or technology-related questions. A large archive of general information, answers to frequently asked questions, troubleshooting guides, and tutorials is available online at www.helpdesk.umd.edu. You can also ask your questions directly via phone (301.405.1400). Consultants staff the phones during working hours to answer hardware, software, and networking questions.

Residence hall students also have the option of obtaining similar help from the Department of Resident Life's Information Systems staff via phone (301.314.DATA), e-mail (resdata@accmail.umd.edu), and the Web at www.resnet.umd.edu/rescompute.

During your Orientation visit to the university, you will be introduced to many of the computing resources available to you as a student. You will receive a university Mail@umd e-mail account while you are here and, even more importantly, you will activate your University Directory ID. With your Directory ID, you can view your transcript, student account, or grades; you can also add and drop courses, view course descriptions, and find out the books that will be used in each of your classes.

The Orientation Office also coordinates an accredited course that introduces students to computing. UNIV 101 is a 2-credit, first-year student seminar designed to introduce students to computer technology skills necessary for success in the university academic community. In the course, students are instructed in the use of university computing services including Workstations At Maryland (WAM) (www.wam.umd.edu), Testudo (www.testudo.umd.edu, and VENUS (www.sis.umd.edu/bin/venus), library research resources like VICTOR (http://victorweb.lib.umd.edu) and MdUSA (http://mdusa.lib.umd.edu), HTML, and the ethical use of computing technology (www.umd.edu/aug).

For more information about your student orientation please visit the Orientation Web site (www.umd.edu/orientation).

Academic programs offer discipline-specific training and opportunities. Some of this training will be in your classes and some will be offered outside of class. In the College of Life Sciences and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, sophomores and juniors with a grade point average of 3.5 or better can participate in the 2 credit "Undergraduate Technology Apprentice Program" (UTAP) in order to learn the skills needed to support faculty uses of technology in the classroom.

The Orientation Office coordinates an accredited course that introduces first-year students to computing. UNIV 101 is a 2-credit student seminar designed to introduce these students to computer technology skills necessary for success in the university academic community.

On-the-Job Experience? Yes!

Build up your resume with hands-on experience! The Office of Information Technology (OIT), as well as other departments at the university, offer technology-related student employment that may make you stand out in the eyes of future employers.

Visit the Career Center's Web site at www.careercenter.umd.edu for listings of on- and off-campus positions.

Visit the OIT employment Web site at www.oit.umd.edu/Employment for a look at the types of positions available to qualified students.

Cutting-edge technology is created and supported at the university. World class technology programs house technology test beds and, as a nationally recognized research university, Maryland is given access to beta versions of a variety of academic and productivity software for testing and implementation purposes so that the latest releases can be introduced and supported as quickly as possible.

In addition, Maryland plays a key role in the development and implementation of technology-related partnerships with Lucent, Avaya, SUN, IBM, and more. Partnerships with the university benefits all participants-- leveraging technology resources, providing a microcosm for product development, and developing an effective workforce familiar with cutting-edge concepts, products, and services.

You are at a center of Internet research and innovation. The University of Maryland is a charter member of Internet2. Internet2 is working in partnership with industry and government to develop and deploy advanced network applications and technologies, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet.

Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) represents a pioneering effort in advanced networking, with the potential to rapidly incorporate a broad cross-section of the not-for-profit community.

Links to more information are available at www.oit.umd.edu/internet2 and www.maxgigapop.net.

Technology-related academic degrees? Yes!

Maryland offers outstanding majors in IT and IT-related disciplines. Our programs in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Electrical Engineering, and our Decision and Information Sciences Option in the Business program are nationally renowned. Our Geography and Landscape Architecture programs are built around the use of the most sophisticated computing tools. Programs throughout the university train students to use the state-of-the-art IT capabilities of their fields.

See the UM Undergraduate Catalog at www.umd.edu/ugradcat for more information.

Apply online? Yes!

You can apply online for admission to the University of Maryland. Our online application makes applying fast and easy. Visit www.uga.umd.edu/apply.

Once you’re accepted to Maryland, you can also register for Orientation programs online at www.orientation.umd.edu.