“Oh my God, there are no seats,” said freshman theater major Trish Volpe while she frantically searched for a computer at the TECH Center.
Though more than 800 workstations make up both the TECH Center and Tuttleman Learning Center, according to Computer Services, sometimes it’s just not enough – especially during the mid-semester crunch.
However, the two main and most conspicuous labs aren’t the only ones. There are 35 other places on campus to find a computer that most students don’t know about.
“The places I know of are the TECH [Center], [Paley] Library and Anderson Hall,” Volpe said.
These may be among the most popular, but not always the most efficient.
“The biggest problem is that the TECH Center gets crowded,” said junior finance and real estate major Ashley Klaas, a student worker at the TECH Center.
Junior Rose Huddel agreed. Because of the crowds, Huddel often goes to the lab in Speakman Hall.
“There are more than 35 smaller academic computer labs run directly by the schools and colleges,” said Gerald Hinkle, director of computer labs. “But note that the labs run by schools, colleges or academic departments may be restricted to students within that particular department or school.”
They also may contain only specialized equipment and not general-use computers, Hinkle said.
For those without enough courage to be a stranger among those in another major, there are few other general labs to keep in mind.
In Anderson Hall on the first floor in rooms AL 19 and AL 22, there is a decent-sized lab tucked away. This lab contains nearly 100 computer stations. The hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays, the lab closes at 5 p.m., and for weekends, it’s a no-go.
Senior biology major LaVelle King said the best time to visit this lab is “around 10:30 a.m. [and before when] it’s not busy.”
Ritter Hall also has labs on the third floor, which are fairly small. These labs contain just more than 60 computer stations, including both Macs and PCs. These labs are also open to all students. However, labs A and B, which are separate rooms, are sometimes used for classes. The labs are open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday until 4:30 p.m.
Speakman Hall contains a few labs also available to the general student population. They are downstairs, in rooms LL6, LL26, LL27 and LL29, and contain more than 90 computer stations altogether. Lab 6, where students need their Owl Cards to enter, is usually the busiest. This lab is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. General students should keep in mind that 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is the business school’s free period.
1700 N. Broad St., the building with Wendy’s and the law school bookstore on the street level, also has a lab on the second floor. Although Temple students can use it everyday, the Mathematics Science Upward Bound high school students use the 20 computers after 3 p.m.
“Students are welcome to use the computers until 3 p.m. . . . and then they get the boot,” said administrative assistant Sandra Dorsey.
Students need to keep in mind that there is only a 10-page maximum print allotment in this lab. The lab generally opens at 8:30 a.m. It is closed on Monday and weekends.
Each residence hall has its own computer lab, but they may have different hours.
“These are typically restricted to the students who live in the building,” Hinkle said.
“The up-and-coming addition to the Fox School of Business, Alter Hall, is expected to have computers upon completion in 2009, which should take the burden off the TECH Center,” said Timothy O’Rourke, vice president of Computer Services.
Paley Library also contains many workstations on the first floor. This is convenient for research with all the books just footsteps away. There are more than 50 computers on the first floor, with five or six other workstations on each floor. Paley opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 2 a.m. during the week. Paley is typically busiest during lunchtime.
The TECH Center is typically open 24 hours a day, every day of the school week. Tuttleman Learning Center is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. It closes at 8 p.m. Fridays and is not available on weekends.
Annenberg Hall, the Engineering and Architecture building, Anderson Hall and Gladfelter Hall all have labs meant for classroom use only.
Each lab is complete with the capabilities needed to finish any project or start any study session or to fool around on Facebook.
There are plenty of places to type, but knowing where to go is key. So where do you go to finish that paper off and finally turn it in? Choose which lab is closest – and open – and spend your time working on the paper, rather than looking for a seat.
For more information on the locations of any labs on campus, visit
Anna Palij can be reached at anna.palij@temple.edu.
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