By Natalie Roach
After a long day at school or work, the last thing students feel like doing is standing in long lines at the library and fighting crowds in computer labs.
For only $20 a month, on-campus residents can avoid this frustrating scenario, said Daryl Mastin, procurement and distribution manager for the Office of Information Technology.
The Office of IT offers on-campus students a computer rental service.
Mastin estimates approximately 800 students are currently taking advantage of this service.
Mastin said there are only two requirements for renting a computer from the Office of IT: the student must live on campus and sign up for an Ethernet network connection.
Katrina Cosby, 19, a sophomore from Flower Mound, Texas, majoring in Near Eastern studies, took advantage of the computer rental service while living in Helaman Halls last year.
'It was so convenient to have a computer at home. I couldn''t afford to buy one, so renting was a great alternative,' Cosby said.
'You have everything you need in one place: the Internet and all of your papers and files,' she said.
The computers rented through the Office of IT come fully installed with Microsoft Office Professional, a Web browser and e-mail capabilities, Mastin said.
At the time students rent a computer, they must sign a contract saying they will only maintain legal software on the computers, Mastin said.
According to the Office of IT Web site, students must also agree to accept responsibility and payment for the equipment and promise to return the computer at the end of the agreement.
If students do happen to run into problems with their rental computers, they can rest assured the Office of IT will assist them in any way it can, Mastin said.
'We do repair or replace the computer during their checkout if it fails,' Mastin said.
If a student fails to return the rented equipment, $250.00 will be charged to the student''s Financial Services account, Mastin said.
According to the Office of IT Web site, students can rent a computer in person by visiting MW116 in the UVSC building, located west of Helaman Halls. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The computers cost $8 per month to rent and the Ethernet connection costs $12 per month.