This year I finally was able to live off-campus, and it has been nothing less than amazing. I have a new sense of freedom associated with living off campus. The one advantage about living off campus that stands out is that I have my own Internet and no longer have to worry about the Wi-Fi issues associated with campus.
Last year was when I really noticed the issues with Wi-Fi on campus. No matter what time of day, it was the Wi-Fi that never seemed to work. I was never sure of the reasons for the Wi-Fi performance issues. Sometimes
I thought it is maybe related to my location, that there may be too many students attempting to search the web at the same time, or if Ohio Northern University’s Internet is just slow. There is one shared opinion, the Wi-Fi is a growing concern on campus that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
Ohio Northern University is an outstanding academic institution. The professors are outstanding in their fields, and the facilities and programs provide the students with the tools to succeed during their time at Ohio Northern University and well into their future. However, one of these tools, one which every person on campus relies on has consistent performance issues that concerns those who want to succeed.
With enhanced technology, having Internet access and superior Wi-Fi performance is a necessity. Whether one is learning to become a nurse, learning how to take the stage, or learning to write a prescription, all majors require access to the Internet, not only for academics but also as students. In this generation, we rely on the Internet for socialization. Should an academic institution place the performance and reliability of the Internet as a institutional priority second to the safety of their students?
Many students have been complaining about the Wi-Fi issues on campus. For the past two years, I personally have continuously heard various complaints about Wi-Fi, including how the Internet crashed when students are in the middle of an assignment. The university has continuously communicated their intent to solve the issue, but the problem still exists and seems to be getting worse.
The Internet issues on campus may seem like a minor issue, but in an academic setting, Wi-Fi is needed in order to complete the academic experience. Eventually the school will have to prioritize the Internet access and performance issues. Until then, students will cope with the problem and take care not to let these performance issues degrade from their experience at Ohio Northern University.