The Tale of the Computer Stalkers

When project D’day is near, or in other words, when your teacher tells you to submit the long overdue assignment in the next hour, you know how important our battered and abused lab computers become.

It seems like an easy job isn’t it? Go to a lab, chose a vacant PC and tweak away your assignment, after all we have so many labs available with a multitude of PCs to choose from. Well, that is so far away from the truth. The first destination usually is Lab 2, odd isn’t it that Lab 1 is never the first choice for anyone. Lab 2 and its twin, Lab 3 are usually full to the brim with people. At times it’s hard to even navigate through the hordes of miserable people trying to find some solace. The occasional free PC is usually cursed with DOMAIN NOT AVAILABLE syndrome that really makes you want to tear your hair out.

Lab 3 is an even stranger experience. There’s usually a lot more serenity in its environment but it’s equally hard to find any PCs. The PCs you do find are usually in the hidden corners with incredibly odd neighbors. Once I shared a row with people who were either going through car pics or very {very!!!!!} questionable content. The people you see who have the really ‘faltoo’ websites open when you are searching and suffering for a PC really make you feel like resorting to physical violence.

When you finally do make it to Lab1, there’s either a lab session or it is almost empty. The emptiness is explained by the complete lack of internet. Not ideal when you’ve got to ‘chaapafy’ that report off some website. Equally weird are the oddly damp chairs that students often leave behind. Someone really sweats during their lab sessions.

Lab 4 is just plainly inhospitable. Once you get there and settle down you will, more often then not, get thrown out of the lab due lab sessions as well. Nope, arguing with the teacher will not help. So 2-5 p.m, don’t even bother!

Lab 5 and 6 are a story of a different uncertainty. Okay, so I rarely venture there and whenever I do, they always seem to have transformed into something else. Once you huff and puff onto the third floor and open the lab door you get glared at from all those whose project PCs you have dared to covet. When you do manage to beg, whimper and squeeze through to your little PC heaven, as it happens in good horror stories, the light will start to fluctuate… The swearing probably can be heard all over the campus.