The Living Lab provided me with a unique, real-world experience that other classes cannot. This class enabled me to use the skills that I have acquired from my previous classes and apply them to a real-world setting.
Kris Westermann
Living Lab has been a great experience for me to learn daily obligations to maintain a healthy network. I’ve learned independent research is a very important process before network testing is conducted. I’ve also learned that you must have a process to monitor packets flowing in and out of the network. Working with packet sniffing programs has been helpful. In a team environment, I’ve also learned to install network cables, mount and install switches, and test networks.
Charles Alan Stone
Living Lab gave me a chance to experience working with real-world projects, not just books and notes like other classes. In addition, I got to learn new techniques (terminate network cables, set up switches and hubs), new software (ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer), and experience a corporate environment. Finally, Living Lab gave me a chance to work on my problem-solving skills as well as self-sufficiency, because I had to do a lot of research on my own to solve any issue that came up.
Anh Pham
The Living Lab is helpful because it exposed me to an environment similar to one I would face in a real IT job.
Abdulrahaman Ahmed Banjar
The Living Lab experience has helped me better understand my abilities and what I need to work on. I worked with others in a team and also learned to lead others when my project needed help. In a previous IT job, I did similar tasks to those in the Living Lab, and it shows just how good an experience this can be to help others be better prepared when they graduate.
Justin Tanner Andrew
I have definitely determined that this class could be just like a real life IT position. You never know how long a project might take, even a simple task. I’ve had some tasks take only a couple of hours, and I worked on one project for 36 hours straight. But I feel that Living Lab is helping to prepare me for what will come in the professional world.
Eugene Gephart
I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for the Living Lab. It has been a long and difficult journey this semester, but I got hands-on experience with Linux. I hoped to cover more networking material, but setting up an intrusion detection system and troubleshooting commands did make this seemingly impossible task for a student with no prior experience more approachable. I also got to make network cables for the first time, which was an added bonus.
Nelson Soriano
The Living Lab experience has helped me see what it can be like in the real world.
David C. Bryant
The Living Lab helped me gain experience, knowledge, motivation, and communication skills in the networking systems field. I learned about configuring switches, from the beginning to the end, to run a secured and productive networking environment.
Khaled Salh Alwasel
As a non-traditional student who has 25 years experience in the working world, I value Living Lab because it teaches soft skills in addition to furthering our understanding of technology. The projects we work on are computer based, but the most important lessons are work ethic, initiative, self-sufficiency, dealing with work-related frustrations, teamwork, and time management.
Vicky Smith