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
The Living Lab has given me vital insight into what a career in the IT field could potentially look like. From learning to manage my time, deal with unforseen problems, and work with others, to completing group projects and meeting deadlines, the Living Lab has provided me an opportunity to learn and grow as a future IT professional.
Matthew Smerdel
The Living Lab has been a great experience for me throughout the semester. I worked with some technologies that were previously unfamiliar and consulted with a client to develop a good solution to implement for them. Working in many unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations truly pushes you, and I believe it’s the best way to foster growth in any profession. So for the Living Lab to give that opportunity is a great thing.
Nathanial William Adams
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 has provided a great learning environment to improve my technical skills, build my ability to work in a team, and establish my communication skills.
Lindsay Hamstra
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
The work is challenging and exercises a broad set of soft skills as well as technical skills. In working as a webmaster, the Living Lab challenges your ability to communicate, delegate, and prioritize your projects as new issues occur. Definitely a valuable set of skills for any kind of work.
Michael Thomas Draper
I have gained a lot of useful experience with Mac OS X administration, such as performance monitoring, maintenance, user and group creation, remote and command line administration, and load testing. It has challenged my skill set, and it will be very beneficial for me in the future.
Joseph Warren Balazs
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
Living Lab was a last-minute choice for me, and now I feel it should be the first choice anyone makes. The hands-on experience I have gained has helped me tremendously. I’ve definitely stepped out of my comfort zone numerous times and loved every moment of it. The instructors are extremely helpful, and my fellow classmates have also been teachers to me as well.
Eugene Gephart
