Pass: NIU apps save students cash

Engineering students are aware of the exorbitant price of genuine software these days.

Buying genuine software for personal or corporate use is something that’s not easy for students. Technical students, especially engineering students, often need simulation software; frameworks; databases; servers; Systems, Applications and Products software to practice their coursework. Anywhere Apps are a blessing in this situation, providing licensed software via remote access to students.

Anywhere Apps provide students access to SQL Server Business, SQL Management Studio, Dreamweaver, SAP software, Core FTP, Adobe Photoshop and many programs. This is a gift, especially for information technology students who need to practice, execute and verify SQL queries for their assignments and prepare for tests.

Apart from not being required to buy expensive genuine software, students also don’t need to have a compatible computer to run it. Since all the work is done through remote access, there is no need to install software on your machine and it won’t take up enormous space on your computer.

NIU Anywhere Apps, bit.ly/1qYGtcU, come as a blessing for students and I highly recommend NIU bring in more licensed software.

Fail: Not all get equal printing rights

It has become an unspoken secret that the Engineering Building is quite generous to its students when it comes to printing assignments.

Engineering students are allowed to print 25 pages for free at a time, but they can print their assignments again for free immediately.

I don’t believe engineering students are wasting paper, but engineering students shouldn’t be the only ones with this advantage.

Students with no relation to the building don’t have this opportunity; they have to make do with their $7-per-semester quota.

It’s frustrating to learn this because engineering students aren’t the only ones who require excessive printing related to their coursework.

The Engineering Building has set a good precedent by allowing their students to print for free, which other departments should try their best to follow, but the university has been reducing printing quotas for other students throughout the years.

The Engineering Building should extend this generosity to other departments, buildings and other students throughout the university.

Students who spend past their allocated $7 might need to start making friends with engineering majors and get favors from them for the free printing.