Weekly Reflection

  Overall, my first week of my Senior Project has been great. Each day I met new people, learned new things, and came home feeling tired. This first week was short, due to the Monday off at Colby-Sawyer College, but I did log in around 33 hours. I also did a bit of work on Monday, customizing my blog, changing the layout, and figuring out a daily theme I would follow. The layout and background image turned out great, and I think my daily header image with overlaying text works well.

  On my first ‘real’ day of the project, I didn’t know what to expect. The first day ended up being pretty introductory. I met many new people, was introduced to some programs, and did do quite a bit of work. Right off the bat I learned the basics of their HelpSTAR program, which is what the Technology department uses for the management of computer issues and concerns. I was also introduced to their Citrix and thin client system that runs and manages many of the computers on campus. I even did a quick trouble-shooting job, getting the Internet connection up for the theater company that’s coming in.

  The next day was a lot more hands on, and I learned, in more detail, how the Citrix servers and thin clients work. I also worked on setting up new machines and created an image. This tested some of my existing computer knowledge as well, and even made me learn some more. There were some surprises the first days, and I had to do a bit of trouble-shooting to fix some problems with the Imaged Computer & the new HP machines.

  The final two days were fun, and I got to learn a bit more of what some of the job titles entail. Spending some time with the Systems Administrator, Art Grodan, was helpful, and he explained what his job was and how the network of servers and shared applications are run. During these two last days I also finished up working on my image computer, and I got to test it on another machine and learn how to use the Acronis software along the way. I also jumped around from each department doing various things. I even did a bit of hardware repair, fixing a broken fan in a Faculty’s laptop. It was pretty gross inside, but I learned how to take apart that particular model of HP laptop.

  There are many other things I learned and was introduced to, but I don’t want to drag on listing every one of them. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but it has definitely turned out great. Working at Colby-Sawyer College has really made me think more and more about what job I want to consider in the Technology field. This first week intrigued me more than anything. I want to continue exploring the IT field, and maybe someday find a position that best suits what I like doing. I really enjoyed my first week at Colby-Sawyer College, and I’m looking forward to the next.

Post time: 3:21 pm est.