“Just Google it.” The number of
times I have heard this at school is innumerable. Since its popularization in
the 1990s, the Internet has become an increasingly essential part of students’
education, nearly surpassing textbooks. This giant conglomeration of everything from
scientific research papers to pictures of cuddly koala bears is practically my
private tutor.
Last summer I visited one of the
world’s most beautiful cities of art –Paris. The Louvre, Centre Pompidou, Musée
d’Orsay, and Rodin museum…my eyes were ready to melt from the exposure to so
many original pieces from history’s most celebrated artists. I took it all in
for those five treasured days in the city of light, and when I returned home, I
could not bear for the experience to slip from my fingers (and mind) so quickly.
When I found out my school did not offer AP Art History, I turned to the
Internet, enrolled myself in an online course and flooded my brain with
knowledge. Thanks to the Internet, my experience in Paris was enriched as the
oeuvres I had only appreciated aesthetically gained a new level of meaning.
This summer, I undertook a research project with Florida State
University. The goal of the project was essentially to make a mind-controlled
computer game. As if that was not challenging enough, I also had to learn to
program. The number of days I had to complete the project? 12 days. Within 12
days I learned to program using C# and to build games using Unity 3D. My best friend
during the process was Google. Every time I ran into errors in my program, I
would turn to programming forums and online tutorials. My mentor explained to
me that programming is no longer about memorizing functions or syntax –all of
that can be easily accessed on the Internet. This good news was accompanied by
a sigh of relief from me; “Thank you, Tim Berners-Lee,” I reminisced.
We finished the project in time. A
computer-game controlled by the mind. I presented my work at a poster session
at FSU, but also to the entire world via the Internet. Throughout the project,
I had been posting updates, pictures and videos to my blog. When the project
was finally completed, the first thing I did was post a video of me using it on
YouTube. “Get your work out there, make yourself known,” encouraged my mentor.
The Internet has become a crucial part in how people get job and research
offers. The cost is negligible, yet it reaps boundless benefits.
When I returned home, I could not
wait to continue expanding my knowledge of computer science. I signed up for
Computer Science 101 with Stanford Online. Face-to-face with me was a Stanford
professor, yet we were located on opposite sides of the United States. I
learned through uploaded videos all about software, image editing and computer
security.
The Internet aids me on the daily
level as well. Each evening, I download my notes for the next day from my
teacher’s website, I dissect Wikipedia pages for guidance with my homework, I
inquire about assignments on our class’s Facebook group page. At school, it
continues. Updates about the status of swim practice are posted on our school’s
website and I access my online calendar to check for appointments and meetings
before I leave campus. During holidays, it continues. Holiday work is posted on
our teachers’ websites and assignments are turned in via Edmodo. The Internet
has become an integrated and integral
factor in my school schedule, from beginning to end.
However, it is necessary to take a
step back and realize that full dependence on any thing can become an
impediment, turning even a blessing into a weakness. There have been a handful
of times when the Internet has failed
me and productivity comes to a crashing halt. Too much reliance on anything can
become a handicap, or as the cliché goes, everything
in moderation.
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