Lab Policies and Tips

The following are some tips, advice and rules for the most effective use of the labs.

1. Bring a printout of the lab assignment with you to class. Lab time is precious. You are wasting valuable time if you have to get the assignment after coming to class. If you forget to bring the lab, you can create two windows, one with Excel to work in and one with the assignment.
   
   
2. Lab time is not to be used for checking e-mail or game playing.
   
   
3. Obtain a disk to use exclusively for saving Math 105 Excel files and bring it to class. This can be a 3.5" floppy disk, a Zip disk, or whatever type you feel comfortable working with. You should also backup files regularly (say once a week) so as to not lose your work. If you don't bring a disk, you will have to e-mail the file you create to yourself and retrieve later. However, this is not a replacement for saving the labs on disk.
   
   
4. PCs have fewer "freeze-up" problem if each user starts fresh. As a courtesy to the next user shut down your computer at the end of class. To do this go to
   
   Start > ShutDown, select ShutDown, and click "OK".
   If your PC is on when you come to class, restart it.
   
   
5. Place your name on each worksheet page that is printed out. This will save a lot of time at the printer trying to sort out pages.
   
   
6. A printing tip. It waste both time and paper to print stuff that is not right or that you do not want. It is smarter to select (highlight) the region you wish to print on a page, go to File > Print, click the "Print Selection" option, then Preview before clicking Print. If it is not what you want to print, don't print it - go back and make the necessary changes.