Space addict or space deprived
I’ve been thinking way to long about a follow-up post on the workspace at the IT-university and been pushing it off for way to long now. Then I read this quote from 43 Folders and decided to just start! (I didn’t even finish 43’s blog post)
“Every time you sit down to write represents a new chance, and I really encourage you to make yourself see it that way. That means set aside the time (with a beginning and end, if possible), take it seriously, and, most importantly, try not to think. Thinking is not writing; thinking is thinking. Thinking does not make books.”
Unfortunately this post will not be as encouraging as the last one.
1st and 2nd year students
During the first year of the Software Engineering and Management programme there are plenty of group rooms available and when there are no on-going lectures the square is also heavily used. Since the square is dedicated to SEM 1 students only there are never any complications with colliding schedules. The latter applies also to the second year of SEM. One square, one class. The major difference is, however, that there are no more separate group available for students to use (no more in this sentence means on the 3rd floor where the SEM students reside). Instead, all group activities are forced to the square, or some other floor in the ITU building.
3rd year and master students
Are not as lucky as the 1st or 2nd year students. Instead around 50 3rd year students and another 50-60 master students share one square in which lectures are organised almost daily but rarely addressing all of the ~110 students. This is due to the change in the way the programme is organised in the later years. What’s more? No group groups.
Space addicts?
Considering there are two more floors available there should be space enough for everyone? After a quick count I’m down to two available group rooms which should be booked in advance across the two floors. Not a lot. There used to be more but these have been converted into office spaces for permanent staff and guest professors. As argued in the previous post, the squares are a phenomenal working place which stimulates creativity and enhances collaboration. But, it is not suitable for all occasions, and moreover it is frequently booked for lecture purposes.
No, these days we’re space deprived. ITU is, and has been, my workplace of choice. I want it to be that way until I graduate.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments
Tags: addict, deprived, productivity, work-space
There are three (!) rooms that is bookable.. I heard a rumor we are 1000 students that should share those three rooms. Does that make sense?
It should be more like 30 or maybe 50 in an ideal way.
Hmm. On the other hand, the second year students are half as many as the first year students, and the third year students even fewer. Teaching the first year students, I wouldn’t agree that there’s “plenty” of group rooms
There’s more than for any other year, that’s true, but that’s for the simple reasons that the groups would never fit in the square all together anyway.
Nevertheless, I would agree with the desirability for more working space for the students.
It is true that we are space deprived. Today i tried to book a room via the “inIT” page, after a lot of try and error i can only assume that 1. the system doesnt work or 2. im simply not allowed to book any grouprooms any longer. we were planning to have it to prepare a presentation.. guess we will hang around the kitchen and prepare or something
@Mikael, glad to hear that there’s at least one room I didn’t know you could book, but it is still far from sufficient.
@Jonas, very valid comment! I didn’t reflect upon it this way. However, for the third year I guess we have to bear in mind that master students are using the square too, especially for lectures ultimately “forcing” anyone out from the room who wants/needs to have, for example, project discussions.
@Linda, this only emphasizes the problem and its urgency! I managed to book a room (Linux) via the old Init Insidan. However, I’m not sure it is in use anymore. News aren’t updated, but that is afaik the only way to book group rooms without going to the reception (which is closed most of the day).