Unfortunately, as I think we’ve all discovered, texting and other electronic distractions have greatly increased in recent years. So while there’s no doubt we can keep up with news, blogs, music, and friends at any hour of the day, and any place in the world, I don’t think most of us have adjusted to the distractions this causes. Long gone are the types of days that I had in college when I could go to my own carrel in the college library and spend hours isolated from all distractions. I just know that now I’d take my cellphone with me. What fraction of my work time would actually be spent on work?
With all of the electronic communication options available, another consideration is the availability of free WiFi hot spots across campus. At our D’s college, they have made a significant investment in wireless high speed internet availability across the campus, especially in academic buildings, libraries, and dorms. I ran the internet speed test at http://www.speedtest.net/ at our D’s dorm room from my smart phone and was impressed with the high internet speeds available.
Our D is still on our family’s cellular plan and since free, high quality WiFi is easily accessible at her college, our data requirements for our family cellular calling plan are very low. Before our D left for college, I taught her about the importance of using free WiFi when available, especially the on campus network, for both her smart phone and laptop computer.