<p>Do engineering students have programs they use for their classes (such as AutoCad) on their personal computer? Or do they use them in a school computer lab? I have heard they are very expensive and I don't want to be buying them all. Can you get them cheap from the school? And if you can, do the majority of the students use them on a school computer, or do they put them on their own computer?
Thanks!</p>
<p>PS. I'm going into Aerospace engineering</p>
<p>Most engineering students require certain program-specific applications at one time or another, and the regular cost of those programs can be in the thousands of dollars each. However, said programs are usually available on school computers, and student versions are usually offered to legitimate students for anywhere from free to $50 or so. Since you cannot install software on school computers, your choice is to either use the school computers that already have that software (if any), or buy it and install it on your own computer. As to the proportions that take either choice, I am not sure - really, it is up to you.</p>
<p>In my experience, the majority of students use school computers. Students are cheap.</p>
<p>AS A STUDENT, it is fairly cheap or even free to get any software you need so long as you use it only for school use. And there is always the free use of software at on-campus computer labs. I would stick with the on-campus workstations (sometimes you can remote-use software, like with UNIX) until you find you just gotta have MATLAB at home. But you might get that free as well, I believe I can get it for free (I’m at OSU).</p>
<p>Some programs such as AutoCAD have a student version that is available for free download. You don’t need to buy programs. Make some friends with anyone that downloads a lot of programs.</p>