FAQ

Welcome to the CSGSA FAQ page! As graduate students ourselves, we understand the excitement and uncertainty that comes with starting a new academic journey. That's why we've put together this helpful guide to answer some common questions you may have. Of course, if you need further assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to our friendly Executive Team at csgsa@cs.ualberta.ca, or connect with your designated buddy. You can also post your questions or concerns on our website forums where our community is always ready to offer support. Let's work together to make your graduate experience as smooth and fulfilling as possible!

1. Do I have a workspace?

Every incoming graduate student (thesis-based master's or doctoral) to the department of computing science gets a workspace in either an office or a lab. Most of you will be assigned offices, as you may not have lab affiliations when you first arrive. Students that already have supervisors may be assigned lab space instead of office space. Offices are randomly assigned and distributed during the departmental orientation. Most offices contain desks for 4 students, but there are a few with 6 or more. Most of our offices are in Athabasca Hall (ATH) and Arduino lab, although we will be moving to a new building in the next couple of years.

2. How can I access my email as a UAlberta graduate student?

Accessing your email is easy and convenient. As long as you are connected to the internet, you can sign in to your UAlberta Google account from anywhere. Simply log in to your account and check your email whenever you need to.

3.What are my options for accessing computers at the university?

As a graduate student in the Department of Computing Science, you have several options for accessing computers on campus. Each graduate student's office is equipped with at least one shared workstation, and offices containing six students have two such terminals. You can also connect your personal laptop computer to the university wireless network (UWS) by following the instructions available on the "HowToConnectToWireless" network, accessible from anywhere on campus.

While the common areas in the Computing Science Centre (CSC) are primarily for undergraduate students, there are several undergraduate labs on the first and second floors of CSC that you can use. Please check the schedule posted outside the lab and ensure that no undergraduate class is currently using it before using these labs. Also, refrain from running CPU-intensive jobs on these machines.

Once you become associated with a research lab, your OneCard (see Question 4) will grant you access to the lab's terminals. Depending on lab space availability, your research group, and your preference for a lab or office space, you may or may not be assigned a space in that lab.

4. OneCard... What's that?

Your OneCard will be very handy. It is an access card that allows you entry into lots of different places. Initially, you will automatically have access to the CSC grad lounge and the main doors of the buildings, as well as the door between Athabasca Hall and the CSC building. This means you have access to the buildings during after-hours and on weekends. Depending on your lab affiliation, course work, and TA responsibilities, you may get access to various other places. Most of the labs require OneCard access for entry.

5. What about doors with keypad locks?

The door to the Athabasca Hall student lounge and the CSC printer room each have a keypad lock. The combination for these doors will be given to you.

6. Where can I print?

For general-purpose printing, you can use ath126, or cs228, located in the rooms associated with their names. There are postscript, black-and-white, and double-sided printers. Typically, all print jobs use double-sided printing. To print ASCII les, use a program such as paf to convert the file to postscript format. For pdf les, use pdf2ps or print from within xpdf or acrobat. For colour printing, use cs228-clr and ath224-clr. Most labs are also equipped with a printer. Type man printers into a terminal for more information on department printers. Additional information about printing can be found at https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/resources-services/technical-support/printing.

7. How do I access the printer rooms?

ATH126 and ATH224 can be accessed using your office key. CSC228 has a keypad lock.

8. What about the photocopiers?

There is a photocopier for grad students' use in CSC228. Be aware of any pertinent copyright regulations when making copies.

9. I'm not familiar with UNIX. Do I have to learn?

Yep, you sure do. It can be a hard first couple of weeks, but once you get the hang of it, you'll become very productive. There are lots of web-based tutorials and books on the subject, but the best way to learn is to jump in and play around. And don't get too worried about becoming a master UNIX user. You should be able to learn the basics needed for most necessary tasks fairly quickly.

10. What is the CSGSA all about?

The CSGSA has several roles within the department. We:

• Serve as a liaison between the department and the graduate students so that the concerns of the grads are heard.

• Organizing social and academic events is a crucial part of CSGSA's mission to foster a sense of community among graduate students in the Department of Computing Science. We aim to provide a variety of events each month, including fun and engaging activities such as Board Games Night, Art Nights, and Potlucks, as well as academic mixers where industry experts are invited to give talks and recruit students. Our Academic Director plays a key role in organizing these mixers and ensuring that graduate students have access to valuable networking opportunities.We also host the Fall Barbecue. 

• Help organize intramural sports teams for computing science graduate students. We usually have soccer, basketball, freezbe, and other teams that are organized depending on interest. 

• Handle many grad student matters, including office assignments, the buddy list, etc.

Keep an eye out for e-mails regarding upcoming activities!

11. Are there social areas that I can use at lunchtime?

There are two grad student lounges: one on the 2nd floor of Computing Science Centre (CSC), and the other in the basement of Athabasca Hall (ATH). Each is equipped with a fridge, microwave, kettle, and coffee maker for general use, as well as places to sit. The CSGSA provides free coffee and tea in the lounges. If the supplies run out, email us at csgsa@cs.ualberta.ca and let us know.

Access to the ATH lounge is done via the same keypad code as for the CSC printing room. Access to the CSC lounge is via your OneCard. All grad students are given access when their OneCards are set up.

12. Where is the CSGSA Recreation Room?

The CSGSA Recreation Room is located in the basement of CSC, CSC B-21. It is open 24 hours to grad students, and you can access it with your office key. Please keep the place clean!

13. Where is the CSGSA Office?

The CSGSA Office is located on the First Floor of ATH, ATH 1-28. Members of the CSGSA Executive Team sometimes work there.

14. What's the deal with the buddy system?

Every incoming graduate student is assigned an existing graduate student to act as his or her "buddy." What this means is that if you have a question pertaining to departmental matters or even general questions about life in Edmonton, you have someone you can ask. For example, if you want to know which parts of the city are good places for grad students to live, your buddy should be able to help you out.

Even if you don't have any specific questions, it's still a good idea to get in contact with your buddy, say 'hello', and maybe organize to meet up and chat some time after you arrive.

The list of buddies and their contact email addresses will be posted on the CSGSA website in late summer. You will be notified by email when this occurs.

15. How can I find out more?

Our website can be found at http://webdocs.cs.ualberta.ca/~csgsa . There, you will find links to the calendar, resources, and announcements about upcoming events. 

16. To PhD or not to PhD?

Please check out this insightful talk by Adam White on the topic of "PhD or Not" at: https://www.amii.ca/latest-from-amii/phd-or-not-fireside/

17. Are you considering changing supervisors?

 You can read the full guidelines here.