A True Student's Tool: By Tamim and Jaon - my.asu.edu

A True Student’s Tool

My.ASU is a useful website for college students because it allows them to keep track of their work, and also is a great source of information for events directly related to them. My.ASU keeps track of students grades and progress through classes and that helps them organize what they must do to pass in their classes. The university also holds many events that are beneficial to students and the My.ASU website is the simplest and most easily accessible way to gain additional information into these events. However My.ASU is not without flaw, the format of the website is to casual to capture the attention of students for a prolonged period of time and also has some technical issues which can aggravate students.

To begin, My ASU is a great tool for a student looking to keep track with their progress.  It can get hectic figuring out what classes are left to complete a major.  Thankfully, My ASU delivers in that it has a section in the bottom left corner of the homepage dedicated to keeping on track with a student’s major.  This includes the implementation of a DARS report.  This is a degree audit report that shows a student where they stand in terms of progressing towards their degree.  This is done through the use of a green label that reads “on track”.  If the label is red, it means that the student is “off track,” and has to make changes to be back “on track” towards his degree.  The DARS also dives into a student’s GPA and course history.  It is similar to a track record.  In addition to the DARS, My ASU implements a solid platform where students can check their grades.  It is extremely helpful and easy to use.  This helps someone keep track of their work performance very easily.  All in all, My ASU is a strong tool for a students to track their progress.

My ASU is also a very good informational source for students, especially students that are new to the college environment. The university offers a whole variety of different events that can be beneficial towards their students such as social events and tutoring help.Students  who need more information to go to these events almost always look up information online, because that is the most readily accessible data base that is currently in place. In that sense, My ASU is the simplest and most efficient means by which a student can gain more information into these events. My ASU also has information which can be directly helpful to students such as locations to classes, or information about possible organizations where he or she can be more sociable or get a head start into their career. My ASU also holds a tremendous information on how a student can receive scholarships, get internships, and even additional information on their major and degree which may help them get to where they want to be faster and easier. Overall the website is the best source of information for aspiring students, especially those that are new to ASU, or any other university.

Moving on, a key feature of My ASU is its simplistic feeling.  The website is very easy to use overall.  There are not too many sections, and the font is nice and easy to read as well.  Whether it is checking grades, emailing an instructor, or even signing up for a course, My ASU makes it hassle free.  Sometimes, websites can get clustered with irritating and irrelevant information.  My ASU stays away from that with big buttons, bright text, and an easy to use vibe to it.  For example, if you want check all your grades, all you have to do is click on the blackboard link, and then click on my grades.  It is literally a two step process.  Simplicity its truly key when it comes to a website, and ASU nailed it.

An important part of a student’s year is registration for classes.  Registering for classes can be a very stressful time for any student.  However, it is necessary as you need a schedule if you wish to attend school!  Thankfully, My ASU makes this process a breeze.  First of all, they open up registration at different times for students in different majors.  For example, engineers might be first to register while business students might be last.  This creates a fair advantage for all and prevents the website from crashing.  Also, the registration is operated on a first come, first serve, basis.  This prevents any cheating or hacking to go on.  This is why My ASU helps all students register for classes in a fair manner.  Now, the actual registration process is a walk in the park.  To register for a class, all one must do is add the class to their shopping cart.  Then, you checkout just as if you were purchasing something online.  It is literally that easy and simple!  This method will help students as they will spend less time registering and will have more time to focus on other things such as a job.  To be brief, My ASU truly did a marvelous job with their registration system.

Although there are a lot of positive aspects to My ASU, it still has it flaws.  The main flaw of the website is in its flavorless format.  The website, especially after hours of use, can become be very dull and boring to the eye of a college student.  The same maroon and gold colors can become very dry after extended hours of use. It seems as if My ASU is too simple when it comes to the design and format of the website.  A different variety of colors would be appropriate, or even an option to customize the page in order to suit a student’s sense of style or interest.  In addition, My ASU has some minor glitches or more formally technically issues.  Although they are very minor, they still cause problems.  This can include the website not opening a certain page or prompting an error message when a student wants to check their grades.  These glitches are always temporary and go away after an hour or so however to a college student who often times are very agitated from school, can be somewhat detrimental.  Although these flaws exist and are part of what the website is, they are all usually minor and do not have a significant effect on the websites effectiveness toward students.  

Overall the My ASU website is a very efficient tool and website for students to use to their advantage even if it does have minor issues, their dwarfed by the advantages the website offers. The website helps students stay in track in school assisting them in their progress with school work and progression towards their degree through a degree audit report. It helps students gain more knowledge about their school by allowing them to gain more information on school sanctioned events and learning opportunities, and overall it helps students secure themselves in a new educational environment. Information presentation is the main focus of this website and My ASU does its job very well, students should know about this website and how they can use it to their advantage.  It will truly play a major role in a student’s college life as they progress in their major.