How to Retrieve your E-Mail in the Computer Lab
Most of us know how sad it would be once our childhood best friend has migrated to another country. Both of you have been trying to reach one another to know how your lives have been doing for the past years. However, there could be nothing more frustrating than knowing that your best friend has just sent you an e-mail, but you do not have any idea and the knowledge on how to get into your school’s computer system to read your e-mail. The online help is neither useful since you cannot even start the computer on. So, you sit and look at the blank screen as if your telekinetic power would help you switch the machine on.
Turning the computer on is not rocket science process. There are just two buttons that need to be pushed: The large power button on the CPU and the power button on the computer’s monitor. Those two buttons need to be pushed first so that the computer will turn on. Just wait a few moments for the computer screen to turn on. While waiting, you can twiddle your thumbs, so do your thumb-twiddling practice beforehand to look like a pro.
Eventually, the computer screen will show a small box, which is called the dialogue box. You just need to press the TAB on the keyboard so that the top window in the box will be highlighted. Type your as the first letter of your first name followed by your last name. Then, press the TAB key again and type your password, which are the last five digits of your social security. However, typing your password inside the window will not show up. This is so that people behind you will not be able to see what your password is. Now, hit ENTER button.
Be careful when typing both your and password as you may be locked out from the system after three failed attempts. This is done because the system thinks a hacker might be trying to break into your own account (utexas.edu).
The computer should now reveal the desktop icons needed for computer usage. Do not be overwhelmed with the icons. The first thing you need to do is to look for the e-mail icon, which is an image of an envelope. It is not hard to find and you do not need to be James Bond 007 to find it. Once you saw the e-mail icon, move the mouse pointer over the icon and double-click the left button on the mouse. Double-clicking is quite challenging for newbies as it requires a speedy click-click within half a second, which can be developed as you use a computer more often.
Afterwards, do not forget to log-out from your e-mail account by clicking on the upper right-hand of the screen that says LOGOUT. You also have to make sure that the computer is properly shut down before leaving. You do not want the next computer user to access your account and send e-mails under your name, do you? To turn off the computer, just simply press the F4 key on top of the keyboard while holding down the Alt key beside the space bar. If any error messages will appear on the screen, do not hesitate to call the lab assistant’s attention so she can help you out.
Works Cited
The University of Texas at Austin. "Cyber Security Awareness - Lock Up - The Importance of Strong Passwords." Home | The University of Texas at Austin. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. <http://www.utexas.edu/its/secure/articles/importance_strong_passwords.php>.
