CHICAGO, Sept. 15 — Andy Perez uses the library at Rice University in Houston for the quiet, not the books. He does his research online. Edell Fiedler taps into the Internet to register for classes and check grades at Minnesota State University, Mankato, sometimes saving her the 60-mile drive to school. Rakesh Patel regularly uses e-mail to ask his professors at Chicago’s DePaul University questions about assignments.
STORIES LIKE THOSE have become increasingly common on college campuses. Now a new survey, released Sunday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, has confirmed what they suggest: the Internet has become an integral part of college life, and not just for studying.
The survey of college students across the country found that 86 percent use the Internet, compared with 59 percent of the overall U.S. population.
“For this group of college students, the Internet...