The reported experience, comfort level, and perceived skill of 233 students in a medium-size midwestern university were measured to determine how best to approach the use of information technology within departmental curricula. Results show that students view their computer competence differently depending on whether they are using the technology for personal or course-related tasks. Additionally, while the expressed levels of experience and comfort are high for some forms of technology, exposure and confidence with more advanced applications are lacking. Such findings suggest that faculty members may make false assumptions about student preparedness and, in turn, may jeopardize student success. Differences by gender and race/ethnicity also were observed, suggesting that departments need to be aware of the varied experiences of their students. (orig.)