Using MATLAB outside of the lab

[starstruck_]

This is a pretty dumb question, but I honestly just need some advice as to which option to go for.

I'm in first year and one of my courses this term is computer science where we will be using matlab.
Matlab isn't free- I know that, but my professor said we have two options available for us to use MATLAB for free outside of our lab:

1) sign up for the free trial

This is great and all, but it asks for your postal code and phone number so I'm kind of skeptical and it only lasts 1 month.

2) a service my university offers where we can use MATLAB through some server for free

I REALLY don't want to go down this route.
I can use it for however long I need to, however, if a lot of people are on using that service at the same time, it will be really slow, and it asks for access to your microphone, camera, internet ports, processor threads etc so uh I'm not sure if this is a great idea.

I need help deciding what option to go for.
Another thing I can do is use the labs at school when they're free but uh that's about it.
I don't think I have any options besides those so just need some input of what option you think would be the safest/ work out the best.
What would you suggest?
Also, is it safe to put in my postal code/phone number for the trial?

 

[Drakkith]

1) sign up for the free trial

This is great and all, but it asks for your postal code and phone number so I'm kind of skeptical and it only lasts 1 month.

That looks like standard procedure for many free trials of commercial software like MatLab. I'm almost certain I've had to do this for a few trials myself.

2) a service my university offers where we can use MATLAB through some server for free

I REALLY don't want to go down this route.
I can use it for however long I need to, however, if a lot of people are on using that service at the same time, it will be really slow, and it asks for access to your microphone, camera, internet ports, processor threads etc so uh I'm not sure if this is a great idea.

I can't say I've ever had to do this, but I doubt you'll run into any problems. I'm betting that MatLab needs access to those things in order to function propertly, or at least use it to its full potential.

Also, is it safe to put in my postal code/phone number for the trial?

I've yet to run into anything more than the occasional annoying e-mail when signing up for free trials. I can't guarantee that you won't have a problem, but I highly doubt it.

 

[Dr Transport]

If you are a freshman and you will use it, and I am sure you will, a student license is ~$100 and you don't have to give out any of that info that you had to for the university license.

 

[donpacino]

2) a service my university offers where we can use MATLAB through some server for free

You will not being doing anything that is very computationally expensive. Slight slow downs server side will not be the end of the world.

 

[FactChecker]

The second option may just be using the server as a license server. That is how it works in some large organizations that have a lot of MathWorks licenses of various types. If that is what they are talking about, then you would install and run the software on your computer and only access the server to check out a licence. That would not slow you down unless the tools that you need are at the limit of users under the school's license agreement.