Your information is stored in files, which are stored in directories. You can also have subdirectories within other directories to keep your files organized.
The locker system allows you to use the same directories on all Athena workstations. Lockers exist for all users as well as most organizations. When you attach a locker, it will be available inside the directory /mit. Your own locker, also known as your ``home directory'', is named after your username (e.g., /mit/jruser). Because of the locker system, your home directory and therefore your files can be accessed on any workstation, and none of your personal files are stored on the workstation itself.
To use programs in a locker, type add followed by the locker name at the athena% prompt. For example, you can type add matlab and then matlab (on the next line) to run Matlab. If you just want to use files, you can use attach instead. For example, typing attach shakespeare will let you access the Bard's plays and sonnets under /mit/shakespeare.
To change your current directory, type cd followed by the name of the directory you want to go to (for example, cd /mit/shakespeare. If you just type cd by itself, you'll go back to your home directory.