Top Tech Tips for UW Students
The following technology tips can help students succeed at the UW:
- Explore this site, IT Connect: It’s your comprehensive portal for IT tools, software, services, and resources to support your success at the UW.
- Connect to the wireless network: The UW Wi-Fi service is available in most buildings and many outdoor areas on campus. Secure, encrypted wireless is available through eduroam. (We recommend eduroam.)
- Choose your favorite email option: The UW offers UW Gmail and Exchange Online. If you choose one option for email, you can still use apps offered by the other. You can also easily forward your messages to a personal email account. Refer to the Manage Your UW NetID Resources site.
- Chart your academic path: The MyPlan academic planning tool helps you create and manage your academic plan. Find courses, compare programs, build a schedule, explore options and more.
- Collaborate on your choice of two platforms: You have access to two cloud-based collaboration platforms full of familiar apps: Microsoft Office 365 and UW Google Apps.
- Borrow or buy equipment and software: Laptops, cameras, calculators, projectors and more are available for free through the Student Technology Loan Program, and free or reduced-cost software is available through IT Connect. Visit The Tech Center at University Book Store for software you can’t get through the University, such as Adobe Creative Cloud. Ask The Tech Center for academic discounts. You can also save on PCs, Apple products and much more.
- Practice safe computing: Protect your computer, identity and privacy with Sophos anti-virus software for Mac, Windows and UNIX/Linux, and learn how to protect your email.
- Get into that oh-so-popular class: Notify.UW can help. Sign up to be alerted by text or email when space in a course becomes available during registration.
- “Scout” campus for what you need: Scout™ helps you find the right study space for you or your group, technology equipment to borrow and places to eat.
- Store it on U Drive: Store your files safely on the UW’s U Drive, and access them from anywhere. No additional software is needed to sync files, and your files are automatically backed up.
- Crunch heavy-duty research data: Use the UW’s Hyak supercomputer or tap into commercial computing platforms managed through UW-IT. Help is available from the student-run Research Computing Club.
Note that the Student Tech Fee, paid per-quarter by UW students, helps finance many of the IT tools and services available through IT Connect.