IT information for new students
We've put together some useful information to help you get started with IT
services at Essex.
Getting started with IT guide
More information
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Your IT account
Your Essex ID, along with your password, gives you access to all of the
services that are available to you, for example email, eduroam wifi, computer
labs, Moodle etc.
Your Essex ID will look something like this: dw16902@essex.ac.uk. Your Essex
ID is also your email address, however if you're a PGR student you can
choose a
preferred email address.
You should change your password as soon as you get your IT account. After
that you'll need to change your password at least once every four months - we'll
email you a reminder when this is approaching.
The easiest way to change your password is online, using either your most
recent password, your external email address and passphrase or a one-time
password.
You can also log on to any computer in an IT lab using the username and
password below.
- Username: pwchange
- Password: changepw
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Wifi
Our campus wifi network is called eduroam. It's free to use and you can
connect to it as soon as you arrive on campus – simply sign in with your new
Essex email address and password. See our
wifi how-to guides if you need help connecting.
Please note eduroam is not part of the accommodation network, StudentCom,
which is run separately.
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Email
It's important to check your email regularly, at least one a week, so you
don't miss important messages.
You can access your email on any IT lab computer via Outlook or by using
Webmail: email.essex.ac.uk
You can also set up
your email for your personal smartphone, tablet or computer.
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e-Learning
We provide a range of technologies to extend learning into the online world
to make it as accessible, innovative and interesting as possible.
Moodle, FASER and Listen Again are known as 'the big three' and support the
majority of online learning activities.
- Moodle is our virtual learning
environment.
- FASER is our online coursework
submission, assessment and feedback service.
- Listen Again is our
lecture capture and playback service.
Find out more about learning
technologies.
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Software and mobile apps
Get Microsoft Office, for free!
As an Essex student you're entitled to download a free copy of the latest
version of Microsoft Office on your PC, Mac or mobile device.
Pocket Essex mobile app
Pocket Essex is the University's official mobile app for students. It gives
you instant access to Essex events, your course info, timetables, modules and
marks, library loans, contact details, opinion polls and much more.
Pocket Essex is free to use and is available on Android and iOS.
Find Your Way mobile app
Find Your Way is our interactive map app that will give you directions to and
from a location, and show you where to find useful places such as the Campus
Shop or the IT Helpdesk.
Find Your Way is free to use and is available on Android and iOS.
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Computers on campus
We have many IT labs and group study pods dotted around our three campuses
running Windows 7, Office 2010 and a wide range of software. Some of our labs
are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Saving your documents
You get a 300 MB home directory, also known as your M:\ Drive, to save your
files and folders. It can be accessed from any computer on campus.
As part of your Office 365 account, you get a OneDrive for Business account
that gives you a massive 1 TB of cloud storage which you can access via Webmail:
email.essex.ac.uk
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Printing
You can print in most of our IT labs and study spaces. Printing is charged
for, so you'll need to purchase print credit before you can print - the easiest
way to go this is via our
online web shop.
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Learn with Lynda.com
You get free and unlimited access to Lynda.com - a leading provider of online
video training with thousands of high quality courses delivered by industry
experts and respected authors covering a range of topics in education, business,
design and creative media.
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IT help and support
Online self-service
Check our A to Z of services and
knowledge base for how-to guides and answers to frequently asked questions.
Contact the IT Helpdesk
Our IT Helpdesk is your first point of contact for
all IT problems and queries. There’s an IT Helpdesk at each of our three
campuses which you can find at:
- Colchester: Learning Hub, Silberrad Student Centre (ground floor)
- Southend: Info Point in the Learning Hub
- Loughton: Library first Floor, Main House