Systems you will use
The University provides a range of resources to support you at the start of your new student journey and throughout your studies.
IT requirements and support
Access to a laptop is very important for your studies. If you cannot afford to purchase your own laptop, you can loan one from the University on a short-term and long-term basis. We can also give you advice on where to find good deals on buying your own equipment.
The following list of software is available to all students free of charge, and should be suitable for most general learning requirements:
- Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) You do not need to purchase any Office software before you arrive at the University
- One terabyte of cloud storage access to a Microsoft OneDrive account
- "LastPass" password software to manage multiple passwords
You can find out everything you need to know about IT requirements and the support we offer at the following link:
New Students Information Services
IT systems
During your studies, you will use a variety of digital tools. It is good to get familiar with them as soon as you can so that you are confident to use them from the start of your learning.
Microsoft's Office 365 suite combines email, calendar, OneDrive file storage, Office Online apps, as well as other collaboration products available to all students. You will be able to access your Office 365 account with your UUN login after your offer has become ‘unconditional firm’ (when all your admissions criteria have been fulfilled). You will receive an email to alert you to let you know when your Office 365 account is ready to access and to manually set up your multi-factor authentication.
Important emails will be sent to your Office 365 account from mid-August onwards.
You will use many of the applications of Office 365 throughout your studies, including:
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'Outlook' for your student email
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'Teams' for your chats with individuals or groups
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'OneDrive' - your individual filing system
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'SharePoint' - your shared filing system
MyEd is the University's web portal, and is used to as a gateway to access many of the University's online resources including:
- 'Learn' - your virtual learning environment (sometimes shortened to VLE)
- 'Outlook' for your student email
- Your timetable
- 'EUCLID' - the University's student record system
You will receive and be able to view notifications in MyEd about outstanding tasks that you must complete, as well as links to useful information throughout your studies. You can customise the layout of your MyEd portal to suit your own preferences.
Studies - everything you need to support your studies, including access to Learn, your virtual learning environment (VLE), and other study tools, timetables, library resources and study spaces.
Accounts - manage your personal details and password, check your card PIN, access your student record (sometimes called EUCLID), and pay for fees, accommodation, printing and catering.
Student Life - news and events, getting around, support services, and information from Edinburgh University Students’ Association.
Careers - help from the Careers Service, and access to MyCareerHub.
Find out more about the MyEd homepage, notifications, and how to access other content on MyEd at the following link:
'Learn' is the biggest Virtual Learning Environment at the University of Edinburgh, supporting more than 5000 courses annually. Learn provides access to course materials, assignments, grades, feedback, lecture recordings, resource lists and much more. It is used to support face to face teaching, blended learning, and fully online courses. You will probably use 'Learn' often to access all the resources necessary for your courses.
Everything you need to know about Learn can be found at the following link:
Watch our short videos on how to start using MyEd and navigating university IT systems
- Video: How to use MyEd
- A quick start guide to registering for your university login and getting started with MyEd, the University's web portal.
- Video: How to navigate the University's IT systems
- This video provides an introduction to some of the IT systems you will come across and use as a new student.
Develop your digital skills
You will be expected to have a basic understanding of digital skills when starting with us, and then develop these as you study. You will have access to a number of services and resources from mid-August onwards.
This is a tool to help you evaluate your current levels of digital capability, reflect on your development needs, plan your development path and find resources to help you develop your skills
There are over 140 courses open to students that run across the academic year, mostly all relevant to new students. These are all short online courses (usually no more than a couple of hours) and worth exploring to build up your confidence and knowledge of using your developing digital skills effectively.
All students have unlimited access to the extensive library of high-quality video courses on LinkedIn Learning once they start their programme (after Welcome Week). There are short videos delivered by experts in their field that cover almost every topic under business, creative and technology skills.
Protecting your data
Straightforward methods to safeguard your data include:
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Backing up your data
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Encrypting and locking your devices
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Configuring devices and computers securely
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Avoiding phishing scams and online fraud
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Using anti-virus
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Social media protection
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Password management and secure deletion
Find out how we can help you to keep your data safe at the following links:
Tips for new students - Information Security
Interacting with others online
The University has a zero-tolerance approach towards any form of online harassment. Our expectation is that all members of the University community will respect each other online, as you would in-person.
Online etiquette and expectations for students
Your timetable
