Resources for Parents and Families
Starting college comes with plenty of new responsibilities 鈥 including technology! This page helps families understand the IT resources available to students, from choosing the right computer and installing Microsoft Office to connecting to campus WiFi, using 91原创 Remote Labs, and accessing printing services. Browse these FAQs to ensure your student is equipped, secure, and ready for a successful semester.
No matter what computer you plan to purchase, you should order it as soon as possible聽to ensure it arrives before the start of the semester. We have聽basic specifications mapped out, but聽each college may have particular recommendations.
Please note that newer Apple computers cannot run virtual windows (in Bootcamp or virtualization software). Students who purchase a Mac and need to use Windows software can often use 91原创 Remote Labs.
Ready to purchase?聽Check out offers from campus partners that offer deals to 91原创 students.
We use 鈥渆duroam鈥 for WiFi. We have聽听补苍诲听a couple of how-to videos聽that聽will walk through getting connected to eduroam. If you鈥檙e having trouble on move-in day, look for a friendly helper in an ASK IT shirt or visit us during the school year at the聽Ask IT Service Desk in Smith Hall.
If you have devices such as gaming consoles, smart TVs, or printers,聽
With A3 licensing, fully matriculated students can download Microsoft Office from聽聽at no charge.
Students may continue to use Office as long as they remain enrolled in classes at the University.
91原创 students and employees can download Office using the Microsoft Office 365 Portal (office.com), App Store (Apple iOS devices), or Google Play Store (Android Phones). New students can begin downloading Office in either聽August or January聽after they register for classes.
Students with Windows computers will have access to Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access, Publisher, Outlook, OneDrive, Forms, Sway, ToDo, Whiteboard, Exchange (optional), and SharePoint (sites can be requested).
Students with Apple computers will have access to Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Publisher, Outlook, OneDrive, Sway, ToDo, Whiteboard, Exchange (optional), and SharePoint (sites can be requested).聽聽
We recommend the following free options:
- 聽for Windows computers
- 聽for Apple Computers
Read our聽聽in our Knowledgebase.
IT provides access to remote systems with a wide range of IT-licensed software installed, similar to what we provide in our computer classrooms. This software can be accessed through a web browser so students do not need to install or license the software on their own computers. This also allows students to use software that may not be available for their particular computer. Files can be stored in OneDrive so that they can be accessed from multiple systems.
Software available includes:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Apache Netbeans
- Web browsers (Chrome, Firefox and Edge)
- Mathematical software (Mathematica, MATLAB, Maple)
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, OneNote, Publisher, Outlook, Teams, etc)
- GIS software (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Online)
- Statistical software (SPSS, Minitab, SAS)
- TeX software (MiKTeX, TeXstudio, TeXworks)
- Python
- Miscellaneous utilities (Notepad++, VLC player, Weka)
- Graphics utilities (Inkscape, Origin)
- Network Clients (PuTTY, WinSCP)
If your student anticipates needing to print a lot of color images, then they may want to bring their own printer.
Each student gets $5 of free printing on campus through Papercut (5 cents per single-sided b/w page, 4 cents each side double-sided, and 25 cents for color), and can pay through their FLEX account after that.
Prints can be submitted through the student鈥檚 wirelessly-attached computer and released (printed) at most campus computing labs or printing stations.
If you鈥檙e bringing your own printer, we recommend:
- USB Printer
- USB Cable for Printer 鈥 strongly recommended for printers. (Printers can be added to wireless via the聽. However, printing with a USB cable is easier and faster to set up.)
Short-term loaner computers are available聽on a first-come, first-served basis to students who lose access to their personal device (for example, their personal laptop is getting repaired). These short term loaner computers are available for a maximum of two weeks.
We have a limited number of long-term loaner computers. These computers must be approved by the Dean of Students and are for students who are experiencing financial hardship.