Get your devices ready for college life!

There are several resources that you will need to get the most out of your computers and technology while at St. Lawrence. The vast majority of it can be completed before you arrive! Get a head start on a smooth digital experience and follow these steps to get your computer and phone ready to go!

Before you arrive on campus:

Step 0: Prepare the technology you will bring to campus:
All St. Lawrence students are expected to have a personal computer they can bring to campus. Students often have different preferences for which type of computers they use, and St. Lawrence IT will always try to accommodate for these preferences, however, there is an official list of recommendations for what types of computers that IT can support. 

Step 1: Setup your St. Lawrence email:
One of the most important resources as a student is your St. Lawrence email. You will be expected to check it regularly for updates from your professors, as well as to receive news and other information. This can be made easier by setting up your email on your phone.

To check your email on your computer, you can do so by visiting the Outlook website at the following address:

Instructions for configuring your email on your smartphone: 

Step 2: Install/Access Microsoft Office on your computer:
Many of your professors will be expecting your documents to be created within Microsoft Office applications, such as Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. These applications are available to you at no charge while you are a student at St. Lawrence, and can be installed onto personal computers or used from the web.

Step 3: Set up OneDrive on your computer:
OneDrive is a cloud storage solution that's included in Microsoft Office. It works similarly to Google Drive or Dropbox. Data you save to your OneDrive folder is automatically backed up to the cloud, so you can access it from any device you've signed into. This is highly recommended for your school documents, so that you can always ensure you have access to your papers and files even if your computer became unavailable.

  • On a Mac or PC, OneDrive is installed as part of the Microsoft Office installation. Simply open OneDrive and sign in with your St. Lawrence email and password to get started.
  • On other devices, a web client of Onedrive can be accessed here.

Step 4: Connect your computer to SLU VPN:
If you will be taking classes off-campus, you will need the SLU VPN to access all of St. Lawrence's resources. SLU VPN is a service that connects your computer to SLU's domain, giving you access to any resources you could use on campus. The VPN can be configured on your personal computer.

Instructions for configuring the SLU VPN: 

Step 5: Connect your computer to the T Drive:
The T Drive is a file server hosted on St. Lawrence's campus where professors may sometimes put files that are needed for class. While not every class will require you to have the T Drive on your computer, you may want to install it anyway just to save yourself some time later. Please note that you must be connected to SLU VPN in order to connect to the T Drive from off campus.

Step 6: Familiarize yourself with important student resources:
There are several websites that you will use at many points during your time at St. Lawrence. You may want to bookmark these to ensure you have them at the ready for easy access.

 

After you arrive on campus:

Step 1: Connect your phone and computer to Eduroam:
The first thing you will likely want to do when you arrive on campus is connect to wifi. The main wifi network that's used across campus is named "Eduroam". Once you've signed into Eduroam once, you'll have wifi in any building on campus. Additionally, certain other colleges and institutions use Eduroam as well. If you're signed into Eduroam at St. Lawrence, you'll be connected to wifi anywhere that has Eduroam!

Instructions for connecting to Eduroam:

 

Step 2: Connect to SLU Public Printing:
On St. Lawrence's campus, there are public copiers that can be used to print documents for class. Each student gets a printing budget of $48 annually. Black and White pages cost 6 cents per page, color pages cost 30 cents per page. In order to print, "SLU Public Printing" must be installed as a printer. Then after you print to SLU Public Printing, simply scan your ID card at any public copier, and your print job will release at the copier in front of you.

Instructions for installing SLU Public Printing:


Step 3: Connect your game consoles and Smart TVs to SLU Gamer:
Once you've gotten your phone and computer fully set up, you are free to connect any smart devices to the wifi as well. The SLU Gamer network is used to connect game consoles and media devices like smart TVs, Chromecasts, Apple TVs, Fire Sticks, etc. Unlike Eduroam, SLU Gamer uses a specific password that you can use to connect with.
 
Step 4: Connect your TV to the cable
If you have a brought a TV to campus and you would like to be able to watch cable television, you will need to connect the TV to the cable box in your dorm room with a coaxial cable. Most TVs will need to run a "Channel Scan" in order to discover all of the channels. You can find instructions for how to do so on your TV manufacturer's support website. If you find there is any damage to the cable box in your dorm room, please contact the ODY Service Desk and we can schedule a repair team to come to your dorm and repair the issue.


Step 5: Get your Student Mail Center combination
While you're a student at St. Lawrence, you will have your own mailbox at the Student Center on the bottom floor. Your mail will be locked inside your mailbox and you will need to obtain the combination before you can open it. The combination can be found in your residence profile. The Student Mail Center has its own website which you can visit here.