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The University of Southampton
Welcome Pre-sessional

Welcome to the University of Southampton

Before you arrive

Welcome

Congratulations - it's almost time for you to join us for your pre-sessional programme and we can't wait to welcome you.

On these pages, you will find information on what you need to do before starting your Pre-Sessional Programme. Please read each step carefully, confirm you have completed the tasks that are relevant to you, then "Complete Step" to continue.

It is important to complete the following steps before your induction date. Otherwise, you will not be able to access your induction and your teaching sites.

All programmes IT induction takes place online via Blackboard.

Online programmes teaching will take place on Blackboard and on Microsoft Teams.

Students arriving to Southampton will receive their induction details upon arrival to their Halls of Residence.

If you have any questions or problems, please contact the University.

Welcome

Welcome

Welcome to your Pre-sessional course. Here you will find information on what you need to do before starting your course.

It is important to complete the following steps before your induction date, otherwise you will not be able to access your induction and your teaching.

The IT induction for all courses takes place online via Blackboard.

Teaching for your online course will take place via Blackboard and Microsoft Teams.

Students arriving in Southampton will receive their induction details upon arrival to their Halls of Residence. For more information and our meet and greet service please visiit our Welcome and Induction page

Set up your IT account

Your IT account

On this page you will find all the information you need to get started with your university IT. This includes: 

  • Setting up your student IT account
  • The systems you need for your coursework and campus life 
  • How to connect to the Wi-Fi on campus and in halls of residence 
  • How to get help with your IT 

So, let’s get started. 

How do I set up and access my student IT account?

Before you start your course, you need to set up your university computing account and email address. This process can take around 15 minutes.

*Important* Setting up an IT account must be done by the student and not by an agent or representative. It is essential that students know their username, email address, password and the answers to the security questions when they arrive at Southampton.

What do I need?

You can set up your IT account from any computer with an internet connection. You will be asked to provide:

  • your pre-sessional student ID number (you will find this in the emails from the pre-sessional admissions team)
  • your family name
  • your date of birth

Step 1: Setting up my IT account

  • Go to https://subscribe.soton.ac.uk. 
  • Select 'Create your university computing account'. 
  • Follow the prompts to create security questions and set a password. 
  • When you create the security questions / answers, please enter them in English as this means we can help you more quickly if you need support. 

Step 2: Setting up MFA 


Next, you will be prompted to set up multi-factor authentication (MFA).

  • This is to verify your identity when logging into your IT account
  • Please allow 30 minutes for your IT account to synchronise before moving onto this step
  • Setting up MFA is essential, and you will be unable to access university IT services until this is complete

More detailed instructions can be found in this step-by-step guide, How to set up and manage Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

  • You will need your mobile device to complete this step
  • Follow the prompts
  • Please use the Microsoft app and install it from the Apple App store or Google Play Store for Android. (These apps won’t cost you any money)
  • Once MFA is set up, you will be asked to verify your identity when you log in to your IT account, by adding a code from the app

Your account will become fully active within 30 minutes. It can take up to 24 hours for the university systems and services to activate (including email and enrolment). At busy times there can sometimes be a delay in setting up MFA too, so you may need wait before completing this essential step of your account set up.

Step 3: Additional information 
Lastly, you need to add some additional information. Your account set up isn’t complete until you have completed this. 

  • Go back to subscribe https://subscribe.soton.ac.uk
  • A second email address. This means you can reset your password yourself if you forget it  
  • Add a second method for authenticating. This is really important because if one method fails, you have another way to verify your identity. This minimises the risk of being locked out of your account if you lose or upgrade your phone. Log in here, select 'Add sign-in method' and follow the prompts. We recommend using SMS.  
  • If you are studying on campus and use a different mobile phone when you return home, please make sure you add this phone number to your account before you leave the UK. This means you will still be able to sign in if you can’t access your UK mobile phone. 

What do I need for my coursework and campus life? 

During your time at the University, you will use these online tools and services. 

Email 
Once you have set up your University IT account, please check your emails regularly. The University will send important information to you using this email address. For example, information about your course, fees and accommodation. 

To access your emails, go to SUSSED, sign in using your new username (e.g. ab1c15@soton.ac.uk) and password and then click on the 'Email' icon from the 'Home' tab. 

Web browsers

We recommend you use the following web browsers for your studies.

Blackboard

Every student at the University uses Blackboard to access their course materials, view online lectures, and communicate with their tutor.

Please check that you can use Blackboard. Open Firefox (or Chrome) and type the following link: https://Blackboard.soton.ac.uk

Login with your username (e.g. ab1c15@soton.ac.uk) and password that you created during the subscribe step on the welcome page.

How do I get connected on campus and in halls?

Eduroam is the University's free Wi-Fi service. It is available across all our campuses and in Halls of Residence.

Connecting to eduroam is easy. Log in with your university username (e.g. ab1c15@soton.ac.uk) and password that you created when you set up your account.

Get more information on connecting to eduroam.

Connecting to the network remotely

You can access many university systems directly via your internet browser (eg: Blackboard.soton.ac.uk, SUSSED.soton.ac.uk, timetable.soton.ac.uk). However, there are some services that require a secure connection to the university network (eg: library resources and licensing of university software applications). You can connect via the Southampton Virtual Environment (SVE), which provides a similar experience to an on-site computer – or via Global Protect. Full information and instructions are available at: Away from campus | iSolutions | University of Southampton.

What software is available to students (including Office 365)?

Many software applications are available to you under a University licence whilst you are studying with us.

Office 365: Once you have set up your IT account, you can sign in to the Office 365 apps online or visit this link to download Office365 apps to your personal computer.

The Microsoft Teams app is widely used for courses across all faculties at the University. It may be helpful to familiarise yourself with Teams before you join us if you haven’t used it before. Microsoft has some free training available online.

Other software applications: If you require a specific software application for any of your courses, there are a number available on our software download site.

How do I get help with my IT?

As you progress through the checklist you might have difficulty with some instructions. Please be persistent and try again. 

If you are still having issues, you can access in-person IT support at our Tech Hubs. Just drop in and speak to one of friendly support experts:

  • The Hartley Library, Highfield Campus 

You can find us inside the main foyer on level 2. Support is available from 09:00-17:00, Monday to Friday when the University is open. 
 
Telephone or online support options are also available via the Getting Help page

Enrol

To do this, you will need the username and password you created when you set up your IT account (see step 1), so it is important to create your IT account in advance and remember your log in details.

You will need to wait for 30 minutes after setting up your IT account before you can enrol.

You can enrol online before you arrive at the University of Southampton by clicking on the Start enrolling now button below.

Please note that you MUST complete your enrolment before your induction.

Enrolment deadlines:

CourseEnrolment
deadline
InductionTeaching startsEnd Date
16 weeks Online 16 May 16 to 17 May 20 May 5 September
16 weeks On Campus 16 May 16 to 17 May 20 May 5 September
11 weeks Online 20 June 20 to 21 June 24 June 5 September
11 weeks On Campus 20 June 20 to 21 June 24 June 5 September
6 weeks Online 11 July 11 to 12 July 15 July 22 August
6 weeks On Campus 11 July 11 to 12 July 15 July 22 August

 

Finalise your accommodation

Organising and confirming your accommodation before you arrive, and knowing what to do when you get here will ensure that you get off to the best start. It is important that you read this information carefully and ensure you have completed each step that applies to you before you continue.

If you have applied before 12 June you should already have received an offer. If you have missed this date, we still welcome your application for accommodation during your pre-sessional course.

Once we make you an offer, you will receive an email advising you to log in to your accommodation account to view and accept the offer. Please be aware the accommodation offer will have a deadline that you need to accept it by.

If you are interested in applying to stay in University accommodation after your Pre-sessional course, you can also do so now. We guarantee a room in University accommodation for all international students who apply by 31 July 2023, and as an International student, you can also apply for accommodation in a group with your friends.

Compare our different options here to see which accommodation suits you best.

Arriving at your accommodation

When you arrive at your accommodation, the Residences team will be there to greet you and welcome you to our Halls community. The Residences team offer 24-hour support and assistance so there is always somebody to contact to reassure you and answer any questions.

We are unable to assist you moving in to your accommodation block so you will need to be able to carry your belongings yourself - please remember this when packing!

We have worked hard to reduce the risks in our accommodation and will continue to do so. We want to assure you we have everything in place to support you during your stay with us. Hand santizer is available, and you are welcome to wear a face covering if you wish to do so.

 

Pay your tuition fees

If you pay your Pre-sessional tuition fees yourself, they must be paid in full before you start the course. It is easy to do so using our secure online payment facility or via our international bank transfer service.  

You must also let us know if your fees are being paid by a sponsor or other funder. You can give us their details by completing and emailing this form Sponsorship Form SP1 (PDF, 226KB) or an official letter from your sponsor to sponfee@soton.ac.uk.

Forms of payment

Paying your fees via our payments platform

All students (including UK) can pay their fees using the University of Southampton’s payments platform powered by our partner Convera. This allows you, your parents and sponsors to pay GBP student fees in the currency of your choice and provides you with a simple and secure way to initiate a payment.

How it works?

Simply select the country you are paying from, including the UK, what are you paying and your preferred method of payment. Enter your student details, following the payer details. Get your payment instructions and make your payment. You can track your payment status through every step.

You can also pay by Bank transfer

bank transer

When you are ready to start

Welcome and Induction

We look forward to welcoming you as students of the University of Southampton and have arranged online induction which will give you all the essential information about your pre-sessional online course and being a student at Southampton. This will help you to settle in and get ready for your online studies.

Induction can be accessed via Blackboard and you can access it any time after completing enrolment.

Students starting On Campus programmes- please complete IT and Library induction online before arriving the UK. Once you reach your Halls of Residence, you will be given your on campus induction timetable. During your on campus induction you will complete visa check and collect a letter enabling you to open a bank account.

If you have any questions, please contact the Pre-sessional Team via email: pshelp@soton.ac.uk

Next steps

Congratulations - you have now completed the important steps required before you arrive.

Please visit the When You Arrive section to find out what happens when you arrive in Southampton.

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