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Step 3: Get ongoing support for your studies

iSolutions – your university IT team – offers a range of systems and services to help you get the most out of your time here.

Whether you are a new or returning student, find out about the range of services designed to support your studies, campus life and beyond.

Check out the information below. Always remember that you can access additional support and advice via ServiceLine or our Tech Hubs. Find out more at: Getting help | iSolutions | University of Southampton.

Software download site

A student gesturing with their hands in front of their laptop with another student in the background.

Many of our software agreements allow staff and students to install university software applications on their personal devices. This can be done through our software download site: www.software.soton.ac.uk. From here you can log in, download applications, and access instructions on how to install and license them.

For a full list of what’s available, plus details of some applications that can only be accessed via the Southampton Virtual Environment (SVE), please check this software information.

As a reminder, Microsoft 365 is also available for free for all students for the duration of your studies, which you can download here.

Education applications

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You will use a number of education applications throughout your coursework, exams and assessments, including:

Blackboard, our virtual learning environment. From here you can also access Turnitin for submitting assignments, and Panopto for recorded lectures
eAssignments, which is also used for submitting assignments

You can find support guides for using these and other tools at: Student guides – eLearning Support and Resources (soton.ac.uk)

Please note that some schools use specialised equipment and different platforms for handing in assignments and accessing course information, timetables and tutor details. Please speak to your School office or tutor if you need support with these tools.

Digital accessibility

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We strive to make our digital platforms, resources and content as accessible as possible and have a number of tools to support this. For example, Blackboard Ally helps instructors recognise how accessible their course content is and improve it.

You can find more accessibility information, tools and resources at: Accessibility – eLearning Support and Resources (soton.ac.uk)

We also recommend My Computer My Way, which is a service from AbilityNet. It provides guides for how to adapt your phone, computer or tablet to meet your needs.

Digital skills, personal development and career preparation

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LinkedIn Learning

You have full, free, unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning. This is a library of video-based online training on a wide range of topics. You’ll find courses to support your studies, wellbeing, workplace skills and even instructional videos for using IT applications and coding.

You may already have completed the Student IT skills induction 2023-24. We’d also recommend you check out the University of Southampton study support and employability learning pathway.

You don’t need a LinkedIn account to use this resource – just log in with your university credentials and get started. When you first set it up you will be asked to choose certain topics you are interested in. Find out more about setting up LinkedIn Learning.

Build your digital skills

The Jisc Discovery tool is a digital skills self-assessment. It asks you questions about your skills and confidence in different areas, then creates a report, highlighting your strengths and areas where you can develop your skills. The report also recommends resources to help you build your skills. Please note, the report is anonymous – your name will not be saved.

Access more information and a guide for students, or you can simply log in and get started with the 'New students' questionnaire.

You may also want to check out the Specialist Digital Skills (sharepoint.com), which includes resources relevant to specific schools and faculties.

Gartner Campus Access

Gartner is a research and consultancy organisation that produces world-leading IT, technology and business resources.

Students can access these for free through Gartner Campus Access.

The resources include real-life business case studies, trends and experts’ opinions, which can be referenced in coursework or dissertations. Plus, there are other resources that provide valuable insight into how businesses operate, which is great preparation for a future career.

Find out more about Gartner Campus Access, including how to login.