New Students
If you are a student beginning your academic career at Yale College or the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, welcome! We’ve assembled a collection of student technology resources that will help you to start your semester prepared and informed.
Activate Your NetID
Yale assigns all members of the community a unique identifer called a NetID, which you’ll use to access many of the university’s online resources and accounts. You must activate your NetID before accessing any other Yale systems. Make sure you keep your NetID password safe; do not share them with anyone else!
Set Up Your Yale Email
All Yale students receive an “@yale.edu” email account. Accounts for Yale College and most GSAS students are provided via EliApps, Yale’s version of Google G Suite, which includes: Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar. Some GSAS students in HIPAA-covered programs or programs affiliated with the Schools of Law, Management, Global Affairs, or the Environment may recieve an Office 365 email account instead of an EliApps account.
For instructions on how to access your email account, set up email on your mobile device, or change your preferred name or email alias, click on Read More.
Activate DUO Multifactor Authentication
Multifactor Authentication (MFA) protects your intellectual data and personal information in the event that your NetID password is compromised. Yale implements MFA via the DUO Everywhere service; this service is required for all Yale students. Complete your MFA-DUO enrollment and request 10 back up codes now.
Download And Set Up Zoom
Some events will be conducted via Zoom. All Yale students have a Yale enterprise Zoom account; you will need to download and install Zoom on your device, then use the “Sign In Via SSO” option to access your Yale Zoom account.
Visit the Zoom Quick Guide for setup instructions and more information.
Update Your Student Information
Yale Hub enables academic processes such as registration, financial aid, and transcript orders. Information such as your emergency contacts and mailing address need to be added to the system by you. Log into Yale Hub, then follow the automatic prompts to get started.
Set Up Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Some of Yale’s digital resources are only available while on campus. If you are off-campus, you can obtain access to these resources by connecting to Yale’s Virtual Private Network, or VPN.
Getting a New Computer?
It is highly recommended that all Yale College students have a personal laptop* to attend class, complete assignments, and participate in campus life. If you are looking to buy a new laptop, check out these tips for choosing a new laptop. Yale College students with demonstrated financial need may be able to request emergency funding support through the SafetyNet program.
*Recommendations for Graduate Students will vary; check with your department for more details.
Download Free and Discounted Software
The Yale Software Library provides a range of free and discounted software for students, including:
- Microsoft Office
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Matlab
- Mathematica
- Endnote
- SPSS
- ArcGIS
Download Antivirus Software
To keep your computer safe, Yale highly recommends having antivirus software installed on your computer and running the most up-to-date version of your operating system. Antivirus software recommendations are available at cybersecurity.yale.edu/malware.
Set Up Automatic Data Back-Up
It is highly recommended to keep your files safe by regularly backing up your data in case your computer becomes damaged, lost, or compromised. You can choose from several methods to keep your work safe:
- Use your computer’s native method of backing up your work to an external device: Time Machine (Mac OS X) or Backup and Restore (Windows). Yale students can use their Yale email address to purchase an external drive from Western Digital at a discount.
- Sync your files with your Yale OneDrive accout (unlimited storage) or Google Drive (up to 5GB).
- Use another cloud-based data backup service available on the web.
Canvas
Canvas is the digital hub for your Yale classes. Through Canvas, you’ll attend Zoom classes, turn in assignments, see grades, and more.
Yale Course Search
You can browse and select Yale courses via Yale Course Search.
YaleConnect
YaleConnect allows you to stay up to date with events and announcements from departments, organizations, and centers on campus. Events and deadlines for incoming students are currently posted on YaleConnect as well.
Yale Subscriptions
Yale provides you with a wide variety of online educational materials. Students have unlimited access to Yale’s Library Resources. In addition, free subscriptions to online news publications (such as The New York Times , Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post) are available with your university email address. Students also receive a free subscription to LinkedIn Learning, (previously known as Lynda) providing access to instructional skill-building video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills.
MyApps
MyApps at Yale is a comprehensive desktop and app virtualization service. It provides access to a Windows based environment containing Yale licensed software from both personal and Yale owned devices.
Action Recommended
- To access the new environment, please download remote desktop software and follow the Getting Started Guide.
- Access to the MyApps at Yale environment is also available through the web.
- Your existing Yale email address and NetID password will provide access to the system.
Note: All students with an active Yale email address will be licensed to access the MyApps at Yale service via their personal devices.
On-Campus Technology
Once you arrive to campus, you’ll need to take some additional steps to connect to wifi, connect your smart devices, use campus printers, and more. Consult the guidance, below, as well as information on our COVID-19 Changes page.
- Wifi for students: YaleSecure is available for students; always use your NetID and password to connect.
- Wifi for guests: Yale Guest is available for visitors without a NetID and password.
- Eduroam: Offers cross-university wifi for guests from other institutions and Yale students while on other campuses. Learn more about Eduroam.
- Wifi for devices that do not allow wifi usernames: Learn more about WiFi for smart devices.
- Ethernet: Most dorm rooms are equipped with ethernet jacks. Ethernet provides the fastest connection. Register your computer to work with Ethernet.
Enhanced Services and Support
Computer Labs
On campus public computing clusters supported by our program have been restored, but with a much smaller footprint. Software previously available only in labs is now available, virtually, to all faculty and students through MyApps. Additional information can be found on the Getting started with MyApps at Yale page. Other specialized computers used by students on campus, including the Computer Science “Zoo” and workstation class hardware in the Marx library, will be connected to the network and should be accessed via remote connection to avoid COVID-19 disease transmission. For more information on Library resources, see the Yale University Libraries site.
If your computing access needs are impacted by lab closures, please request emergency funding support through the Safety Net program.
Equipment Checkout
Our media equipment check-out service works closely with Bass Library and adheres to their circulation desk hours of operation. Details will be posted on our Reservations site as they become available.
Graphic Design Assistance
STC Studios staff continue to be available at stc-studios@yale.edu for free graphic design help.
Printing
Printing will be possible in most* locations through the use of Papercut Mobility, which allows students to print and release a print job from a BluePrint queue using an Android or iOS mobile device. Review essential print information at YPPS BluePrint Essential Resources.
*Some exceptions apply for areas of campus handling sensitive information.
Need Additional Help?
We’re here to help, 24/7! A complete list of your tech support options is listed on our Support & Repairs page.