Please make sure to review all of these IT-related tasks. Most of them must be completed before you arrive for Orientation.
Here's the summary:
Acquire a Laptop
Students who do not have a laptop are very strongly urged to acquire one. The standard operating system at Law is Windows 11, but if you are already familiar with Mac OS, we do not recommend that you switch. No other operating system is compatible with IT systems at MU (e.g., Chromebooks, iPads, and Linux are not compatible).
The recommended specs for student laptops are:
Understand Your Login ID
You should have been given a 5 to 6 character login ID. The first 2 or 3 characters are your initials. The last 3 characters are random.
In most cases, you will log into apps using your id @umsystem.edu. For example, if your ID is rpk7gp, then the long form of your login is rpk7gp@umsystem.edu. The long form of your id is a Microsoft ID.
Your default email address is your login @mail.missouri.edu. Using the example above, if your ID is rpk7gp, then your default email address is rpk7gp@missouri.edu or rpk7gp@mail.missouri.edu. You may change your default email address to be more professional by going to aims.umsystem.edu and clicking on Personalize Email. You may not, however, change your login ID; you will always log in with your login ID.
The short form of your login ID is what you should use to identify yourself for most MU-related tasks, including signing up for student organizations. There may be several people named Jennifer Williams, but there is only one jmwk9v. The short form of your ID is also used for the following IT-related tasks:
Install Microsoft Authenticator on Your Phone
To use most MU systems, you will be required to use your phone to complete multifactor authentication prompts. Even if you prefer to do multifactor authentication via text message or voice call, we strongly recommend that you have Microsoft Authenticator set up as an alternative. If you plan to log into an MU system from another country, you must have Microsoft Authenticator set up before you leave the USA.
Instructions are at the bottom of this page: https://www.umsystem.edu/ums/is/infosec/secure_authentication_toolkit/
Install Microsoft Office
If you do not have a license for Microsoft Office, MU provides a license for you to use on your computer. Go to office.com, log in with the long form of your MU ID, and click the Install button to download and install the Microsoft Office suite.
Login to Your Email
Your MU email account is the only email account you should be using for MU-related communications. It is not possible to forward your MU email to another account and communications from the School of Law will go to your MU account only. You can either:
Download Your Mobile ID
Download and install your MU mobile ID on your phone so you can use it to open doors, pay for things, and check in at events.
Instructions are on this page: https://doit.missouri.edu/services/id-cards/mizzou-mobile-id/
Make Sure Your Laptop is Compatible with Exam4
Exam4 is the software most professors at the School of Law use for exams. You must make sure your laptop is running a compatible version of either Mac OS or Windows. Typically, this is a problem for fall midterms, so check your operating system version and make sure it does not automatically upgrade beyond the compatible versions described on the Exam4 support page.
More on Exam4 at MU School of Law is available here: https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/law_Exam4
Install MU Engage on Your Phone
You will be required to use the MU Engage app to indicate that you attended some events.
To get started with MU Engage, log into this page: https://engage.missouri.edu/home_login
Complete the Above Tasks Before Orientation
You will need to have the above tasks complete before orientation. Tasks after this cannot be completed until you are on campus.
Connect to Campus Wifi
This may have to wait until you are on campus. The campus wifi network is TigerWifi. Instructions are located here: https://doit.missouri.edu/services/internet-network/wireless-access/
Please do not use "TigerWifi-Guest" because it blocks many types of services that you will need to use including printing to student printers.
Make a Backup Plan for Your Laptop
Even though a hard drive failure is a low probability event, it could be devastating to your career if it happens. The easiest solution is to use a cloud backup app like OneDrive so your data will be automatically copied to the cloud. If you prefer to use physical backup media, an external hard drive or USB flash drive will work as long as you integrate backups into your weekly routine. Keep in mind that a physical backup will not help you if both the laptop and backup media are in the same place when that place is somehow destroyed.
Install PrintSmart on Your Laptop
You can print to designated student printers, including two printers located in the basement of the Law Library, using PrintSmart.
To get started, go to the PrintSmart home page and click on the "Print Anywhere" tab.
https://printsmart.missouri.edu/
We have found that the McAfee suite of products can prevent PrintSmart from installing and we recommend that you disable or remove it before attempting to install PrintSmart.
Complete the Above Tasks During the Week of Orientation
You will want to complete all of the above tasks before classes start.
Plan for Your Exit
Most student choose to get involved with one or more student organizations. Eventually, though, you will be done at MU Law. Please start planning for that day now by making sure that important files and information are available to your (appropriate) colleagues in your organization(s), and do not use your MU email as a data repository. Taking this approach will also allow for stress-free absences due to illness or personal emergency. Generally, we recommend that student organizations create a Teams group and save their files there, but strategies for operations vary by organization. Your MU email will stop working 6 months after you graduate. If there is any chance that you will be corresponding with potential employers after that, you should avoid using your MU email for that purpose.