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TAYLOR JOHNSTON
05.25.17
Starting college can be an intimidating experience for some, but by breaking it down into small steps, it can become much easier. Here are a few pointers on how to adjust to your new environment.
To connect your phone to university Wi-Fi, select Ohio University on your device. The username is your student ID, not your PID, and the password is the same one you use to log into your Catmail account.
To connect a game console to the internet, you can plug an ethernet cable from the console to the room’s ethernet jack and follow the instructions for your device. You can use Wi-Fi for some consoles, but the connection will be slower. Some consoles, including some Nintendo devices, will not be able to connect to university Wi-Fi because there is no option to provide login credentials.
There is also guest Wi-Fi on campus, which is free and does not require a login but has a slower connection.
Blackboard can be confusing, but you only really need to pay attention to the left sidebar on the course page and the gradebook.
If a professor says a reading assignment has been posted on Blackboard, it’s likely under a section on the left sidebar. To find it, select the course from your homepage, then navigate to the left sidebar.
Kevin Pan | FILE
The District on West Green is one of many dining options on campus
To find your grades on Blackboard, click the arrow on the top right corner near your name. It will activate a drop-down box. From there, click the checkmark symbol to find your grades for each course.
If you forget your password to your email, make sure you know your username, PID and birthday. The PID is the long number on your student ID. From the Catmail homepage, click “forgot password” and then follow the instructions on the “password reset” page.
If your account doesn’t have recovery options set up, you will need to contact the university’s Office of Information Technology for help.
You can’t change your password through the Outlook settings, so each time you need to change your password you will have to contact OIT.
Each green on campus has a laundry center, and some residence halls have a laundry room in the basement. Residents of West Green can do laundry at the laundry center in Treudley Hall, residents of East Green can do laundry in Gamertsfelder Hall and residents of South Green laundry can do laundry in Dougan Hall.
It costs 75 cents to run a washing machine for half an hour and $1.75 to run a dryer for one hour. Payments can be made with quarters or Bobcat Cash.
If you don't want to stay in the laundry room while your clothes are washing, you can set a timer on your phone or use the Wash Alert function.
OU's campus isn't the biggest by any standards, but it can still be confusing. Here is a full map of where all the buildings are. The easiest thing to do, once you have your schedule, is to take a picture of the map using your phone, and use an editing tool (Snapchat) to draw lines indicating how to go from your dorm to your class building.
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This story is part of a series of specially designed stories that represents some of the best journalism The Post has to offer. Check out the rest of the special projects here.