How to Start Your Course After Registering
Follow These Steps
- Know your rights and responsibilities.
- Know your course. Thoroughly read your Faculty Syllabus which you can access by following the directions on the course offerings page.
- Buy any required books or course materials.
- Become familiar with the online system your course uses. Canvas is our Learning Management System, but your online course may include publisher-based materials such as MyLabs, WileyPlus, Cengage and Connect.
- Find additional login information, testing requirements, and how to get started in Canvas in Canvas Basics.
The syllabus mentioned above will tell you which online system your course is using. If you are new to a system, then make sure you are able to login to it and become familiar with it prior to your course start. By the time the course starts you want to be able to work on your coursework, not the technology that runs it.
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Canvas
- Visit the Canvas Basics student orientation course at any time to familiarize yourself with the system. As noted above, doing so prior to the course start date is highly recommended. No login is required to access this course.
- Beginning two weeks prior to a semester/session, students are uploaded to Canvas within 24 hours of course registration (please allow 48 hours if registering during the weekend).
- At that time, you will receive an invitation to Canvas in your student email account. Click on the link in the email and proceed to login. Check the Canvas Login Information and Help page for detailed username/password information, as it may differ from other campus system logins.
- Set up your profile and notification preferences (visit the Canvas Basics tutorial for information about these features.)
- On the first day of the semester/session at 1:00 a.m., your online course will become available and you will see it in your list of Canvas Courses.
Publisher Based Materials
Many instructors use book publisher content to enhance their courses. Your instructor will tell you which publisher's content is being used, if any. Once you have that information, then you proceed with the resources, registration and support accordingly. Some examples of publisher based materials includes MyMathLab, McGraw Hill Connect, Cengage, WileyPlus and others.
Respondus LockDown Browser (LDB)
Some classes may require Respondus LockDown Browser which does not allow other windows to be opened during a quiz. For more information on how to use Respondus LockDown Browser (LDB), check the Faculty Syllabus and review How to Install LockDown Browser to Takea Quiz in Canvas.