New Students Guide
Technology Services New Student Guide
Congratulations on your acceptance to Flagler College! This guide will walk you through the steps you need to take to log in to your accounts and to use technology at Flagler College. Use the tabs on this page to complete the guide in order. You must have paid your enrollment deposit to be sent your email and MyFlagler login credentials before you can complete Steps 1 through 4.
Click here to open a printable checklist.
Click this icon to read more information on each step.
Click this icon wherever you see it to view a screenshot of the specified step.
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Step 5
- Step 6
- Step 7
- Step 8
- Step 9
- What to Do Next
Change your email password and set up your security questions using SelfService.
After you have paid your enrollment deposit, you will receive a pressure-sealed mailer 
(via US Postal Service Mail) from the Technology Services department which includes your network, email, and MyFlagler username in the format of [first initial][last name][random 3 digits] (i.e. jsmith528) along with a temporary password to access your account.
Use the information on the mailer you received to log into SelfService and register your security questions. Once your security questions are set, change your email password to a secure password of your choice.
Flagler College's Secure Password Requirements
Your password must be between 8 and 16 characters long.
Your password must contain all of the following:
- at least one UPPERCASE letter
- at least one number
- at least one special character, such as: !, $, #, %, etc.
Your password cannot contain any of the following:
- Your username
- Your first, middle, or last name
- qwerty, asdf, abc, abcd, 123, 1234, flagler
Your password cannot be the same as your last 10 passwords.
Staff and Faculty must change their passwords every 6 months.
How do I choose a secure password and manage my secure passwords?
Log into your Flagler College email account.
After you have changed your email password, log into your Flagler College email inbox. From now on, you must check your Flagler College email regularly. All important emails will be sent to you via your Flagler College email account. If you have a smartphone, you may find it helpful to set up your email account on your phone by following the instructions in Step 10 of this guide.
Click here to access the email login page.
Click here to access more information about your email account.
Log into MyFlagler.
By logging into MyFlagler (https://my.flagler.edu), you can access your bill payment account, school records, class assignments, and more.
After you have paid your deposit, you will receive a pressure-sealed mailer (via US Postal Service Mail) from the Technology Services department which includes your network, email, and MyFlagler username in the format of [first initial][last name][random 3 digits] (i.e. jsmith528) along with a temporary password to access your account.
To log in to MyFlagler, enter your network username and password. Remember to enter your new password if you have already changed it using SelfService.
Click "Login" to access your account.
If necessary, purchase a computer.
Choose your major from the list below to see your department's computer recommendations:
Art & Design
Graphic Design
Macintosh computers are used in the classroom.
Most work is done using the Adobe Creative Suite Design products, available for Macintosh or Windows. When purchasing a computer (Windows or Macintosh), take a look at the technical requirements for the Design suites to ensure that your computer will run the applications efficiently.
It is highly recommended, though not required, that students in the Graphic Design program have access to their own computer for outside work.
Fine Arts
In general, computers are not used, with exceptions such as the Computer Illustration elective.
Students in the Fine Arts program are not required to have access to their own computer.
Business Administration
A Windows computer is recommended, but not required.
Communication
Public Relations
Windows computers are used in the classroom.
Journalism, Media Production, or Cinema & Media Studies
Macintosh computers are used in the classroom.
A computer is not required, but is helpful for the Media Production track and Journalism students who wish to pursue television news.
The Apple MacBook Pro laptop is recommended but not required. Apple The MacBook is a less expensive and only slightly less powerful alternative.
Education
Windows computers are used in the classroom.
A computer is required for Juniors and Seniors and highly recommended for Freshmen and Sophomores.
English
Classes are rarely taught in labs, so access to a computer with word processing software is recommended.
Liberal Studies
Consult your department chair.
Math, Science, & Technology
Windows computers are used in the classroom and labs.
A computer is not required but much homework requires the Internet, which is available on lab computers.
Public Administration
Computers are only needed for research and are available in the computer labs.
Social & Behavioral Sciences
No computer is required, though access to a computer is helpful.
Sport Management
Consult your department chair.
Theatre Arts
Consult your department chair.
We have many open-access computer labs with both Windows and Macintosh machines, software, printers, scanners, and in some labs, drawing tablets. Technically, this means that even if a computer is recommended or required, you may not need to buy one at all; check with your department chair to be sure. Labs are open during Library hours.
We offer Educational Discounts from Dell and Apple on computers, but also check with your preferred manufacturer to see what student rates apply to you.If desired, purchase Microsoft Office using our educational discounts website.
All students will need Microsoft Office for writing papers, creating presentations, or other assignments. Students are NOT required to own Microsoft Office, but it is the one piece of software that is highly recommended for all students.
All of our labs (Windows and Macintosh machines) have Microsoft Office installed.
If you would like to be able to use the Microsoft Office products on your own computer (Windows or Macintosh), you will need to buy the software. Students, faculty, and staff can purchase software from Microsoft, Adobe, and other companies at a discounted education price from our Educational Discounts Website.
Determine any other software needs.
Choose your major from the list below to see your department's software recommendations, not including Microsoft Office, which is recommended for all majors:
Art & Design
Graphic Design
Adobe Design Suite Premium is recommended and used heavily for all projects.
All necessary software is available in the computer labs. However, it will be highly beneficial to you to also purchase a copy of Adobe Design Suite Standard or Premium to be able to work from your own computer outside of class. You can purchase the software from our Educational Discounts Website, and/or download 30-day trials from http://www.adobe.com.
Fine Arts
No special software is required.
Business Administration
No special software is required.
Communication
Public Relations
The Public Relations track uses Adobe InDesign and Photoshop (both of which are included in Adobe Design Suite Standard). You can purchase Adobe software from our Educational Discounts Website, and/or download 30-day trials from http://www.adobe.com.
No software is required; all software used is available in the classroom labs, but students may find it advantageous to own their own copy as well.
Journalism
The Journalism track uses InDesign and Apple Final Cut Pro. You can purchase Adobe software from our Educational Discounts Website, and/or download 30-day trials from http://www.adobe.com.
No software is required; all software used is available in the classroom labs, but students may find it advantageous to own their own copy as well.
Cinema & Media Studies
The Cinema & Media Studies track uses Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. You can purchase Adobe software from our Educational Discounts Website, and/or download 30-day trials from http://www.adobe.com.
No software is required; all software used is available in the classroom labs, but students may find it advantageous to own their own copy as well.
Education
No special software is required.
English
No special software is required.
Liberal Studies
Consult your department chair.
Math, Science, & Technology
No special software is required.
Public Administration
No special software is required.
Social & Behavioral Sciences
No special software is required.
Sport Management
Consult your department chair.
Theatre Arts
Consult your department chair.
If necessary, purchase an Ethernet cable, external hard drive, USB storage drive, or other accessories.
Where should I purchase accessories?
Please visit the Flagler College Bookstore, located in the Ringhaver Student Center, or contact the Bookstore staff at bookstore@flagler.edu or (904) 825-4681 to purchase your accessories.
If the Bookstore does not carry what you need, click here to see a list of alternatives.
We do not officially endorse or guarantee products from any businesses which sell technology accessories, but we recommend searching for coupons and student discounts at:
- Stores like Wal-Mart or Target (both located on US1 South, a 10-20 minute drive from campus) and their websites.
- RadioShack (there is a RadioShack store called Burton Electronics located on US1 North, a 5-10 minute drive from campus)
- Websites like Newegg, which also has a newsletter full of deals and a Twitter feed of deals.
- Amazon.com, using the student Prime account offer described on our Educational Discounts page.
What accessories do I need?
Depending on your living situation and major, you may need extra computer accessories. Please refer to the chart below for guidance, and use the links that follow to help you find good prices for quality products. When buying electronics, always be sure to check the return policy and read customer reviews on sites like Amazon and CNET to make sure you know exactly what you are getting and whether there are any issues with the product which may affect you.
Ethernet cable  | Use: For connecting to the Internet; Each dorm room has one Ethernet port. Required by: Required for Internet connection if you will be living in a dormitory and your computer cannot connect to the Internet wirelessly; highly recommended for all users Notes: Wireless connection is available in all dorm rooms, but an Ethernet cable is cheap and good to have as backup or if you would like to stream media-rich content such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Spotify, etc. The Ethernet connection will be reliable for streaming media-rich content, even when many users are connected to the Internet during peak times. |
Ethernet switch  | Use: For connecting more than one computer to the Internet in a dorm room since each dorm room has only one Ethernet port. Required by: Talk to your roommates; if more than one person will need to connect to the Internet via Ethernet cables, you will need one switch per room. A switch simply provides additional Ethernet ports. Notes: You and your roommates may be able to all use the wireless connection, so a hub may not be necessary. However, if you and your roommates often stream media-rich content such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Spotify, etc., you should plug your computers into the Ethernet port through the switch. The Ethernet connection will be reliable for streaming media-rich content, even when many users are connected to the Internet during peak times. If you purchase a switch and it has wireless capabilities, you must disable the wireless antenna or it will interfere with our campus WiFi and prevent you from connecting. |
External hard drive  | Use: An external hard drive is used to store large quantities of data, is easily portable, and usually connects to a computer via a USB cable. External hard drives are invaluable when it comes to backing up your schoolwork. Required by: VERY HIGHLY recommended for all majors Notes: Many external hard drives come with pre-loaded, free backup software. We highly recommend that every student buys an external hard drive and schedules backups often in case of hard drive failure or crashes. |
USB flash storage drive  | Use: USB flash drives are very useful for transporting small to medium-sized files. They can usually hang from a key chain. Required by: VERY HIGHLY recommended for all majors Notes: USB drives are not recommended for permanent backup because they do not hold much data and can get lost easily. However, they are good for extra backups of small files like Word documents. |
Blank DVDs  | Use: Blank DVDs hold up to 4.7 GB of data and are burnable in all labs (Macintosh and Windows). DVDs are good for chronological backup or creating video DVDs playable in DVD players. Required by: Highly recommended for Communication majors Notes: Look for "DVD-R" or "DVD+R" discs. "DVD-R" discs are writable by the majority of DVD drives that can write to DVD. "DVD RW" discs are REwritable, meaning they can be erased and reused, but not all drives accept "DVD RW" discs and they are more expensive. |
Blank CDs  | Use: Blank CDs hold up to 700 MB of data and are burnable in all labs (Macintosh and Windows). CDs are good for backup of small files or creating music CDs up to 80 minutes long. Required by: Recommended for Communication majors Notes: Look for "CD-R" discs. "CD-R" discs are writable by the majority of CD drives that can write to CD. "CD-RW" discs are REwritable, meaning they can be erased and reused, but not all drives accept "CD-RW" discs and they are more expensive. |
Drawing tablet  | Use: Drawing tablets are especially useful for students interested in computer illustration, and are also useful for photo editing and graphic design. Required by: Not required Notes: Some drawing tablets are available in Graphic Design labs. |
Headphones  | Use: Headphones are useful for doing sound and video work in labs full of other students. Required by: Highly recommended for Communication majors |
Texas Instruments TI-84 graphing calculator  | Required by: Required for Math courses |
Download and install free virus protection for your personal computer.
Virus and malware protection is HIGHLY recommend, whether you have a Mac or Windows computer.
Set up your mobile device.
Add your email account.- Before you arrive, set up your Flagler College email account on your mobile device.
Connect to FC Mobile Net.- When you arrive at the Flagler College campus, set up your mobile device (smartphones, tablets, etc.) to access the FC Mobile Net WiFi network for on-campus WiFi without the need to log in for access. For laptops, use the "Flagler College" WiFi network.
What to Do Next
If you have completed all of the steps in this guide, please browse the information we have posted online about other technology topics.
The topics most pertinent to you are listed in the Students section, including information on dormitory Internet connectivity, gaming on campus, wireless printers, print credits, and more. Be sure to review the information in the Students section (especially if you will be living on-campus) before you arrive on campus and before you make any technology purchases or plans.
You will also find useful information in our lists of Special Services and Tutorials.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or corrections.
Follow Us for Updates and Alerts!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter, where we post important information about network maintenance, security notices, and more. Following us is the best way to stay updated about issues like WiFi connectivity status, email server status, etc. in the event that these services are not available.
Follow @flaglertech
Your Feedback is Welcome!
If you have finished all of the steps, please send us a note to let us know how this New Student Guide helped or did not help you, and if you think anything should be added or changed. We welcome your suggestions so that we can provide the best service to our students and employees!
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