Iain Murray’s Student Support notes

This page is an unofficial collection of links and tools related to supporting students, particulary in Informatics. See also the School’s official taught students pages, ITO pages, College pages, and University pages.

Links to University pages break and go out of date astonishingly quickly. This page was last updated on 2024-09-16.

Course information

• Outside Courses: common choices for 1st and 2nd year Informatics students.
• Informatics Degree Programme Tables (DPTs), also on Path, course selection rules.
• Information for Informatics Students; online handbook with all the meta guidance and regulations that students need to know. Including course registration.
• Informatics courses: DRPS, Sortable list,
• University-level timetabling: Path, timetable browser, from course codes/acronyms, Registry's Timetabling pages, Timetabler (help).
• Informatics Peer Support, and in Maths: MathsBase, and MathPALs.
• Informatics deadlines, for individual students (link needs VPN). Form course organizers fill out (also needs VPN).
• Teaching organizations:
  • Informatics: Student support and ITO contacts
  • Engineering: Student support, ETO contacts.
  • Maths: Teaching pages, MTO.
  • Physics: Student Information.
• Semester Dates and David Sterratt’s ical version.
• Exam information, including dates. The library archives past exam papers.
• Regulations, policies, and procedures:
  • Standard teaching times (9–9:50am, 10–10:50am, 11:10am–12pm, 12:10–1pm, 1:10–2pm, 2:10–3pm, 3:10–4pm, 4:10–5pm, 5:10–6pm)
  • Progression procedures and guidance
  • School policies (sharepoint), Older School policies (being migrated). Even older School teaching policies page (unmaintained). See also teaching committee.
  • College teaching pages
  • University-level academic policies
  • Informatics Late coursework policy
  • Taught assessment regulations (and changes)
  • DRPS

Tools for staff

• Path course selections bookmarklet helper.
• Timetable from course codes, takes arbitrary text, e.g., from the above bookmarklet.
• Boxes: cross-checking of lists, (e.g., UUNs/course codes). Introduction and examples.
• DRPS arrows: easily switch sessions in the DRPS, and adds links to course codes.
• UoE's edin.ac URL shortener and QR code generator (bit.ly backend).

Other useful resources for students

General help

• The University’s guidance for students including new students and student services.
• EdHelp, "one-stop" service for library+IT services, and student finance+administration.
• The Advice Place, the student union's centre for advice on a range of issues.

Particular services

• Proof of student status and transcripts.
• Register with a GP/Doctor, Dentist and Optician. Other Health and Wellbeing advice.
• Laptop advice and Laptop loans. (Laptops fail and get stolen: keep backups!)
• The Careers Service including Internships and part time work (page for staff).
• Institute for Academic Development and their support for undergraduates. A range of advice and courses on study skills and making the most of your time.
• Help with English for international students.
• Student Immigration Service (contact details) for visa advice, immigration problems.
• Disability and Learning Support Service
• The Accommodation Office

Someone to listen and provide support

• The Student Counselling Service:   self help,   crisis numbers
• The University Chaplaincy
• Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre:   contact details
• Report+Support gender-based violence, harrassment or discrimination at UoE.