Digital Tools: Outlook, OneNote, Padlet & Mentimeter

Microsoft Outlook is available to all students as part of the University's Microsoft 365 package. 

The aim of this resource is to:

• demonstrate how to access and log in to Outlook 
• demonstrate how to sync your university timetable (MyTimetable) with your Outlook calendar
• present strategies to organise your email inbox and flag emails for action later
• present strategies to help you plan and manage your time effectively using the Outlook calendar
• highlight the benefits of using Outlook calendar to manage your time

• Log in to Office 365 with your university email and password. Click on the Outlook icon on the left-hand side to open your Outlook university email.
• If you have a personal Microsoft 365 account, your computer may automatically log you in using this account. Check you are logged in with your university email by clicking on your profile picture on the Office 365 homepage. You should use your university Office 365 account for university-related work, and not a personal account.
• You can download and install Outlook as an app on your laptop or computer by clicking ‘Install Office’ on the Microsoft 365 home page, and 'download the Microsoft 365 apps.
• The Outlook app is also available to download on mobile devices, like a smart phones or tablets. This allows you to check your university email and view your Outlook calendar from anywhere with internet access. 

• Keep your inbox tidy and organise your emails by using folders and subfolders. You could choose to create folders for applications, emails you receive for a particular module, or for a society you are part of.
• Move emails into named folders and add any folders you use frequently to your Favourites so you can access them quickly. 
• Flag emails for action later, for example, if you don't have time to reply right now or the email contains an attachment that you need to look at. Flagging an email will highlight it and Outlook will remind you that you haven't completed it yet.
• Check out the Digital Hub guide How to organise your Outlook mailbox for more de-cluttering tips.

• Syncing your university timetable (MyTimetable) to your Outlook calendar will mean all of your lectures, seminars and timetabled sessions will be automatically added to your calendar. 
• To sync your timetable with your Outlook calendar, follow these steps:

1. View your timetable using this link: mytimetable.exeter.ac.uk/schedule.
2. Click on the three dots next to your name in the top right.
3. Select 'connect calendar'.
4. Select 'Microsoft Outlook'.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.
6. Double check you can see all of your MyTimetable commitments in your Outlook calendar.

• Once your timetable is synced, you can add extra study items to your calendar. Use your timetabled classes as a base and add in other plans, events and deadlines around them.

• Use your Outlook calendar to plan general study and leisure time, or to build a revision timetable. 
• Colour code the different entries to distinguish between study, work, sports, personal commitments, etc. or between different types of study, for example, so you know whether you should be in a live session online, attending on campus or completing guided learning on ELE. 
• Change the calendar view to daily, weekly or monthly, so you can plan ahead and put in assignment deadlines, exams dates and important events.
• Choose to receive reminders for appointments, like Personal Tutor meetings, so you don't forget to attend.
• It's important to be realistic when you're creating a routine, so set tasks when you're more likely to be productive. Remember, you don't have to fill up all your time. A full timetable can be overwhelming and keeping some time free can be a cushion for when things get too busy.

For more tips of managing your time, see your Time Management LibGuide. 

• Flexible – You can change your schedule quickly and easily, add and remove plans easier than a paper calendar.
• Portable – You can access, check and update your calendar anywhere you have an internet connection; on your laptop, on your phone, on campus, at home, on the train.
• Get reminders - Set Outlook to automatically remind you when plans are coming up, so you never miss a scheduled personal tutor meeting again!