Getting started

Welcome to Information Services 

A warm welcome to all new students from Information Services.

The information on this page will direct you to key areas on our website so that you can get yourself set up and organised ready to start your studies. You will also receive an introduction to Library and IT resources and services during Welcome Week. Find out when yours is scheduled from your enrolment and induction timetable.

If you can't find the answer you are looking for, please Contact us.

IT Essentials

As a student at Heriot-Watt University you will have access to a range of services, such as free and discounted software, cloud file storage, printing, and Microsoft Office365. Check our IT Essentials guide for more information.  

Username and password

Once you have completed the enrolment process you will be issued with a confirmation letter which provides your HWU username and password. Allow up to 24 hours after enrolling for your account to be activated. Change your password to something you will remember that meets our password policy.

Note: your email is in the format abc123@hw.ac.uk and your username is abc123. 

You will need to set up Multi-Factor Authentication to access most services. 

Getting connected

You need you Heriot-Watt username/email and password to access a wide range of IT systems, software and library resources.  Use our Getting Connected Digital Tour to get set up for services such as:

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • myHWU Portal
  • Microsoft Office365
  • WiFi / eduroam

Library Essentials

Each School has a dedicated Academic Support Librarian. Their Subject Guides have detailed guidance on finding information and resources for your subject. 

Library resources

You have access to a wealth of information whilst at University. As well as our print materials our subscriptions provide access to over 480,000 eBooks, 170,000 e-Journals and around 230 databases.

You can access our materials and find user guides from Find Resources.

Campus libraries and study spaces

There are lots of great spaces to study on our campuses. 

See Campus libraries and study spaces for more information about what is available on your campus.

Borrowing from the library

Your student ID card is also your library card and you can borrow from the library the day after you have enrolled. The barcode number is your library number. Use this to login to your library account, renew items and request (reserve) items out on loan.

For more information on what you can borrow and how, see the Borrowing from HWU Libraries page.

Support for your studies

We provide you with support to help you with the transition to University and develop the skills you will need to succeed at university and beyond.

Check our Skills Development guide for a full list of what we offer.

Skills Hub

The Skills Hub is a series of online guides and live classes on IT, information and study skills. Topics include

  • Academic writing, incuding paraphrasing and using sources.
  • Citing and referencing and avoiding plagiarism.
  • Exam preparation.
  • Office365, including Excel and Word.
  • Reading and note-making.
  • Time management and study strategies.

Last year 98% of students would recommend the Skills Hub class they attended to others.

One-to-one support

You can also arrange to talk with an Effective Learning Advisor for help and support with academic and study skills, such as:

  • Academic reading, writing and note-making. 
  • Presentation skills.
  • Time management and overcoming procrastination. 

You can also arrange an appointment with a your librarian to discuss

  • Citing and referencing.
  • Finding information for assignments and research.
  • Using EndNote.