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The University of Winnipeg

Getting Started

Now that you are registered in online courses, you may be wondering where to start.

BEFORE your courses begin:

1. Become familiar with using the various platforms, including Nexus and Zoom: 

  • This is the website for Nexus: https://nexus.uwinnipeg.ca
  • On your scheduled course start date, use your WebAdvisor username and password to login to Nexus. 
  • Go to this link for the basics on getting started:  Nexus instructions [PDF]

  • And here are the basics about Zoom: Students FAQs about Zoom [PDF]
  • How do I find the Zoom links for my courses?   On the first day of each class, go to Nexus and login using your WebAdvisor username and password.  For each of your courses, there will be a site and you will most likely find the Zoom link there.  If there is not a Nexus site for your course, then the instructor will send a message with a Zoom link to your webmail account.  To access your webmail, use the following format to login: username@webmail.uwinnipeg.ca and your WebAdvisor password. 

  • For more guidance on technology, please see our “Using the Technology” section.    

2.  Take some time to set up a dedicated study space at your home.  You can find tips here:  
Setting up your Remote Work Station 

3.  Find out what books/course materials you need for each course and how to order them.  Check out the UWinnipeg Bookstore and search for your courses:
UWinnipeg Bookstore

4.  You will also want to learn more about online learning, especially how to handle the challenges of time management and communication.  You’ll find lots of helpful tips and resources in this section:
Learning Online

ON THE FIRST DAY of each class:

On the first day of each class, you can access each Nexus course site and become familiar with it.   Some instructors may include a welcome message or announcement on their main course page to guide students on:

  • their first steps
  • the Zoom link or instructions for other platforms
  • how to navigate their course
  • which sections to pay closest attention to, and/or
  • which areas of Nexus they will be using for that specific course

Typically, within a course, there will be a section that refers to an introduction or course outline/syllabus, which provides you with the important elements of the course such as:

  • outline of topics
  • due dates
  • expectations
  • how to communicate with the instructor/classmates, keeping in mind that not all instructors will necessarily use Nexus e-mail (which is an internal system that operates differently from regular email) to communicate with students

Take some time to get comfortable with the layout of the course site, establish a full picture for yourself, which will help you prepare for the course.  Enter all the important dates for the course – e.g. assignment due dates, essay due date, exam date  -  into your own calendar.  Note the contact information for your instructor.

You can customize your notification settings in Nexus to make sure that you don’t miss any important course or Nexus-related news or announcements. For instructions, see Nexus notifications. 

Get ready, get dressed and log in!   Your classroom is in your home now - either for a synchronous course (with everyone logging in to Zoom or other platform at the same time) or asynchronous course  (logging in on your own time).  For a checklist on creating a studious and comfortable environment at home, see this document from the University of Northern British Columbia: University from Home

Throughout the Academic Year:

If you need help at any point along the way, please don’t hesitate to speak with your instructor or use some of the services and resources available to you at UWinnipeg.  Please see the section: Reaching out for Support