As a student, you can make use of Office 365 ProPlus and OneDrive cloud storage free of charge. These services allow you to work on multiple computers and mobile devices, using programmes such as Word, Powerpoint, Excel and OneNote, and to safely store and share up to 1024 GB of files in the cloud. Read more and install Office 365 and OneDrive

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
To log into Office 365 you need to use Multi-factor authentication (MFA). This means that as well as entering your username and password, you also need to confirm your identity via the Microsoft Authenticator app. Read more and install MFA.

Leiden University’s student website gives you quick and easy access to all the information you need about your study programme.

Select your study programme

When you first visit the website, you will be asked to select your study programme to continue. 

• By selecting your study programme, you can access information that is specific to your particular programme and faculty.
• By visiting the site as a guest, you can only access general, university-wide information.  

The website will remember your selection. This means you won’t have to make a selection next time you log in from the same device.

On the homepage

Searching for information

Can’t find the information you are looking for on the homepage? Take a look in the full menu by clicking on the menu icon at the top-left of your screen. Or use the search bar at the top of the page.

Tabs: from general to specific

If you have selected your study programme, you will sometime see more than one tab on a page:

• The tab on the left contains general information.
• The tab in the middle contains information from your faculty.
• The tab on the right contains information from your study programme.

Questions or comments?

We would like to hear what you think of the student website. Can you find information easily? Is there room for improvement? Let us know. Send your questions or comment to: communicatie@sea.leidenuniv.nl.

If you use your own laptop to log into the Wi-Fi network, make sure to keep your anti-virus software up to date and download the latest (security) updates for your operating system. You can download fee anti-virus software, for example MS Security Essentials and Avira Anti Virus. Or why not purchase affordable anti-virus software via SURFspot?

Students of all Dutch universities can purchase affordable software, such as Adobe, anti-virus software, MindManager and SPSS, via SURFspot. You can also purchase hardware, subscriptions for magazines and newspapers, and internet services. To do so, log into Surfspot, select Leiden University, then enter your student account log-in details.

What are web lectures?

A web lecture is a recording of a lecture, which is later published online for viewing. If a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation has been used, this can also be viewed. You can adjust the playback speed and use a search function which is linked by keywords to the presentation.  

Supplement, not replacement

You should consider web lectures as a supplement to your lecture, not a replacement. If you do not attend the lecture, you will miss out on the interaction with your lecturer and fellow students and won’t have the opportunity to ask questions.

On top of that, there is no guarantee that the web lecture will be made available online, for the following reasons:

• Web lectures are only offered if the lecturer agrees and if the technology allows. If a lecture is to be recorded, you will be informed just before the lecture.
• Technical issues can arise, meaning a planned web lecture cannot be published online.
• You cannot assume that a web lecture will be published immediately after the lecture. The publication moment depends on the lecturer’s methodology and can vary from a couple of days or weeks, till just prior to your exam.
• Web lectures are a complimentary service and not an entitlement.

Studying effectively with web lectures

To benefit from web lectures it is therefore essential that you use them as a supplement to your participation in lectures. How can you make effective use of web lectures?

• Make sure that you attend the lecture and play an active role; ask questions and discuss the material with your fellow students. This is important, as dealing with information in a variety of ways can help you to retain it better.
• To retain information well, it is also essential that you study the materials on time, frequently, and spread out over the time available to you. Try to utilise web lectures in this way. For example, you can view a web lecture from a previous session just prior to attending your next lecture or, if the online publication date allows, just before your exam.
• Actively study during the web lecture: for example, take notes, make a summary, or complete the practise assignments. This is far more effective than simply watching the web lecture.

Where can I find web lectures?

Web lectures are generally placed on the course page on Brightspace. If you can’t find them, ask your lecturer for assistance.