Gmail

Southeastern Gmail

Your Southeastern Google account is packed with some great features and tools to help you customize the look and functionality of your account as well as make computing easy and more efficient.  The list below, created by some Southeastern Gmail users, contains 10 of the most popular features (in no particular order) that every student, faculty or staff member should know about when using their Southeastern Google account.

• Gmail:  There are settings in your Gmail that can help you receive and send email as needed and keep your email organized.  We suggest that you check out the “General” settings that allow you to select a language; add a picture to your account; set up an automatic signature; and enable a vacation responder for times when you may be unavailable to make email correspondence, just to name a few.  The “Labels” option allows you to create folders to help you sort and store your most important email.  You can even “tag” a message with one or multiple labels in the event an email is applicable to more that one folder.  To take it one step further, you can set up “Filters” to help
  automatically sort your email into the specific folders you have created instead of having all incoming messages go into your inbox.  These plus many more options are available in your email settings.
• Calendar:  Using the calendar inside your Google account is a great way to organize special events, schedule assignments, and remember appointments for yourself as well as others. In the “General” calendar settings you can select from multiple calendar views (monthly, weekly, etc.) and design the look of your calendar.  Google also allows you to create multiple calendars and even share them with other Google account users.  In addition, you can create an event and invite others to attend as well as set up email or pop up reminders to help you manage yourself more efficiently.  A great all-in-one tool for those who love order or for those who may need it.
• Drive (document creating and storage):  Think about the following scenarios that most have probably experienced…Scenario #1: You need to create a document, but the computer you are currently using doesn’t have the software you need.  Scenario #2:  You created a document and need to save it, but you don’t have your flash drive.  Scenario #3:  You are once again given a group assignment and everyone in your group has to complete a certain section of a document.  Well, your Google Drive can accommodate all of these needs, plus more. In Drive, you can create documents (in Google docs format) and then save it in your Drive.  You can also upload documents (in the original file format or convert it to Google docs format).  You and your group members can even work on the same document at once, see each others live work, and even chat about your progress all at the same
  time, eliminating the need to email updated versions to each other and avoiding time delays.  Now let’s not forget that even though this is a one-stop-shop for document management, we ALWAYS suggest that you save important documents in multiple locations especially in the event you cannot or will not have access to the Internet to get to your Google Drive.
• Themes: It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but choosing a personalized theme allows you to express yourself as well as easily comprehend the information on the screen. There are many themes to choose from, but if changing the theme is not your style, the default theme works just fine.
• Google meet: Google provides an instant messaging tool that can be used to easily chat with the people you correspond with via email.  If you want to send a text from your gmail, there is a lab that you can use to do this.  You will need to enable SMS (text messaging) found in Labs.
• Labs: Labs are Google’s testing ground for experimental features that aren’t quite ready for full release.  There are many to choose from, but be aware that they may change, break, or disappear at any time.  Don’t let this fact scare you from using them because this is the playing grounds between Google and their users.  This is a great place to let Google know what you like and don’t like about new features or up and coming changes.
• Attachment Size and Storage:  Your Southeastern Google account has unlimited storage space for your email and documents.  This is more than enough space for an average user. You can always check to see how much of your storage space you have used in your Gmail by logging into your account and scrolling down to the bottom of your Gmail page.  Here you will find a total amount of space used indicator.
• Apps:  In today’s world, having mobility and access to important communications and computing is very important.  Most devices come with apps that can be used to interact with your Gmail account, however Google offers free downloadable apps for most devices that are designed to work best with your Gmail account.  There is the Gmail app; the Drive app; the Calendar app; etc.  Just search for these apps in your Play Store (Android) or App Store (iphone).
• Contacts:  Gmail automatically remembers email addresses as you send or receive them.  Eliminating the need to “store” a contacts email address, however, you may want to use the contacts
  feature in your Gmail in the event that you want to include additional information for an individual such as their telephone numbers, address, birthday, etc.  You may also want to set up groups in your contacts so that repetitively sending messages to the same group of people is faster.
• Sites: Google Sites is a free and easy way to create your own website.

Students needing assistance with technical issues can receive help from the Southeastern Student Help Desk.