Phillip Bohl Students

Don’t Worry: Examplify – System Requirements NOT met

So you have a Microsoft Windows laptop with Examplify. Sounds good.

You opened up Examplify and went to take your Mock Exam like a very insightful and responsible law student but … when you went to download your Mock Exam …

THERE’s A WARNING!

Don’t worry.

You can do one of two things.

  1. If your computer uses Windows 10 and you have the time, Click “Return to Dashboard” and exit Examplify then check to see if you have a pending Windows Update and then be careful to only apply an update to Windows 10… DO NOT update to Windows 11 yet. That’s a whole other enchilada that you won’t want to deal with until possibly next semester.
  2. OR, you can click “continue” and go on to the next screen … but WAIT, there’s another WARNING!?

Yep. Go ahead and click “Accept and Continue.”

You will find that you can use Examplify without any problems.

Note that the mock exam password is: password!123

If you experience a slightly different issue CHECK OUT THIS PAGE for more solutions.

If you would like help with upgrading your Windows 10 to the latest update or with any other issue, please reach out to the Information Services team during office hours at (310) 506-7425 or send an email anytime to support@law.pepperdine.edu.

Phillip Bohl Faculty, Students, The Basics

Caruso Law School Computer/Technology Recommendations

If you are just starting out at Caruso Law, or heading back to school and looking to upgrade your system, please review the below information before purchasing your new laptop!

Nearly all Pepperdine Caruso Law Students use laptops for class, exams, and homework. While laptops are not required, they can be a very valuable tool in law school.  The following recommendations take into account services and applications that are often used in conjunction with Caruso Law classes and other curricular and extra curricular activities.

The Information Services team at Caruso Law provides assistance in configuring your laptop for the network. Please think very carefully before choosing a laptop brand or other hardware/software choice outside the recommended list, as you may be limiting your potential sources of support.

As a law student your laptop computer is a key tool.  Please keep this in mind as you think about how you will use it, the software you install on it, the websites you visit with it, the files/attachments you choose to download and where you store it when you are not using it.  You will want it to be functioning at optimum levels.  Theft, drops, malware, and other untoward variables will detract from your laptop’s ability to help you succeed in law school.

Below are the minimum Computer/Technology Recommendations:

  • Internet: Strongly recommend a rock solid internet connection with a minimum 20 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up.  This exceeds the minimum requirements for synchronous Zoom sessions (the absolute minimum is 600 kbps in both directions while recommended minimum is 1.5 mbps) but note that if you share your internet connection you will need more bandwidth to ensure a reliable, continuous connection.  Also please note that the age of your hardware (router, modem, cabling, computer) will play a significant role in reliability.
  • Manufacturer/Model: Dell Latitude Series/Apple MacBook Pro or MacBook Air
      • NOTE: We strongly discourage the use of Microsoft Surface computers.  Microsoft Surface systems may provide some challenges with ExamSoft software, this software is used by most students to take exams at Caruso Law and is used by the California Board of Bar Examiners for the state bar exam … along with most other state jurisdictions. 
  • Display: Minimum 11” screen – for improved readability, consider 13” or larger
  • Operating System: Windows 10 /Mac OS 11 or better
  • Processor: Intel i5 processor, Apple M1 processor, or greater (Make sure your system is compatible with ExamSoft)
  • RAM: 12GB – 16GB is recommended
  • Solid State Drive (SSD): 120GB or higher
  • Integrated WiFi or WiFi adapter: Newer is often if not always better
  • Media Drives: None necessary, but it’s always good to have a few flash drives handy. Keep in mind that these don’t last forever, don’t rely upon one flash drive to keep your work safe. AND have a backup solution.  LESS DOWN TIME
  • Battery Life: 4-6 hours, much longer is much better.  MORE UP TIME.
  • Spare Laptop Charger: If you plan to bring your laptop with you, keep one for home and one for travel.  If you lose one you have a spare.  NO DOWN TIME.
  • Warranty: 3 year parts/on-site labor. LESS DOWN TIME.
  • Security Lock/Cable: Don’t ever walk away from your laptop if it isn’t secured.  LESS DOWN TIME
  • Malware Protection Software: Make sure you have Anti-Malware installed.  Use the firewall that is build into your computer’s operating system.  MORE UP TIME.
  • Personal Printer: We strongly recommend HP Laser Printers with an extra toner cartridge.  NO DOWN TIME.
  • BACKUP System: There are two ways to do this, traditional backups where a copy of all your files (or just critical files) is made to another storage device either over the web or to an external drive of some kind OR storing your files in the “cloud” to start with where they are backed up by that service provider (think Apple iCloud or Google Drive).  We strongly and urgently recommend a reliable automated backup system AND synchronizing your law school materials on a cloud-based service like Google Drive or iCloud. LESS DOWNTIME

Please visit the Minimum System Requirements page for the ExamSoft/Examplify system requirements to ensure that your system is compliant.

The Dell Latitude series is designed for a professional enterprise user and is not what you will find in a consumer-focused retail store.  We have found these systems to be very reliable and strongly recommend them to both students and faculty for their personal computing needs.  This recommendation is not meant to dissuade you from other manufacturers or even other lines of Dell computers, however, we know this line to be a great fit for a law student who needs a solid, reliable system for three years of challenging work (plus the Bar exam).

We do not recommend tablet-based systems. Nor do we recommend netbooks or Chromebooks.  You are certainly welcome to buy them but we don’t believe they will meet your needs in law school.  In fact, these systems do not work with ExamSoft Examplify at all so that should be a compelling reason to avoid the Chromebook/tablet acquisition unless you already have a serviceable laptop that meets the ExamSoft minimum requirements. Essentially, you can bring any device you want to law school. However, if you want to take exams and keep pace with the challenges of law school, you should purchase a high-quality, business class laptop, not a cheap, or off-brand version found on sale at a big box retailer. Remember, you want a system that is reliable and will last you through completing the BAR EXAM. You don’t want a machine that may crash in the middle of an exam!

MacBook ProThe Pepperdine University Computer Store (an online referral site) offers generous discounts to Pepperdine University students on software (MS Office is no cost to Pepperdine students and employees) and hardware. These discounts are often more than the typical education discounts that you will find online. The Computer Store can be accessed 24/7 online.

For purchasing as an enrolled Pepperdine student, please visit the Pepperdine University IT Department’s discounts for students web page or call Pepperdine University Tech Central at (310) 506-4811.

Please note that using a computer on the University network requires that you agree to the University Computer and Network Usage policy.

Phillip Bohl Students

Graduation and Email

Hurray! You’ve graduated (or will soon graduate) from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law! The last thing on your mind is your Pepperdine Email account, but there are some things you need to know…

NOTE: You may have heard that Pepperdine had a service through the Alumni office that provided a Pepperdine Alumni branded email account for life from Google. This service has recently changed a bit in that it will not include the entire Google Suite.

  • The following information applies to all students graduating from any program at Pepperdine: Student email accounts, WaveNet, and other network-related resources are governed by university policy and managed by the university IT department. Student email accounts, WaveNet access, printing, Zoom, etc. will be deactivated 90 days after the date of the commencement ceremony. 
  • Recent graduates will receive automated notifications in their student email inboxes 90, 60 and 30 days before account deactivation.  
  • After graduation a process starts that begins with your status changing from student to alumnus.  This process involves a file transfer that takes place sometimes several days (up to four weeks) after graduation.  Sure, you have the diploma but the system doesn’t recognize you as an alumnus until that file is transferred from the student system to the alumni system. Typically this takes place about a month after the date of your graduation.  That’s when all the automated stuff starts up.
  • On the fifteenth day of the month immediately after your graduation date you will get an email to your student email account.  This is a reminder message to encourage you to move out of your student email account and other Google-based services hosted for you by Pepperdine.
  • Note again, that student email accounts and related services (Google Drive, Calendar, etc.) are disabled 90 days after the student’s commencement date (the day of the graduation ceremony).
  • Once an account is deactivated the data/emails in that account it is not recoverable.
email

You will want to use a personal email address going forward. We recommend that you use something professional, perhaps you already have such a personal email address. If you don’t, we recommend creating an email account on Google’s Gmail service.

If you plan to migrate your email from your Pepperdine Google email account to a personal gmail account you will want to ensure that you have a personal gmail account set up first. Then review these instructions all the way to the end before moving forward with the migration.

Part of this process should include your migration of the data from your Pepperdine Google Drive to your personal drive space. If you are migrating to another Google account, keep in mind that you may run into space limits on your targeted storage system.

Resources from Pepperdine’s IT department on this topic:

Account Changes When Transitioning from Student to Alumni Status
https://community.pepperdine.edu/it/alumni/
Transfer or Download Your Google Workspace Data(for new graduates)https://community.pepperdine.edu/it/alumni/email/datatransfer.htm

Alumni Email
https://community.pepperdine.edu/it/alumni/email/

After your student email address expires, no mail will be received at your student address. To make a smooth transition, we recommend:

  1. Set up your new personal (and professional) email address immediately when you get that email noted above.
  2. Forward your mail in Wavenet to a new email address — that new personal gmail address or another one you prefer. (Note that forwarding will only work up until your student email account is suspended.)
  3. Set up an out-of-office message in your Pepperdine Student Email (accessed through Wavenet) account informing all your contacts of your graduation and of your new email address. Log into Wavenet click on Options, and then update your Out of Office Assistant.
Phillip Bohl Students

Must have Mac OS11 or later for Examplify

Please make sure that your MacBook is running at least Mac OS11 (Big Sur) or later (which includes Monterey and Ventura) to ensure that Examplify will work for you.

See which version of the Mac OS you have on your MacBook

Click on the “Apple” icon in the upper left corner of your MacBook’s screen. Choose About This Mac. You should see the macOS name, such as macOS Ventura or macOS Monterey, followed by its version number.

For specific ExamSoft Examplify compatibility information please see ExamSoft’s Compatibility page.

Phillip Bohl Classroom Tech, Faculty, Pedagogy Tips, The Law School Classroom

Classroom Computers: Log out when you leave!

Class has just ended and the students are rushing to the front to congratulate you on a BRILLIANT class meeting.

But don’t let this distract you. FIRST, please take a moment and log out/sign out of everything.

Just restarting the computer doesn’t log you out of everything. Just closing the browser doesn’t either. The safest bet is to manually log out of each service you used during class time.

Most faculty will use Courses and Zoom. Some use them separately. A few others also use a Google service.

It’s very important that you intentionally log out of each of these systems to ensure that your data remains secure.

Log out of Google services — email, docs, drive, slides, etc.
Log out of Courses
Log out of Zoom
Phillip Bohl Students

Removing Metadata from Word Documents

Looking to remove metadata from your word documents? Have an assignment that requires that? There are a number of resources available to you through the Harnish Law Library’s Research Guides. If you are working on an appellate brief there’s a page for that.

See instructions here to remove your personal data from a Microsoft Word document.

This guide can be found at the Harnish Law Library‘s Research Guides. Select the section on “Legal Writing” and you’ll end up in the same place.

Image of word "metadata" in black on a fuzzy gray background
METADATA
Phillip Bohl Students

Do Not Upgrade to Windows 11

Are you taking your final exams on a Windows machine? In case you haven’t heard, Examplify does not work with Windows 11 (or Windows 10 release 22H2).  So make sure you DO NOT run Windows updates. To add another level of security, you should make sure your computer does not decide to run the update for you by turning off auto-update. Also, don’t forget to take a mock exam. Successfully submitting a mock exam is like getting a hug from your BFF before an exam. You will feel ensured that your computer will work when your mock exam works. 

With all that said, if you recently purchased a new computer that came with Windows 11 already installed you can download an Examplify Beta version of 2.9.6 to run on your Windows 11 computer.

Say “no” to Windows 11

If you are faced with after-hours or weekend Examplify woes call ExamSoft support at (866) 429-8889. They’re available 24/7. 

For in-person support at CSOL during business hours, contact our CSOL-IS team at x-7425 or come to the library Public Service Desk. You can also email us at support@law.pepperdine.edu.

Phillip Bohl Students

Phishing isn’t just email … SMISHING!?

Smishing is a type of social engineering that targets mobile devices (image from https://www.threatcop.com/)

Please be vigilant in how and where you share your personal information. There are nefarious actors at work on the web and they will do their best to try and trick you into getting access to your money and more personal information.

The current wave of smishing is concerning. There are systems out there that focus on finding a name associated with an organization and a mobile phone so that they can text you to try to fool you into revealing more information that will compromise your secure services (banking, amazon, netflix, insurance, etc.).

If they can find the name of a co-worker or some other person associated with you they will use that name to make their attack seem like a request from a friend or colleague … or even a boss.

Like anything else that seems a bit “off” just delete and move on. Don’t give it second thought … definitely don’t click or respond to anything that gives you pause.

Below is some helpful information pulled from a web page hosted by Norton, a leading cyber security services firm:

Smishing attack warning signs

Use these smishing attack warning signs to know whether a smishing text made its way onto your mobile device.

Suspicious phone numbers

Smishing texts may come from phone numbers that don’t look normal at first glance. They may stray from the typical 10-digit layout or a series of the same number. If you see this type of number accompanied by a suspicious-looking message, don’t respond and delete the text immediately.

Smishing protection tip: Never respond to suspicious text messages.

Links and files from unknown numbers

Smishing texts are almost always paired with links to fake websites capable of recording your sensitive information. That’s why if you come across one, never click it. And in the event you do click one, look out for signs of an unsafe site, such as no “http” in the URL or small differences that you’re not used to seeing. 

Smishing protection tip: Avoid clicking on suspicious links and files.

Urgent requests

Most phishing emails and text messages feature urgent requests to frighten the receiver. But any legitimate company will give their customers ample notice about pressing issues. Delete these messages, and if you’re still concerned after the fact, contact the company directly. 

Smishing protection tip: Never cooperate with urgent requests sent via text.

Money requests

Like urgent requests, you should delete text messages asking you to wire or transfer money over the internet. The likelihood that these are hackers disguised to try and steal your funds is extremely high. 

Smishing protection tip: Never comply with urgent requests for money via text.

Prize notifications

The thought of winning a prize is exciting to anyone, but the chances of winning a sweepstakes you haven’t entered is incredibly low. If you receive messages about prizes you won from an unfamiliar contest, avoid clicking on any links attached and delete the text.

Smishing protection tip: Avoid clicking on suspicious links and files.

(taken from https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-emerging-threats-smishing.html# on 8/12/2022)

Phillip Bohl Students

Pepperdine’s App!

Pepperdine’s App

Experience Pepperdine from Your Mobile Device

Available for free download on the App Store and Google Play, the Pepperdine mobile app is a go-to resource for all students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Pepperdine. Gain instant access to Courses, the campus shuttle tracker, dining menus, library hours, a stunning Pepperdine Magazine mobile experience, the Virtual Campus Map, and more.

Click for more information or to get to the download links