# CSC 261 · Codex and Course Workspace Setup

In CSC 261, you will use Codex as a teaching guide while you work through
problem sets. Codex should help you reason, ask useful questions, and check your
work—not replace your reasoning or authorship.

## Before you start

You will use two accounts:

- Your **ChatGPT account** signs you into Codex and receives any Codex student
  credits you claim.
- Your **Furman email** signs you into the CSC 261 Course Workspace and connects
  Codex to your own course work.

## 1. Claim the Codex student offer

OpenAI currently offers verified university students in the United States and
Canada **$100 in ChatGPT credits for use in Codex**. You may use a personal
ChatGPT account, but you will verify your student status with your university
email.

[Claim the Codex student offer](https://developers.openai.com/community/students)

After verification, the credits are applied automatically to the ChatGPT
account you used to claim them. The offer is limited to one per eligible
student, is not API credit, and expires 12 months after the grant date. The
official offer page has the current eligibility rules and terms.

To confirm the offer was applied, open **Settings → Usage & billing**. The
credit balance should show 2,500 credits, equivalent to $100.

If verification asks for additional proof of enrollment, follow the claim
page's instructions. You can find Furman enrollment documents in
[Workday](https://workday.furman.edu/). Ask course staff for help if you have
trouble verifying your status.

## 2. Install and sign into the desktop app

[Download the ChatGPT desktop app](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/app), install
it, and sign in with the same ChatGPT account you used for the student offer. If
you did not claim the offer, you can start with a free ChatGPT account. Codex is
available inside the desktop app; you do not need a separate Codex account.

Open the mode switcher in the upper-left corner of the app and choose
**Codex**. Use Codex—not the regular ChatGPT mode—for the course connection and
course-workspace tasks.

## 3. Open and connect the Course Workspace

1. Open the [CSC 261 Course Workspace](https://csc261.path.app).
2. Sign in with your Furman email and the six-digit PIN sent to your inbox.
3. In the desktop app, confirm that the upper-left mode switcher says
   **Codex**.
4. Choose **Connect agent** in the workspace.
5. Start a new Codex task and paste the connection prompt shown there.
6. When the authorization page opens, confirm that it shows your name and
   choose **Connect Codex**.
7. Return to Codex and ask it to open your signed-in course workspace.

You only need to connect the course tool once on each computer. See the
[Course Workspace Guide](course-workspace.guide.md) for the complete workflow,
including handwritten work, submission, and troubleshooting.

## Helpful links

- [Course Workspace Guide](course-workspace.guide.md)
- [CSC 261 Course Workspace](https://csc261.path.app)
- [Codex for Students](https://developers.openai.com/community/students)
- [ChatGPT desktop app](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/app)
- [Codex documentation](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs)