Chapter 3 Create Your GitHub Account



Chapter introduction image



3.1 Visit GitHub

  1. Go to github.com
  2. Click the “Sign up” button (green button in top right)

3.2 Choose Your Username

⚠️ Important: Your username will be part of your professional identity online.

Good username examples:

  • john-smith-research
  • j.smith.phd
  • johnsmith-bio
  • drjohnsmith

Avoid:

  • Random numbers: johnsmith12345
  • Too casual: coolguy2023
  • Too long: john-smith-professor-of-biology-at-university

3.3 Fill Out the Form

  1. Username: Choose carefully (see above)
  2. Email: Use your academic email if possible
  3. Password: Use a strong password
  4. Verify account: Complete the puzzle/verification

3.4 Choose Your Plan

  • Free plan is perfect for academic use
  • Includes unlimited public repositories
  • Includes unlimited private repositories
  • Click “Create account”

3.5 Complete Email Verification

  1. Check your email for verification message
  2. Click the verification link
  3. This activates your account

That’s it! Your GitHub account is now ready to use.

Next Chapter Preview: We’ll set up Personal Access Tokens and configure platform-specific authentication so your computer can securely communicate with GitHub.