Starting college or University can be daunting and scary for any student, but here are ways to prepare for the start of college and a few things to consider when starting a new course:
Attend Orientation and take a campus tour as well as a library tour. Galway, Mayo and Sligo ATU all offer virtual tours of the campus as well as physical campus tours. Many University libraries run their own separate orientation initiatives such as mini tutorials on referencing and book searching, which most students benefit from. Many first years underestimate the size of Universities and college campuses. It is important to know where you are going, how to get there and how much time it takes to get there. Some lectures may be in well signposted rooms in bigger buildings, meanwhile tutorials may be in smaller rooms in less known buildings, so try and identify where your classes will be on, well in advance of your classes.
All Universities organise a clubs day (Including sports ), and a societies day for example the University of Galway is hosting it’s clubs day on the the 18th of September in the Kingfisher Sports Hall and the societies day is being held on the same day in the Bailey Allen hall. I would advise everyone to attend and sign up for a few clubs and societies. The clubs and societies are a great way to meet new people, make friends and learn new skills such as teamwork, leadership and budget planning skills. These clubs and societies also offer students the chance try out some new sports and activities.
Get organised, attend your lectures, know your deadlines, attend tutorials and also try and get to know people in your class. Many classes will have their own What’s app group so I would advise you to join so that you can ask your classmates questions and keep up to date with course related Information. Most Student Unions issue free diaries to help you stay organised and notify students of their planned events. Some classes can be very big and it can be very difficult to make friends but other classes and tutorials will be smaller and that is where it is easier to get to know people.
With soaring Inflation and an increase in the cost of living, it can be difficult to budget and manage your finances which is an important lifelong skill and can be difficult to master. Some Colleges and Universities offer classes on managing your personal budget. Some student’s Unions run ‘financial resilience training’ to help students manage their personal finances. Sign up for newsletters with the Students union as they run lots of useful courses for students.
Every University and College in the country has a fantastic range of support services on offer to students. These services range from Counselling, Chaplaincy, Disability support including Assistive Technology and Career development supports. Students can avail of these support services for free, however some of these supports may have a wait time so if you are in need of a support, book in as early as possible so that you can get the support you need as soon as possible. I always suggest that everyone sign up with their University Career Development Centre as soon as they register so they can sign up for Career events.
Every year many students are disappointed that they did not get their first or second CAO choice and therefore end up taking a course that they did not really consider that much. Some students try out a course and love the course while others do not like their course and may want to discontinue the course. In this instance, if you do feel that you do not like your course and you really cannot continue, I would suggest that you try another course through the Internal transfer system which most Universities and Colleges offer for a short time at the start of the semester. If this is something you are considering, I would suggest you book an appointment with the Careers office to discuss your options. Please be aware that in order to internally transfer to a course ‘within the college’ you must meet all of the entry requirements (CAO points and alternative requirements e.g. HPAT ) of the course you want to transfer into and there must be a place on the course as some courses do fill up.
There are many courses which will require students to choose certain subjects within your course. You may be offered a taster of all subjects as in the case of Arts whereby you can attend lectures in many different subjects and then make your choice. While many students may have decided what subjects they want to study prior to entering University, it is important to go to all the subject lectures and keep an open mind. Don’t forget to also check out how subjects are assessed.
Lastly, remember to approach your course with curiosity and try to enjoy your course and your free time outside of your course. So many people will be in the same boat and may not know that many people on their course or in their University or College. Enjoy your course as much as possible as time flies.
Claire obtained her Masters in Career Guidance and Counseling in Trinity and has over 10-years experience working as a teacher and a Career Guidance Counsellor at both second level and third level. Claire is currently working as a Consultant Career Guidance Counsellor in Psychmed. To book and appointment for a CV review, interview skills or help with CAO choice, please email her at [email protected]
