NUI Galway’s open days take place tomorrow (Friday ) and Saturday from 9am to 3pm, at the Bailey Allen Hall and throughout the university campus. Students can expect to find information on the full range of undergraduate courses on offer with more than 80 stands presenting for the two-day event, including four new courses for 2020 entry.
The popularity of NUI Galway continues to grow with more than 5,000 students choosing it in their CAO applications in 2019. The university has experienced a year-on-year increase of more than five per cent in first preference applications, attracting 64 per cent of all Level 8 applicants from Connacht. Leaving Certificate, fifth years, and transition year students are invited to attend, along with their parents, to find out why so many students choose to study at NUI Galway.
During the open days NUI Galway’s university community will host more than 80 talks, information sessions, and interactive zones, and staff will be on hand to answer all questions. Current students will also be available to offer practical advice, lead campus tours in English and Irish, and give prospective students a real sense of university life at NUI Galway. Tours of the accommodation options, the Alice Perry Engineering Building, the nursing and midwifery facilities, the library, and the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance will be available throughout the day.
The Bailey Allen Hall will host the main exhibition space where lecturers and students will be on hand to talk to prospective students and parents about all the courses on offer.
NUI Galway will showcase four new degree courses for the 2020 entry: law and taxation; law, criminology and criminal justice; BSc genetics and genomics; and and BSc geography and geosystems. Students will have the opportunity to speak to lecturers and course directors to find out exactly how these innovative courses will prepare them for dynamic and rewarding careers.
Sarah Geraghty, student recruitment and outreach manager, has the following advice for parents: “Starting university is a major milestone in any young person’s life, bringing with it many new challenges and exciting opportunities. The road to get there is one which requires careful planning and consideration, and parents won’t want to miss the parents’ talk where there will be representatives from all the key student services and supports. Parents and students are advised to be well prepared with questions, and the goal should be to come away knowing if the university will be a good fit for the student's requirements and ambitions.”
A programme of talks, workshops, and masterclasses will run throughout the day. Highlights include: Sport at NUI Galway; a mature students' information session; drama workshop; careers information - building your employability; applying for a SUSI grant; Access routes into education, including HEAR/DARE and FETAC; and an engineering and IT interactive zone.
There will be representatives from NUI Galway’s support services team available to meet students and parents, including representatives from the career development centre, accommodation office, disability support team, and the Access team who can provide information on mature students entry, HEAR/DARE, and FETAC entry. There will also be representatives from SUSI, and for the first year the Bailey Allen Hall will have a sensory friendly period from 2.30pm to 3pm on Saturday.
To get the most out of the open days, which run from 9am to 3pm, visitors are encouraged to view the timetable of talks and full programme in advance at www.nuigalway.ie/opendays/programme
To find out more visit www.nuigalway.ie/opendays, phone 091 494398, or email [email protected].
