Studying at NUI Galway

NUI Galway is one of the National Universities of Ireland, located in County Galway. The website is:Nuigalway

If you want to study there, you can register for free (as an Erasmus student) for one semester or for the whole academic year, according to what your home university proposes. Once you are registered, a coordinator from NUIG's international office will send you informative e-mails about administrative tasks and important dates.

Starting point:

Teaching starts in September (it was on the 7th in 2015), but the week before, two days are dedicated to "visiting students" (attendancy is compulsory). They are composed of meetings in one of the biggest halls of the university, with people from different offices introducing students with administrative matters, the procedure to register to the modules, the different courses available... There are also testimonies of former Erasmus students who talk about their experiences. Booklets are distributed, giving plenty of information about NUIG and all the modules taught.

After that, you have three weeks to register online to the modules you want (they have to be in accordance with the requirements of your home university! ), they can be lectures, seminars or optional courses... Note that lectures are often completed by one hour of tutorial in smaller classes, once every two weeks. Registering for the modules will also register you to the exams. Most of the modules last one semester, you will have to register for new modules at the beginning of semester 2.

In the booklets, you will find the venues of your lectures (classrooms or theatres). I would advise you, for the first weeks, to carry a little map of the campus, and don't hesitate to ask home students for the way, they are really friendly and will help you with pleasure. You will need a few weeks to adapt, but once you have a stable timetable, it will become natural to go to class! (the classes last 50 minutes, for example from 9. 00 to 9. 50).

Blackboard:

This is the online platform of the university (equivalent to the French ENT). It is very useful for anything related to your lectures, your teachers and the document they upload for you... You will also have an NUIG e-mail adress, used by the lecturers, the administration and the societies you have joined. Both Blackboard and the mailbox should be visited every day if you don't want to miss something important...

Exams and assignements:

According to the modules you have chosen, you can have assignments during the semester, called mid-term assignments. They are essays you have to write around the month of October, and usually count for less than 50% (often 30%) of the final mark for the module. More rarely, you can have to sit for mid-term exams.

But most of the assignements are asked for the end of the semester; late November or early December. They are called final assignements/final exams. Have in mind that you can have to write several essays for the same period, and that it would be a good thing to start as soon as you have the titles (in my case, I had 5 essays to submit between December 7th and 14th! ). As an Erasmus student, you will probably have less exams than home students, but more essays instead. You can even, like me, have no exams at all! Which means that your holidays start once you have submitted all your final essays. If you have exams, the dates will be given via Blackboard in the end of November. After the end of the classes, you have one study week without any class, and then the exam week. Exams finish the week before Christmas.

The marks are also given via Blackboard, and you can often view your copy in your lecturer's office, who will explain to you the qualities and problems of your work.

If you are worried about essays, you can ask your lecturer about what is expected from you (in terms of references, structure... ) but the teachers usually take a moment during class to explain it. But basically, an essay equals a French "dissertation", and is composed of an introduction, two or three main parts and a conclusion. You also have the Academic Writing Center available at the library. It is workshop where you will be advised for free and helped in writing your assignement.

Main spots on the Campus:

• The Library: James Hardiman Library is a great source of information and documents, and almost every reference you would need for your essays can be found there. The library website will help you find any book or magazine you need (you can also ask the reception if you have any problem). If you need to print (for a personal or an academic purpose), you can charge money on your student ID card and use the library printers. A black and white copy costs 8 cents, and a coloured one is 10 cents. You also have several working areas, to study in a quiet atmosphere. Many desks with plugs are provided on the ground-floor and upstairs. There is also a working room in the basement under the library.
• The bookshop: it is also located in the basement of the library, and will provide you with a large selection of books and handbooks, cheaper than in a regular shop. They also have second-hand books with attractive prices. Most of the books needed for your literary modules can be found there.
• University restaurants: you can find several cafeterias on the campus, they will provide you with snack food or complete menus. A unique course is around 6 euros. But food can also be found at the College Bar, in snack bars like Smokey Joey, in some building halls, etc.
• The College Bar: yes, there is a Bar on the campus, a bar selling alcohol! It is a place where you can have lunch and drinks, watch rugby and football matches on a big screen some evenings, and go out to enjoy a beer (or several) with friends. Special events are often organised during the week-ends, a DJ is playing and sometimes societies launch a party in the bar. They also organise karaokes and even an NUIG's Got Talent, with a 1000€ prize for the winner! In October, the Oktober Fest takes place there, celebrating German culture. The College Bar's facebook page.

Clubs and societies:

In September, a Soc's Day and a Club Day are organised to introduce each society and club available at NUIG and enable you to join them. You can choose to join as many societies as you want, and there is no obligation to attend them if you change your mind. Once you are registered, the society will send you a confirmation e-mail and any information you need to follow their news. Clubs include sports like handball, rugby, surf, etc., and there are more than 100 societies, like the Feminist Society, the German Society, the Fashion, Bake, Dance, Disney, Harry Potter societies, etc.!

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Student life is very pleasant in NUI Galway, many facilities are available for us and most teachers are easy-going, understanding and helping if you have any request. However, you have to take into account that studying here will be different than in your home university; organisation and methodology differ. Your marks will probably be lower and homework can be heavier. But if you are interested on your lectures and organised, you will suceed and really appreciate your Erasmus experience!

If you have any further question, you can send me a message through this website.

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