When do classes start?

Tawny

I phoned the department I have accepted a place with and they said that teaching starts 7th September. Is that not very early?

The symester dates online say that teaching does indeed begin on 7th September, http://www.nuigalway.ie/academic_dates/academic_term_dates.html#2, but the deadline for registration isn't until the 30th September.http://www.nuigalway.ie/registration/documents/2009_pg_college_of_arts_updated_final.htm

Surely teaching doesnt being until after everyone has registered?

I need to know as my current job contract doesnt end until the 30th Sept, and I need the money from the 4 extra weeks work. It will also really piss off my line manager if I leave early, and I need to get a decent reference!

Carsinian Thau

Orientation takes place from the 7th I think with full teaching beginning on the 14th. NUIG is always very early with these things so it looks like you may have to give work a miss. Or skip the first few weeks (probably not a good idea).


The term dates for first years are here: http://www.nuigalway.ie/academic_dates/academic_term_dates.html#2



And I started lectures before I had registered. It's not that big a deal. You just can't use the library etc. until after. And that's just a generous window for the first years to get everything in order. Most people will be fully registered way before that.

Carsinian Thau

Oh, and congratulations OP.

You're going to have a wonderful time in NUIG. It's a great place.

LadyMayBelle

Orientation is generally the first week, depends whether a new student to the uni or else coming back; you may benefit from the orientation..

Pinkshoes

Hey Tawny
Congrads on getting your course!
If teaching starts on the 7th then you'll only miss three weeks of lectures if you stay at work. Of course if its postgrad then maybe three weeks would be too much but to be honest if its undergrad then you would probably be able to get most of the notes online. I know a girl who had a full time job all the way through 1st Commerce and she had no problems just keeping up online. Then again it probably depends on your course.

toxick

Tawny wrote: »

I phoned the department I have accepted a place with and they said that teaching starts 7th September. Is that not very early?

The symester dates online say that teaching does indeed begin on 7th September, http://www.nuigalway.ie/academic_dates/academic_term_dates.html#2, but the deadline for registration isn't until the 30th September.http://www.nuigalway.ie/registration/documents/2009_pg_college_of_arts_updated_final.htm

Surely teaching doesnt being until after everyone has registered?

I need to know as my current job contract doesnt end until the 30th Sept, and I need the money from the 4 extra weeks work. It will also really piss off my line manager if I leave early, and I need to get a decent reference!

Registration is for change of mid and late comers to the course. Usually the first few weeks of nuig is orientation and what not, my course didnt really start until mid ocotber. And i know a lot of other people in first year was the same. What time is your job from is it 9-6?

If your going for Arts, then try and befriend some people in your course early, or maybe if you know some people to get notes off them. Blackboard is a online resource tools that most of your lectures will upload notes, look through course outlines and they should have what you will be covering.

Overall the only thing you will be missing is freshers fortnight(or is it gone back to freshers week) and socs and club opening days. that is if your work is from 9-6. If it a evening shift(4-12) which it might be cause you said your line manager then you will be able to attend most things. Arts usually don't have classes passed 4 anyways, and it never hurts to leave early.

Workshops for your classes wont start ether until October some time, so they wont be affected. If you are accepting the course, but worried about work conflict and time tables, just look for a timetable from last year, sometimes they are a good reference on when classes are and what time.

What course exactly do you want to do?

Tawny

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I'm doing the HDip Archaeology, which is a conversion course and the modules are taken from 2nd and 3rd year BA Arch. I've done the uni thing before so I don't think I'll miss out too much if I don't attend the orientation sessions, and I'm not at all interested in freshers week anyway.

Its just a hassle as my job is kinda related to what I want to do eventually and I need to get a decent reference from it, and I know they will be really pissed off if I leave before my contract runs out.

Carsinian Thau

Tawny wrote: »

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I'm doing the HDip Archaeology, which is a conversion course and the modules are taken from 2nd and 3rd year BA Arch. I've done the uni thing before so I don't think I'll miss out too much if I don't attend the orientation sessions, and I'm not at all interested in freshers week anyway.

Its just a hassle as my job is kinda related to what I want to do eventually and I need to get a decent reference from it, and I know they will be really pissed off if I leave before my contract runs out.

Well if you've already been to uni you probably won't miss much unless you haven't attended NUIG before, in which case, the tour could come in handy. But you could always just print this off http://www.nuigalway.ie/campus_map/images/nuigalway_campusmap_3000.jpg to get help you find your way around or if anyone here had some free time in September I'm sure we'd have no problem giving you a quick tour.

So if it does work out for you, try and keep the job until the contract runs out. Or try explaining nicely to them why you can't stay on (if you think it'll work).

Lumi

Tawny wrote: »

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I'm doing the HDip Archaeology, which is a conversion course and the modules are taken from 2nd and 3rd year BA Arch. I've done the uni thing before so I don't think I'll miss out too much if I don't attend the orientation sessions, and I'm not at all interested in freshers week anyway.

Its just a hassle as my job is kinda related to what I want to do eventually and I need to get a decent reference from it, and I know they will be really pissed off if I leave before my contract runs out.

If you decide not to attend lectures for this particular course until October you will miss a significant part of your course - it's very intensive. Full teaching starts on the 7th of Sept and some modules will have finished by the beginning of October. Also, archaeology do not put notes on blackboard!

Update: Just checked and the course outlines for second & third year archaeology are available. If you call into the dept secretary during the week you can go through them and see exactly how much you will miss. Also, you need to register for compulsory seminars, fieldwork etc during Sept so its not really an option to stay away til Oct.
Some of the advice given by the other posters above applies to first years & undergrads. You've been accepted onto a post-grad Hdip course and I'm afraid that you're expected to show up from day one.
If I can help in any way just PM me or call into the Dept & discuss the problem with your lecturers - they're really sound and used to dealing with problems like this.