Assignments, coursework and exams
Don't let work build up, get assignments out of the way and don't leave it too late to
start studying, It will free up time and let you enjoy college properly.
Engineering
Keep on top of it from the start. The work begins pretty much straight away and if
you don't do your best to keep up it's easy to find yourself struggling with everything
you have to do! The year goes so quickly so you don't want to be too stressed out at
the end of the year, when the weathers starting to get nice and you could be doing
something much more fun than leaning over books all day in a wedged library! Don't
leave your assignments until the last minute. We're given ample time to do them but
the time always seems to slip away until the next thing you know is that your
assignment is due in two days and you haven't even picked which title you're going
to do. Try to strike a good balance between work and play. This will be easier done
in the second semester when you have become more settled. The library.... I still
haven't figured it out. Try not to freak out about it, take it one shelf at a time.
1st year Law and Political Science, TCD
If I had known that i was going to have 6 exams in 7 days I probably would have
worked a little harder during the year.
2nd year BESS, TCD
Whatever you do don't think first year exams mean nothing especially if you are
hoping to study abroad in third year. I managed to scrape an Erasmus by the skin of
my teeth almost missed out due to my low average in first year, you will need a 2.1
to get the Erasmus you want and the higher the better chance you have. Do not
forget this, you will regret it.
Patrick, 2nd year BESS, TCD
I cannot specify enough how important it is to just even know what is required of you
in order to pass the year. I ended up not being aware of certain requirements such
as mandatory attendance classes, important assignments, etc. My advice is to
attend everything in the first few weeks to get an idea of what you will need to do
throughout the year so as you don't fall behind without even knowing. Attend all
mandatory classes and submit all assignments even if you don't think yours is the
best, it will still count for something. Continuous assessment is vital to keep up with. I
ended up falling behind so much in JF that when I went to study for my end of year
exams I didn't even know where to start and ended up failing 6 out of 8 modules.
This is not fun.
2nd year Management science and information systems studies (MSISS), TCD
When it comes to assignments get all the research done early! Research is
extremely time consuming and even after you have found the research it can take a
long time to sort through all the information and pick the pieces that you want! When
do assignments or preparing for an exam use the reading lists! You don't have to
read every book back to front but the lists are there because the lecturers feel the
info in them is relevant! It also means you save time on looking up books and journal
articles on your subject! Always look up on the library website if the book you want is
available! There is nothing worse than arriving at the library and spending half an
hour looking for a book that was taken out by someone the day before!
Caoimhe, 2nd year Nursing, TCD
Ask your lecturers in each subject what the assessment is (e.g. continuous, essays/
projects, final exam or combination of a few different ways). You need to know how
important assignments are, whether you can miss a class or not hand something in
and how much effort you should be putting into each assignment/ assessment/
exam. Also make a list of all your modules and find out the deadlines for each one.
Then go through your calendar and figure out when you're going to do them. This
way you won't get to reading week and realising that you have 4 projects due when
you could have done some in a quieter week earlier. This applies particularly to
TSMs because the two departments don't consult each other so you often end up
with a few deadlines in one week.
3rd year TSM French and Music, TCD
Currently a SS student struggling with Engineering because I spent the first 2 years
doing [nothing].. Do all your work well for the first two years and it will matter a lot to
you later. Also, you'll have a better chance at getting Schols.
Anonymous, TCD
Also, read the guidelines for your course, especially about essays, footnoting,
referencing in general. If you don't research it before you hand something in, it
comes back with big x's. A mistake I made and it really [messed up] some of my
work.
Anonymous, TCD
At the very start of the year I think it would be great if all students had the option to
attend a seminar on essay writing. I know not only I but many of my friends found
writing assignments very different to the work we did in second level education. Most
of the marks I lost on my first assignments were on references and how to construct
my assignment rather than the actual content itself. I know the student council are
great, and have lots of workshops to help out but even if in orientation week each
course did their own seminar, it may be extremely helpful.
Tara, 1st year Deaf Studies, TCD
College is very different to Secondary School. Make sure not to go too crazy on the
freedom! It's really easy to just slack and do nothing, but it'll just come back tenfold.
Other than that, enjoy it…… it's incredible!
2nd year, TSM, TCD
Get started on your assignments when you get them, especially those after
Christmas. It seems a bit insane to be asked to complete essays and projects while
working so hard in the clinical area, but it has to be done, and it is possible. If you
encounter any difficulty - let someone know.
Grace, 1st year Nursing, TCD
Knowing your rights as a student as well, is always a good one. As in, if you get a
terrible mark on an essay you have the right to an explanation, etc.
4th year European Studies, TCD
It can occasionally be disconcerting for international students to sit exams in an
entirely new academic system for the first time when you're not used to answering
essay questions in exams, or being in a system where most or all of your grades
depend on a single end-of-term/year exam. Coming from a system where exams
tend to have 25 obligatory questions to be answered in a very concise (less than a
paragraph) and specific way, and from a system where 50% of our school leaving
exams (LC equivalent) were based on continuous assessment spread over three
previous years, I found this a tough aspect to get my head around. It requires an
entirely different attitude when going into an exam. Lecturers should probably give a
bit more attention to these possible problems and the particular disadvantage this
puts international students at, especially if their native language is not English which
means they may need more time to formulate arguments when they're already under
huge pressure in a stressful situation. I think some extra advice from lecturers in the
form of a talk, or even a document sent around to the class, advising how to choose
what to revise, and in what depth, and how to plan your time optimally - perhaps
even doing a practice session on speed-writing in English - would be of great benefit
to international students - and who knows, maybe even Irish students as well?
Anonymous, TCD
Generally you'll know about assignments and exams weeks and usually months in
advance so I would advise getting your work over and done with so you're not
leaving it until the last minute. Especially if you are still in class as it is so hard and
tiring to have college work and placement on at the same time. Everybody says don't
leave things until the last minute, but it's actually true!!
3rd year Midwifery, TCD
If you are having problems with your course make sure you go to a lecturer/head of
course about it asap. My class learned the hard way by leaving issues with the
course until the last minute, which meant our lecturers saying it was too late to
complain.
3rd year Irish Studies, TCD
My advice would be to stay on top of things especially study and extra reading, it’s
easy to fall behind. Effective study tips with regard to particular subjects would be
excellent at the beginning of college. Possibly a mandatory study class would be
good because I didn’t, along with my friends, pay much attention to the ones on
offer.
1st year Science, TCD
If you are not happy with your tutor then contact the Senior Tutor's office and request
a change. You don't have to give a reason. Problems with your course, tell / ask your
course rep, that is what they are there for. Teaching Assistants are there to help
students, they have office hours so go and see them. If you feel that you have
chosen the wrong course then discuss this with your tutor immediately, you may be
able to effect a transfer into a more suitable course. Pay attention from day 1 to the
attendance requirements, it may be worth a percentage of marks. Read your course
handbook. Check your email, delete the trash and highlight anything to do with your
course.
PhD student, Education, TCD