Tips for first years

teaholic

angelxx wrote: »

Thanks for that, Thought it might be the best place to get study done. I know they
use moodle etc so will probably need to bring the laptop up.

You can access wireless in the canteen anyway. And you will end up needing your own laptop too for any assignments etc you get. OpenAccess, where all the college computers are can fill up very quickly and even with the computer labs around you are still better off using your own comp because of the restrictions on the college ones. There are alot of sites like boards, which cherryghost is trying to get unblocked, facebook, among others.

angelxx

Thanks Cherryghost and Teaholic, It is probably best to bring the laptop up then, sounds
much handier than waiting to use a pc.

Popple3

cherryghost wrote: »

Yeah, Flagline is 1.50 for a return ticket last time I checked.

The Library also facilitates laptops at the study desks, some of them have plug points nearby, not all of them though. Otherwise, theres 6 PC labs right above the library that are usually open til late

You really need to get with the times :P

Flagline stopped the €1.50 return ticket a while back because of a cut in government funding or something like that. It's €1 each way, no returns anymore

Offy

The first week is freshers week, its a big party with only first years in the college. After that its work as normal.

angelxx

Does anyone have any dates/ Info on freshers week? Is it available yet?

ColeTrain

angelxx wrote: »

Does anyone have any dates/ Info on freshers week? Is it available yet?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scribes-AthloneIT/106449626984

It will be up there soon enough!

BoB_BoT

Offy wrote: »

The first week is freshers week, its a big party with only first years in the college. After that its work as normal.

Ya sure about that? Pretty sure every other year is back earlier than 1st years.

angelxx

BoB_BoT wrote: »

Ya sure about that? Pretty sure every other year is back earlier than 1st years.

Yep first years are not back until the 6th.

SoupyNorman

Put yourself forward for class rep, you'll meet everybody in one fowl swoop plus you'll get to go on the class rep training excursion (20mins training, 8 hours boozing)

Get Accommodation in one of the many apartment complexes opposite the college...warmer, safer and more craic then living in Willow Park.

Dont live in Willow Park.

Studying in the computer labs was quiet mana from heaven.

Dont try studying in the library, you'll end up having 'the chat' with everyone.

Do not view lecturers in the same light as teachers.95% of AIT lecturers are made of sound material...The only way you will not get on with them is if you try not too.

Have a bloody blast, I know I did!

- bo -

SoupyNorman wrote: »

Put yourself forward for class rep, you'll meet everybody in one fowl swoop plus you'll get to go on the class rep training excursion (20mins training, 8 hours boozing)

I'm a class rep the past 2 years and have never heard of this

SoupyNorman

- bo - wrote: »

I'm a class rep the past 2 years and have never heard of this

WHAT! That is an outrage, sure that was the whole point of being a class rep

For shame I say to the Students Union...for shame!

BoB_BoT

I can back up -bo-s statement, class rep for 3 years. No excursions, the two years there was "training" were a lot longer than 20 mins. First year, I think we got a beer token... the other year we got dinner. There was no mad boozing session

SoupyNorman

BoB_BoT wrote: »

I can back up -bo-s statement, class rep for 3 years. No excursions, the two years there was "training" were a lot longer than 20 mins. First year, I think we got a beer token... the other year we got dinner. There was no mad boozing session

Sounds horrendous. Class rep is in the most part a thankless job, the class rep training (which was an over night trip by the way) was a great way to keep the reps motivated for the hassle they were to experience going forwards.

For it to become formalized in any way for me is not the way to go...the last thing you want or need is to have to attend ANOTHER lecture.

An offshoot of my training was me meeting my GF (6 years now) on the trip

angelxx

SoupyNorman wrote: »

Put yourself forward for class rep, you'll meet everybody in one fowl swoop plus you'll get to go on the class rep training excursion (20mins training, 8 hours boozing)

Get Accommodation in one of the many apartment complexes opposite the college...warmer, safer and more craic then living in Willow Park.

Dont live in Willow Park.

Studying in the computer labs was quiet mana from heaven.

Dont try studying in the library, you'll end up having 'the chat' with everyone.

Do not view lecturers in the same light as teachers.95% of AIT lecturers are made of sound material...The only way you will not get on with them is if you try not too.

Have a bloody blast, I know I did!

Great advice! Sounds like all past students have had great experiences and
the lecturers seem very helpful from what I've heard. Just have to wait for the dreaded cao monday Did anyone here use the gym? Are the facilities good?

- bo -

BoB_BoT wrote: »

I can back up -bo-s statement, class rep for 3 years. No excursions, the two years there was "training" were a lot longer than 20 mins. First year, I think we got a beer token... the other year we got dinner. There was no mad boozing session

I didn't get training, a beer token or a meal I got a crap hooide at the end of each year. Then again I was in Northgate St, nobody really knew that place existed so there was no attention paid to it. Being a class rep in the main campus is probably gonna be a lot different so..

BoB_BoT

Yeah very few knew about the Northgate Campus in town. Don't think you missed anything with the "training" all common sense kinda stuff. The beer token thing was in 1st year after the training iirc. The meal was this year I think, the training was in the Radisson so had that during lunch. We were promised a reps tour / session in 1st year, but that was never made good on.

Luckly my class were fairly content, just had to visit heads of dept. a few times, but I could see how a larger class would fairly tax a rep.

angelxx, have used the gym myself, it's grand, all the standards, can get busy at times, just need to avoid rush hour :P

rossie1977

the library advice is spot on, you cannot study in there, just becomes one big chat-session with someone you know

some more advice for first years, enjoy yourselves but don't go overboard because before you know it projects will be due and christmas exams will be on top of you. quite a few in my class didn't make it as far as christmas.

wednesday night is (was when i was there) the main night to go out, rag week is insane

Conor_M1990

Go to all your lectures and study believe me its harder said then done but its worth it

conor86

Anyone know were i can get a single room in a share house or flat in athlone? head it 4th year their.

angelxx

conor86 wrote: »

Anyone know were i can get a single room in a share house or flat in athlone? head it 4th year their.

There is some great advice on accomadation here. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055999128 The cao offers are out monday so I imagine most people are booking by now. There are apartments across the
road from the college still advertising.

SoupyNorman

Conor_M1990 wrote: »

Go to all your lectures and study believe me its harder said then done but its worth it

Good advice.

Especially now that nearly all courses follow the semesterized format. During my degree we followed the traditional, assessments at Christmas and finals in the summer. I liked this format as it wasn’t a ‘pressure’ from day one’ scenario!

The semesterized format sees you do half the course subjects Sept-Dec followed by the final exams in Jan, then the remainder of the subjects Jan-Apr followed by finals in May.

The positives in a semesterized format is that you are not lumped with 6 or more exams come summer!

When I was in 3rd year the college tried to force the semesterized system onto us, they were met with fierce opposition from us mainly because we had spent 3years under the traditional system and feared too much upheaval come our 4th and most important year.

- bo -

BoB_BoT wrote: »

Yeah very few knew about the Northgate Campus in town. Don't think you missed anything with the "training" all common sense kinda stuff. The beer token thing was in 1st year after the training iirc. The meal was this year I think, the training was in the Radisson so had that during lunch. We were promised a reps tour / session in 1st year, but that was never made good on.

Luckly my class were fairly content, just had to visit heads of dept. a few times, but I could see how a larger class would fairly tax a rep.

Oh yeah I remember it now, that big talk in the Radisson with all the different speakers from the USI and all that. It dragged on a bit but the free grub in the Radisson was A1

Conor_M1990

Bring a packed lunch most of the food in the cateen isnt great and the price depends on who you go to also the coffee in the college is muck

cherryghost

I loved the fish they had there :pac: But yeah, agreed. Cheaper and nicer to bring a packed lunch, or just go home for lunch instead.

angelxx

I don't suppose there are healthy lunch options in the canteen? :rolleyes:

Conor_M1990

angelxx wrote: »

I don't suppose there are healthy lunch options in the canteen? :rolleyes:

They have salad I think

Conor_M1990

cherryghost wrote: »

I loved the fish they had there :pac: But yeah, agreed. Cheaper and nicer to bring a packed lunch, or just go home for lunch instead.

There Currys nice aswell so is the sweet and sour but its like 6 euro or something but it is a full size dinner so it isnt too bad

Dont buy water in the college either lots of water coolers around aswell no need to buy it

Irishchick

Whats the average price of a lunch or coffee in the canteen??

teaholic

Irishchick wrote: »

Whats the average price of a lunch or coffee in the canteen??

Depends what you get really, tea is a euro, not sure on coffee, i dont drinl it! In the college at the minute and the canteen has changed a bit, they now have scanners for anything with a barcode, there is a new menu up near the tills that lists all the prices.

I always go to liz! Shes the best of them! She normally sits on the very right as you pay!

Irishchick

teaholic wrote: »

not sure on coffee, i dont drinl it! !

Kinda guessed that from your username

Has anyone got any info in the post yet about starting dates

I havent heard anything and there's only a bit over a week to go!