Student life
Your First Weeks in College
Registration
Following acceptance of an offer of a place on a course, acceptees will receive details in the post from the college with instructions and guidance on how and when to register. Increasingly, many colleges are operating online registration. Also commonly included in the initial communication from the college are details, where applicable, of the orientation programme for first years.
Orientation Programme
An orientation programme, which is generally compulsory, plays a key role in helping first years to begin ‘acclimatising’ to their new surroundings and the journey that lies ahead. Typically, first years will collect their student card during orientation, will get an introduction to the Library, the layout of the campus, will learn some basics on using the IT system and will hear from staff and Students' Union reps on key student services in the college. Social and cultural events– course-specific and general– are another common feature of the orientation programme for first years. New students will often be busy organising a range of other possible things (if applicable) during the orientation week, including moving into accommodation, getting a locker, and planning public transport arrangements to and from college.
Frequently integrated into the orientation programme (or otherwise taking place the next week) is specific time-slots for introductory sessions between students newly enrolled on a specific course and the lecturers and other staff running that course. This will also be an opportunity for new students to meet their fellow course-mates. Important course-specific information is made available to new students during these sessions, and typically covers myriad aspects of the course such as the timetable, subject options, examinations, reading lists, staff details and academic options after completion of first year.
Freshers’ Week
Another significant period in the first few weeks of many colleges is Freshers' Week (a fresher is a college term for a first year student). The purpose of the week is to enable new students to learn about the activities of clubs and societies, these being a key part of the broader social and cultural aspect of college. Depending on the college, there can be a wide variety on campus, covering sporting, current affairs, political and artistic interests. Many first years join up with a club or society (or two) during Freshers' Week. The week also typically features a variety of entertainment and social events.
New Terminology
During the first weeks of college, new students come across a lot of terms they may not have encountered before. A selection of them are explained below.
Campus
The campus is the land on which a college or university buildings are situated. A campus can include libraries, lecture halls, staff offices, student areas, student accommodation and sporting facilities.
Student ID Card
This is a personal identification card which will gives access to the library, computer centre and other student services on campus.
Semester
The academic teaching year is divided into two semesters, running from September to January and from February to June. Modules are generally examined at the end of the semester in which they are taught.
Module
A module is part of a course covering a particular topic. It generally involves a number of lectures combined with individual study, and has its own examination/assessment mark. The size of a module is indicated by its credit weighting, which may equal 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15 or 20 credits (As an indication, 5 credits usually correspond to a course of twelve one-hour lectures, plus additional group work and individual study; double that for a 10 credit module, etc.). Modules can be compulsory, required, or optional. A compulsory module must be completed by all students taking a particular programme. A required module is a compulsory module in a programme which must be passed without compensation (i.e. a mark of 40% achieved) in order to progress. An optional module is one which may be chosen from a number of available modules.
Lecture
Lectures are usually delivered to a larger group of students, with a formal presentation by the lecturer.
Tutorials
Tutorials can be held weekly or fortnightly. These generally comprise smaller groups of students. A tutorial on a particular topic follows an earlier lecture addressing in full or part the same topic. Students will therefore usually have had a chance to think about the topic prior to the tutorial. Tutorials can be more interactive than lectures and are often an opportunity for wider discussion of the topic between the tutor and students. Some colleges keep a record of attendance and participation in tutorials and this can count towards examinations.
Moodle & Blackboard
Many colleges now use special teaching and learning software packages, which are used by both lecturers and students. Examples are Moodle and Blackboard. These systems support teaching and learning in a variety of ways. For example, lecturers can make lecture material or notes available to students through the system. Electronic discussion forums on a course topic can be set up. Training on such systems for new students is provided by colleges during the first weeks of term.