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Posted in Education.

There are three examination sessions in Trinity in the upcoming academic year. These are as follows:

  • Reassessment Exams – 26th of August to 30th of August.
  • Michaelmas (Winter) Exams – 09th of December to 13th of December.
  • Hilary (Summer) Exams – 21st of April to 24th of April.

These are the main assessment sessions for the majority of students, there will be different timetables for a number of courses, particularly in Health Sciences. I recommend that you check with your individual School for your examination session. There are also Foundation Scholarship (Schol) exams on the week of the 6th of January, these are elective exams for students in their Senior Fresh (2nd) year. 

Academic Registry:

The Academic Registry is responsible for the running of all TCD examinations, and has provided key examinfo here: www.tcd.ie/academicregistry/exams

Make sure to have a read of that if you are unsure of how to:

  • Access your exam timetable on your my.tcd.ie portal;
  • Find your exam and seat number on your my.tcd.ie portal;
  • Find past papers; 
  • Find your campus exam venue, etc. 

If you have any questions related to the running of exams on the day, there will be an Academic Registry Help Desk on the main concourse of the Arts Block, or in the AR Building in the Watts/Hamilton building.                                                   

If your exam is online, your School/Department is the main point of contact. For general queries, you can contact the Academic Registry via:

  • The AR Watts Building Service Desk is open for walk-ins from Mondays to Fridays: 9am - 5pm, and;
  • Contactable via phone on (+353) 01 896 4500 from Mondays to Fridays: 9am - 5pm.
  • To log an online enquiry, click here: ASK.TCD.IE
  • Exam questions are directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Look After Yourself:

Exams can be a really stressful time. Your well-being is the most important thing right now.

  • If you get exam nerves, practice relaxation exercises — focus on your breathing or take a short break in the exam.
  • A good night’s sleep is much better than a night spent cramming.
  • When you are studying for the exam, remember the 20-20-20 rule of screens. Every 20 minutes, look at something that is 20 metres away for 20 seconds. This can help prevent eye strain and tension headaches.
  • Spend time with your friends and family! Your classmates are doing the same exams, lean on each other for support.
  • Give yourself recognition for your work, but also forgive yourself if things do not go according to plan. Exams are a huge undertaking, and you are only human!

What if I’m sick for my exam?

  • Do not sit your exam if you are not medically fit to do so!
  • Before the Exam:
    • If you are medically unfit to sit your exam, please consult your doctor and request a medical certificate for the appropriate period. All medical certificates must be dated and include the date on which the illness started, the length of incapacitation, and a clear statement that you are unable to sit exams. This must be given to your tutor - preferably before the exam(s) in question, but up to 72 hours after.
    • Remember that medical certificates are not accepted as an explanation or excuse for poor performance. You cannot claim mitigating circumstances having submitted a piece of work for assessment. As per College Regulations, students cannot retract work submitted.
  • During the Exam:
    • If you are feeling unwell during your examination, do not submit your work as it will be considered completed. Raise your hand and alert the invigilator. Do not leave your desk without the permission of the invigilator. 
    • Following this, contact the designated liaison person in your school, module leader and/or tutor aware of your illness and contact the Trinity Health Centre.
  • If you are working on a take home 48 hour exam, remember to continually save and update your work.

What if I miss my exam?

  • Contact your tutor immediately. If your tutor is on leave, please contact the Senior Tutor’s office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

What if I fail my exam?

Failing your exam is not the end of the world! Email your tutor or Education Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are unsure of your next steps.

Compensation:

If your average mark was good and you only failed one or two papers with an F1 you may be able to compensate and go onto the next year as if you had passed. All modules and components within modules are compensable (except in certain professional programmes where compensation does not apply). The rules for compensation vary from school to school, so make sure to check. 
Reassessment Examinations:
You may have to sit repeat exams (free of charge) at the end of summer if you fail and cannot pass by compensation.

Appeals:

If you feel that your result is unfair or that your marks were added up wrong you can apply to have them rechecked.  You may also be entitled to appeal. This is usually reserved for extenuating circumstances, and you have to act quickly. For more info, email your tutor or Education Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Repeating a Year:

If you cannot appeal, then sometimes the only option is to repeat the year. You won’t qualify for the Free Fees Initiative if you have to repeat, except in special circumstances.

Off Books:

Off books doing exams/placements/assessments incurs a €382 exam fee. If students have failed modules at the end of the academic year, they can potentially apply to repeat Off Books with Assessment. This requires special permission, more information can be found here: https://www.tcd.ie/academicregistry/student-cases/

Ask for Help!

  • Your Tutor: find their details on your my.tcd.ie under “My Records”;
  • Student Counselling Service: www.tcd.ie/Student_Counselling;
  • TCDSU Welfare & Equality Officer, Hamza Bana: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
  • TCDSU Education Officer, Eoghan Gilroy: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
  • Course Coordinator: Contact your course coordinator for urgent queries, if you cannot reach your college tutor, information on Heads of Department can be found on School websites.

Deferrals:

  • If you are unwell, do not sit your exam if you are not fit to do so. 
  • Contact your tutor straight away if you need any deferrals, extensions or support with your academic work due to illness, bereavement or other situations outside of your control (loss of internet connection etc.). You can find their details on your my.tcd.ie under “My Records”. 
  • If your tutor is not replying to you, contact the Senior Tutor's office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • If you defer an exam, it will deferred to the reassessment session in late August. There is no automatic right to deferral and this is determined on a case by case basis. 

Extensions:

  • If you are overwhelmed with your workload or otherwise unable to complete your assignment(s) in the designated time, please get in touch with your tutor.
  • Liaise with your classmates, as many of you may be in the same position. Lecturers should, and have been, very understanding of the pressures everyone is facing right now and should be lenient in this regard.

Posted in Education.

Libraries

The Library of Trinity College Dublin is the largest library in the country. It is a legal deposit library, and as such is entitled to receive a copy of every book and journal title published in Ireland and the UK. You have access to 7,000,000 printed volumes and to an impressive online collection of 900,000 e-books and 150,000 e-journals. 

There are five main library buildings:

  • Former Berkeley, Lecky, Ussher Libraries (BLU Complex):
    • Contains collections in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, plus some other subjects such as Nursing & Midwifery.
  • The Hamilton Library:
    • Find books for the Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics and Mathematics.
  • The John Stearne Medical Library:
    • Located in the Trinity Centre for the Health Sciences at St James’s Hospital, this library holds Trinity’s medical collection.
  • The 1937 Reading Room:
    • A study area for postgraduate students only.
  •  The Old Library:
    • The Joint Research Collections Reading Room (home to the Early Printed Books and Manuscripts & Archives departments) provides access to the oldest and most valuable books in the Library, as well as more than 20,000 collections of manuscripts and archives, dating from the 13th century to the present day.

Access:

  • You need your student card (TCard) to enter the libraries and to borrow: tcard.tcd.ie
  • The Trinity Live App can also be used to gain access to library spaces: tcd.ie/itservices/internet/trinitylive.php
  • Check the Library opening hours here: tcd.ie/library

Subject Librarians:

  • Subject Librarians have individual websites packed full of quality online resources to use in your assignment, essay or other research. E-mail your Subject Librarian about your training needs: classes and one-to-one consultations can be provided on a range of information skills, including using the Library catalogue, how to cite references and avoid plagiarism, database searching, evaluating information, and EndNote.

Catalogue:

  • The Library catalogue, Stella Search, is the starting point for finding books, journals, DVDs and a huge range of online resources. Just type in a keyword to begin your search. stella.catalogue.tcd.ie/ 

Storage:

  • Because of the vast size of the collections, some books have to go into storage but they can be retrieved for you. The catalogue will prompt you to place a request and you will receive an e-mail when your book is ready to be consulted.

Borrowing:

  • Use the self-service kiosks to borrow and return books without having to queue at the Library counters. You can borrow up to ten books at a time from our open shelves and closed storage collections. Some of the most frequently used books and journals – in our high-demand reference collection - are made available for consultation in the Library but cannot be borrowed. These are typically items on your Reading List and are for use in the Library only. This system gives everyone a fair chance to get hold of a book. There may well be other copies of the books in the Library that you can borrow. Just check the catalogue. 

My Library Account:

  • My Library Account is your own part of the Library website where you can see when books are due and renew them if required. You may be fined if books are not returned on time so keep an eye on your due dates. If nobody else requests the book you have borrowed, you can renew it up to five times, which effectively means you can have the book on loan for a six month period.
    Library HITS 
  • Library HITS courses will run online during the first weeks of term. They will help you to familiarise yourself with the Library’s vast resources and show you how to get them working for you.

Study Rooms:

  • Library Group Study Rooms:
    • Group study rooms are available during Library opening hours to registered students in groups of two or more who wish to work together on projects and assignments.
    •  Book here: www.tcd.ie/library/using-library/study-rooms
  • T Service Rooms and Mac Labs:
    • IT Services computer rooms are located across campus, with both Windows and Mac computers available.
    • There are also stand-up email stations around campus if you wish to quickly check your email.
    • Details: www.tcd.ie/itservices/facilities/computer-rooms

Posted in Education.

College gives you the space and time to explore subjects you have a genuine interest in! Independent research and analysis is strongly encouraged throughout your degree. While this might seem a bit overwhelming at first, do not worry — there are plenty of supports in place to help you.

Top Tips:

  • Do not be afraid to talk to your lecturers if you do not understand something. If you feel nervous about asking questions during class, approach them after or send them an email! 
  • Develop a revision strategy that suits you — whether that involves doing past papers, drawing up mind maps, or talking to classmates – do what works for you. 
  • Please do not leave it all until the last minute! Of course, college is not all about sitting in the library all day, but make sure that you keep up-to-date with assignments and lecture notes so that you are in good shape by the time exams roll around!
  • Make sure to take regular study breaks, and please make time for some R&R (rest and relaxation).
  • It is so easy to let your coursework get on top of you, so much so that you forget to look after yourself. Where possible, try to get a good night’s sleep and make an effort to eat your greens!
  • Go and enjoy yourself! Meet up with friends, and family. Your classmates are going through the same thing, so lean on each other for support.

Student Learning and Development:

Student Learning Development (SLD) supports Trinity students with a range of services including individual appointments, academic and learning skills workshops, The Academic Writing Centre, and a self-enrol Blackboard module (see below).

These resources are designed to help you develop your skills in areas such as essay writing and other types of academic writing, organisation and time management, procrastination and concentration, presentation skills, final year projects, dissertation planning, managing and writing, literature reviews, exam & assessment skills and more. All students receive an email every week telling them about the upcoming workshops and other services so keep an eye on your inbox! 

Information for all SLD services are available here: student-learning.tcd.ie 

TCDSU/AMLCT's Top 4 SLD Tips: 

  • Register On Our Blackboard Module 
    • You will find a large range of audio and video files, downloadable documents as well as interactive websites and useful links on topics such as Essay Writing, Critical Thinking, Thesis Writing, Exam Skills, Literature Reviewing and much more. https://student-learning.tcd.ie/blackboard
  • Attend Free In-person and Online Workshops
  • Book an Individual Consultation
  • Book an Academic Writing Centre appointment
    • SLD offers general academic skills appointments to all students. Book here: https://student-learning.tcd.ie/services/awc/

Trinity’s Tutor Service:

All students are allocated a tutor once you begin your studies here at Trinity. Your tutor is your primary academic representative in College, and they are there to help you navigate your time here at Trinity. You can reach out to them with any academic query that you may have. 

You can find their details under My Student Record on the my.tcd.ie website, or on the Trinity Live App. 

More learning supports are available from:

  • Maths Help Room - https://www.maths.tcd.ie/outreach/helproom
  • English as a second language support: https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/english
  • Disability Service - https://www.tcd.ie/disability/
  • The Library – https://www.tcd.ie/library/
  • Trinity Access Programmes – https://www.tcd.ie/trinityaccess/
  • Undergraduate Programming Centre – https://teaching.scss.tcd.ie/general-information/ugpc/
  • Academic Integrity Resources - https://libguides.tcd.ie/academic-integrity

Posted in Education.

Buster Whaley
Education Officer | An tOifigeach Oideachais

  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Education Officer | An tOifigeach Oideachais

Eoghan Gilroy

My name is Buster Whaley and I’m your Education Officer for the upcoming academic year! My job, as Chief Academic Officer of the Union, is to provide support for your academic journey. Any academic-related issues or concerns you might have - if you’ve failed an exam, need an extension, or want to transfer to another course - I’m here to help you with. I also sit on a number of college committees, including University Council and the Undergraduate Studies Committee, meaning that I am in a prime position to represent the academic needs of students within the University.

The other key aspect of my job is to oversee the class representative system. Each course at Trinity has at least one class representative, and every one of them plays an important role in the functioning of the Union.

My office is on the first floor of Teach a Sé (House 6), or you can send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrange a meeting at an accessible location. It’s my job to help you in any way that I can, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Buster Whaley is ainm dom agus is mise an tOifigeach Oideachais don bhliain acadúil seo! An post atá agam, mar Phríomhoifigeach Acadúil an Aontais, ná tacaíocht a thabhairt duit agus tú ag tabhairt faoi d’aistear acadúil. Táim ar fáil le cabhrú leat mar gheall ar fhadhb nó ar imní ar bith atá agat a bhaineann le cúrsaí acadúla - má theipeann ort i scrúdú, má tá síneadh ama ag teastáil uait, nó má theastaíonn uait aistriú go cúrsa éigin eile. Is ball mé de roinnt coistí de chuid an choláiste chomh maith, Comhairle na hOllscoile agus an Coiste um Léann Fochéime san áireamh, mar sin táim oilte le hionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar riachtanais acadúla na mac léinn san Ollscoil.

Gné ríthábhachtach eile den phost atá agam ná maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar chóras na nIonadaithe Ranga. Tá ionadaí ranga amháin ar a laghad ag gach cúrsa i gColáiste na Tríonóide, agus glacann gach duine acu ról tábhachtach i bhfeidhmiú an Aontais.

Tá m’oifig suite ar an gcéad úrlár i dTeach a Sé, nó is féidir ríomhphost a sheoladh chugam ag This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. le cruinniú a eagrú liom ag suíomh inrochtana. Tá freagracht orm cabhrú leat in aon bhealach gur féidir liom, mar sin ná bíodh drogall ort teacht i dteagmháil liom!

Read more …Education Officer