First of all, if you’re a first year- welcome to the college, we wish you all the best. If you’re returning to IADT, welcome back and congratulations - you made it!
College is a completely different kettle of fish compared to school. You are independent and everything is up to you. You make your own decisions, you make sure you get all your work completed and you make sure you pass your exams. So basically it’s all up to you from now on… No pressure... These 10 tips should help.....
1) Attend Lectures - The easiest way to pass the year, and a good way to get to know your lecturers.
2) Ask Questions - You're smart, but if you need something explained, you're smarter when you ask questions.
3) Work Hard - Avoid burn out, but bring your best to the table. When all is done, come out to Bakers!
4) Complete ALL Assignments - You'll feel better and it's easier to do exams when you've done so well already.
5) Socialise - Very important in college. Friends can help you in millions of ways throughout the college year. They can help you through assignments, exam questions, motivate you, party with you, listen to your rants and basically make you feel a whole lot better.
6) Organise Your Time - Be specific, doing a little bit of work everyday so that you're always relaxed.
7) In Class - Take good notes in class and keep them organised in one place.
8) Take it in - When you have all your information, play with it; make pictures, stories or even mind-maps. All of these help you learn better, so better results come with less effort.
9) Motivate - When you work hard, remember the feeling and reward yourself.
10) And finally if you have any questions, feel free to contact Joe Geary, your Education Officer by email: education@iadtsu.ie or just pop into the SU office behind the chapel to see Gav or Anna.
Priority Phone Numbers:
Admin For: 01 239 + Extension
School of Creative Arts:
Bernadette: (+4663)
Celine: (+4664)
Thelma/Linda (+4658)
School of Creative Technologies:
Pamela/Anna: (+4724)
School of Business & Humanities:
Colette: (+4763)
Sylvia: (+4764)
Class Reps
In each Year of each Course two class representatives must be elected to carry out minor tasks in the interest of their classmates. These might include communicating with lecturers about deferrals and future assessments or organising a night out after a hard week of exams. When the Student's Union holds class council, the class reps must attend, where they can learn about upcoming gigs and any issues pertaining to the running of the college. It's a great forum to get to know people in college, and there are a few perks to the job such as free SU-Class Rep branded tees plus free tickets to SU events but only for those who attend council.
Library:
The library in IADT is an essential resource, and so it should be respected. When you search for a book in the library and you do not have a laptop or computer to search the catalogue online, please use the desktop beside the library entrance. After you find your book, treat it with care. If you are returning the book immediately, take care in replacing it correctly and if unsure, just leave it on a trolley for the staff to replace it for you. If taking out a book, take note of what copies you select, as some are overnight, 7-day or monthly loans, while some books cannot be loaned out.
To get a book out on loan, you must present the book and your student ID card to the staff at the counter. When using other resources at the library, such as dvd/vcr players or computers, always be conscious of other students, and reserve your academic work for the library space. It's a sore sight when you need to get work done and there's a student at every computer, some playing internet games. So again, enjoy the library, respect it and explore everything available to you.
Computers:
IADT has many computer labs, filled with high end pc machines running Windows XP and Apple macs running OSX. Your student No. and password are given to you at registration, which log you into the college network. The same username and password cater for your WiFi access inside the campus, your student email account and your E-Learning access.
When you login on the college computers, you will find that you have a folder on the student network drive. It is here that you will be saving your work during the year. The SU Office can sell you USB memory-keys, but it is advisable to back up your work on your network folder. Also accessible to you is the lecturer network drive, which is nicknamed “Sideshow Bob”. It is here that you can access any resources that your lecturers use as they teach you, such as powerpoint lectures or project files.
If you do have any technology related problems, the Information and Communication Technologies Department (ICT) has a help-desk on the first floor in the library and can be contacted by email: support@iadt.ie
Printers:
IADT has a networked printing system, so wherever your pc desktop is, you can go to any student printer, swipe your ID card, enter your pin, select “Pull Print” and print the files that you sent to the printer. To photocopy, simply select the option “Copy” after swiping and entering your pin. To top-up your printing account, simply find a kiosk, (outside nurses office in ground floor of the atrium, and in the first floor, in the library) swipe, enter pin and feed notes. Do not try to replace the paper in the printer tray with anything other than paper, as problems arose in the past, and repairs take time and money.
Lectures & Tutorials
Students should receive all scheduled lectures, tutorials and lab classes. If one is to be cancelled, as much notice as possible shall be given and it is incumbent on the lecturers or tutors to reschedule as soon as possible.
If a Lecture does not arrive within 15 minutes of the lecture start time thetudents are entitled to leave.
Each department should have standard forms, which a lecturer must fill in when he/she cancels a lecture. The form should specify why the lecturehas been cancelled and when it is to be cancelled.
Deferrals:
Sometimes the assessment schedule over the year may push students to busy periods and a student can be forgiven for running out of time. If you need another week to complete an essay, or the weekend to study for an exam, you should know your points of contact.
Pre-Deadline:
If the class as a group requires more time, the class rep should contact the lecturer that issued the assessment, and negotiate an agreement.
If an individual student requires more time, they should contact the lecturer by themselves and negotiate an agreement.
Post-Deadline:
If an individual misses a deadline for an assessment, they must contact the lecturer and inform them. It is vital that you print a “Late Submission Form” found in your Head of School's folder on Sideshow Bob, and then dependent on communication with the relevant lecturer, submit your work. Most lecturers are very understanding and will accommodate any student, through reasonable agreements.
However, it should be noted that the above information is for your benefit under rare circumstances. Nobody will, and nobody should tolerate any student abusing the deferrals system.
Exams:
Alas, though the days of leaving certificates are behind you, people are still attached to the idea of giving student's wrist cramps. When sitting exams, be sure to get together all the information you require.
What is the exam on?
Where is the exam on?
When is the exam on?
What do I need to bring? (Student ID, stationary, clear bottle of water/etc)
How long is the exam?
When are results due? (Plan for success and rewards!)
When you feel that you have enough information, you should organise your time and your exam material, and never study when you're stressed. Relax and approach each one as a challenge.
Study Tips
- Become relaxed, and then focus on the goal. Take note of what the lecturer said the "learning outcomes" are. (These are going to be on the exam)
- Set yourself specific objectives. Focus on reading a small amount of material and completing a number of problem questions. Only take on work that you can manage at once.
- Make sure that what you are studying is relevant. Text or call a friend to check what they're doing.
- When reading a text, be sure to highlight or note important points and concepts. Sticky-notes work well.
- Study for 30-40 minutes then take a break for 8 minutes. And don’t let those 8 minutes turn into any more than 10.
- If you get bored or tired, go for a walk, talk to your flatmates or switch the subject and return to it later.
- Make sure you look at exams from previous years. You can make very reasonable assumptions from past papers and they can help you familiarise yourself with the format so you know what to expect.
- Ask your friends. Ask them how they found certain questions or assignments. Ask them to show you how to answer questions. Two heads are definitely better than one.
- Make sure you get lots of rest and eat properly. When assignments, reviews or exams are coming up, you need to be at your peak performance!
- Monitor your stress and if you feel uncomfortable, tell somebody and ask for help. The college can help.
- Don’t be afraid to ask lecturers if you have any questions or exam concerns. Find out your lecturer's office hours so that if you do have questions or concerns you can go and meet them.
- Organise yourself: you may have a lot of material to cover so make sure you get it done in good time for each exam.
Dropping Out
Dropping out is a very hard decision to make and not to be taken lightly. A lot of thought needs to be taken before making this decision. Hopefully you wont regret your final decision. There are so many reasons why people decide to drop out. Here are just some of them:
Personal:
This includes illness, financial or emotional. Consult your lecturers when considering dropping out. Even if you have personal reasons they may be able to help and see what your options are. IADT is a fair institution and will take personal problems into consideration. If you need any advice or help on your personal problems, call into Anna, the Welfare and Equality Officer, who will discuss your options with you.
Academic Reasons:
This includes apathy for the course or failing exams. Again don’t take this decision before you have received advice. If you are having problems with the course itself then talk to your Lecturers, Student Counselor or Careers Advisory Officer. They can be of great help. Alternatively consult your Education Officer Joe Geary who will help give you the advice you need. If you have definitely decided to drop out you should inform your Head of Department and the Registrar in writing (go to your Careers and Appointments Officer she will advise you on all you need to do and what is out there for you) You should also return your student ID card. Delay in such action may affect future entitlement to free tuition fees and/or grants throughout the 3rd level sector.
Top websites:
Google
While it seems fairly obvious, there are so many features from Google that many people miss out on some great tools for the web. Organise your academic year with the Calendar, share documents or complete collaborative projects with Google Docs, never forget that great website you found by using Google Bookmarks and find great academic resources using Google Books and Google Scholar. Of course, moving from pc to mac or even if using a friends laptop, iGoogle is a brilliant web tool that acts as your home page. Gadgets display your “word of the day”, your Google Calendar, gmail inbox or your to-do lists. Simply log in with your google account, and use any tools you need.
Tube. YouTube.
Another rather obvious choice, but the concept of video-hosting sites is rather new, as old as it may feel. In any case, there are many similar websites on the internet, but as youtube led the pack, it seems to be better for sharing videos with friends. Simply log in with a youtube or a google account and begin adding friends, subscribing to channels and finding your favourite videos. Kittens need be told how cute they are. But wait, a brief WARNING. The greatest problem with video sites is that IADT has almost 2,000 students, and only so much network bandwidth. The average video takes up 10mb, so with so many people online all at once, this can slow down your network server. Please only use video sites when absolutely necessary.
Music sites
IADT SU is against music piracy. Do not steal music. Now that the lawyers are satisfied, perfectly legal and safe alternatives on the web offer music searching and streaming. Hypem.com offers up to date searching and streaming on what top music bloggers are listening to. Last.fm brings you into a social network of random music streaming. Aurgasm.us (immature, we know) relies on a select group of enthusiasts to steam tracks from new artists. Mixturtle.com allows you to search and stream specific tracks. Of course there are many other sites just like these, but the main idea is that if you have to listen to streaming music online, please do not use youtube.com, as a video file is 3 times the size of a music file, slowing your network down.
Social Bookmarking
Time for another brief warning. Stumbleupon.com, digg.com reddit.com and delicious.com are highly addictive websites. Yet, just like alcohol, they can be enjoyed responsibly. Social bookmarking sites work on the basis of human users submitting links to great websites, and other users rating them as good or bad. The good links survive, and so these sites can be used to search for high quality media content on the web. To emphasise once more, this suggestion is well intentioned, and can greatly assist you on the internet, but be aware that time flies when you're having fun.
Social Networking
As fun as they may be, your myspace, bebo or facebook profile can feel bigger than you sometimes. My grandfather always said, “It is important to check yourself before you wreck yourself”. Make sure that you feel safe with what photos of you are tagged or posted online, as future employers may delve into your history on the internet. It is our advice to never give away sensitive information away on the web. In general, use caution, but hopefully the majority of your time networking is good and allows you to catch up with family and friends from back home and anybody new from IADT!
Offline Time
The internet sure is good fun for a night in, but it's even better for getting you out of the house! Check out what's happening out on the town, where the deals are, how to get in, and what time the Nitelink is running. Groups on social networking sites can clue you in on deals and drinks promotion. Entertainment.ie is a brilliant website, serving all of Ireland listing music or comedy gigs, cinema times, restaurants, clubs, theatre and exhibition events. Dublinbus.ie, irishrail.ie (dart) and luas.ie will help you plan your trip in and out of town.
Great Quotes
"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
Steve Jobs
"A leader leads by example not by force."
Sun Tzu
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
Mohandas Gandhi
"If you are going through hell, keep going."
Winston Churchill
"Don't count the days, make the days count."
Muhammad Ali
"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it."
Oscar Wilde
"You are going to let the fear of poverty govern your life and your reward will be that you will eat, but you will not live. "
George Bernard Shaw
"It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change. "
Charles Darwin
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
Friedrich Nietzsche
"In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. "
Hunter S. Thompson
"Well, the telling of jokes is an art of its own, and it always rises from some emotional threat. The best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful."
Kurt Vonnegut
"You begin saving the world by saving one person at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics."
Charles Bukowski
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. "
Bertrand Russell
"Anyway... I'm a man and everything, you know.... either that or a woman that's really let herself go."
Dylan Moran
"I don't need you to remind me of my age, I have a bladder to do that for me."
Stephen Fry
"From now on, I'm not doing anything I don't want to do. The world owes me happiness, fulfillment, and success. I'm just here to cash in."
Calvin (Calvin & Hobbes)
"The only people for me are the mad ones."
Jack Kerouac
"We want the people to be peace-loving, but also to be courageous."
Adolf Hitler
"We want our sound to go into the soul of the audience, and see if it can awaken some little thing in their minds... Cause there are so many sleeping people. "
Jimi Hendrix
"Civilized people cannot fully satisfy their sexual instinct without love."
Bertrand Russell
"I'm afraid of losing my obscurity. Genuineness only thrives in the dark. Like celery."
Aldous Huxley
"As far as I'm concerned, being any gender is a drag."
Patti Smith
"If the world were clear, art would not exist."
Albert Camus
"Political correctness has changed everything. People forget that political correctness used to be called spastic gay talk."
Frankie Boyle
"I don't make jokes. I just watch the Government and report the facts."
Will Rogers
"Stupidity is not a handicap in politics."
Napoleon Bonaparte
"What I must understand is why someone will continue to get out of bed in the morning once they have all the money they could want. Do they love the business, or do they love the money? "
Warren Buffet
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer. "
Douglas Adams
"How beautiful you are, now that you love me."
Marlene Dietrich
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean, I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff."
Mariah Carey
"It isn't the pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
Dan Quayle
"In Beverly Hills...they don't throw their garbage away. They make it into television shows. "
Woody Allen
"If human beings don't keep exercising their lips, he thought, their mouths probably seize up. After a few months' consideration and observation he abandonded this theory in favor of a new one. If they don't keep on exercising their lips, he thought, their brains start working."
Douglas Adams
"Ever wonder about those people who spend $2 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backward. "
George Carlin
"[After being told a swimming pool was off-limits to Jews] My son is half-Jewish; can he wade in up to his knees?"
Groucho Marx