University Taster Day

Doing the Leaving Cert and looking ahead to University?

Take part in our FREE University Taster Day on April 5th 2013

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Choose FIVE taster sessions from the Taster Menu below (one for each timeslot)

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+353 91 49 4145 /4144  visit@nuigalway.ie

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Taster Session Descriptions

English: Professor Hubert McDermott - Macbeth and the Elizabethan World Picture

The Elizabethans had a radically different view of the world and everything in it from what we, in the twenty-first century, have.  In his talk, Professor Hubert McDemott will describe and analyse this world view in order to show how it provides a vital basis for an understanding  of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

History: Dr Kevin O Sullivan - The empire strikes back: Decolonisation and its consequences

In this session we will explore one of the key themes of twentieth century history: empire and its aftermath. What did decolonisation mean? And what were its long-term effects? This session’s mix of practical tips, group discussion and informed debate should prove useful as revision for the documents-based question on this year’s Leaving Cert. But it will also be important in another sense, giving you a taste of what it’s like to study history at NUI Galway.

French: Dr Philip Dine - Making sense of French comprehension: from A (for Amélie) to Z (for Zidane)

This interactive session will offer some practical tips for the listening comprehension and comprehension écrite sections of the French Higher Level Leaving Certificate examination. The examples selected will also encourage students to engage with a number of iconic figures from contemporary French and Francophone culture, as an introduction to Third-Level studies in the discipline.

Acadamh-Cumarsáid:  Ódí Ní Cheilleachair  - Workshop: 'Ó Script go Scáilean / From Script to Screen'

Le treoir phraiticiúil ón bhfoireann chumarsáide, tabharfaidh na rannpháirtithe faoi scéal a aistriú ó Bhéarla go Gaeilge; breathnófar ar an scil a bhaineann le script a chur in oiriúint don teilifís agus raidió; tuairisciú agus an fhírinne; scileanna agallóireachta agus úsáid an ghutha; scannánú agus eagarthóireacht; píosaí chun ceamara agus pacáistiú nuachta. Is cuid lárnach de shaol na meán an sprioc ama agus is cinnte go dtabharfaidh an seisiún seo léargas praiticiúil do na rannpháirtithe ar phríomhghnéithe na cumarsáide.

 A news item will be transferred from script to screen with practical guidance from Cumarsáid staff. All course components will be utilised: translation from English to Irish; the art of adapting a script for television and radio; reporting and the truth; interviewing skills and voice use; filming and editing; pieces to camera and news packaging. Deadlines are part and parcel of all media work and the adrenaline will surely flow during this forty five minute challenge!

Maths Education: Dr Máire Ní Ríordáin - Workshop: Thinking Mathematically

Participants will engage in three different mathematical activities requiring problem solving skills and cooperation with peers, while revising key concepts related to the post-primary curriculum. These activities will be facilitated by staff and students of the BA in Mathematics and Education.

Italian: Dottoressa Valentina Rizzo - Let's go to Italy!

This workshop will introduce the students to Italian language and culture in an interactive and dynamic way. Facilitators will access and use a variety of resources to help participants familiarize themselves with Italy and the Italian language through a set of practical activities including quizzes, listening, comprehension and speaking exercises. The session will be an opportunity to speak and listen to some first words and expressions in Italian and experience Third-Level studies in the idiom.

Geography & Archaeology: Dr Kieran Hickey - Geography , Climate Change and the Physical Environment

This presentation will review the causes and consequences of climate change in both a global and Irish context. Understanding the difference between natural climate change and human-induced climate change will be the initial focus, followed by an outline of the causes of human-induced climate change with special focus on greenhouse gases and the enhanced greenhouse effect. Finally some of the major consequences of climate change will be examined including temperature rise, sea-level change and variations in precipitation and their likely effects both globally and in Ireland.

German: Dr Christa Brennan-Loffler & Dr Deirdre Byrnes - German Connects!

Taking the recently launched “German Connects” campaign as its point of departure, the first part of this session will explore reasons for studying German at third-level. In the second part, we will practise strategies for the reading comprehension section of the German Leaving Certificate examination.

Drama: Dr Patrick Lonergan - Workshop: Macbeth in Performance

This practical workshop invites participants to explore how  Macbeth works in performance.

We will show how staging key moments from the play can enhance students' reading of the text, and explore how the play affects audiences. The workshop will take place in a theatre space so participants should wear comfortable clothing that will allow freedom of movement. Ideally, participants should have read the play in advance, but this is not absolutely essential.

Acadamh-Aistriúchán: Eoin Ó Droighneáin - Áiseanna teanga ar líne don dalta ardteistiméireachta/ Online language resource for the Leaving Certificate Student

Seisiún idirghníomhach a bheidh anseo ina dtabharfar léargas do na daltaí ar áiseanna leictreonacha teanga – áiseanna ar líne a bhformhór – a bhféadfaidís leas a bhaint astu agus iad ag ullmhú don Ardteist. Tabharfar spléachadh freisin ar an gcaoi a mbaintear úsáid as na háiseanna sin ar an tríú leibhéal agus i ngairm an aistritheora.

In this interactive session, students will be introduced to electronic linguistic resources – most of them available on-line – they may avail of in their preparation for the Leaving Cert. They will also get a brief insight into the use of such resources at third level and in the translation profession.

Political Sciences & Sociology: Dr Brendan Flynn - Why study Sociology and Political Science at University?

Psychology: Dr Christopher Dwyer & Lisa Hynes

Dr Christopher Dwyer - Blueprints for Behaviour

This session will provide both an introduction to psychology and a sense of what is involved in studying this subject at University level. Students will be asked to consider/ given examples of the many strands of psychology that we teach and research in the School of Psychology. Students will also be presented with our need to critically think about these topics in both academic and real-world settings.

 Lisa Hynes- An Introduction to Health Psychology

This session will involve an introduction to health psychology and what is involved in studying this subject at university level. Students will be given examples of health research and asked to explore ideas about health and behaviour which they may not associate with psychology. Health psychology is an up and coming discipline with connections to medicine, economics, immunology, education, physics, information technology and geography. Students will learn about factors which influence health, why it is so difficult to be healthy, and how that can change.

Irish Studies: Dr Louis de Paor & Dr Méabh Ni Fhuartháin - Why isn't Sminky on the Leaving? Introducing Irish Studies

The construction and critique of Irish identities in literature, music, film, television and other aspects of popular culture is central to the interdisciplinary project of Irish Studies. This interactive session will track some of the recurring images of Ireland and Irishness in very different kinds of texts, from WB Yeats and Máirtín Ó Direáin through to Riverdance, Roddy Doyle and Sminky shorts to encourage students to engage critically with stereotypes of Irish identity, the kind of close reading students of the BA with Irish Studies are engaged in at NUI Galway.

Film Studies: Tony Tracy - Examining Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982)

Gaeilge: Dr Máirtín Coilféir - Céard is litríocht ann (ar aon nós)?

Sa seisiún seo pléifidh muid céard a bhíonn i gceist le staidéar a dhéanamh ar an litríocht ar an tríú leibhéal. Beidh muid ag caint ar scéalta agus ar dhánta, agus cén fáth a bhfuil sé tábhachtach iad a léamh agus a insint. Ag tagairt do chuid d’ábhar na hardteiste, labhróidh muid ar an difríocht idir ranganna na meánscoile agus an fhoghlaim ar an ollscoil. Má tá spéis agat sa litríocht, buail isteach go bhfeicfidh tú an dtaitneoidh sí leat ar an gcoláiste. (Beidh an seisiún seo as Gaeilge.)

Spanish and Latin American Culture: Dr Mel Boland - Exploring the hispanic world: Spanish and Latin American Culture

This introductory session invites participants to look at Spanish as an international language. It and draws upon key figures and images from both contemporary Spanish and Latin American culture to highlight the global impact of Spanish and to showcase third-level studies in Spanish and Latin American Studies.

Philosophy: Dr Nick Tosh - Introduction to Philosophy

In this lecture, we will conduct a thought experiment. We will imagine a high-tech teleportation device, and we will pose a deceptively simple question: is teleportation a convenient kind of travel or a strange kind of death? This question – which turns out to be very difficult to answer – forces us to think hard about personal identity. What makes you you?

Classics: Dr Amanda Kelly, Dr Jacopo Bisagni, Dr Mark Stansbury and Dr Pádraic Moran - What can you do with Classics?