FAQs - Starting First Year English 2021

You will find information on the modules offered in first-year English on the 1BA page of the Department website.  See http://www.nuigalway.ie/colleges-and-schools/arts-social-sciences-and-celtic-studies/english-creative-arts/departments-centres/english/undergraduate-courses/

Your work will be submitted via the Blackboard teaching and learning platform and that's where you will receive written feedback on your assignments from your lecturers and tutors. There will also be opportunities for you to discuss your work with your lecturers and tutors during office hours and certain designated class times.

Blackboard is a tool that allows teaching staff to add resources for students to access online. Powerpoint, video, audio, animation, and other applications are added into Blackboard courses for students to enhance teaching and learning efforts.  You will find recordings of many of your lectures here and it is also the application you will use to 'attend' virtual classes.

You can find out more about how to log in and how to use Blackboard at http://www.nuigalway.ie/information-solutions-services/services-for-students/blackboard/faq/

What should I do if I cannot attend lectures due to restricted movement?

The University's official position as set out in the communication from the Dean of Students is that students are expected to attend designated on-campus classes if at all possible, except for emergency or COVID-related health reasons. Students requesting a longer-term absence than two weeks have the option of making a request (via their Programme Directors) to the College Dean; students should be aware there are a very limited set of COVID-related circumstances accepted for this, such as illness, mandatory isolation, or restrictions on international travel.

If you do need to miss an assigned on-campus lecture for any of the above legitimate reasons, you have the option of attending the lecture virtually at the scheduled hour or watching the recording in your own time.

How do I log in to Blackboard?

Use you student ID number and password; exactly the same as for your NUIG email.

How do I activate my NUIG email account?

You can activate your account by following the instructions on nuigalway.ie/information-solutions-services/services-for-students/campusaccount.

You might find that you need some extra help, especially at the start of term or around assessment time.  It's not unusual for students to run into difficulties, especially in their first year, and staff in the department and the university will help you as much as they can.  The most important thing is that you let us know.

You should first check to see if you can find the information you need in the 1BA Handbook or Course Outline available on the 1BA page of the Department website.
If you need help with Registration, you should contact registration@nuigalway.ie
If you have a general question about the English Department, email Irene O'Malley or Dearbhla Mooney.
If you are unsure about something in your tutorial or lecture class, email your lecturer.  You will find their email address in the relevant Blackboard module. They will be happy to help.
If you have a more serious difficulty, you may contact the Heads of Year, Dr Emily Ridge or Prof Marie-Louise Coolahan.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

When do I need to have decided my GY101 subjects?

First Year registration closes 8th October.
However, you will not be able to access Blackboard materials for English (i.e. your allocated lecture group and your selection of tutorial groups for sign-up) until you register.

How do I register for Blackboard?

Once you are registered for English, you will be automatically enrolled for English modules on Blackboard.

I am having difficulties registering; what can I do?

Contact reghelp@nuigalway.ie 

When does teaching begin?

EN124 begins on Tuesday 28^th September. Tutorials (EN1102 or ENSK1100) start from 11^th October.

Is the lecture module EN124 Online or in person?

It’s a mixture of both. 

From Thursday September 30^th, we will be running in-person lectures in the O’Flaherty Theatre three times per week. These lectures will also be available to access remotely at the same scheduled time through the Virtual Classroom on Blackboard. Whether you attend these lectures on campus or online will depend on the first letter of your surname. If your surname begins with a letter in the alphabetical group A-K, you will be attending Tuesday lectures in person, Thursday lectures online and alternating Fridays in person/online. If your surname is in the L-Z alphabetical group, you will be attending Tuesday lectures online, Thursday lectures in person and alternating Fridays in person/online. You can check the Friday list on EN124 Blackboard: click on 'Lecture Attendance Groups' in the left pane. All lectures will be recorded and available online on the EN124 Blackboard module.

Can I choose which on-campus EN124 lectures to show up at?

No. You will be allocated to an alphabetical group, which is invited to attend specific lectures on campus on specific days. In order to comply with covid regulations, we cannot allow access to anybody other than the specific group allocated to that session, and we must have a list of everybody who is present.

Are lectures optional?

No. You should engage with every lecture for your module. Some days, you will be invited to attend in person. Other days, you will be expected to access it virtually. All lectures will be recorded and uploaded to Blackboard.

How do I sign up to a Tutorial?

If you are taking a Connect course, your tutorial module will be ENSK1100.  If you are taking the BA Joint Honours or Denominated programmes, you tutorial module is EN1102.  You will be able to access these modules once you have registered for English.

You should go in to your tutorial module and click the sign up link on the left hand side of Blackboard. You will see the choices of tutorial class times there and you should sign up to one that fits in well with your timetable.

Are tutorials optional?

No. Tutorials (EN1102/ENSK1100: Exploring English) are small-group sessions limited to 20 students, where you will get the opportunity to discuss your reading in detail, guidance on literary analysis and writing, and feedback on your essays. They are essential to your development as a student. Joint Honours and Denominated programme students are registered to EN1102. BA Connect students are registered to ENSK1100.

Where can I buy the books?

The core texts for ‘Reading Literature’ (the first half of EN124) are available to order online and pick up at the pop-up bookstore next to An Bhialann restaurant: https://www.omahonys.ie/. Alternatively, feel free to pick up secondhand editions, anywhere you like.

For ‘Reading Poetry’ (the second half of EN124), you will need the Reading Poetry Handbook, available online via Blackboard (EN124), and in hard copy from MediaLinn, next to An Bhialann restaurant on campus (http://medialinn.ie/).

Will there be exams in first semester?

Yes. However, examination for EN124 will take the form of two online 1-hour exams during scheduled lecture timeslots in Week 12. Details are in the 1BA Handbook.

Where can I find my lecturer’s details?

Contact details and email addresses for all lecturers in English can be found under 'People' on the left hand side bar of our website. nuigalway.ie/english. You can consult the 1BA Handbook, p. 6, for advice on email etiquette.

What happens if I or somebody next to me develops Covid symptoms?

Let your lecturer know as soon as possible. You are advised to go home and to get tested. You should not return to campus until you have tested negative and have been symptom-free for 48 hours. There is an isolation room available on campus if you are unable to get home immediately. For more detailed guidelines, please consult the following web page: http://www.nuigalway.ie/alert/returningtocampus/  

How will I know if I have been in close contact with someone with Covid 19?

Everyone on campus is asked to download the Covid Tracker app, and turn Bluetooth on, while on campus. Because we have allocated groups attending lectures, we will know who is present at every lecture.

What are the university’s current health protocols?

You can keep up-to-date by checvking http://www.nuigalway.ie/alert/

UPDATES:

Bookshop: Books can be ordered via the dedicated NUIG students section at omahonys.ie and picked up at the campus bookshop, which will opening the first day the campus opens.

Reading Poetry course reader

You will be notified by email when this is ready for collection at Media Linn.