Virtual Open Day FAQs

How can I get the most out of the open day?

The open day has over 65 talks, 6 panel discussions and 16 Live Q&As. The best way to plan your day is to download the open day programme and identify the Top Three Talks that you don’t want to miss and note the starting time and duration of each of these talks. You can then build the rest of your schedule around these talks that are key for you.

If you have some specific queries that you know you want answered, review the schedule and look for the ‘Live Q&A’ opportunities (16 in total) and note the start and end time for these sessions and plan to be in the relevant chat room, where there are staff available to chat to you. We encourage students to attend the student panel discussions as these sessions will have a complete student focus and it is always great to hear directly from students who are studying the course that you might be interested in.

I can’t view some of the videos properly. Are there any tips to optimise viewing?

First of all, make sure you accept cookies on the web page (will appear at the top of the screen when you first visit the site). Second, make sure you are maximising the size of the tab on your screen. The website is mobile-friendly which means the video should be available to view on all devices (include tablets, mobile etc.), however this might mean that if you are watching on a PC, that you have to maximise the size of the tab you have open.

If I am having difficulties participating in the Open Day, where can I get help?

On the homepage of the open day website, you will see the link to our ‘Helpdesk’. This will be manned throughout the open day by NUI Galway staff and we will be able to point you in the right direction if you are having any difficulties.

What if I miss one of talks, or there is a clash in the timetable of talks I wish to attend?

Don’t worry, we plan to record all talks (in fact some of them will be pre-recorded), and we will upload the video files as soon as they are available. So you will be able to come back to the open day website later or any time after the event is over to watch the talks.

Are there any particular tips for parents attending the open day?

On the open day homepage, under ‘HEADLINE TALKS’, you will find a Parents’ Talk available to view. This includes contributions from Admissions, Fees and Student Services and also addresses the transition to third-level from an academic perspective, and a parent’s perspective. Parents may also like to join some of the college talks and panel discussions to get a sense of the course and career opportunities in different areas. For queries relating to the practicalities of joining NUI Galway, the ‘Student Experience Hub’ will host talks and Live Q&As relating to accommodation, access services and supports, sport, volunteering and many other aspects of student life.

Are there any particular tips for international students attending the open day?

We are delighted to welcome visitors from all over the world to join us for the open day! The full programme of talks and discussions will be relevant for international students, however the following two talks might be particularly useful if you are planning to study in Ireland. There is a talk starting at 2pm (GMT) on ‘Become an International Student at NUI Galway’ followed by a panel discussion at 3pm (GMT) on ‘The International Student Experience’; check the international student hub for open day page for details on how to join these talks. 

Will students be studying on-campus at NUI Galway this September?

While considerable uncertainty still remains about what public health regulations will be by the start of the coming academic year, we sincerely hope and expect that our first years/students will be starting on campus at NUI Galway in September. Visit our Alerts Website for most up-to-date information.

The Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris announced just last week (30th April) that he will publish a plan in June for an enhanced campus experience for third-level students for the next academic year, starting in September. As part of this Government announcement, it was confirmed there would be a significant increase in on-site third level activity in September.

What will teaching be like in September 2021?

We are committed to working towards a return to campus for the next academic year to the greatest extent possible within public health guidelines. NUI Galway and other Irish universities are now actively working on plans and are hopeful that the vaccine roll-out will, by the autumn, facilitate a much greater level of activity on campus than in the current year (visit our Alerts Website for most up-to-date information). On a positive note, much has been learned from the online experience over the past year, both in terms of collaborative teaching and learning methods and technologies which can help us achieve our educational goals in ways we may not have previously realised. Some of the positive lessons learned from online teaching over the last year will influence and benefit teaching and learning not just during the coming transition period, but also on our campus-based programmes into the future.

When will first year Orientation and teaching start this year?

Subject to Public Health Guidelines and government advice at the time, it is currently hoped that first year Orientation will take place on-campus in the first week of September and that teaching will start on Monday 6th September. Further information will be released on this as soon as possible.