Galway Exams 101

Get Exam Ready

Podcast - Your First Year Exams Survival Guide 

AnnMarie Gilchrist, Student Advisor with the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences and the School of Law chats with host Barry Ó Siochrú, former Students' Union Vice President for Gaeilge 2022/23, and provides practical tips on sitting your first university exams. Listen here. Transcript available here. 

Podcast - Beyond the Books

Raimey O'Boyle, former Students' Union VP for Education 2023/24, chats with guest Regina Lyons from the Academic Skills team in the Library and shares tips on how to navigate the Library and advises on the fantastic resources available. Listen in now.  

Past Exam Papers

Past exam papers are a valuable resource for creating effective study plans. You can find them on this webpage. Search by module / subject code to get the correct papers. 

What Happens on the Day of the Exam?

Take a look a the Exams Office FAQ page to find our what you can expect on the day of the exam. 

Assignment and Exam Success

Study Skills - Podcast

Luke O' Donnell, Researcher with the School of Education chats with Barry Ó Siochrú, former Students' Union Vice President for Gaeilge 2022/23 and provides tips and insights on how to develop good study skills and habits. Listen here. Transcript available here.

Library workshops: Monday 11 November to Friday 22 November

Finding Articles and Books - Not sure where to find the right information to be successful with your assignment? Check out this quick library skills session, where you'll find out: 

•  the main features of the library catalogue
•  how to search for scholarly articles, books and ebooks
•  how to search for topics on the library catalogue and refine results
•  about different databases relevant to your subject area

Workshop Registration:
Online: 1-1.40pm, Monday 11 November. Register now. 
Library Training Room PC Suite: 2-2.40pm, Thursday 14 November. Register now.
Online: 10-10.40am, Monday 18 November. Register now. 
Online: 11-11.40, Wednesday 20 November Register now.

Endnote for Citing and Referencing - By the end of this session, you will know how to: 

•  Download the Endnote software to your device.
• Create an Endnote library.
• Export records from the library catalogue and key databases.
• Use Cite While You Write (CWYW) to create citations and a reference list. 

Workshop Registration:
Library Training Room PC Suite: 2-3pm,Tuesday 19 November. Register now. 
Online: 9-10am, Friday 22 November. Register now. 

Academic Skills Hub - Online Resources

The Academic Skills Hub is your go-to resource for essential academic skills. It offers quick tips and concise advice on some key academic skills, as well as helpful guides and planners to help you on your academic journey. Explore the resources at your own pace on this link. 

Additional Academic Resources

 Below are a selection of resources to help you with assignments and exams. 

• Stella Cottrell's Study Skills Handbook is a great resource and has a chapter specifically on revision and exam strategy. You can be find the book online here as well as in the library here 
• The Library Academic Skills Service is open Monday - Friday from 10-1pm
• The Library have created a suite of videos on mastering the library catalogue
• The Library Endnote guide
• Citing and Referencing
• Referencing and Citing with Endnote, by Gabriel Bourke
• How to Edit and Format MS Word document for Essays or Reports 
• SUMS - Support for undergraduate maths and statistics, it's FREE service providing informal mathematics support to first and second year students across all colleges and courses as well as to students engaged in Access/Foundation courses. 
• Computer Disc - is a free drop-in support centre for students who are taking any programming/software development courses. 

Self-Directed Study Guides and Videos

FYI: First Year In: An essential open educational textbook created by the Academic Skills Team in the library to equip newcomers to the university library with critical skills for academic success. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the process of finding, using and managing reliable information sources. It emphasises the importance of evaluating sources and offers practical guidance on finding information for assignments, academic integrity and getting the most out of the library.

Mastering the Library Catalogue: Take a look at this video for a guide to accessing the library catalogue to help you find books, eBooks, journal articles as well as searching for research topics. 

Study Tips

We asked our students to share their top assignment and exam study tips. Check out the full list of study tips! 

Taking Care of Me

Brew Breaks 

Join us for FREE tea, coffee and healthy snacks. It's the perfect chance to unwind and chat with staff about any queries you might have in the lead up to assignments and exams.

When and Where:

• 2-4pm, Thursday 7 November. Student Enquiry Centre -  Arts / Science Concourse.
• 10am-12pm, Tuesday 12 November. Student Enquiry Centre -  Arts / Science Concourse.
• 10am-12pm, Thursday 21 November. Career Development Centre. Find us here. 
• 12-2pm, Thursday 28 November. Student Enquiry Centre -  Arts / Science Concourse.

Calm Zone - Monday 2 December - Friday 20 December

If you are looking for a space to chill out, escape from sensory stress and overload, and 'just be' while you study for and sit your exams, The Calm Zone is for you. Take a seat on bean bags in a softly lit sanctuary, do some arts and crafts, play cards and board games or chat.

📍 Large Acoustic Room, Áras na Mac Léinn from Monday 2nd to Thursday 5th December.
📍 Bank of Ireland Theatre (next to @sultuniofgalway) from Friday 6th to Friday 20th December

⏱ Open from 10am to 6pm from 2nd to 6th December, and from 8am to 7pm while exams are running.

Podcast -    Destress for Success 

Jimmy McGovern, Support Worker with the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Centre, chats with host Barry Ó Siochrú, former Students' Union Vice President for Gaeilge 2022/23 and gives us some fantastic tips on managing and reducing stress in the run up to exams. Listen here. Transcript available here. 

Podcast -   Sleep Well, Study Well 

Nóirín Mannion, Mental Health Support Worker in the University of Galway student health unit, chats with host Barry Ó Siochrú, former Students' Union Vice President for Gaeilge 2022/23 and reminds us that it is ok to allow time for self care, particularly during stressful times. Listen here. Transcript available here. 

Podcast -   Take a Breath with Ecotherapy 

In this episode Fiona Roche, Student Counsellor in the University of Galway, chats with host Barry Ó Siochrú, former Students' Union Vice President for Gaeilge 2022/23 and explains how ecotherapy focuses on using nature and the outdoors to improve our wellbeing. Listen here. Transcript available here. 

Podcast -   Tarraing d'anáil le hÉiciteiripe 

Sa chlár seo míníonn Fiona Roche, Comhairleoir Mac Léinn, conas a úsáideann éiciteiripe an dúlra agus an saol amuigh faoin aer chun ár bhfolláine a fheabhsú.  Anseo. 

Podcast - WellZone Series

The Well Zone podcast series is brought to you by Student Counselling & Wellbeing and will explore proven strategies to support your mental, spirtual and emotional health during your university journey. There are four episodes in this series and each episode has a variety of exercises that you can complete in your own time. This series is delivered by members of the counselling and wellbeing team at University of Galway.  Listen now. View transcripts and exercises. 

The Mindful Way - Online Shared Practice of Mindfulness

The online practice of mindfulness takes place every Wednesday and runs from 8am to 8.30am. This practice is a simple mindfulness meditation and is suitable for all, both beginners and for those already familiar with meditation. Find out more. 

Doing Exams

Regulations Do's and Don'ts - Podcast

Joe Mee, former Students' Union VP for Education 2022/23, gives some practical advise on what you should do ahead of sitting your exams, as well as what to expect on the day of the exam. Listen here. Transcript available here. 

Accommodations, Adapting for You - Podcast

Catherine Dufficy, Assistant Disability Support Officer provides information on how students registered with the Disability Support Service can avail of additional exam supports. Listen here. Transcript available here. 

Academic Supports

The Library Academic Skills Desk is open Monday - Friday from 10-1pm for drop ins, no need to book. Alternatively you can book a one to one appointment on this link. They can help you with finding databases, locating articles and books, evaluating information, citing and referencing, using Endnote and searching the literature for literature reviews.

Study Spaces on Campus

Additional Study Spaces

Check out the list of available group and individual study spaces on campus.