THE FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE
1. Your Student Experience is Important to Us! At GMIT we understand that transitioning to third level can be daunting. That’s why we’ve developed a five-week welcome programme to get you settled. You’ll find out about the supports and financial assistance available to you both at GMIT and in the community, how to establish healthy habits, how to manage stress, how to cope with living away from home, you will be inspired for your future and so much more.
PASS aims to help students: • To develop their independent learning and study skills • To adjust more readily to the requirements of their programme • To enhance their understanding of their modules • To prepare more effectively for assignments and exams
Discussions in the weekly PASS sessions include: • Accommodation issues, travel or sharing information on the best places to go
• Finding your way around campus • Locating resources in the library • Getting the most out of lectures • Analysing lecture notes and note-taking techniques • Exploring guidelines for getting the best from group work • Practising presentations
The #First5weeks programme will help you find your way around campus, meet new people, make new friends, try new activities and have fun! Check www.gmit.ie/welcome for details 2. Peer Assisted Study Sessions Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are timetabled weekly and are run by student leaders from senior years. PASS supports first year students and helps students settle into college life and study.
• Reviewing lectures you’ve found difficult • Analysing assignment and exam questions For more information on the GMIT PASS Programme visit www.gmit.ie/pass or Email: pass@gmit.ie
3. Learning and Innovation Skills (LIS) An academic skills development module for all first year students.
GMIT has developed a common Institute module for all first years. This is an active learning module and its aim is to ease the transition to third level education and develop the academic skills required to undertake a programme in GMIT. This module is all about learning actively, developing creativity and being innovative. The module is contextualised for each programme of study and covers topics such as: • What is learning at third level and student responsibilities? • Learning methodologies • Understanding learning styles • Learning skills development, such as methods of note taking for a specific discipline • Personal development plans (PDPs) (e.g. ‘A Learning Log’, ‘A Learning Portfolio’, ‘An ePortfolio’, ‘An Artistic Statement’ etc.) • Time management
About the GMIT PASS Programme
PASS at GMIT Collaborative learning sessions led by student leaders. Celebrating
2009 - 2019 Years
2019
2009
+ Student Leaders 100 40
Leaders 9 3
Degree Programmes + Student
Degree Programmes
2018
TO DATE
SAVINGS € 30,000 for every
PASS has supported
Online PASS Leadership Course la nched u
250+ Students enrolled to date
14,000 800+
student retained
GMIT PASS Leaders
• Group work / Team skills • Learning with ‘Moodle’ • Study skills (e.g. Finding Information skills / Research skills) • Problem solving skills • Referencing
Since launching in 2009, the GMIT PASS Programme has been adopted by many HEIs in Ireland and internationally.
PASS is a weekly one-hour study session scheme for first years and is led by students called PASS Leaders. It offers cross-year support between students on the same programme and encourages first year students to support each other and learn co- operatively under the guidance of two PASS Leaders (i.e. students from the second, third or fourth year of their programme). First year students may decide what is to be discussed at the weekly PASS sessions.
The LIS module is supported by a suite of online learning resources called Academic Success: Skills for Learning, Skills for Life.
31
Powered by FlippingBook