New to Trinity
Welcome to Trinity College and congratulations on getting your hard won place. Starting college is an exciting time and a new chapter in your life. There is so much to experience. It's all very new and different to anything else you've done before. There can be some challenges in your transition year but hopefully this section will give you all the necessary information to deal with those challenges.
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What are the challenges I might face?
While we hope your transition into college will be smooth and problem free, it's good to know that many transition students do face challenges in their first year in college, at undergraduate and postgraduate level. There can be challenges around the academic culture; wondering what your lecturers expect, how to learn independently (what does that even mean?), how to write in an academic style, how to manage your workload or carry out research or think critically. Navigating these challenges might require you to develop new learning skills. Even high achieving students can struggle and may need to use different learning strategies to those they used in school.
The great thing is that you can learn new skills and if you start using appropriate skills early on, they will stand you in good stead for your later years in college and help you maximise your potential. First year is a good time to find out what works for you, so take the opportunity to develop great learning skills now!
Some questions that new students often ask are:
- "What does the lecturer mean when they talk about critical thinking?"
- "How do I structure and write an academic essay?"
- "How do I manage my time?"
- "What does 'independent learner' mean?"
What help can I expect from SLD?
SLD provide services all year round to help you adjust to your new academic journey. We provide workshops that are tailored to your point in the academic year, as well as specific supports for students in STEM, Arts & Humanities and also Health Sciences. In collaboration with other areas of college we also deliver workshops around academic culture, and lots of specific strategies for academic writing, self management and assessment.
You can also avail of individual appointments, writing groups and online learning resources. You can learn about all of our services from the link below.
Where else can I get help?
Lots of areas in the University provide help to guide you through these first few months in Trinity. Click below to find out about other college services.