Study Skills

(i) Private reading

A substantial amount of the time you spend on this course should be on reading the assigned texts. All our modules will require you to read at least one ancient author in translation; you will also be given a reading list at the start of each module, which will list the most appropriate and helpful secondary literature. All these books will be available in the library.

(ii) Lectures

The majority of your formal teaching will be at lectures. In lectures you will learn how to interpret and analyze the material you have absorbed in your reading, as well as learning new factual data where appropriate. Lectures are a key part of the teaching programme, and information communicated in one class is often referred back to in subsequent sessions. If you miss a lecture due to illness or other unavoidable cause, you should make sure that you catch up on the material you missed as soon as possible.

(iii) Tutorials

Early in the first semester you will be assigned to a tutorial group for each of your modules. Your group will consist of between eight and ten students, meeting under the supervision of a tutor to discuss various aspects of the lecture courses in more depth. This is an opportunity to discuss your own perspectives on the texts and issues you are studying, and to hone your understanding of the subject in structured discussion and debate. Tutorials allow for a more intimate and personal style of learning than other teaching formats: you will get most from them if you follow the required reading beforehand and are prepared to contribute to the discussion with your own opinions and questions. Tutorials are also a good opportunity to make social contact with other students, which will enrich your experience both of the subject and of university life.Tutors are usually graduates of the School of Classics , with extensive personal experience of the lecture courses and the UCD system, so they will often be able to help you with basic academic or administrative queries. Even if they cannot help directly they will be able to point you towards the appropriate member of staff, and offer you their moral support.All tutors who are not members of the full-time academic staff are based in K214, and can be contacted on 716 8391.

(iv) Assessment

You will need to submit coursework essays to fulfil the requirements for some modules. This is an opportunity to complete work without the pressure associated with exams, and gives you the chance to read, think about and explore the aspects of the ancient world you find particularly interesting. Your Module Co-ordinator will give you titles and inform you of the submission dates at the start of the module.Coursework submitted later than the deadline given by the Module Co-ordinator may be penalised. If you are ill or are otherwise unable to hand work in on time, it is essential that you let the Module Co-ordinator know in order to avoid being penalised. Examinations take place at the end of each semester. The timetable and location of any exam will be published nearer the time.