NCI Blog

To give students a certain level of certainty during this unpredictable time, National College of Ireland confirmed that classes would continue to be delivered online for Semester 2 in November. During this time, returning and new students have access to a number of useful resources from various departments in the college. We have compiled a list* of helpful links to websites, guides, tips, advice and other resources that will support you while studying away from the physical college environment.

*This list was originally published in March 2020 and was updated in February 2021.

Academic Support

Although students will not be attending classes in the college for the remainder of the current semester, there are a range of resources in place such as Moodle, subject guides, online databases and more which are available to support your learning.

• Moodle: Along with accessing your course notes on Moodle, you can also enrol in student support, access advice and tips for learning online and get the latest updates from the college
• Subject Guides: The Norma Smurfit Library team have subject guides for each area of study from accounting to technology management which includes recommended ebooks, journals and websites for your particular study area.
• Library Academic Support Centre: Keith and Cory from the Library Help Centre are offering remote assistance for your assignments and research. The best way to get in touch with them is to email LibraryAcademicSupportCentre@ncirl.ie.
• Online Databases, eJournals, Case Studies and Discovery: Along with accessing these resources, students can contact the library team on LibChat or by email library@ncirl.ie. You can also follow the NCI Library on Twitter where the team are sharing tips in accessing good quality academic resources.
• Past Exam Papers: A dedicated website for past NCI exam papers for all undergraduate and postgraduate courses including tips for searching the database is also available online.
• NCI Library Working Remotely Guide: The library team created this useful guide which we recommend you bookmark as it includes links to the online databases, subject guides and ebooks mentioned above along with FAQs and referencing guides. Make sure to visit the various tabs for more updates and useful information. 

If you have a specific question related to your class notes or course content, the best thing to do is get in touch with the relevant lecturer directly via email (you’ll find their contact details on Moodle).

Learning Resources

These learning resources will enhance your efforts to study at home and help you learn independently. 

• Adapting to online learning: This includes time management tips, advice for staying motivated and a video tutorial for MS Teams which many lecturers in the college are using at the moment.
• Maths and Stats YouTube Channel: NCI's Mathematics Development and Support Officer, Jonathan Lambert, creates useful maths tutorials on his YouTube channel.
• Learn with Eugene YouTube Channel: Former NCI Computing Lecturer, Eugene O'Loughlin, has developed a popular YouTube channel with 'how to...' videos on a range of topics. 
• Computing support resources: This list of videos, examples, tutorials and other useful links will be helpful for computing students. You can also find contact details for the computing support team.
• English language support: These documents will be particularly useful for international students or any students who are studying through English as a second language.
• Academic writing techniques and strategies: If you find writing assignments especially challenging, these strategies will help you tackle any written submission. You'll also find further referencing guides and tools in this section on Moodle. 
• Useful technologies: This miscellaneous list includes tips on staying organised and focused along with tool for note taking, referencing and checking grammar.  

Quick Tips for Studying at Home

1. Stay informed of all updates from the college
2. Create a study schedule to build a routine
3. Study in a well-lit, uncluttered environment
4. Take regular breaks and stay active
5. Try to maintain healthy eating habits
6. Keep in touch with your lecturers and classmates
7. Make sure you get enough sleep every night
8. Stay informed but don’t over-consume the news and social media
9. Turn off distracting notifications on your phone
10. Drink lots of water throughout the day

Student Wellbeing and Support

At NCI, we are conscious that our students are currently in the midst of a lot of change and disruption to their normal college life as they find their feet and learn new ways of working from home and online. Student health and wellness is a real priority for NCI and that’s why we wanted to connect with you and remind you of all the wonderful resources that are still available to you.

Wellness Workshops

The Student Counselling and Wellness has started a new schedule of live online workshops in Semester 2. Students can email counselling@ncirl.ie to signup for any of the sessions below. 

Health and Wellness Support

• Student Health: The college offers a subsidised medical service for all full-time students at Hanover Medical Centre. Note that they have asked all patients to phone or email in advance of attending the surgery for an appointment.
• Students’ Union: Your NCISU team are available during this time and have been sharing useful tips for looking after yourself on their Instagram stories.
• Mental Health Society: The society is dedicated to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in the college, follow their page for updates.

“As students, we are facing an unprecedented challenge. With each other's support, we can get through it together, while staying apart.”

Daniel Flanagan, President, NCI Mental Health Society

Learning and Disability Support Service

The Learning and Disability Support service is running remotely. Students can contact Disability Officer Karen Mooney via email karen.mooney@ncirl.ie or phone (085) 7852991 with any query or concerns.

• Disability Support: Further information on our Disability Support Service is available on our website.
• Study Tips for Autistic Students: Autism advocacy group, AsIAm, have shared some useful tips for studying at home with their followers recently to help them adjust to their new learning environment.

Student Counselling and Wellness Service

The Student Counselling and Wellness Service is still running and offering telephone counselling to NCI students. Email counselling@ncirl.ie to apply for student counselling and we will send you through the details and how to get registered with the service. We are will also be sharing hints, tips, advice, helplines, websites, blogs and apps on Moodle which will no doubt be useful for students at this time.

Below are some website and helpline numbers with some blogs and apps also listed.

Blogs:

• St. Pat’s: Managing anxiety
• Black Dog Institute: 10 tips for managing anxiety
• Samaritans: Support for mental health
• My Mind: COVID-19 and your wellbeing
• Dr. Claire Hayes: Staying calm

Apps:

• Headspace
• Calm

IT Support

The IT department has been working hard behind-the-scenes since the college closed to support the delivery of online classes. Listed below are some useful IT resources that will help ensure you have everything you need to stay connected and resolve any issues you have.

• Student Email
• Password Manager
• Office 365 Apps
• NCI360
• IT Video Guides

Further information can be found on the IT Services section on our website.

International Support

The international support team are continuing to support students while the campus is closed. Students can email internationalsupport@ncirl.ie with their queries and letter requests and we will respond as quickly as possible, during office hours.

• Letter Request Form: Students can request letters using the letter request form and we will email your letter to you within two working days.
• ICOS Guide: The Irish Council for International Students have created a guide on the impact of COVID-19 on International Students in Ireland.
• NCI International on Instagram: Follow the international office on Instagram and share how you are staying safe by staying at home and tag #NCIStayAtHome and @NCI_Int.
• Virtual Events: Join the NCI International Office in our virtual events such as Netflix Parties and Virtual Coffee and Chats. We'll be posting regular updates about these events on Instagram.

Careers Support

The Career Development and Employability Service is a vital resource for NCI students, particularly those who are in their final year and who are preparing to enter the graduate workforce. The team are continuing to support students while the campus is closed by working remotely to answer queries from students and employers. Remember, along with contacting the team, you can also review the tips and practical advice on the careers section on our website.

• CV Tips and Templates: You’ll find actionable CV tips, templates, video guides and other useful downloads on this page.
• Interview Tips: This is where you’ll find advice that will help you succeed at interviews including telephone, video and Skype interviews.
• Advice for Improving Your Online Presence: Here are some ways you can use social media to your advantage when applying for a graduate role.
• Downloadable Careers Resources: Templates, samples and guides, you’ll find some handy downloadable career resources on this page.
• Contact the Careers Team: Find out who is the correct careers advisor for your course and get in touch with them via email.
• NCI Careers on Instagram: You can also get in touch with the careers department on social media and follow their updates for news and information from the team.

The team are regularly sharing graduate job opportunities on social media and their careers newsletter so make sure to stay connected with them during this time.

Faculties & Departments

Information on each of the faculties and departments in the college can be found below.

• School of Business
• School of Computing
• Psychology Department
• Learning, Teaching and Education

Social Media

You can follow National College of Ireland on social media to keep up with our latest updates.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

As there are numerous messages related to the COVID-19 outbreak shared across social media, we would advise NCI students to refer to reputable news sources only. We would also recommend turning notifications off to focus on your studies while adapting to your new learning environment and limiting your usage of social media as the volume of communication on this topic can be overwhelming.

Applicants

Our Admissions team is working remotely to answer queries and process applications from international and domestic students. Applications for full-time, undergraduate CAO students are also proceeding as normal. You’ll find the categories of courses we offer in the areas of business, computing, psychology and education listed below.

• All Courses
• Full-Time Courses
• Part-Time Courses
• Postgraduate Courses
• Undergraduate Courses
• CAO Courses
• International Students’ Courses
• How to Apply

Further information for anyone interested in applying for a course at NCI is available under the applicants FAQ category on our COVID-19 Update page.

Further Information

• Our Campus Commitment
• COVID-19 Update and FAQs
• COVID-19 Update for NCI Students
• 5 Tips for Third-Level Students Working from Home
• Parenting while Social Distancing – Part 1: The Great Outdoors

Make sure to bookmark this blog post and keep checking back in as we will be adding more useful resources for NCI students as we move through the semester. Leave a comment below if there are any other resources that may benefit students and should be added to this list!