How CÉIM Works
CÉIM offers 1st year students a host of ways to connect with classmates and gain a greater understanding of coursework in a supportive and informal environment.
- Weekly peer learning sessions
Three/four student leaders from higher years facilitate sessions every week on campus for a group of 1st year students within the same discipline.
Sessions centre around getting to know classmates and maximising understanding of a particular subject in a relaxed atmosphere, and also integrate study tools, successful exam techniques and creative problem solving. 1st year students determine the content to be discussed, as opposed to the student leaders.
Sessions are intended to be a safe place where is it OK to admit to not understanding something, and to make mistakes. CÉIM is not a remedial support – it is aimed at all 1st year students. CÉIM sessions are timetabled and attendance is taken. Sessions generally start in week 2 or 3 in Semester 1, and in week 2 in Semester 2, and run for 50 minutes.
2. Small Cairde groups for meeting other students
Students who are offered CÉIM within their discipline are automatically put into a Cairde group of about 8/9 students. Some disciplines are very large, and Cairde groups help break down large cohorts of students into smaller groups.
1st year students should reach out to the others in their Cairde group in order to get to know each other, and to figure out what study group activities they might like to undertake to support each other.
3. Attend lectures and discussion afterwards
A great way for Cairde group members to initially get to know each other is to arrange to meet to attend a lecture together and then discuss it afterwards. Any unanswered queries that the group has could be discussed at the weekly CÉIM session.
CÉIM student leaders encourage Cairde groups to meet up, but it is ultimately up the 1st year students to take the lead on arranging meet ups!
4. Group chat to ask each other questions and offer support
Each CÉIM group will have a group chat on the groups preferred social media (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Discord etc.). This makes it easy for 1st year students to ask each other questions and generally share learning in a supportive environment.