UL Student Ambassador Luisa has put together an A-Z guide for all the things you need to know starting out as a UL Student. From popular building nicknames to Public Transport cards, Luisa explains it all.

A
Academic Advisor
This is your contact person throughout the semester for all questions related to your Learning
Agreement and your courses. You will receive an email from UL that will tell you who your academic
advisor is. The advisors themselves will be contacting you in the first weeks of term to schedule a
meeting in which you can introduce yourself, ask questions, and review your Learning Agreement.

Academic Writing
Some modules require that you write an academic essay or paper as part of your grade. If you need
some help or simply want to make sure that your writing is as good as it can be, check out the
Regional Writing Centre! They offer a broad range of services related to academic writing, from one-on-one tutoring to quick queries. You can find out more here.

Accommodation
Looking for a place to stay? You can apply for a room in on-campus accommodation operated by
Campus Life Services! They range from 2- to 6-bed apartments with or without ensuite bathrooms,
and they are within a 20-minute walking distance from other university buildings.
Please note: You can choose your accommodation preferences, but there is no guarantee that you
will get your first choice.

B
Brown Thomas
The iconic bronze-brown sculpture in the plaza between the Main Building and the Glucksman
Library has been lovingly dubbed “Brown Thomas”. So if someone wants to meet you at Brown
Thomas, keep an eye out for this guy:

Building Code
Each building has a specific code, so each lecture/tutorial/lab has a designated room. The codes are
built like this:
[Building Code] + [Floor] + [Room Number]
These are the abbreviations of the campus buildings:
S: Schumann Building
F: Foundation Building
P: PESS Building
L: Lonscale Building
CS: Computer Science Building
ER: Engineer Research Building
SR: Schrödinger Building
KB: Kemmy Business School
LC: Languages Building
HS: Health Science Building
GEMS: School of Medicine Building
Floors are usually labelled with a number (1, 2, 3, …) or a letter (G, B, …).
The Main Building has five blocks (A, B, C, D, E) and six floors (G, O, M, 1, 2, 3):

C
Certificate of Arrival
If you are an ERASMUS student, you will have to fill out a Certificate of Arrival and send it to the
responsible person at UL (usually not your academic advisor) to get a signature. You will be told who
to send it to during your Orientation Week.

Certificate of Attendance/Departure
Similar to the Certificate of Arrival, you also have to fill out a Certificate of Attendance/Departure
that confirms the length of your stay abroad. You will get any relevant information on this near the
end of your semester.

Clubs and Societies
UL has a huge number of clubs and societies that cater to every interest! From popular sports clubs
like American Football or Cheerleading to smaller, more niche clubs and socs like Chemical
Engineering or Parkour – become a member of a clubs and/or a society and meet new friends! Check
out the list of available clubs and societies on UL Wolves.

Courtyard
The courtyard is the central spot on campus with everything you could possibly need during your
studies. Besides a Contemplative Space, the UL Student Life office, and the Accommodation Services,
you can find Spar, Stables, Scholars, an ATM, a barbershop, and the UL giftshop there!

E
Exams
Each module you take requires you to sit one or multiple exams as a means of assessing you and
your learning progress. Exams can take many forms (essay, written exam, online test, blog posts,
performances) and might also be due after the first few weeks (“midterms”).

G
Glucksman Library
Looking for sources to draw on in your final essay or midterm? The Glucksman Library has got you
covered with countless books, journals, reviews or even special collections and archives. Besides the
“real deal”, you can also access their resources online. Check out their webpage for more
information.

L
Lab
A more hands-on, student-oriented component of a module, usually only in very specialised
courses. They often take place in computer studios or similar rooms.

Leap Card
A Leap Card is a way of paying for your bus fares. You can buy them at over 25 spots in Limerick or
apply for them online (Student Leap Card). They are like a prepaid card (that, in the case of the
Student Leap Card, are personalised with your photo). Using them is not only practical, but cheap as
well – you get a discount on each fare if you use a Leap Card!
In order to use them for paying for your ride, simply top them up, present them to the driver when
entering the bus, and enjoy the ride! Alternatively, you can buy your tickets on the TFI GO app.

Lecture
Lectures are one of the three type of module delivery. They are usually teacher-oriented, but they
can occasionally allow for student interaction. In most cases, lectures are accompanied by a lab
and/or a tutorial.

Living Bridge
An extremely lovely, futuristically designed pedestrian bridge over the River Shannon that connects
the campus North and South. When you’re walking on it, its architecture makes it feel as if the bridge
is indeed “alive”!

M
Module
A module is a series of lectures and labs and/or tutorials related to one topic. All modules available
to International Students are compiled in a module booklet – you can find it on UL Global’s webpage
for incoming students.
Five modules per semester are a full course load, but you may register between three and six
modules depending on the requirements of your home university. If you are unsure which
regulations apply to you, you might want to talk to your Academic Advisor.

Module Code
Each module has a unique identifier that usually consists of two letters followed by four numbers.
The first two letters denote the subject area, the first digit denotes the type of study (International
students are usually only allowed to take modules with 4 as the first digit, e.g. LI4113), and the last
three digits are mainly just for departmental distinction.

Module Registration Form
In order to formally register your courses at UL, you will have to fill out a Module Registration Form
that will be sent to you either during your Orientation or during your first few weeks. If you have
filled out the form, your Academic Advisor needs to sign it.

P
Public Transport
Whether you want to go into the city centre or commute to the university, Limerick’s public
transport has got you covered. Arriving and departing from the bus stop in front of the Visitor Centre,
you can take the 304 or the 304A. You can either pay with your leap card when you enter the bus,
or buy an online ticket in the TFI GO app.

S
Scholars
The sister business to Stables, Scholars is best known for its delicious coffee. If you’re not a fan of
hot, caffeinated drinks, simply choose from their wide range of sandwiches, fresh salads and
baguettes. You can find The Scholars Club in the courtyard.

Spar
Located in the courtyard, Spar has a wide range of groceries as well as fresh snacks and sandwiches
for you to enjoy, so you can easily drop by after your lecture to do your grocery shopping! If you live
off-campus, the Spar in Castletroy Park might be more convenient for you.

Stables
Stables is the largest club on campus and is the focal point of social life. Drinks, food, great craic (Irish
for “fun”!) – you name it! In the evenings, you might need to have a member sticker in order to be
granted seating inside – you can get these stickers from the UL Student Life office in the courtyard.

T
TFI Go
The “Transport for Ireland” app that allows you to book online tickets for the bus. If you want to buy
a ticket to go into town, you can simply select “Limerick – Red Zone” as your station of departure and
arrival. You can even buy 10 tickets at once in order to save time when you take the bus the next
time – sometimes, they even have great deals going on that you don’t even get with your Leap
Card!

Tutorials
A more hands-on, student-oriented component of a module.

U
UL
This is the short form of the University’s name. If someone asks you where you are studying, you can
simply say “at UL”!

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