Learn about learning at AIT open days

Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) holds its open days this weekend, Friday and Saturday, 15 and 16 November. Visitors to the institute will have an opportunity to attend talks, tour the campus, and meet with faculty and current students.

Open day runs from 10am-2pm on Friday and 10am-1pm on Saturday. Visitors will have an opportunity to discuss courses and prospective careers at the various exhibition stands, the majority of which will be situated in the main canteen area. Talks about engineering opportunities are in the Engineering and Informatics Building, while hospitality-related events are in the Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Studies Building.

A variety of campus tours will take place. In addition to a general campus tour, dedicated tours of the AIT International Arena, as well as science, engineering and hospitality facilities will be organised.

Many of the talks and presentations will focus on what students can expect to study at AIT and how they will learn. In addition, the presenters will focus on employment prospects and the opportunities that graduates can look forward to. A talk for mature students, delivered by mature students, is also scheduled, as is a talk on the DARE admissions scheme and supports available for students with disabilities at AIT.

“Open days offer prospective students a valuable opportunity to get the inside track on a college,” said AIT’s communications and marketing manager, Brian Lynch. “Visitors to the institute this weekend will have an opportunity to discuss their interests with lecturers, while also getting the low-down from our current students.

“Our focus in Athlone is on educating students for career success. This means that students acquire the knowledge and skills sought by employers, as well as the attitudes that will help them develop their careers over the coming years.”

AIT offers more than 50 full-time courses, application to which is made through the CAO. These courses vary from four-year honours degrees to two-year higher certificates. Among the new courses being offered for 2014 intake are a BA (Hons) in Business Psychology, a BA in Early Years Care and Education, a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical and Polymer Engineering, common entry degrees for Engineering Informatics and Software Design, as well as a BSc (Hons) in Bioveterinary Science.

Further information about open day can be found on AIT’s website at www.ait.ie/openday.