Academic calendar
Semester 1 2026 runs Sep 7, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Semester 1 2026Relevant now
- Semester 2 2027
- Autumn Repeat Exams 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 16 of 16 terms
A
- ALIVE
- A Learning Initiative and the Volunteering Experience, the university's student volunteering programme.
C
- Corrib
- Corrib Village, the university's original on-campus student accommodation.
D
- Dunlin
- Dunlin Village, the newest on-campus student accommodation block.
G
- Goldcrest
- Goldcrest Village, a modern on-campus student residence opened in 2018.
- Gort
- Gort na Coiribe, a popular off-campus student housing complex located near the university.
R
- RAG Week
- Raise and Give week, a high-energy week of charity fundraising and social events.
S
- Smokey's
- Smokey Joe's Cafe, a central coffee and snack spot located in the Arts/Science Concourse.
- Socs
- University Societies, the collective term for the 100+ student-run interest groups.
- SU
- University of Galway Students' Union, representing student interests and providing services.
- Sult
- The main campus bar and restaurant, formerly known as the College Bar.
T
- The Arch
- The Spanish Arch, a historic site in the city where students traditionally gather to socialize outdoors.
- The Bialann
- An Bhialann, the university's primary large-scale student canteen.
- The Big Yellow Thing
- The 'Galway Yellow' sculpture by Brian King, a common landmark for meeting outside the library.
- The Pods
- Individual or group study cubicles located within the James Hardiman Library.
U
- USI
- Union of Students in Ireland, the national representative body for third-level students.
Z
- Zinc
- A cafe located within the Alice Perry Engineering Building.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Alice Perry
- The Engineering Building, named after the first woman in Ireland to graduate with an engineering degree.
- an_bhialann
- An Bhialann
- Blackboard
- The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) used for course materials and assignment submissions.
- Cairnes
- The J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics building.
- Cárta Mac Léinn
- The official Irish name for the Student ID card required for library access and exams.
- Leap Card
- The Student Leap Card used for discounted fares on the 404 and 405 city buses serving campus.
- smokey_s_caf
- Smokey's Café
- SocsBox
- The physical hub in the Áras na Mac Léinn building for society queries and event tickets.
- sult_students_union_bar_restaurant
- Sult (Students' Union Bar & Restaurant)
- The Concourse
- The main thoroughfare and social hub connecting the Arts, Science, and Engineering buildings.
- The Hardiman
- The James Hardiman Library, the main research and study library on campus.
- The Quad
- The Quadrangle, the university's iconic 19th-century mock-Tudor building.
- zinc_caife
- Zinc Caife
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Semester 1 2026 runs Sep 7, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 16 approved campus terms and 13 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.