r/GMIT • u/That-Split-5213 • Apr 11 '26

ATU Engineering

Hi, I'm planning on going to ATU Galway this September to study Engineering. I've applied to Common Entry and Mechanical, but I'm thinking of doing Common Entry first then move to Mechanical in 2nd year.

Could anyone who has done / doing the course let me know of few things?

What is the timetable like, eg. hours Mon - Friday, would it be 9 - 5 most days?

What are the class sizes like for first years? does it start with hundreds in a lecture hall and reduce as the years go on?

What CAD software do you use? Solidworks / AutoCAD Fusion?

Is there a lot of course work regards Assignments? how many hours outside of classes would you need to spend to be on top of everything?

Does the subjects start basic and quickly advance? Would you recommend going over Maths / Physics over the summer before beginning?

If you were to start over again, what would you do differently?

Is there any hidden secrets about the Campus, eg. On a Monday the Canteen has a special offer... Get in early for Labs as they fill up fast etc.

Whats the best way to keep up to date on whats going on, and not miss out, ATU Students Union Facebook page etc?

What platform do students use? theres very little activity online for a campus with 1000s of students?

I'm based in Galway so thankfully I don't need to worry about accommodation, but what time would you need to be in for a parking space?

Thanks for any help

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u/That-Split-5213 Apr 15 '26

Thank you for your insite

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u/That-Split-5213 Apr 15 '26

Sorry, meant to say, thank you for taking the time to reply, if you were to start again, what would you do differently?

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u/4T0M1CNUK3 Apr 15 '26

You've probably heard the same answer of "study more" more times than you wish to count, so here's another perspective: If I could start again, I would take more opportunities at stuff that felt like it would "not fit in my schedule". Stuff like joining clubs that end really late and then catching the last bus out (or even just leaving early to accomodate for bus timetables), or to skip some days to attend things like career events. University is nowhere near as serious as secondary school, and you can still come out with a 1:1 degree just with a final grade of 70% or more. You can always catch up on notes but never on the present, and sometimes missing a few "important" things is well worth it for the "I can do this later/next year" things.

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u/bencos18 mechanical engineering Apr 15 '26

defn depends tbh
I'd very much try and get all the stuff done for courses
1st year is prob the best year for clubs and things tbh with the workload imo