Trinity Jargon Buster
Glossary for new students
In the first few weeks at College, you will be bombarded with a mind-numbing array of abbreviations, titles and place names. If you are an enquiring student you may like to know what they mean but are too embarrassed to ask. Well, here they are like they have never been explained before.
Accommodation Officer
Designated person to help administer campus accommodation.
Alumni
Former students of the College.
Aras an Phiarsagh
Irish. Literally "Big-house on Pearse Street". Behind the Printing House. Home of the Business School, Psychology, some Engineering and the computer people "Information Systems Services (ISS). Has a small café in the foyer while you are waiting to chat to the computer people.
Arts Building
Also known as Arts Block. A nineteen-seventies listed architectural masterpiece. Contains large lecture theatres downstairs (named after distinguished former students), small ones upstairs, and Arts Faculty staff.
Beckett Theatre
Wooden theatre attached to Drama Studies beside Aras an Phiarsaigh where you can enjoy theatrical delights at reasonable prices.
BLU Library
Where the books are kept unless you are doing science in which case the books are in the Hamilton Building. Once separate Berkeley, Lecky and Ussher Libraries. Now all one building hence BLU. Nothing to do with colour.
Botany Bay
As in Botany Bay the convict settlement in Sydney, Australia but not so far away and easier to get out of. Originally a botanical collection from the South Pacific, now tennis courts. The Houses adjacent to it are located on Botany Bay.
Campanile
Bell tower in Library Square. Stands on the foundations of the original All Hallows monastery on which College was built. So does the GMB.
Chapel
Mirror image of the Exam Hall (Public Theatre) on Front Square. It actually is a chapel and regularly used by the major Christian faiths and for ecumenical services. Students of other faiths can talk to the Chaplains in House 27 regarding the location of their faith services.
Clubs
Sporting groups, overseen by DUCAC. There are 50 in Trinity, including the oldest rugby club in the world. Most cater for competitive sports, introductory classes, and everything in between.
College Calendar
Book of rules, regulations, staff members, awards and yes, a few dates.
Commencement
Graduation ceremony as in commencing your career as a graduate.
Commons
On-campus dinner served in the Dining Hall.
College
With a capital C; what we call TCD.
College Green
The area in front of College before it becomes Dame Street. No longer green but it was once. It may eventually be pedestrianised as a historical precinct.
College Health Centre
Located near Beckett Theatre – to look after your health and well being.
College Park
Large oval lawn in front of the Pav. Used for cricket and athletics and sitting around in summer when the sun is out or not as the case may be.
Colours
Inter-varsity events competing against UCD.
Crèche
A happy little playful haven of care for babies and toddlers of students and staff-located beside the Health Centre.
CSC
Central Societies Committee. People in charge of societies (located in House 6).
Dean
Academic head of a collection of services or departments; postscripts indicate specificity e.g. Dean of Health Sciences heads up the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Dean's Grace
An extension of one month's extra write-up time, free of fees, granted in special circumstances by the Dean of Graduate Studies to postgraduate students at the end of their dissertation/ thesis.
Dean of Students' Roll of Honour
A list of students compiled annually to recognise those who have expanded their learning through extra-curricular and voluntary activity.
Dining Hall
Large building between the GMB and the Chapel. Contains the Buttery, the dining hall, the staff dining hall and staff rooms upstairs (known as the Senior Common Room), an open meeting area called the Atrium constructed after fire damage, and a bank (one of two on campus, the other is in the Hamilton Building). ATMs are located near the banks.
DU
Dublin University or University of Dublin.
DUCAC
Dublin University Central Athletics Club. The people in charge of sports clubs (located on 2nd floor of the Sports Centre).
East Chapel
Offices on the East side of the Chapel.
Exam Hall
On Front Square. Its official title is "the Public Theatre". Georgian building and still used for exams and official functions. Very grand inside.
Emergency Procedures
For rescue or emergency service call 1999 Front Gate or 01 896 1999 from a mobile.
Fellows
Male and Female. Trinity College Dublin was founded in 1592 as a corporation consisting of the Provost, the Fellows and the Scholars. Fellows are elected by their peers each year. Scholarship or research achievement of a high order is the primary qualification for Fellowship, coupled with evidence of the candidate's contribution to the academic life of the College and an effective record in teaching.
Fellows' Square
The grass area between the Arts Building & the Old Library. Used to be much bigger before the Arts Building was built.
Fire Assembly Points
The Campanile, Fellows Square, The Rugby Ground, The Flat Iron, North East Car Park, Cumberland place, Foster Place- at a building near you.
Foster Place Off-campus building in Dame Street (or is it still College Green?).
Fourth Week
The week in the Michaelmas Term when College pays special attention to its unique community of societies. Societies hold special events to showcase their activities. There has always been a Fourth Week.
Freshers' Week
Intensive orientation activities occur this week so you know which way is up when lectures start the following week.
Front Square
Also known as Parliament Square. The two grass areas & cobblestones between Front Gate & the Campanile.
GMB
Graduate Memorial Building . The neo-gothic building beside the Buttery, home to the debating societies the HIST and the PHIL (or is it around the other way?).
Goldsmith Hall
Sometimes called Goldhall. Off-campus building on Pearse St where some societies have rooms. Home to the JCR (Junior Common Room) as well, cheap sandwiches & pool tables a-plenty. Goldsmith Hall also contains student residences.
GSU Graduate Students' Union
A separate and autonomous union for postgraduate students – both Masters and Doctorates. Postgraduate students are members of both the SU and GSU, and can vote in elections of both bodies.
Hamilton End
The end of college closest to Westland Row (where the Hamilton building is - science building).
The Hist
The Historical Society. The other of Trinity’s two ancient debating societies, and has its home on the first floor of the GMB. Nothing to do with history.
Houses
As in terraced houses. The numbered doorways around the squares on campus. Originally "houses"; were student accommodation. Most still are. Over 700 students live on campus.
House 6
Home to the Students’ Union as well as CSC and many societies' rooms.
Invigilator
An examination supervisor.
Information System Services
Computing Services queries, passwords, technology questions. Located in Aras an Phiarsaigh.
International phone access code
For Ireland it is 353, drop the "0"; from STD codes so TCD is +353 1 8961000.
Junior Dean
No reference to age. Responsible for student discipline on campus. You have rights and obligations under College regulations.
Junior Freshman
Male and female. First year undergraduate students of any age. Originally College was divided into two tiers; Freshmen and Sophisters, hence Senior Freshman (2nd undergraduate year), Junior Sophisters (3rd undergraduate year) and Senior Sophisters (4th undergraduate year).
Library Square
The grass area between the Campanile & the Rubrics. Location of a Henry Moore sculpture.
Luce Hall
Large square concrete building at south east end of the rugby ground. Used for exams and collection point for student ID cards.
Mature students
Students over 23 years of age who do not come directly from secondary school.
Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity Terms
Michaelmas is first term, Hilary is second term, and Trinity is the third term. Sometimes abbreviate to MT, HT, TT.
Museum Building
It was once. It is the grand Victorian flourish of a building to the west of New Square. It is even more impressive inside. It still has dead animals and curious models of long since redundant machines. It is now home to part of the Engineering school.
New Square
The grass area behind the Rubrics and beside the Museum Building. Only 200 years old.
Parliament Square
Also known as Front Square. Built a very long time ago with money provided by the Irish Parliament when it was located over the other side of College Green in what is now a bank.
The Phil
The Philosophical Society. One of Trinity’s two ancient debating societies, along with the Hist, and reputedly the oldest student society in the world. Has its home in the GMB (ground floor), and has nothing to do with philosophy.
Printing House
Second oldest building on campus. Originally the home of the Dublin University Printing Press. Now used as a lecture hall for Electrical Engineering.
Provost
Our College President.
Rag Week
University Rag societies are student-run charitable fundraising organisations that are widespread in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The Oxford English Dictionary states that the origin of the word from "An act of ragging; esp. an extensive display of noisy disorderly conduct, carried on in defiance of authority or discipline", and provides a citation from 1864, noting that the word was known in Oxford before this date. From Wikipedia. One can only assume that funds were raised in some way through this noisy disorderly conduct.
Regent House
Front Gate - the main entrance to college.
Registrar of Chambers
In charge of Trinity accommodation & rules relating to it.
Registration
What you must do online before coming to College in Freshers' Week.
Rooms
Student or staff residence on campus.
Rubrics
The red brick building behind the Campanile. Oldest building on campus dating back to the very early 1700s. Previous buildings collapsed or were demolished to make way for progress.
Rugby Ground
Large rectangular lawn behind New Square. Oldest continuously used rugby club and ground in the world (1854).
Senior Lecturer
In charge of academic administration, student records, examinations, etc.
Senior Tutor
In charge of pastoral tutors.
Schols
Scholarship examinations held in the break between Michaelmas and Hilary Terms.
Scholars - Foundation
Students who get a 1st in scholarship exams & are elected to the governing body of College (only 70 at any one time).
Scholars - Non-foundation
Students who achieve a 1st in scholarship exams but are not on the governing body of College (most scholars).
Society
A self-organised group of students and/or staff, recognised and funded by the Central Societies Committee, to meet and undertake a specific kind of activity or pursue a specific interest. We have 112 of them in Trinity, including some of the oldest in the world. Membership of societies is open to all students and staff of the College, and they can be joined for a nominal fee at any time. Societies are not sporting organisations – see instead clubs.
Sports Centre
Sports complex at Hamilton end of College.
SU Students' Union
An organisation run by your fellow students to represent your views, protect your rights and provide the services that make college life run more smoothly.
Student Health Service
Located near Beckett Theatre – to look after your health and well being. Student Health is properly called College Health Centre.
Student Counselling Service
Located beside the Health Centre and crèche. A space to tease out stress-related issues, worries or mental health challenges in a confidential setting.
Supervisor
An academic person allocated to support you with planning and following through on your work/thesis-make contact regularly.
Supplementals
Re-sit exams, generally take place in September.
The Buttery
Large and noisy café underneath the Dining Hall for students and visitors. One of several cafés and shops on campus.
The Pav
Short for Pavilion. The only remaining on-campus bar, at the Hamilton end of the cricket pitch.
The Old Library
The home of the Book of Kells and other 8th-century illuminated biblical manuscripts. Upstairs is often called the Long Library or Long Room.
Trinity Ball
The main social event of the year, occurring on the last day of term – Friday of Trinity Week. Outdoor, formal dress music festival, that uses the historic parts of the main campus as its venue.
Trinity Hall
Referred to as "Halls";. Off-campus College accommodation, in the leafy suburb of Dartry, approximately 15 minutes from the main campus by bus or tram. 1,000 Trinity students live there.
Trinity Week
The week between the end of lectures and the beginning of examinations. Various activities occur such as the Trinity Ball, the announcement of Fellows and Scholars, a Chapel service, invited lecturers, and sport and recreation events to get students in a positive frame of mind for exams.
Tutor
Also referred to as pastoral tutor, responsible for you *should* something go wrong, advisor & advocate.
Unilink
Support service for students experiencing mental health difficulties or physical health challenges.
VDP
Trinity Vincent De Paul Society (Referred to as SVP in most places). One of the largest student societies on campus and the largest charitable society.
West Chapel
Offices on the west side of the Chapel. Houses the Accommodation Office.
1937 Reading Room
The letters NIKH on the front is the name of the Greek goddess of victory. The building is actually a World War 1 memorial opened on the 12th November 1928. The octagonal postgraduate reading room was added subsequently in 1937 which is why it is all out of perspective for the space that it occupies between the Exam Hall and the Old Library.