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My college course... (A 3rd-level student's insight)

  • 31-01-2007 12:34am
    #1
    JackKelly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,225 ✭✭✭JackKelly


    AUGUST 2008 UPDATE:

    This thread is for college/post college students to tell LC students about their course.

    This thread is NOT for you to post what course you just accepted.

    This thread is NOT for you to post what course you're thinking of, in the offchance that a college student will read it and give you information. If you want information about a course, please go to the relevant college forum and ask there first.
    (There is also a thread for this, here.)

    This thread is NOT for chatting in. We want to keep it clean and easy to read. If you have further questions on a course detailed, please send the poster a PM.

    This is only an idea, but could hopefully be useful to those facing college in coming years.

    A lot of people don't get the chance to actually talk to anyone in the college course they are looking to do, even though many career adviser's recommend getting in touch with someone "on the inside", so the idea here is for people in college to write a small description of what course they are doing in college at the moment, i.e., the points, the number of students, the lectures, hours, workload etc, and than what they think of it, their impression of it and the general quality of the course they are doing.

    I guess it takes a bit of time to type out all that info so if this doesn't work out, it can be scrapped, as there are already a good amount of sticky's

    So if you're in college, give us an idea of your course from a post leaving cert point of view


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Comments

  • #2
    Miguel_Sanchez
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Miguel_Sanchez


    Seems like a good idea. I'm out of college at this stage but would be willing to answer any questions people might have.

    I studied Film and Television production in GMIT for 3 years and the same thing in IADT Dun Laoghaire for a year.

    Send me a PM if you have any questions.


  • #3
    Absolut
    Closed Accounts Posts: 208 ✭✭Absolut


    Course:
    Financial Mathematics and Economics at NUI, Galway.

    Points:
    365 - down from the high 400s in previous years. [Points are definetly not an indication of the difficulty of this course]

    Number of students:
    Just less than 30 every year.

    Hours:
    From about 12 in first year to about 25 in 2/3/4 year (including labs and tutorials)

    Course Content:
    About a 50-50 split between maths and economics - you need a good basis in maths (higher c3 minimum) and leaving cert economics would help alot too (although it's not a prerequisite).
    There isn't as much pure finance as most people would think (the influence is on the mathematics, not the finance), and alot of the financial part is geared towards the actuarial side of things.
    The "pure" maths side of the course is the same as what you would be doing if you were to do an honours science/arts maths degree - lots of theoretical stuff and a near endless amount of proofs. You definetly need to like maths to do this course.
    There are also two statistics modules every year in first year and second year, with one in the first semester of thrid year. These are thought from the very begining, with absolute basics in first year, so even if you dont like Leaving Cert statistics then you probably wont have much of a problem with these modules.
    I didnt do economics for the leaving cert, but from what I hear it does help to have done it. I found economics to be difficult enough to study for, since there's so much information to go through and I never really liked it all that much as a subject.
    There are also various exemptions available from actuarial exams (if you meet the standards), a lot of which have came in since I started the course. If you're interested, contact Donal O'Regan or Michael Tuite who are course co-ordinators for more info on exemptions.

    Summary:
    Good for people looking to train to be actuaries. Bad if you want a course that's more finance than maths and have no interest in getting exemptions in actuarial exams.
    NUIG probably also has the best student life in the country.

    PM me for any more questions.


  • #4
    h.waldron1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭h.waldron1


    public and social policy is a 3 year BA course in nuigalway.
    its divided into 3 areas: [1] law [2] economics [3]politics. in first year you get a basic insight into each area with focus main on the legal aspect with subject titles: law and social policy, pubic law, public and social policy, and irish legal systems.
    the overall aim is to understand how to make good policies [Laws]. after the 3 years you can go on to to research in these areas, working in government, a post grad in economics or accounting or become a barrister or solictor.
    the hours in 1st and second year are very low ie 13 a week and the class is very small though for some class's you will be in with civil law students, arts students and commerece students.
    the best thing about the degree is you have a wide range of options once you finish it. i think the points this year were 300 down from 360 the year before and 390 the year before that. it is a very new course and almost unheard of but its worth it to look into it.


  • #5
    JackKelly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,225 ✭✭✭JackKelly


    I should probably include myself shouldn't I.

    Points:
    355

    Number of students:
    Starts with around 50 in first year, usually down to 30 or so by the start or 2nd year.

    Hours:
    First year has 18 if i remember. There are labs in some (3 i think) subjects.Some of these are weekly labs, others are every fortnight etc. A number of tutorials also, mainly in the programming classes. 2nd year is roughly the same, if not a little greater. Not too shabby either way. You're left with quite a bit of "free" time (free time to do all the assignments in that is)

    Course Content:
    In first year you do 6 subjects
    • Maths
    • Java Programming
    • Assmebly Language
    • Digital Logic
    • Telecomms and Electrotech
    • Computer and Society (basically an arts module)
    Depending on what you've done before getting to college, these can be easy or challenging. The Maths is fine and considering you need a higher C (i think) to get in, shouldn't cause problems. The java programming assumes you know nothing about programming and progresses as the year goes on. You don't touch on any other high level languages until second year, so you should have a good understanding by the end of the year. Assembly language is something not a lot of people would have tried before so is a bit of a wtf? to begin with. The same can be said for digital logic. You learn about adding circuits multiplexers etc. Telecomms and Electrotech is split up into two halves. The first half is a reflection of the LC physics course, with a little added on, and the second half is a beginning to networking. The final class is Compters and Society which more or less deals with the philosphy of computers and how the feature in todays world.
    In general, first year sets a good basis to what's to come in the following years and will give you a good idea if its what you want to be doing. It ties in well with second year, as a lot of the courses branch off from what you have learned in first year. While what you learn could be considered quite basic in the first year, it picks up.

    Workload:
    Talking about first year, the workload is low at the beginning, and not a lot is expected before Christmas. It picks up toward the end though, and can be hectic enough, with various assignments all due in at the same time. The course is aimed far more toward practical work (programming and hands on) than exams. Obviously, you'll have exams in every subject at the end of the year,(which acounts for 80% in each subject - the other 20% being course work) but apart from that, everything else is assignment and labs.(Maths is the only subject to have term time exams). There are no Christmas exams. Practical work increases in 2nd year and you basically have constant assignments.
    This all still only adds up to 20% or your overall mark, but its worth keeping up in, as it prepares you for the end of the year. I joined late in first year, only coming in after Christmas in January, and as a result had basically no coursework marks for any of my classes, which meant I had to effectively get 50% in my summer exams to pass. This is extra stress you dont need.
    Like in all courses though, and unlike secondary school, there are always repeat exams, so if you fail in Summer, you can repeat in September. I really don't recommend this though.it sucks.

    Summary:
    This is a course for people interested in Computers and how they work. Its sounds stupid to say that, but It's not a course where you sit around learning photoshop (An idea i had in my head at one stage). The points don't reflect the difficulty of the course either. It's not easy. Of course, it is made easier if you have an interest in it, and I can only imagine how dull programming assignments would be if you had no interest but its not a walk in the park. You will have to put a good amount of time into a lot of the subjects, as for most people, you won't have done them before.
    I hear a lot that the TCD CS course is geared toward hardware and not software, and i have to disagree. First year grounds you in programming with Java and Assembly while introducting you to the hardware side with Digital Logic and again, with Assembly (you deal with MC68k microprocessors). You also get a start in networking so it's quite diverese.
    Anyway, I love the course and wouldn't want to be doing anything else. I think they do a good job entertaining all the different aspects of computers ,have just the right workload and have managed to string the subjects together well, ensuring that one topic picks up where another leaves off.


  • #6
    Jonny Arson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,124 ✭✭✭Jonny Arson


    Course:
    Arts @ UCD

    Duration:
    3 years

    Previous Points:
    350 pts in 2006
    360 pts in 2005
    370 pts in 2004
    375* pts in 2003
    375 pts in 2002

    Number of Students:
    Around 1300

    Structure:
    Each year you are required to complete 60 credits. You will complete 12 modules per year, each of these modules are worth 5 credits pending successful completion of each module. You study your first 6 modules in 1st semester and your second set of 6 modules in the 2nd semester. Each module is assessed by examinations, coursework or a mixture of both. Exams are taken at the end of each semester - 1st semester exams are in December and 2nd semester exams are held in May.

    Arts comprises of around 30 different subjects available to study including popular subjects like English, History, Politics, Economics, Geography, Sociology.
    In 1st year you required to study 2 subjects which are worth 20 credits each - these are your Major subjects. The remainder of your required 20 credits can consist of.....
    1) a 3rd Major subject of 20 credits
    2) 2 Minor subjects worth 10 credits each or
    3) 1 Minor subject of 10 credits and 2 Elective modules of 5 credits each - these 2 elective modules can be taken within your course and/or outside your course in any other faculty - for example you can choose a module in Law, Science, Commerce etc. (places for these Elective modules are limited and depend on your timetable constraints)

    In 2nd and 3rd years you are required to again complete 60 credits per year. 50 of your credits must come from your course and 10 of your credits can again be used to study modules all across the college. In these years you must narrow down your subject choices to....
    1) A single major subject of 50 credits - only a few subjects provide this
    2) A Major subject of 30 credits and a Minor subject of 20 credits
    3) 2 Joint Major subjects of 25 credits each

    Once you complete and pass all 3 years and all 180 Credits over these 3 years you will have an Arts degree! Your final degree will be calculated equally from your results from both 2nd and 3rd year.

    Hours:
    Usually remain consistent over the duration of the 3 years. The average hours per week for an Arts student is about 13 or 14 hours (usually 12 lectures of 1 hour + tutorials and seminars. However, the amount of hours you do can depend on which subjects you choose. Language subjects can be up to 20 hours and other subjects require more student time.

    Workload:
    For each module you do in a semester you are expected to devote about 100 hours of time including lectures, coursework and reading but very few people will even do 60 hours per module! Arts is well known for been a subject that requires alot of independent study. You are expected to attend all lectures and tutorials and a considerable amount of reading is required in most subjects. Due to the emphasis on independent study in Arts coursework is not overly intensive but that should not be an excuse to spend all your free time in the bar!

    My Opinion:
    I am currently in my 2nd year in the course and my 3rd year overall in UCD. In Arts I am studying Geography and Informaton Studies and I like my subjects and what they have to offer me.
    This is so much choice in Arts that it is almost impossible not to find a subject that interests you, the variety in subject choice is second to none. The varying types of subjects available should keep your interest in the course and you won't be doing the same stuff all the time!
    The major negative of Arts for me is the sheer size of the course. Some 1st year lectures hold 500 students! The large scale environment of the course means that it is extremely difficult to get to know people and make friends, it can be said that Arts is a cold, informal course that has little or no social life.

    My Advice:
    Arts has alot going for it, there is something for everyone. I do encourage that if you want to do the course then do it but don't put it down on your CAO form because there is nothing else or because your mates are doing it. You need to be commited towards the course and if you do end up doing Arts, please get involved in college life by means of clubs/societies or you may find UCD a lonely experience.

    If anyone wants to ask for any more information about the course feel free to PM me and please do check out these links.....

    UCD website
    Course information
    Subject Choices
    Arts and Humanities Undergraduate Prospectus

    Good luck! :)


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  • #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I wouldn't mind typing out what course I was doing if I hadn't done it so many times before!

    For anyone thinking about heading to Trinity, there is a list (fairly up-to-date) of courses which users of the Trinity forum has contributed to. Linkee: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054901993


  • #8
    deisedolly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 474 ✭✭deisedolly


    Course:
    M.Sc. Multimedia DCU

    Points:
    410 for me i think, they seem to be falling by about 5 r so every year

    Number of students:
    Around 50

    Hours:
    I'm in 1st year and we have about 16 i think? Not quite sure, it's not alot anyway!!

    Course Content:
    I'm in 1st year and so far I've made a really cool bebo flashbox using Macromedia Director (really hard to get the hang of but great when you do!), made a 5minute radio show using protools (again it was hard to get the hang of but it was a really good laugh putting it all together), learned how to use photoshop, the basics anyway, cool aswell! ATM we're in the middle of learning how to to edit video clips, we're not getting to film anything in first year though, we're learning HTML and beginning to make our own basic websites.
    There is also a boring side to the course (hey it can't be all fun!), we had to learn about sociology and make presentations on it and write essays and there are some crappy modules with a whole lot of writing involved aswell but they arent so hard... We're told that all the boring stuff is to give us 'a well rounded degree' which is fair enough I suppose!

    Summary:
    I'm really enjoying it so far. Learning how to do all the 'cool' things is a bit scary at first but it's great when you get the hang of them e.g. director, protools, photoshop.
    This time last year I had my heart set on doing Communications in DCU, with Multimedia as my second choice. I'm much happier now that I'm doing Multimedia instead. MMA concentrates on the more technical side of the media which can only be an advantage when it comes to looking for jobs in the media.
    The class size is great, everyone knows everyone and most people get on great.
    I'm going to have to decide whether to do Imaging, Video or Audio next year but I really don't have a clue what I'm going to pick yet!

    If any of ye have any questions about Multimedia or DCU ye can PM me :)

    P.S. Live in Larkfield in 1st year, its really small but its a great laugh. I ahd to share with a stranger but we're the best of friends now so it's great!


  • #9
    ~Ellers~
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭~Ellers~


    This is a very helpul thread for future college students, fair play!:)

    Well at the mo i hav just completed my first year in Arts or (Orts!):p in NUI Maynooth..and i must admit i have had the best year of my life..and another 2/3 to go! the time went so quick..but i am so happy with my choice of Arts, especially in this lovely, friendly town.

    First of all as an Arts student one can pick from a variety of subjects, the most popular in my opinion would be Geography, History, Anthropology to name but a few. You pick 3 subjects in first year and carry on with your 2 favourite onto 2nd year. We would have a lecture each day lasting an hour and then a weekly tutorial for each subject. The lectures are handy enough excellent notes..and the lecturers do a top job!

    Each subject varies on according to how many people would do it..but in many cases it would be well over a hundred..and then divided into groups for the tutorials.

    The amount of time altogether in Arts in first year would be 17hours..however it does depend on the subject one is doing!

    Maynooth as a town is a lovely, quaint friendly town however in many ways it lacks amenities and entertainment but Dublin is only a short trip away! The nightlife i must say is excellent,pubs close at one but it is pretty good in first year. I love the friendly atmosphere and it's really easy to get to know new people. I have made some wonderful friends here and it is true that the 'friends you make in college are the ones that you will carry through life!'. Campus Accomadation in Maynooth is excellent, very well kept and as you walk it you are bound to bump into someone you know.


    Hope this helps!
    ;):D:p :cool: ;)


  • #10
    I-like-eggs,mmm
    Registered Users Posts: 183 ✭✭I-like-eggs,mmm


    Hey there,

    I'm doing general nursing in DCU.

    my advice, if you're thinking of doing nursing go to DCU because after you complete your 4years, you end up with a BSc. degree (bachelor of Science), this is better if you want to branch out of nursing totally yet stay in the science/ health field.

    TCD offers a BNS. degree which is a bachelor of nursing studies so if you want to continue your education you will have to keep within the nursing field.

    The DCU degree is harder and has more assignments but it's better.

    I'm only saying this because, I am 3years into my nursing degree and I absolutely don't want to be a nurse anymore, I'm sticking it out and will use my degree to branch out into something else, not nursing. You see, this could happen to any of you thinking of becomming a nurse, you may end up 3years in2 your course and decide you don't want to be a nurse either.

    Oh and ALSO- if you aspire to become a doctor but maybe you don't think or wont get the points, then apply to do a BSc in general nursing,get a 2.1 in your degree and after that there is a 3year course in medicine.

    You see, there's always other ways;)


  • #11
    Rineanna
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,614 ✭✭✭Rineanna


    Title: Business Studies
    Points Dropped to 390 on second round
    Students Circa 350 students, but we're never on our own for any module so it can range from 350 to 500.
    Modules
    First Semester
    1. Financial Accounting (Financial Statements)
    2. Microeconomics
    3. Business Information management (Computers and processing Info.)
    4. Communications
    5. Management Principles
    Second Semester
    1. Managerial Accounting (Stock keeping, costing, budgeting, etc)
    2. Macroeconomics
    3. Business Information Management 2 (Yeuck!)
    4. Marketing
    5. Organisational Behaviour
    6. Business Mathematics (Maths and Stats)

    Hours 16 hours in 1st sem, 20 2nd sem


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  • #12
    Ballerina
    Registered Users Posts: 473 ✭✭Ballerina


    if anyone wants any information about doing Physiotherapy or UCD then give me a shout.

    just a random bit of advice,if your living on the northside,think carefully about how much you like public transport before putting UCD anywhere on your cao,put it down as my second choice and never thought about it,now i have lots of time to think about it every day while sitting on buses!!im so glad i went to UCD because i LOVE it but maybe look at accomodation if you live on this side of the liffey!

    and another bit of random info-i would only advise coming to UCD if your doing a course with a small class ie less than 100 because otherwise it can be hard to make friends.you always hear lots of people saying UCD is a cold,lonely place but not if you have a small class!i have friends in many colleges and everything really is bigger and better in UCD!:D


  • #13
    bazzer06
    Registered Users Posts: 100 ✭✭bazzer06


    Hey everyone - i'm doing law and french in TCD (just finished second year) so anyone looking for info just give me a shout!

    Generally though...

    Points
    Law - bank on around the 550 mark, though i know people who've gotten in on as low as 520
    Law and French - always at least 560 on the first round but theres people in my class who got in on second/third with around 540
    Law and German - usually about ten points lower than law, but that changed last year as far as i know - to be safe youd want 540, could probably get in on 520 if the applications go your way

    Course content

    For Law on its own, its obviously very difficult to judge whether or not you'll like it (as compared to courses such as geography etc whre youve done the subjects before) but i would say that first, you need to be good at english, second, you need to have an interest in justice or public administration and third, you need to be able to read a LOT!
    However, many people dont tick the second option and just do a law degree as a means to an end - there are many job options available at the end of the road, in international affairs, politics, teaching, journalism, business and other disciplines where a law degree is thought to prove good analytical skills etc
    Law and language is a whole different kettle of fish though - tbh most people in my class did law and french coz they wanted to keep doin french but didnt want to do an arts degree! However, an interest in law is helpful.. Law and language have a bit of an edge in terms of jobs in international organisations and the EU. Also, dont be expecting french literature or anything like that - you have no language classes (you need to do that yourself) and all french topics are in lectures given in french and relate back to law or civilisation.

    Workload in pure law is quite acceptable if you're willing to spread the study out over the year - you only have four subjects per year - and also if you're not aiming high its perfectly possible to pass every year with a couple of weeks cramming in the last few weeks (which is actually what most people do) Some would say its almost impossible to fail... to which i say yes for first year and NO to second year. Timetables good too - maximum of 12 hours in any given week when tutorials are taken into account.

    Law and language is a bit more strenuous - you do 6 subjects per year - 3 law 3 "language" ie french/german law and civilisation so you've a lot more on your plate than pure law students. Hours per week can be as much as 16 or 17 which is a lot for a law student due to the amount of reading necessary. However again, it is perfectly possible to pass on minimal work - if a pass is all you want.

    All in all, i'd highly reccomend law and language in trinity - ya can have a lot of fun and end up with a mighty sexy degree at the end of it. Also, no matter what ya do a year abroad is an option so dont do the language just for that. law is basically an arts degree for people who dont want to do an arts degree, if more difficult! Of course, any other TCD students in the course are welcome to disagree with whatever i said!!


  • #14
    hardCopy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    justbringit89 wrote:
    Hey just wondering about Computer Applications In DCU!!! Is is any good . what are the hours like , Course content.etc!

    I'm just finished CA, I did the Information Systems (IS) stream.

    The information systems stream mixes computing with business/management modules, lot's of essays, research, presentations etc. Whereas the Software Engineering (SE) stream is more programming oriented.

    In first year you'll have some compulsory modules like programming, computer arcitecture, maths and a set of optional modules to choose from. Be sure to pick business game, it's all continuos assessment and actually fairly fun.

    By the end of first year you should have an idea of whether or not you like programming. If you don't want to write code all day but still want to work in IT then IS is the best bet, if you want to be a very good programmer then pick SE as you won't really get as much practice in IS. Second year modules are all dependent on which stream you choose.

    When you're picking optional modules in 3rd and 4th year try to suss the modules out properly so you can avoid the types of modules you don't like.

    The continuous assessment workload is manageable but you do have to be careful as you will end up having several projects due for submission in the same week or even the same day, so start them early. It's not so difficult to manage in first year though because the course work is more spread out and deadlines don't clash as much.

    The INTRA placement is really valuable in my opinion, if you get an employer who will let you vary your work you can gain some great experience to put on your CV.

    I have a job lined up to start in September where I will be using a mix of programming and business/management skills, so as far as I'm concerned the course seems pretty good as far as employment prospects are concerned. Start looking for graduate jobs early in 4th year. I don't know about SE, but I know a lot of very good jobs suited to IS graduates stop accepting applications as early as october, so be early as the applications can take a lot of time and clash with course work.

    The lecture hours reduce as you progress but the continuous assessment work load increases accordingly. I think I had about 18-20hrs of lectures in 1st year with small assignments every few weeks but only 6hrs at the end of 4th year with 1 big final year project and a couple of small assignments.

    That's probably a bit rambly and hard to follow but they're all the useful hints I can think of after 4 years. Choosing your modules to suit your interests/abilities is about the most important thing. Also be sure to go to tutorials if you have any difficulty in a subject.


  • #15
    Attractive Nun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,203 ✭✭✭Attractive Nun


    Not the most popular course in the world, in itself, but if you're thinking about doing/have applied for single honours history in Trinity or history through TSM, this might be useful. And if you're thinking about Philosophy & Political Science or BESS, the info on the political science department might be of use too. I'm only just finished first year.

    Anyway...

    Course:
    History and Political Science, at Trinity

    Points:
    I think it was 495 this year, down from 525 and 545.

    Number of students:
    There's about 25 in my year. The old prospectus said there were 14 places so I guess that explains the points dropping.

    Hours:
    14-16 a week. History tutorials aren't in every term, politics tutorials are "non-compulsory" and there's a random class called 'Learning for Historians' which doesn't last all year, but 14-16 is probably about right. 10 hours of lectures per week anyway. Even less in subsequent years, I believe.

    Course Content:

    In first year, you do either two history courses and three politics, or vice versa, plus 'Learning for Historians'. This gives you all the information about the various subject choices and such.

    Summary:
    History in Trinity is pretty great. The choice isn't great in first year, but looking ahead it gets a lot better. I did the two European history courses of those outlined above (and by all accounts they are the two best of those on offer to Histpol students) and I really enjoyed both of them. The lectures are near impossible to follow if you're not paying full attention - the lecturers don't e-mail notes or use overheads to the same extent that others do - but if you do manage to follow them they are very rewarding. The tutorials are excellent and the workload is very manageable (probably too manageable really) - you only have to submit one essay for each history subject in the year, plus some tutorial work. I would advise that this extra time is used in the library, because the topics you study are really interesting and reading about them is actually surprisingly enjoyable. Nobody really does this, of course, until about a month before the summer exams - I certainly didn't - and by then it's kind of too late. That's certainly my regret of the year, anyway, because there is some great stuff in the library - the library itself is probably the best reason of all to study arts in Trinity. The course does allow you, and encourage you, to pick specific areas of interest if you want, so that's another plus. The history department is a bit disorganised at times, but everyone is very helpful so I really don't have a bad word to say about them. And, finally, the first year exams are fairly easy if you put any sort of effort into them and, although firsts are hard to come by, nobody fails them. Literally, nobody.

    I can't say that I have as much regard for the politics side of things, to be honest, but it's alright. In first year, you do two introductory courses (sociology and politics) with 400 other students - mainly BESS - and quite frankly they're poor. It's understandable with the amount of students they're trying to cater for, but the lectures are very basic and oftentimes just not worth going to. If you're interested in the subjects being covered (which you really should be), the library is full of great stuff that is well worth spending your time reading - and I feel you're better off spending time there and just using the lecture notes (which they e-mail to you) as a guide. The exams allow you to answer pretty broadly on questions so I must give them credit on that one. Again, the workload is minimal - one essay per subject per year - and you could probably pass the end-of-year exams with just a few weeks work. The tutorials aren't as good either. HOWEVER, looking forward to the next few years, things do seem a lot more interesting. Introduction to Economic Policy, the other course you can do, is a lot more enjoyable - though similarily easy.

    Learning for Historians is just terrible - could be taught by giving out a small pamphlet.

    Overall, I would recommend the course. If you approach it in the right way, it can be hugely interesting and rewarding. My main criticism, from an acadmeic point of view (an opinion that I am hopelessly underqualified to hold) is that it is probably a bit too easy, but believe me you won't be complaining.


    A note on general life in the course:
    Being quite a small course, it is very easy to make friends and such - my year were all very close. If you're living at home and travelling to college every day, it can even become a bit insulated, which is bad, but like anything if you play it right you'll have a great time. There's loads of time for joining societies and such (I joined them all, practically, but didn't involve myself in any of them really - probably a mistake) and college life in general really is great. I'm sure it's the same wherever you go in reality, but Trinity is great fun and in the summer there is no better place just to hang around doing nothing. It's just a case of making the best of it, I guess, but histpol does give you buckets of free time to do that.


  • #16
    Spektator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭Spektator


    experiMental wrote:
    Interesting... Tbh, I haven't heard anything about The Liberties college before your post.

    I would recommend you to go to an official PLC college where portfolio preparation is taught. The whole process of applying and getting in is quite straightforward. The plus side is, that you'll get an industry-recognised qualification at the end, that could also boost your chances of getting into a third level art/design/architecture course.

    A bigger plus is a PLC graphic design course with work placement module. It would be great to try some real design work, especailly before college, just to see whether you'd be fit for it.

    The Liberties College is an "official" PLC College, although there is technically no such thing as an official PLC college. It provides fulltime FETAC Level 5 and 6 courses. Portfolio preparation (Art/Craft/Design AACDX FETAC Level 5 NVQ Level Two) is taught through two different classes, 2D Portfolio Preparation, and 3D Portfolio Preparation, each with twenty four places. The modules differ slightly for each class, in 2D the syllabus is as follows:

    Mandatory
    - Drawing
    - Painting
    - Design
    - Ceramics
    - Portfolio Preparation
    - Appreciation of Art and Design
    - Communications
    - Work Experience

    Electives
    - Photography
    - Combined Materials
    - Textiles
    - Technical Drawing

    The 3D syllabus is slightly different, the painting module is replaced with jewellery and the ceramics module replaced with sculpture.

    As with all FETAC Level 5 certificates, one must take five vocational modules, two general studies modules, and one work experience module.

    http://www.fetac.ie/guide/AACDX.HTM

    The whole process of applying and getting in was really quite straightforward. Application forms can be found at:

    http://www.libertiescollege.ie/

    The FETAC modules are examined in April, a Pass is 50% to 64%, Merit is 65% to 79%, and a Distinction is 80% to 100%.

    NCAD accept five distinctions out of eight modules for First Year Core, as well as your submitted portfolio. IADT accept three distinctions out of eight modules for the Visual Arts degree, as well as your portfolio. The alternative is to apply to the aforementioned courses with your LC points and portfolio. DIT do not accept FETAC Level 5 courses in their admission process to their Fine Art degree.

    The Liberties College is situated on Bull Alley, near St. Patricks Cathedral. It has 780 students studying courses in the areas of Childcare, Art and Design, Theatre Performance, Tourism, Media Studies and Counselling Studies.


  • #17
    deek
    Closed Accounts Posts: 157 ✭✭deek


    Hey everyone

    I studied dietetics in DIT , just a warning for people who may have put it down I would really advise that you should have a strong interest in Home economics. I have always been interested in science and health but found this course didnt interest me. Mainly my problem was that I just wasnt interested enough in food to carry me through, there are chemistry and biokogy lectures but there are also cooking classes.

    Also if you are not familiar with DIT go have a look at Kevin street before you apply....

    Having said this most of people stay on in the course and are still just as interested in it as they had been.....basically make sure you are interested in food!


  • #18
    balzarywex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 96 ✭✭balzarywex


    Hi Splicer,

    Just after finishing my first year of human genetics at TCD. Nope, genetic counselling is a major (and rapidly developing) area for human geneticists. Indeed, you also have genetic screenings, paternity tests, biochemical assays, forensics etc. The majority do go onto further education (masters or phd), I think the figure is about 70%, so this will obviously steer you towards one career path. Some may do further studies in closely associated areas, such as molecular medicine, biochem etc or different areas, medicine and as far a field as banking. Then of course, there's research also. So far I think I'ld be interested in specialising in immunogenetics, oncogenetics or neurogenetics but as of yet I'm quite unsure, early days anyhow still!


  • #19
    Schlemm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 799 ✭✭✭Schlemm


    jaydigity wrote:
    Anyone studying veterinary UCD?
    I've done work exoerience etc, but am having some last minute doubts about my suitability to the course. Has anyone else been in the position where chemistry was not their strong subject in school and has gone on and done vet?
    I find,basically, that my brain just isn't suited to learning chemistry, even though I do think some of it's interesting.However, I absolutely love biology, and find it really easy to grasp. From looking at course structure,I can't really see many areas of the course that don't appeal to me, but,in your opinion, do you think that the course puts a lot of emphasis on chemistry, which I might struggle with?
    Really appreciate any help, esp. before July 1st (CAO deadline)!
    Hope you left veterinary on your CAO, it's a great course! Loved Chem in school and didn't do biology, but TBH you don't need the chemistry hardly at all, biology is the more important subject I'd say. Was actually kind of dissapointed that there wasn't more chemistry on the course, but I love doing biology stuff anyways! But I'd say if you like biology you'll be fine. Get plenty of practical experience in as many areas as you can, i.e., small animals, large animals and horses, even if they're not your thing, you still have to learn about them! It's a great course and there's a great social side to it as well. Good luck with the results, and even if you've changed your mind and you don't get it, don't be afraid to reapply (I transferred from another course myself, had to pay fees but it was worth it!) or repeat, cos loads of people repeat (some even repeat twice) to get in. Best of luck!


  • #20
    R0C0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 112 ✭✭R0C0


    I.T in NUIG for anyone thats interested!

    Very small course, though there is a very big quota for places, there were 11 of us at the start of last year, 4 have left, myself included!

    Hours aren't bad at all, I don't remember exactly what it was, I think it was like 13 or 14 hours plus a couple of labs! Late starts and early finishes every day bar Tuesday.

    Maths is where most of us seemed to struggle cause you have to take honours maths, which is a pretty different kettle of fish to Leaving Cert honours maths! Programming and Algorithms we're fine, enjoyable even! I wasn't a big fan of Electronic Engineering, but you only have to do that up to Christmas when you swap it for Physics!

    The course can be done in 3 streams, with a language, with business, or with a next generation technology (ie. Artificial Intelligence, Medical Informatics, Scientific Computing and Semantic Web). With a Next Gen technology you do all four in 1st year and specialise in one after that!

    I found it a good course bar the maths, you gotta keep an eye on your assignments though or they'll quickly pile up on you! Socially its fine aswell, easy to make friends given it was such a small class, out of the 11 of us I think it was 5 that were mature students. Just 2 of us were from Galway too, if that makes any difference to you!

    I highly recommend NUIG, great University! Galway is a fantastic place to live too, excellent nightlife and a really unique city!

    Hope this helps someone!


  • #21
    snickerpuss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,055 ✭✭✭snickerpuss


    LINKY.V.18 wrote:
    anybody doing culinary arts in dit or know anybody doing.

    My best mate is going into the final year of this course.

    It has low points but that in no way reflects the amount of work you have to do.

    You will study subjects such as Gastronomy, Aesthetics, Nutrition, Science, Accounting, Management, Computers and you must also do a language.

    Later in third year you will specialise in 2 subjects of Pastry, International Hot Kitchen and International Food. You also develop your own product and start your own business around that product.

    Depending on what language you do in the summer of third year you go abroad to work in a kitchen, largely unpaid.

    In final year you have to do an 18,000 word dissertation in a very short amount of time, while doing 3 or 4 other projects. Don't ask me how this is going to work, it is now to be handed in by December rather then May.

    It isn't particularly going to train you to be a chef but management, criticism and all sorts of foodie careers are open to you.
    You have to be prepared to work hard though, some days she has classes from 9-6. (I'm an arts students so this appals me!) :D

    Anyway, anyone interested in Irish or Art History in UCD let me know.


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  • #22
    ApeXaviour
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,523 ✭✭✭ApeXaviour


    SligoBrewer wrote: »
    I'll be doing Science in TCD I think.

    Although I may change my mind to Theoretical Physics depending on how I find Maths for the leavin'
    Both good courses, but the former obviously gives the greater choice in the long run.

    I did Natural Science, specialised in Physics and now just started a Ph.D in it, still in Trinity. My choice of research topic could have been entered with a degree in Chemistry, Advanced Materials, Physics or Theoretical Physics, though what I'm doing would be classified as Experimental Physics. Your graduate choices are often not limited much by what degree you, once they have similar scope.

    On my CAO, TP was my moot second choice, but that's how the CAO works, you chose your courses by preference.

    Anyway if you have any questions about the courses, what they're like, what you can do with them, feel free to reply here or PM me.


  • #23
    Chunky Monkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 923 ✭✭✭Chunky Monkey


    Course: Natural Sciences
    University: Trinity
    Points: 2005: 440, 2006: 415, 2007: 440

    I was doing this course, I dropped out for many reasons...
    - I didn't like it. For instance, in my biology lectures there were more than 400 of us. The seats weren't tiered so if you were at the back it was hard to see and to hear. For the chemistry tutorials I think there were about 200 of us so it was basically like another lecture. The chemistry notes were given to us on line and I didn't have internet access and very little money for an internet cafe at the time so I couldn't get them. The material of lectures varied too much. One day it was very easy, the next very hard. I felt there wasn't enough structure and that it was poorly organised. The lab equipment was quite cool but for the practicals we were told what to do in our manuals and the homework we got on it was ridiculous, far too easy and the answers were given to us.

    - I want to do medicine. Undergraduate medicine is free here for Irish and other EU students. But for graduate entry the fees are €12,000 a year and the competition is very intense for the few places available. They say all they require is a 2:1 in your degree but realistically I'd say a first is probably needed and an excellent score in the GAMSAT. These are harder to achieve, I figured, than repeating the leaving cert so this is exactly what I'm doing (for the third time) and I feel I'm in with a chance this time as I did quite well last year :)


  • #24
    ApeXaviour
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,523 ✭✭✭ApeXaviour


    Chunky Monkey wrote: »
    Course: Natural Sciences
    University: Trinity
    Points: 2005: 440, 2006: 415, 2007: 440

    I was doing this course, I dropped out for many reasons...
    - I didn't like it. For instance, in my biology lectures there were more than 400 of us.
    AFAIK trinity offer at least 10 different biology degrees from Natural Science, as you progressed and specialised you would have found yourself most likely in a class of no more than 15-20.
    The chemistry notes were given to us on line and I didn't have internet access and very little money for an internet cafe at the time so I couldn't get them.
    Odd complaint... considering there are many computer rooms in Trinity, some 24hour, with 10Mb connections. Even at peak times, it's always possible to find one somewhere.
    The material of lectures varied too much. One day it was very easy, the next very hard.
    I often found what one person would consider much easier, another would consider a lot harder. Take organic to physical chemistry for example.
    I felt there wasn't enough structure and that it was poorly organised. The lab equipment was quite cool but for the practicals we were told what to do in our manuals and the homework we got on it was ridiculous, far too easy and the answers were given to us.
    Again, as you would have progressed through the years, the difficulty escalates exponentially. You would have gotten a hell of a lot more leeway with less supervision too.


  • #25
    Chunky Monkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 923 ✭✭✭Chunky Monkey


    10 mb aren't available in this country yet, 6 is the max. But yes you had to pay for print outs. These notes were pages long and I had no money at all. Can't argue with everything else you have said. I've heard the course gets a lot better after the first two years and you go into the specialised areas like immunology or neuroscience. But I wasn't willing to stick it. I could see myself doing badly, in the first year at least, because I hated the way it was run and this would affect my end result meaning I couldn't get into graduate entry medicine (which was the only reason I was doing it in the first place).


  • #26
    goodgodholmes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 237 ✭✭goodgodholmes


    For those who are interested:

    Course:
    BA Communication Studies, DCU.

    Points:
    440 - Have been about that mark for about 3 years now.

    Number of students:
    Around 80, divided into smaller workshop groups for some modules (about 25 in these)

    Hours:
    13 per week in first year (8 lecture hours, 2 workshop hours, 3 seminar hours). Seemingly about 16 in other years

    Course Content:
    This is only a first year's experience! The first semester has a lot of theory subjects, for example Sociology and Psychology. However these are literally for 12 weeks so that's fine. These are also balanced with practical subjects like Media Practice and Media Technology. In first year, you study Video Production, Audio Production and Photography, and then choose one of these fields to specialise in for the next 2 years. Usually Video is the most popular and places are limited, but this year it seems that photography will be far more competitive than video. For the first semester in Media Practice, you acquire a lot of content by shooting videos around campus, having photography classes and workshops and taking photos near campus, and doing radio shows. In the second semester you put all this into post production in Digital Media Skills. There's basic web design in the Media Tech module as well. We have some other modules like Analysing Media Content, in which we basically... analyse media content! Apparently this involves a lot of studying photographs, radio samples and watching video clips to establish messages. The second and third year modules are a lot more practical and hands on, and specifically to do with video, audio or photography. There are a lot of theory subjects in first year (5 out of 12), but it's a lot more practical after that.

    Workload:
    The CS course is very focused on continuous assessment as opposed to exams. There are no exams for the first semester of first year, and only one in the second semester. While the idea of continuous assessment scared me because I thought I wouldn't be bothered doing anything, it's actually fine. For the theory based subjects of the first semester, for example,(Language Culture and International Communication, Sociology and Psychology), they were marked 30% on a presentation and 70% on one course essay. The essay was 3000 words for LCIC, 1500 for Psych and a group essay for Social. For Media Tech we had weekly online quizzes (50%) and the other 50% was a web design project, and for Media Practice we were marked on our videos and stuff.

    My Opinion:
    I would definitely recommend this course to anyone. I was a bit disheartened that he have 3 theory subjects in the first semester, because I thought I would be doing pure production. However, it all balances out because we have as much practical as we do theory. Also, at 80 people, the course has a nice number. Not that small, but not so big that you're lost in a sea of people. It's like the size of a year in school. The class is divided into smaller groups for workshops and seminars anyway, so you get to know smaller groups there. They're a lovely bunch of people, generally people who are passionate about media. Out of the 80, there's about 8 mature students in the class. DCU is a great college as well, everyone's absolutely lovely and there's always a good, friendly atmosphere about the place. A lot of my friends in the class had CS as their 2nd or 3rd CAO choice and are now glad they got it as they absolutely love it. There have been no dropouts in my class so far which is pretty rare for any course. I would definitely recommend the CS course to anyone who's interested in the media. It opens up a wide range of jobs, everything from PR and advertising to teaching to hands-on production.


    Also, a word of advice that I cannot stress enough: If you end up in DCU you'll be hearing this a lot anyway, but GET INVOLVED IN CLUBS AND SOCIETIES. They seriously add so much to the college experience and you make so many friends that you wouldn't have met in your class. No matter where you go, really get involved in college life and put yourself out there in first year. You'll have such a ball at college!

    PM me for any more questions. Good luck everyone, and give your CAO some serious thought, a few of my friends didn't really think it through enough and they're absolutely miserable now.


  • #27
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 85,042 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    mahamageehad wrote: »
    :confused: Am hoping (i think) to do animation in Dun Laoighire, has any1 here done that or know any 1 who did??! Or software development in LIT. Is it very technical etc?? is there much difference between the game development and software development courses?? Would limerick be one of the better places to do these courses or would it be cork waterford dublin etc??:confused:
    Dean-16 wrote: »
    any one got snything on computer games development in lyit?

    Don't know anyone that successfully got into Animation mate; and everyone I saw try was pretty grade A. The single biggest complaint about fine art courses is that it has so much more to do with the technical aspect of things than the creative aspect: A mind blowing, wild and varying portfolio full of color and inspiration can still be won out for a place by an entire portfolio about a single piece of fruit. Else I might have tried for animation myself.

    I can't fully comment on the games courses in Limerick except to say, living in Ennis, I was very tempted to make them my first choice. However, the course provided in ITC has proven very valuable. I've known a few guys who have tried the 2 though: none of whom have been very enthusiastic about it at all. One even dropped out and came here: his biggest complaint was that the Games course was really just the Computer Systems course with a new layer of paint.

    As for the course provided here at ITC: I like it. And Carlow is not a bad town at all. Very college orientated.

    This course will provide people with all the skills they need to become professional games software developers. Students will develop skills and expertise in areas such as software development (software design and programming), game design, graphics programming, modeling, simulation and animation, and will have produced several complete game concepts in a playable form. Graduates of this course will be able to develop games software for all the major gaming platforms including PC, console (e.g. X-Box 360, Game Boy) and mobile.

    WHAT SUBJECTS WILL I STUDY?

    YEAR 1: Mandatory Subjects: About 30 hours per week

    Computer Games - games appreciation; game balance; level design; etc.
    Computer Graphics - theory; history of graphics; how graphics work
    Applied Mathematics - Matrices; Ray Tracing; Co-ord Geometry; etc.
    Programming - C/C++ (I think 1st year has changed to C#..)
    Computer Architecture -Binary and Machine Code; Computer fundamentals; Circuit Logic

    Projects: Create a Board Game; 2 Mid-Year games (text-based); Level Editing (Quake 2); 2D scrolling game; End of Year Game (eg. Asteroids)

    YEAR 2 (thats me!): Mandatory Subjects: 20-30 hours

    Programming and Operating Systems - Object Orientated Programming; C/C++; 3D Learning Engine; Torque Engine 3D game editor; Script Language
    3D Graphics and Audio I - OpenGL engine ; Primitive Shapes and Textures; Basic Audio
    Data Structures & Algorithms - How your computer/program stores and executes data
    Games Engineering I - What methods the industry uses to produce games and other software
    Applied Physics I - Momentum; Friction; Projectile Motion; Differentiation
    Human Computer Interaction - User Interface; GUI; Use Case Scenarios; Prototyping; Macromedia Flash (2D animation and flash games programming)

    Projects: 2D OpenGL game (eg. Bomberman); 3D OpenGl game; Level Editing; etc. etc. etc.

    YEAR 3: Mandatory Subjects:

    3D Graphics and Audio II
    Games Engineering II
    Network Programming
    Applied Physics II
    Animation
    Project I
    Industrial Placement

    YEAR 4: Mandatory Subjects:

    Programming for Games Devices
    On-line Gaming Technologies
    Real World Modelling and Simulation
    Artificial Intelligence for Games
    Project II


    This course was developed with Microsoft, the makers of the X-Box®. This is the only degree course in Gaming that Microsoft has helped to develop and given its backing to. This course also includes a six-monthwork placement.

    Note the work placement is not strictly with Microsoft: students have gone on to work with Vivendi (Blizzard, WoW, Starcraft) for the most part as they have a couple operations happening around the country. One allumni (*cough* dropout) is currently working as a WoW moderator down in Cork :) 3 students every year so far have been given placements in Hawaii and Alaska - the continental US is off limits due to visa restrictions (not for me though... yank ftw)

    Now the important thing to note about this (and hopefully any other Games course) is that the primary focus is not on teaching you how to design a game: Its mostly about teaching you how to develop one. You're of course free to do whatever you please for some of the project work but the most that will be asked of you is to create a reproduction of an existing title (like Asteroids or Bomberman)

    When you graduate the thing is you will not be thrown into the design aspect of games: 99% of all graduates that find placement will be working in debugging; beta testing; programming; etc.

    You will be given all the skills necessary, of course, to build your own title from the ground up - including all the animation, scripting, 3D modelling, level creation, etc. etc. etc. But you cannot expect to be put in charge of any multi-million dollar games when you graduate: it could happen, but it will require a couple years of industry experience before an employer will give you that luxury.

    At the end of the day, Games Development is a desk job. Theres plenty of fun to be had but theres also work to be done. The course has nothing to do (really) with playing video games. You will not be given video games to go play - thats not how the course works. You will be given games to go make: its up to you to make those playable. The drop out rate on the course has been dynamic thanks to prospective students not knowing this: they come here expecting to be given a degree in how to play video games.

    The college itself about as big as LIT - just a lot more open: I cant stand that finnicky big narrow hallway they have there :p
    Statistically the college has more Computers in it than any other college in the country so you're never stuck for a station to work at. The hardware is upgraded every couple years so youre never stuck with an out of date machine.
    Also as part of the games course you will have access to the Games Library: a personal collection of Consoles and Games kept up to date by the Course Tutor and the students. I've seen everything in there from an SNES up to a PS3. Loans are on a weekly basis (and free).

    Not sure what else to say. I have work to be doing...


  • #28
    KnifeWRENCH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,148 ✭✭✭✭KnifeWRENCH


    eZe^ wrote: »
    Basic topics covered in first year;
    (Some are just introductions to said topic)
    Classical Mechanics
    Special Relativity
    Thermodynamics
    Electromagnetism
    Contiuum Mechanics
    Quantum Mechanics
    Electromagnetism
    Quantum Statistics
    Atomic Physics
    Calculus and Analysis
    Math Modeling
    Math Software
    Linear Algebra

    We also have a module where you study modern questions and topics in physics, we have done nuclear energy, introduction to microelectronics, astrophysics.

    I haven't thought too much about jobs but one of my lecturers spoke about how physicists are basically required in most situations. He wrote up two black boards worth of areas that physicists can work. All quite interesting so Ill see how it goes.

    Hey everyone I'm in this course aswell (Physics & Astrophysics @ UCC)
    eZe^'s post is a very good summary of 1st year.
    Also, you have optional modules in Chemistry, Computer Science (Internet & Web Design, C Programming etc.) and Statistics.

    The best thing about this course is that there are a lot of options open to you after 1st year. You can do a Single Hon.s Degree in Physics, Astrophysics or Chemical Physics. You can also do a Joint Hon.s in Maths & Physics OR Applied Maths & Physics. There's also a degree for specialising as a Science Teacher.
    The standard of lectures is mostly excellent, with only 1 or 2 exceptions! :)

    The downside? Quite a lot of hours if you go to all your lectures & tutorials (I didn't! Not even close!! :p) Plus labs are a pain in the ass at times. Some of the stuff is quite difficult, while some of it seems quite pointless (I still don't know exactly what the purpose of linear algebra is!!)
    It's a tough course, but if you enjoy Physics, Maths and Applied Maths it's definetly a good choice.

    Hope this waffle has been of some benefit to somebody! :)


  • #29
    im...LOST
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭im...LOST


    mahamageehad wrote: »
    I know someone asked for this already but i didnt see any reply! Is anyone thinking of doing multimedia in CIT? Or even better has anyone actually done it/doing it now??! Also, if you did a multimedia degree anywhere else can you tell me if you liked it or not??! Thanks!!!:):):)

    Well, I'm doing Creative Multimedia in Dundalk IT and I'd imagine is much the same.

    I've completed first year there and I'll give you a run through of what some of the modules consist of.

    Creative Design
    It's just like an art class. We drew, painted and made puppets.

    Introduction to Graphic Design
    This was a Photoshop class. We learned how to fix imperfections in photos.

    Media Studies
    We learned about Audiences and how people interpret the same
    information differently.

    Media Theory
    Much the same as Media Studies but more in depth.

    Film Studies
    We watched and analysed films.

    Audio Visual Techniques
    We used a camcorder to shoot an interview. We learned about lighting,
    sound and editing in iMovie.

    Writing for Multimedia
    We learned how to write blogs and how to limit what we write to be
    more effective for our audience.

    Interactive Authoring
    Website design using Dreamweaver. Only basic stuff really, we will be
    learning more next year.

    Audio 1
    We recorded and edited audio. This audio included, vocals, ambient
    sounds and sound effects. Edited using Pro Tools.


    Overall though, I absolutely love it. I can't wait to do more web design next year and I'll miss the whole college atmosphere over the summer for sure.

    Any specific questions that you have?


  • #30
    hockeygirl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166 ✭✭hockeygirl


    Well

    I am a college graduate:

    2004 - DT273 - Technician Diploma in Applied Science (2.1 physics)
    This couse is now called DT212 and is called an ordinary degree

    2006 - DT222 - BSc Physics and Physics Technology (2.2)


    Both of these courses are good but you should think about exactly why you want to do the course.... ie what career you want or think you want.
    Generally pure physcis graduates need to go on and specialise though a masters unless you get in on a graduate program.

    Now that Ive gone through the motions I probably would have gone down the engineering route if id known then what I know now.

    You have more options with engineering ... try the general route here and then specialise.

    Electrical engineering is good. There are alot of jobs out there for Mech&Elec engineers... ericisson, construction, esb etc

    Smashing pilot id i were your definately stick with engineering

    DT235 Physics with Medical Physics and Bioengineering - this course is good but it targeted towards medical physics... medical devises etc.
    If you want to work as a medical physicist in a hospital this is a good route although the hospital jobs come up maybe 4 jnr positions a year countrywide if your lucky. But they are screaming out for medical physicsts in the UK. Plus the work in the uk is better as you have more research time allocated otherwise you could be stuck in a role as a basic technician.. great money but zero job satisfaction.

    I was going to take this route. I would recommend if medical physics is something your interested in work really hard to get a min 2.1 in your final year and apply early sept for a position in the UK NHS training program which is 2 years during which time they pay for you to do your masters part time and you buiold up experiecnce


    feel free to pm if anyone has a specific question about the courses Ive done or any physics based course in DIT Kevin st.... or questions about the college in general :D


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  • #31
    steoucd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 31 ✭steoucd


    Since I did my final exams in this course just last month I thought I'd share my experiences. I've had an incredible three years doing this course and couldn't be happier with my choice. To help those of you considering it I'll go through it Semester by Semester. Before that just some general info...

    Quinn School of Business is a great facility, if you're considering a degree here you should really come visit, it has lots of study areas and places for group meetings. Nearly 300 people start in commerce every year and these are split into 6 groups of just under 50, you will be with the same group for all classes for the first two years, meaning you make great friends with them. The classrooms are small (holding about 50) with comfortable seating and connections for internet and power supply at every seat. If you do a course in Quinn you'll have to have a laptop with the required software installed. You can buy a new vendor laptop from Dell at a discounted rate and if you need any service on this it can be done at ILTG which is a room in Quinn, they also give you a lend of a laptop to use if yours needs to be repaired. If you have a laptop already and it is up to spec you just need to get it on the network which is simple, but you may also need to buy and install essential software.

    UCD is a massive campus with a diverse student body. Of course the stereotypes can be found and noticed but there're actually LOADS of different people with many different tastes. Plus you'll have plenty of opportunities to mix with people doing other courses, by just getting involved in student life you'll get to know people doing all sorts of things from Medicine and Science to Arts and Engineering.

    The way stages and semesters work in the college: A stage is a year, which is split into two 15 week semesters, which cover 12 weeks of classes a one week study break and two weeks of exams. Semester One runs from the second week in September to just before Christmas. All exams will be complete by the Friday before Xmas, with some finishing up well before this. This means that the whole semester and all six modules (courses) in that semester will be fully complete before Xmas and you can enjoy your Xmas and New Year break without having to worry about assignments of exams coming up at the start of the New Year. The Xmas break lasts about a month then towards the end of January you start back for Semester Two with completely new modules. Semester Two usually runs for seven weeks of classes before taking a two-week study break in March, then the last five weeks of classes are covered before the one week study break and two weeks of exams to wrap up the year by the second week in May.

    Stage One - Semester One
    You get to know your classmates, your laptop, the campus and the system. There's the whole UCD Horizons Elective thing to get used to and find out about, this is where you can pick a module from anywhere in the university (or within Quinn if you wish) to do in addition to your business subjects which currently are:
    • Maths for Business 1: Basic algebra/calculus and how they relate to the business world, delivered through large lectures and small tutorials, assessed through weekly tests, mid-term & final.
    • Business Law: Covers contracts, the Irish legal system etc. Delivered through small class groups, assessed through assignments, field trip report and final.
    • Management: Covers basic management, such as models from Porter. Delivered in small groups, assessed through weekly online tests(Multiple Choice Questions/MCQ), reports and final
    • Micro-Economics: Intro to Economics at a micro level. Delivered in large lectures, assessed through mid-term and final exam (all MCQ)
    • Computers and Information Systems: Intro to computers. Delivered through small groups, assessed through group work... presentations, reports, building a website & final.
    Stage One, Semester Two
    You'll now know the system fairly well and get on with your classmates. There's more group work, presentations and reports this semester.
    • Macro-Economics: Intro to economics are a wider level. Delivered in large lectures, assessed through mid-term and final.
    • Financial Accounting I: Gives basic introduction to Financial Accounting. Delivered in large lectures, assessed through mid-term & final exam.
    • Organisational Behaviour: Covers the ethics involved in business and HRM. Delivered through small groups, assessed through group presentations, reports and final.
    • Quantitative Analysis: Lots of Excel work with numbers. Delivered to small groups, assessed through group project and final.
    • Applied Business Competencies: Teaches practical aspects of business such as giving presentations in groups and individually, writing reports, analysing annual results and using stock exchanges.
    Stage Two, Semester One
    · Financial Accounting II: Covers financial accounting in a more applied way, instead of just doing the equations you'll do some analysis. Delivered to small groups, assessed through essay, mid-term and final.
    · Operations Management: Covers Supply Chains and how to handle multiple tasks. Delivered to small groups, assessed through group work and final.
    · Finance: Covers a lot of the stuff used by top financial firms to assess potential of investments. Delivered through large lectures and small tutorials, assessed through final.
    · Marketing: Intro to the basics of marketing. Delivered to small classes, assessed through presentations, reports and final.
    · Cross Cultural Management: Gives some insight into how management can be different in different cultures. Delivered through small groups, assessed through presentations, debates and final.

    Stage Two, Semester Two
    This is where you'll have the opportunity to go on international exchange. Destinations include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Netherlands, Norway and the UK. Where you go depends on your preferences and your performance in first year. I went to Vancouver for four months which was an incredible experience. When you're on exchange you'll do the equivalent of the courses people who stay in Quinn School.
    The Quinn courses are Database Systems Development, Managing Employee Relations, Management Accounting, Understanding Entrepreneurs and Intermediate Micro-economics.

    Stage Three
    You will choose if you want to specialise in Accounting, Banking and Finance, General Management, International Business, Human Resource Management, Marketing or Management Information Systems. You decide in semester two of stage two, by which stage you will have experience in each of the areas, which to do. The one you choose still doesn't tie you into a career and there are plenty of postgraduate opportunities.

    Hopes this helps, PM me any questions or join www.bebo.com/UCDBusiness and comment your questions there!:D


  • #32
    KnifeWRENCH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,148 ✭✭✭✭KnifeWRENCH


    Parsley wrote: »
    Anyone going for Chemical Sciences in UCC? :)

    Hello!
    I've done First Year Physics (CK408) and a lot of the course content is similar to Chemical Science.
    You have 3 options in CK406: http://www.ucc.ie/en/ck406/
    If you choose option 3 I can share my wisom with you! :)
    If you're thinking about Option 2 I can help you with most of it.
    If you want info on Option 1 I'm afraid I can't help you.

    The main Chemistry module is CM1000, which I did even though most on my course didn't.
    It's worth 15 credits and split into 3 sections - Inorganic, Physical and Organic. You also have labs every week (which are compulsory) and tutorials/workshops (which, despite what the lecturers tell you, are optional!)
    The worst thing is that you have to do 3 MCQ (Multiple Choice) exams, which are a pain because they have negative marking.
    Overall, it's an interesting module (apart from Organic which I found boring and difficult). The Inorganic and Physical are simple enough, slightly dull at times, but you do learn a lot of different types of Chemistry, so it's definitely worth doing.
    The other module is called History of Chemistry, CM1100. I don't know anything about it because our course doesn't have it, but it's only worth 5 credits so it's likely to be straightforward enough.

    If you're considering doing Option 3 and want information on it (The 2 Physics modules, 2 Applied Maths modules and the Maths module) don't hesitate to PM me! :)


  • #33
    dee8839
    Closed Accounts Posts: 283 ✭✭dee8839


    Ekels wrote: »
    Law and Accouting, UL.

    Any insight?

    I'm out on work placement as the second semester of Year 3 of Law and Accounting. First off, UL is a savage college, so close knit and great socially, so no worries from that aspect.

    Are you interested more in Law or Accounting? I know you may think you're not sure yet, but if its law you're into, go for Law Plus instead, god I wish that course was around in 2005! The vast majority of L&A students go down the Accounting route, so choosing to go for law can be lonely!!

    What way is it divided? It is basically 50-50, 3 law modules and 3 accounting, sometimes 2 - 3, and there is a good bit of Economics involved for the first year and a half or so. If you haven't done Accounting before, I would say don't do this course. They say they teach you from scratch but believe me, my sister did Accounting for the Leaving this year and she knows more about it than me, even though I'm one year away from having a degree in it!! If you did Economics for Leaving, you'll have a head start, but it is not necessary.

    What can you expect if you do the course? Not overloaded with hours, about 20 a week at most. The lecturers are for the most part very nice. The law tutorials are generally good, depends of course, but if you get Eddie Keane, thank your lucky stars, a legend! The Accounting tutorials are hit and miss, some are worse than useless, others are very step-by-step and helpful. It can be a competitive course, don't fall behind, do a bit of work and it'll stand to you later.

    Overall, I'm not sorry I did this course. You are eligable for either Kings InNs (barrister) exams or Blackhall Place (solicitor) FE1s, as well as being exempt from several of the accounting exams (don't know details).

    Hope that helps, feel free to PM me if you have any questions you think I could answer!


  • #34
    Priscilla Duck
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭Priscilla Duck


    If you don't think that traditional study methods will suit you, consider the Open University. It is not cheap, but if you are working fulltime, it is possible to fit study around your other activities, and employers can sometimes be persuaded to contribute to your fees.

    My experience:

    Course:
    BSc International Studies
    Diploma in Politics and Government

    Points:
    No entry requirements

    Number of students:
    N/A - distance learning. 16 students per tutor max.

    Course structure:
    Depends very much on the course you are studying. You have to accummulate 360 points of study credit, 120 at each of Levels 1,2 and 3.
    Courses are usually 30 or 60 points in value, 120 points of study is equivalent to one year of fulltime study at university. Credit transfer from previous study is also possible, depending on the specialism. You can complete a degree in as little as 2 years, or stretch it out over ten, depending on your particular needs and learning style.

    Hours:
    12-16 a week, depending again on the course you are taking.

    Course Content:
    You can take a variety of courses from a number of disciplines to gain a BA/BSc (Open) or specialise in a particular area. See http://www.open.ac.uk for details and student feedback for almost every course.

    Summary:
    There are courses to suit everyone, you can tailor your degree to suit your interests.

    OU degrees are esteemed by both employers and universities - I had no problems getting onto the postgrad of my choice, and employers recognise the skills an OU student needs to be able to combine distance learning with work/life committments.

    I can't really comment on individual courses, as people may take different routes. I will say that the newest courses are always the best. Older courses can be very dated as the structure of distance learning means that the materials can't be updated easily. However, they are revised regularly and I rarely had serious problems with this.

    You receive all the materials you will need to complete the course. You are given access to the online library, including the EBSCO journal database. You are also provided with all the software you will need, including the OU's conferencing toolkit which is used for online tutorials, student forums and email services.
    It is an excellent learning environment with the focus very much on the student and catering to their learning style. The OU has taken overall first place in UK student satisfaction surveys for the last five years.


  • #35
    Daysha
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,908 ✭✭✭Daysha


    Niamh-17 wrote: »
    Anyone doing Music or Music with Arts down in Cork? Id love to hear more about it, Thanks :D

    I nearly chose Music with Arts last year but ended up accepting Communications in DCU (btw if any of you are looking for info on that course, either ask away here, PM me, or crawl through that huge Communications topic on the DCU forum :pac:)

    From what I hear it's pretty popular. I didn't look a huge amount into it but the one thing that did stand out for me is that the Music Department is actually a fair bit away from the main UCC campus...a good 15/20 minute if you're going to be staying in one of the apartments near the college. That aspect did put me off it a small bit because your classes and lessons won't just take place in the Music Dept. but also back on-campus, so you may have to go from the one place to the other during the day too.

    One of my friends is just going into 3rd year in that course. If ya want to hear from him personally about the course itself, PM me and i'll send you on his e-mail address


  • #36
    Pen1987
    Closed Accounts Posts: 870 ✭✭✭Pen1987


    Course
    Print Journalism - Ballyfermot College of Further Education (Two Year Ord.Degree)

    Points
    3 Higher C3+ add 3 Ord.Level passes plus interview and portfolio (these all can be waivered, contact the college)

    Number of Students
    Max of 28

    Hours
    Approx 15 in class per week. Unlimited thereafter.

    Course Content
    The aim of the course is to produce journalists with the skills and abilities to enter the world of the media as highly employable and workplace-expericenced individuals. It is not to produce a bunch flower-tongued Hemingways capable of winning the pulitzer prize the year after they leave Ballyfermot. All the lecturers are experienced, or still working in the media enviroment and encourage you to begin submitting peices to papers, local and national once you reach the standard expected, for most this is in the first year. They are all very approachable also due to the small class size. The modules cover all aspects needed for working in the print media. Research, Subbing, Layout & Design, News gathering and reporting, feature writing, creative writing, Media Analysis, Multimedia, Newspaper Production.

    You'll learn how to pitch ideas (offer an idea to an editor), write in the various styles, layout news pages, HTML, analyse media, act in a media-related job interview and how to operate in all the roles of the newsroom.

    Through out the first year the class will practice combining all these skills on various 'Newsday' excercises. On these newsdays all lectures are cancelled and the class are told they have to produce a certain number of newspaper pages from scratch by a set deadline. Each student is given a position, Editor, Deputy Editor, Sports Editor, Reporter, Sub-Ed. Layout Designer etc and the class must work together to complete the task. The final newsday is analysed and goes towards your final grade. You are also expected to source and complete 2 seperate weeks of work experience in a media organisation. There are seven modules and you submit assignments over the course of the year for all of them. Five of the modules are graded solely on the assignments submitted, and the remaining two are 50%-assignment 50%-exam, so you only sit two exams at the end of the year.

    In the second year the class must produce the college newspaper off their own backs. Unlike other colleges the SU doesnt fund the paper so the class has to source its own funding - although the college will help if needed, youre expected to break even though. Last year the student newspaper won Small Publication of the year at the Student Media awards. You are expected to source and complete three weeks of work experience in the media.

    Summary:
    If you ask anyone in the print media about the BCFE print journalism course you will recieve a postive response. It is highly regarded due its "focus on employability" ethos. Although BCFE is a small college it has produced a few of the biggest names in the Irish media. The Print Journalism course does not confine you to working in print media either, most of Newstalk is made up of MJH (Print Journo) graduates, many of the original presenters from the early days of TV3 were from the media courses, the employment opportunities are highly varied. I'm in my second (final) year and the majority of my class already have part-time/weekend work in local newspapers around Dublin. Many of us have been published by national publications also.

    Graduates of this course recieve an ordinary degree and have the opportunity to apply for an extra year to achieve a BA (Hons Degree) in Media Production Management (THREE YEAR B.A... BARGAIN!) which is issued by DCU but completed in BCFE. Alternatively you could go to the UK to do another year and recieve the BA in Print Journalism, or go to UCD/DCU/DIT for two more years (four year BA, same as starting in a Uni.) to complete a BA in Print Journalism/Alt-Media-related-course.

    Points of Note:
    Although this course will provide you with an excellent base to enter the media dont expect to trot along to BCFE and trot out two years later with a degree and into a job. You will get out what you put in, although the college is small and the class and lecturers know you by name they arent going to hold you by the hand and pull you through your time there. The staff will allow you make mistakes because you learn from them, they will let you make mistakes so you become more self-sufficient and use your initiative, two things needed to make it in the highly-competitive Print world. The media department is a great place to make contacts for future employment, the media is all about who-you-know unfortunately and in ten years time the who-you-know could well be the person from the Television Production course who sat two tables down from you at lunch in your BCFE days who is now sitting across the table from you at the interview.

    BCFE is not DCU, DIT or Trinity, it doesnt have 20'000 students and 50 societies. The college is very friendly but not 'buzzing', although this year the SU looks very promising and highly motivated. Music and creativity are the main interests of many of the students due the abundance of music, art and fashion based courses. The average age of a first year is around 20 also, so mature students are very common. You wont find BCFE the wildest place on earth but you wont be lonely due to the small classes. I'd recommend it to anybody looking to get into the media enviroment especially those you didnt achieve high points in their LC or have been out of school a few years who always wanted to work in journalism but thought it was unattainable.


    Any other info PM me.


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  • #37
    BarryDoodles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 209 ✭✭BarryDoodles


    Course: Law and arts in NUIMaynooth (New)
    3 years
    480 points or so
    The classes are small and neat with good intro material.The course is only new and the college is still trying to get a handle on it but its looking positive.
    Hours are minimal and given the first year modules, alot of time is left free for the student bar :) Maynooth also won university of the year in the sunday times.

    (This is more an plee to Dublin people, please come to maynooth and save my sanity...just too many 'cavan' people) .....damn 5 points of ucd law :(


  • #38
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    May as well add a bit about my course :)

    Politics (NUIM) - 360 points (2008).

    The course topic at the minute anyway is very broad, and the topics are taught in a Socratic style, discussion would be promoted, and you would learn that way and by doing the readings also. You do two other arts subjects in first year, I'm doing Philosophy and Computer Science. As with the law course Barry is talking about up there, theres plenty of free time, which is also another thing I like about it :).


  • #39
    Selphie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 428 ✭✭Selphie


    Just in second year in Law and French in UCC, absolutely love the course and everything about it.

    Points
    It was 530 2 years ago when I did my LC, dropped to 515 last year. Law and Irish is higher, around the 540 mark. Straight law is around 500 and Law and German always comes in a bit lower with around 480.

    Class sizes
    In Law and French there's about 10-15 but for all core modules we're in with all the law students, straight, Irish, German etc. We have French classes and legal French classes in just our small group then.

    What it's like
    First year: Completely daunting at first, law in particular. It's hard to get accustomed to self-directed learning and a lot of reading is expected of you (although not a lot of it ever gets done.) French is easy in First year, all simple grammar stuff which you would have done in secondary school numerous times.
    Second year: Harder and easier at the same time. Easier because you now know how to approach the law subjects but harder because they expect a lot more of you. Also you have no choice of law subjects in second year like those in straight law (because you have to complete certain modules in order to be allowed to sit Kings Inn/Blackhall exams.)This means we rarely see friends from straight law/german/irish etc. French is still handy enough though.
    Third year is spent on Erasmus in a choice of four universities - Rennes, Lyon, Strasbourg or Montpellier and then you have another year of optional law subjects..

    Personal
    I absolutely adore my course. I love being mixed in with the big law group but still having my class of 11 who I get on really well with. It's brilliant having Erasmus to look forward to next year. If thinking of doing law I'd definitely recommend doing a language. It makes the workload so much easier to bear and learning a language provides such a relief to the heavy burden of pure law. Aswell as that, French is definitely the most useful as its used predominantly in Europe, which means that LawFrench graduates generally find it easy enough to get employment.
    UCC itself is wonderful. Cork's a beautiful city and is the perfect size for a college city. Clubs and societies in UCC are brilliant and there's always something to do.

    Any questions etc. just drop me a pm..


  • #40
    1huge1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,174 ✭✭✭1huge1


    Business Studies with German- University of Limerick
    2008: 385 points.

    Ok so basically this is two courses, you do the entire business course with german on top of it.
    The business course is basically the same as any other business or commerce course in Ireland though UL has mandatory co-op which is not the case in all commerce courses (e.g NUI galway).
    I think its a great course and I find it really rewarding doing it with a language.
    I'm still only in 1st year so my experience is limited but so far I can say that it is a really interesting course and the job prospects are very good.

    Semester 1:
    Micro-economics
    Management Principles
    Communications
    Business Information Management
    Principles of Accounting
    German

    So its about 16-18hrs a week of business and around 4 hours of german.
    The work load in business is not overly stressful if you keep up with the work. They really ease you into the course in the 1st semester.

    As for UL I couldn't recommend the place enough, from my experience Limerick has the best night life in Ireland and UL definitely adds to this. Around 14,000 students and in my opinion has the nicest campus in Ireland, if your into sports your sorted too as it has been nicknamed Irelands sporting campus as the facilities are top notch. The campus itself is the biggest campus in size terms in Ireland due to it being located out in the suburbs unlike most other universities.

    Any questions feel free to ask.


  • #41
    rainbow kirby
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,928 ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    Computer Science - UCD - I'm 4th BSc CS, and am also ex-Mathematical Science.

    (2008 - 335 points)

    Class size: ~60 (that's from a combination of the BA and BSc streams, and a few people from DN008 Science will go down the CS road too), but there are only about 35 of us left in 4th year.

    Hours: In 1st year, this will very much depend on what else you're doing with it. BA students will most likely have fewer lecture hours, but BSc students will have a better maths foundation. Overall - about 24 hours a week in 1st year, this will decrease to about 10 hours a week in 4th year.

    Modules:
    1st year BSc students will take
    Introduction to Programming 1 and 2 (Java programming with Fintan Costello, no previous knowledge of programming is assumed - I hadn't programmed before I came to UCD and I pulled an 86 in the pre-Horizons version of this, it's a very easy course and it's worth it as an elective for TP students too)
    Introduction to Computer Architecture (circuits, logic and all that fun stuff with Chris Bleakley)
    Formal Foundations (logic, proof and all of that, John Dunnion teaches this)
    Algorithmic Problem Solving (basically a puzzle class, Henry McLoughlin teaches this and he's lovely)
    Software Engineering Project 1 (Michael O'Neill is teaching it this year)

    3 maths courses are taken in 1st year too - I didn't have any difficulty really with the level required but I am slightly biased as I got an A1 at higher level in the LC. Students entering with close to the minimum requirements (OB3/HD3 Maths) may struggle.

    2nd, 3rd, 4th year modules here. I'm currently in 4th year, and my favourite module this semester has been Machine Learning - but then again I'm a horrible nerd that likes that sort of thing.

    Other things you should know:
    - Laptops are now compulsory. I can't imagine doing a CS degree without one though.
    - The school can be quite disorganised at times (for example, the 2nd and 3rd year labs were closed for the study week, and lectures were cancelled in the first week of term due to a conference taking up the lecture theatre)
    - Get involved with clubs and societies! UCD is bloody huge, they're the best way to get to know people. I've been a member of the taekwon-do club for 6 years.


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  • #42
    kisaragi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 404 ✭✭kisaragi


    I'm doing Psychology in NUIM.

    Course:
    BA Psychology

    Points:
    It was 515 in my year, I don't know about last year. Also you can enter via arts so ~350 points I'd guess that way. But you have to compete for your place.

    Number of students:
    Any number in first year, there was about 200 in my psychology class. Then 70 in second year, and whoever doesn't drop out of that 70 will be around in three years.

    Course structure:
    Three years degree. In first year you do psychology and 2 other arts subjects that don't clash. I did Spanish and Philosophy which were both pretty good.

    Then in second and third year you just study psychology.

    Hours:
    About 16 hours or so in first year depending on your subjects. In second year we have two hours of computers/statistics, six hours of lectures, and four hours of practical sessions per week.

    Course Content:
    The first year course has actually changed now so you don't do any practicals in first year, the classes were just getting too big, so I'm not exactly sure about the first year course in that respect. But for the other modules you study -

    Biological and Developmental Psychology - 4 weeks of biopsych which is a more advanced look at the way our brain and nervous system work than you would have done for LC. I didn't do Biology for LC so it was a bit tough. And then 8 weeks of Developmental which is fairly interesting.

    Cognitive and Social Psychology - Cognitive Psych is really good, it's about perception and memory and all that jazz. Social psych I found a little duller, but some of the studies were really interesting like Stanley Milgram's study.

    Statistics of some description - This is pretty boring, but it's really easy, it lasts both semesters so you're only examined at the end. But don't worry, it's the easiest exam.

    Experimental Methods - So in this class we used to do practicals and methodoly, but I don't know what they do now. I think there's some history and methodology etc.

    So that's it for first year! In second year.......

    Learning, Language and Behaviour - This class is the bane of my existance... Obviously everyone has their own tastes but I find it hideously boring. Me and my friend refer to it as - how to train your rat class.

    Biological Basis of Behaviour - Alright! This is more like it. A really interesting class. Looks at cognitive neuropsych methodologies (e.g. neuroimaging). Looks at diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and their neurological basis. Looks at what different areas of the brain do, and what happens when we damage them etc. Really good stuff

    Perception and Memory - Another pretty good lecture. It's like a WAY more indept version of the Cognitive Psychology you study in first year. Basically breaks the two areas down into their respective parts, and also studies the deficits that can occur - aphasia and amnesia for example. A really interesting class, quite biological, and requires a lot of study.

    Statistics version 2.0 - So in this class you sit at a computer for 2 hours, and learn how to do everything you learned about in first year in the program SPSS. It's not really the most riviting class but it's definitley essential.

    That's it for semester one anyway. In each module (except stats where you have a small test and hand outs to complete and be returned), you do one practical worth 22% (5000 word limit) and an essay worth 18% (1500/2500 word limit). You have two weeks to do each. So it's pretty tough going in terms of your work load.

    Summary:

    A good course, I'd recommend it. I really enjoyed getting to study another two arts subjects in second year. And if you find you prefer them to psychology you can continue on doing those! The workload in first year is pretty ok, and exams are easy enough to pass if you do a bit of study. In second year things really get taken up a notch however, you have 24 classes per module unlike the 12 you had in first year (shared between unrelated areas), and four modules instead of three. So even though you have less hours overall, you've got a LOT to learn.

    One thing I would say is that you should make sure you wouldn't be more interested in psychiatry :)


  • #43
    Chunky Monkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 923 ✭✭✭Chunky Monkey


    Course: Medicine (5 years) at Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, UK.

    Points: When I applied (2007), the grade requirement was AAABB with at least one A in a science subject; however demand for the course is increasing so I think those requirements are going to go up.

    Application: Apply through UCAS. Deadline is mid October for entry the following year. Grades or grade predictions required along with a personal statement and a letter from a referee. UKCAT also required or if you have a previous degree and/or are over 21, you'll be required to sit the GAMSAT.

    Website: http://www.pms.ac.uk/

    Number of students: 214; 14 are international students; for first and second year we are split between two campuses in Exeter and Plymouth, 107 of us at each; we are split between Exeter, Plymouth and Truro for years 3-5. Small group sessions involve 6-8 students usually.

    Hours: average 15 hours contact time during first year; however we have quite a large workload outside these hours referred to as 'self directed learning' (SDL).

    Course Content: I think we're quite different from the Irish colleges in that we have patient and clinical skills experience during 'pre clinical' years. We work on a two week timetable (for first year, I don't know about second year) and have various different sessions...

    Plenaries: The PC term for lectures, apparently they don't like lecturing 'at' us, they still do but anyway. I suppose some of them are good and including 'audience participation time' which can be good craic. We have three hour long plenaries one week and four the next. We have something called telematics which means that sometimes the lecture takes place at the Exeter campus and is streamed live to Plymouth and vice versa. We have microphones in case we want to ask the lecturer something and they're at the other campus. Streamed plenaries are available online about 48 hours after so we can use them for revision, which is pretty awesome.

    LSRC: Life Sciences Resource Centre. We two 3 hour long sessions every second week. The first hours consists of a lecture in the IT suite which is usually on medical imaging. Then we are split into smaller groups and have a 35 min anatomy session, 35 min physiology session and then facilitated SDL.

    CSRC: Clinical Skills Resource Centre. We have two 2 hour long sessions at one of the local hospitals every second week where learn how to take a BP, injections, blood taking, CPR, pregnant abdomen examinations, newborn baby examinations, communication skills etc. We are filmed during our communication skills sessions so we can look back at them after. We'll be learning how to scrub up for theatre after Xmas :D

    Community placement: We have one 2 hour long placement every second week. We get sent to a variety of places including GP surgeries, with the midwives or physios (got to watch a C section when I was with the midwives!), specialist childrens' centres etc. It depends on what we are studying at the time.

    Jigsaw sessions: One 2 hour long session every second week. Small group session, ours is facilitated by a GP. We talk about our placement experience and other issues, usually ethical ones. Not everyone's cup of tea but I quite enjoy them.

    PBL: Problem based learning. Small group sessions- one 2 hour long one week, two 2 hour long the second week. Our curriculum is systems based and goes through the life cycle rather than subject (ie learning anatomy, biochemistry etc separately). So far we have done four cases which each last two weeks. They have been on conception (where we learned about fertilization, fertility treatments etc), fetal (we learned about embryology and pregnancy), infant (babies and their development) and childhood (concentrated on the musculoskeltal system and damage to the upper limbs). We are given a case (eg Mary and John can't conceive and have done such and such; they come to you as their GP and ask such and such; you ask them such and such). As a group we have to come up with questions and learning objectives at our first session. We then have to go home and research the answers ourselves and draw on what we are learning during the other sessions. We come back and share with the others during the next two sessions.

    PBL style learning is how they do at the majority of colleges in Canada and the US I think and is considered a modern style of medical education compared to the old fashioned style of 9-5 lectures where you are spoon fed. However I think it is a case of each to their own so really you should decide which style of learning you feel would suit you.

    Workshops: One 2 hour session every second week. We meet as a year group and split into smaller groups where we discuss some sort of ethical issue and then present our arguments to the rest of the year at the end of sessions. Haven't learned much from them yet tbh but they are good fun and a good bonding opportunity for the year :p

    Evidence based practice: One 2 hour session every second week where we learn about statistics and how to read reports on and carry out studies, the different styles etc.

    SSU: Student Selected Unit. The GMC requires that medical students spend 33% of their time at med school studying an option of their choice. We are in the middle of one at the moment. Basically we get three weeks to study a particular area of interest and produce a paper by the end of it. For the first one we are just researching papers at home but after this we will have placements at hospitals, labs etc.

    Consolidation weeks: We have one of these after xmas. Not entirely sure what it involves but think it has something to do with catch up on what we've done so far.

    Workload: Although for the first year we only have about 15 hours contact time a week we are expected to do 15-20 hours study outside this time; this requires a lot of self discipline as they don't check to see if we are doing this.

    Assessment: We have four AMK (applied medical knowledge) exams a year which are 3 hours long. Everyone in the school (from yrs 1-5) sit the same test at the same time. It's also known as a progress test so we have a graph of our scores which is meant to increase as we go along. A junior doctor is expected to get 60%. We're expected to get at the very bottom, 0-10%. We also have an end of year knowledge test in May or June. Not sure what that involves though.

    We are also assessed on our PPD (Personal and Professional Development) during our contact sessions and we have clinical skill assessments too. Everything has been formative so far ie the marks haven't counted towards our final grade. It all becomes summative after xmas though. If we don't hand in SSU papers on time, or get an unsatisfactory in our AMKs (during summative assessments) we have to repeat the year.

    Summary: I love this course. People try to give it bad rep because of the grade requirement which is relatively low compared to the other colleges (though obviously not low at all). The area is beautiful, the night life is decent (thanks to our Medsoc) and the course, apart from being well run, is a lot of fun which personally is what I want from life and how I'd like to spend five years. There is a lot of support available and you feel valued as an individual here. I had the complete opposite experience when I was a Natural Sciences student at Trinity.

    Any questions, send a PM :)


  • #44
    seadog9
    Registered Users Posts: 81 ✭✭seadog9


    I started off doing Architecture in UCD, after 3 weeks I realised it wasn't for me. Though I was good at art and all, it was immensley too design based and too abstract for me, as well as the fact I didnt want to design buildings for a living. When choosing a course it's important to imagine how you will feel doing it beforehand rather than thinking that'd be a grand job.

    Luckily I managed to change course, and I'm now studying Engineering in UCD, the hours are less prohibitive and I feel much more comfortable with what I'm doing.

    Always think before you choose! And ask your guidance counsellor for advice, that was something that I failed to do. I was just lucky I was able to change course, had I have waited another week, I wouldn't have been able to change course for a full year!


  • #45
    Imallin9989
    Closed Accounts Posts: 67 ✭✭Imallin9989


    I'm in first year and I would recommend anyone wanting to do primary teaching, do this course. I know Pats is more renowned but Marino is a small college, more personal with only 100 first years and classes of 35. From the moment you start you learn how to teach and manage a class. Its brilliant....:D


  • #46
    RandolphEsq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,296 ✭✭✭RandolphEsq


    I'm in 2nd year Law with Philosophy in UCD.

    It is a 4 year degree with years 3 and 4 counting towards one's final degree. Firstly, it is a law (BCL) degree with Philosophy as, at the moment, a minor.

    There is an option to go on an Erasmus/International exchange programme in 3rd year if one's 1st year GPA is above a certain level (about a B-).

    The workload is what one wants it to be; it is not too difficult to pass exams with a little bit of work but it is a challenging and rewarding degree to pursue top grades. There is typically 13/16 hours per week of lectures and tutorials (depending if one counts a double lecture as 1 or 2) but it is what you do outside lectures that is important.

    The subjects are broken down as follows for 1st and 2nd year; 30 credits of law subjects (there is no choice here), 20 credits of philosophy subjects(from a list of 6/8), and 10 from Horizons for each year. For 3rd and 4th year there is flexibility and any law subject can then be chosen which allows one to get to know an aspect of law which may interested them more than the obligatory law modules from 1st and 2nd year.

    There is about 5-8 people in each Law with Philosophy year but one is pratically never with solely these people as they are either mixed in with 150+ people in law lectures or philosophy lectures.

    The philosophy, for me, adds that bit extra to the law degree. Law on its own would be quite heavy and almost monotonous. Philosophy is a subject which encourages 'outside-the-box' thought and allows a different perspective on the world.

    The social element is fantastic. Most people are friendly and up for hanging out. There is a diverse and random mix of people in law so stereotypes cannot be applied! I would recommend college in UCD based on this element alone, I would recommend law with philosophy in UCD because of the fulfillment one takes from studying it.


  • #47
    Twee.
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,722 Mod ✭✭✭✭Twee.


    Course:
    DL242 - Business and Arts Management, IADT

    Points: 255

    Duration: Four years

    I only have a first year's insight, but here's a bit of information.
    24 hours of lectures a week, leaving plenty of time for study ;) First years study Management, Marketing, Arts in Context, Theatre, Music, Learning & Research Methods and Computer Applications. There is no choice in subjects, but they are all very interesting, very arts related and are taught by excellent lectures, many of whom have spent time working in the arts industry.
    The year is mainly made up of continuos assessment (CA), with exams either at Christmas and/or Summer. The CAs are serious work, but I have enjoyed doing the majority of them because the topics are just great.
    Here's a taste of what we've done last semester:
    Put on a gig
    Made two presentations on the arts world to class
    Held a bake sale
    Visited two theatres, two galleries, cinema, two gigs
    Completed a book review, assessed a manager, film review
    Written a monologue

    Planned for this semester:
    BIG book review
    Another gig
    Visit IMMA
    Favourite music assignment
    Running student care week (an event for the whole college!)
    Stage a production of several 5 minute plays (write, cast, direct, produce,sound/light design)

    In the third year of this course, the college uniquely offers SIX MONTHS work experience. Excellent chance to get out there and establish yourself. Experience is key in this business.

    I'd say to prospective students to think about how much they enjoy the world of the arts. The course does not focus on just business, or just one art form. Every example, every event will relate back to art, music, dance, film, theatre etc!

    Any questions, send a PM.


  • #48
    Squeeonline
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,560 ✭✭✭Squeeonline


    Yeah lots and lots for NUIG anyway. PM me with any specific questions. I'm half way through 2nd year now and studying Biotechnology. Its slightly different than general science and in my opinion, much better. But I'll tell you what I know about science.

    If you have a look at the prospectus you'll see the subject groups. None of them suited me which is why I picked biotech. They all had physics or maths of some kind in, and I wanted to avoid physics even though biotech had maths for first year.

    As for hours, you can say 9-5 but its not really. You'll finish your labs early and you may not go to all the tutorials etc. Its 9-5 with a few hours off during the day and probably fridays off almost completely.

    If you have done any of the science subjects for the leaving cert that you will be studying, its much easier. I really felt sorry for those who hadn't done biology or chemistry before as it must have been fairly difficult. I got through and got very good results by known my leaving cert well (A1 in bio and A2 in chem) and just a little bit more.

    A lot of the things you hear in lectures sounds really difficult but when you look at it yourself its quite easy. One really valuable piece of advice: Look at the pastpapers early. There was a reason you use them a load in the LC. Lecturers are busy people with research and stuff. Questions are quite often copied and pasted from year to year. Only when you look at them do you see that. Also listen out for hints. I got loads in first year and almost knew what was coming up. Second year they arent so nice :-(

    As for life, its really what you make of it. Life isnt proscribed with the course. I know there are people who do nothing, and then there are people who just move in different circles. Weekends are usually dead as everywhere as people go home. Join societies and clubs, be active, dont just stick with the same group of friends from secondary school. Talk to anyone in college, and they (should) say the same.


    As I said above, if anyone wants to know about science in galway and in particular biotech drop me a pm or ask here for others.


  • #49
    Codofwar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 328 ✭✭Codofwar


    Mallox wrote: »
    anyone do engineering in either ucc or nuig .. im really caught between the two .. are they very much based on maths and physics ??? what are the hours like etc.. thanks



    I know this was posted a while back but hopefully it will be of some help. Im currently 2nd year elec eng in ucc and its very tough but imo well worth it. job opportunities are massive after. In saying that though it does take a lot of hours every week outside of lectures to keep up with everything but by even doing a little every day you should have no problems. There is a lot of maths, applied maths and physics in first year but gets a bit less every year after but the work doesn't get easier. I dont mean to frighten you off but it is tough but so many really sound people seem to do elec eng and every other enginnering courses and it is also huge amounts of fun. Best of luck in whatever you choose and dont be afraid to pm me for more info if you want.


  • #50
    Faith Spicy Fatigues
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Faith Spicy Fatigues


    Points: 355

    Places: 55 but fluctuates up and down for a bit.

    You do 6 subjects in first year plus a programming project that starts after christmas. I am speaking purely from the negative side of the course having just dropped out of it after first year christmas. I liked the course for the first while (you have two weeks in the beginning to transfer) but then as things went on i decided it really wasnt for me. i had a totally different vision for the course.. but havin said all this if you like programming and assembly languages etc then the course is for you. it is not for the faint hearted. a lot of people in the course seem to have knowledge on programming and the like.
    i just feel i have to warn people they need to know what theyre getting themselves into, its the same with every course. i just put it down to fill up space on my cao. bad idea. research is key with these things. everything you put on your cao you must see yourself doin them.

    not to put a downer on anything tho... :p


  • #51
    rainbow kirby
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,928 ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    [quote=[Deleted User];58515941]
    i just feel i have to warn people they need to know what theyre getting themselves into, its the same with every course. i just put it down to fill up space on my cao. bad idea. research is key with these things. everything you put on your cao you must see yourself doin them.[/QUOTE]
    An awful lot of people who put down CS on their CAO have no idea what they're getting themselves in for. And you get an awful lot of people who slog through the degree hating every minute. So yes - do your research! Be aware of what you're getting yourself into.
    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


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