Maths & Economics (TSM)

IfUSeekAmy · 09-08-2010 6:33pm #1

Hey y'all. Basically; I'm beginning sixth year later this month & am strongly beginning to consider different degree options. I've always wanted to do a degree that is broad and that won't tie me down to any particular field.
I think I may have found this in Maths & Economics (TSM).
To begin with, I would love to go to Trinity. I love economics as a subject.
My maths skills have deteriorated in recent times. I always loved the subject; Up until third year. Suddenly found myself challenged, it took a lot of effort; I ended up getting an 'A' in JC higher level.
The struggle with maths is ongoing. I took a 3week intensive course in maths this Summer in DCU (as part of CTYI) and LOVED it. Something I haven't felt for the subject in the classroom in quite some time. Hopefully this passion & enthusiasm will continue.

I have a few reservations about the degree programme that maybe y'all could help me with.

I've heard that the quality of some of the maths lecturers in Trinity can be fairly awful. As in, seriously bad. This is worrying for obvious reasons.

The actual degree program. The latest information on the structure & outline of the degree is from 1998. I'm guessing a lot has changed since then. Lack of literature = WORRYING

Lastly, how is this degree viewed? does it have a good reputation, is it seen as being a good degree, prestige wise, etc. Y'all know what I mean.

Thank y'all very much in advance.
Any help / insight would be very much appreciated.

NiamhTCD · 09-08-2010 7:15pm

IfUSeekAmy wrote: »

Hey y'all. Basically; I'm beginning sixth year later this month & am strongly beginning to consider different degree options. I've always wanted to do a degree that is broad and that won't tie me down to any particular field.
I think I may have found this in Maths & Economics (TSM).
To begin with, I would love to go to Trinity. I love economics as a subject.
My maths skills have deteriorated in recent times. I always loved the subject; Up until third year. Suddenly found myself challenged, it took a lot of effort; I ended up getting an 'A' in JC higher level.
The struggle with maths is ongoing. I took a 3week intensive course in maths this Summer in DCU (as part of CTYI) and LOVED it. Something I haven't felt for the subject in the classroom in quite some time. Hopefully this passion & enthusiasm will continue.

I have a few reservations about the degree programme that maybe y'all could help me with.

I've heard that the quality of some of the maths lecturers in Trinity can be fairly awful. As in, seriously bad. This is worrying for obvious reasons.

The actual degree program. The latest information on the structure & outline of the degree is from 1998. I'm guessing a lot has changed since then. Lack of literature = WORRYING

Lastly, how is this degree viewed? does it have a good reputation, is it seen as being a good degree, prestige wise, etc. Y'all know what I mean.

Thank y'all very much in advance.
Any help / insight would be very much appreciated.

Trinity is the most prestigious university in the world... cop on and concentrate on your leaving cert or you will never frequent this prestigious and flamboyant establishment.

claire h · 09-08-2010 7:46pm

IfUSeekAmy wrote: »

The actual degree program. The latest information on the structure & outline of the degree is from 1998. I'm guessing a lot has changed since then. Lack of literature = WORRYING

I don't know where you're getting the 1998 info from, but the college prospectus is updated every year (pp.154-55 for Maths - http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/assets/pdfs/TCD_Prospectus_2010.pdf), and the website is up to date (modules from last year and this year):
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/undergraduate/modules/ - if that's something you're worried about.

CJTobin · 09-08-2010 8:08pm

NiamhTCD wrote: »

Trinity is the most prestigious university in the world... cop on and concentrate on your leaving cert or you will never frequent this prestigious and flamboyant establishment.

Thank you, that sarcasm laced comment made my day!

IfYouSeekAmy, I can't provide insider information on either of those courses myself, but perhaps you should contact the relevant departments:

Maths: mathdep [at] maths [dot] tcd [dot] ie

Economics: econsec [at] tcd [dot] ie

Order a copy of the prospectus and have a look at the other TSM options (sociology is popular, I believe), and don't be afraid to look into these subjects as part of an Arts degree in another university.

Feel free to post any other course-specific questions, and a quick look around the website of the relevant department should give you an appropriate e-mail address for information on a specific course.

Good luck getting back into sixth year, I hope all goes well!

CJC86 · 09-08-2010 8:22pm

As a Maths graduate, I'd definitely recommend Maths & Economics over any of the other TSM options including Maths, since you get to do so much more. It seems like a very good degree from my standpoint, and I was recommending it to my brother who just did his Leaving Cert.

Some of the Maths lecturers can be a bit hard to follow at times, but I think most people get used to them pretty quickly. It possibly just comes with the territory, since I have heard lectures from Maths lecturers from other universities, and they haven't been much better.

I would possibly worry that if you find Maths difficult at Leaving Cert level, that it might be a step too far to do Maths in university, but it should be noted that university Maths is very different from school Maths. Most people would agree that it is a step up in difficulty, but if you enjoyed the CTYI course, that could be more of an indication as to whether you could manage university Maths.

Good luck with sixth year, and I hope you make the right choice for yourself. I would recommend Maths & Economics to anyone, personally.

Fringe · 09-08-2010 11:03pm

Here's the modules for each year this year.
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/undergraduate/modules/index.php?file=mathstsm

It's the same as last year. You get to leave linear algebra before it becomes really hard!

Économiste Monétaire · 09-08-2010 11:41pm

The Economics and Maths TSM is generally regarded as the best economics course available in any Irish university. Modern economics is taught through maths; it's the nature of the beast. If you have an aptitude for maths, and you're interested in economics, then the TSM is a great choice, in my opinion.

andrew · 10-08-2010 1:36am

If you feel that your maths might not be up to scratch but still want to do economics, you can always do Economics through BESS. It's very broad, and so definitely won't tie you down to a particular field. Of course, one could always say it's too broad, but it depends on what you're looking for I guess. At the very lest, the maths isn't too hard at all.

mertyle · 01-11-2010 11:30pm

Are there alot of career options open to you now after finishing your degree. I cannot make up my mind and I am considering doing Actuarial & Financial Science. I know its narrower but I suppose they are bound to do a similar level of maths. I really enjoy maths. In the current climate I am not sure but I think maybe I should do something that will provide me with a definite career path.

just-joe · 02-11-2010 10:42am

IfUSeekAmy wrote: »

I've heard that the quality of some of the maths lecturers in Trinity can be fairly awful. As in, seriously bad. This is worrying for obvious reasons.

Yup.

If you do maths and economics though you should be able to avoid the more crazy ones. Either way the maths is hard so if youre not heading towards at least a B in honours leaving cert, I'd say look at other options.

CHeck out the school of maths websites, it says which courses maths students have to take, and there should be links to the course web pages so you can look at the actual content.

mertyle · 02-11-2010 7:08pm

to be honest I would expect to get an A. I heard that the jobs you can get with a maths degree are not very well paid. thats why I was thinking about the actuarial and financial science. the points are very high thought last year were the average was 570.
Are there any student accomodation rooms actually on the grounds of Trinity. I believe Trinity Hall is closer to UCD than Trinity.

aas · 02-11-2010 7:27pm

Don't base your choice of career off wages.

mertyle · 02-11-2010 7:32pm

I wo0udn't do that, but it is a consideration. My career teacher said we should consider jobs with a high employability ranking. I plan to do an MA too so I suppose the economy will be a whole lot different by the time I finish.

aas · 02-11-2010 7:46pm

There's a difference between employability and earning potential though (other than the fact that one of them isn't a made-up word). You'll be much happier working at what you enjoy, and there's a pretty diverse range of jobs open to maths graduates.

rjt · 02-11-2010 10:13pm

mertyle wrote: »

I heard that the jobs you can get with a maths degree are not very well paid.

Not true at all. For starters the actuarial route is still open to you (though you won't get as many exemptions as you might elsewhere). Lots of people go into the financial sector. Traders love maths and physics graduates, and a few groups (like susquehanna) particularly like TCD graduates. Susquehanna have a starting salary of something like 50k (not including bonuses).

That's not saying that everyone that graduates does make loads, I'm sure the average earning from an actuarial or finance class is higher. But that's more about the sort of person that goes in - if you're doing an actuarial course you're probably more career focused, and will be more inclined to go straight out into making money. Most maths grads seem to do further study, or take some time out to travel and figure out what to do next, or sign on for a while. The degree definitely seems to make a lot of people question what they're doing with their lives.

just-joe · 03-11-2010 3:30am

mertyle wrote: »

I heard that the jobs you can get with a maths degree are not very well paid.

Not true. I studied maths and I am the richest person I know.
As RJT said all the same routes are open from a maths degree as an actuarial degree, so the potential earnings are the same.

mertyle wrote: »

Are there any student accomodation rooms actually on the grounds of Trinity. I believe Trinity Hall is closer to UCD than Trinity.

There are rooms on campus but they are mainly for 4th years. Halls is a grand commute though, and a really great place to spend 1st year.

ganon · 22-06-2012 4:23pm

IfUSeekAmy wrote: »

Hey y'all. Basically; I'm beginning sixth year later this month & am strongly beginning to consider different degree options. I've always wanted to do a degree that is broad and that won't tie me down to any particular field.
I think I may have found this in Maths & Economics (TSM).
To begin with, I would love to go to Trinity. I love economics as a subject.
My maths skills have deteriorated in recent times. I always loved the subject; Up until third year. Suddenly found myself challenged, it took a lot of effort; I ended up getting an 'A' in JC higher level.
The struggle with maths is ongoing. I took a 3week intensive course in maths this Summer in DCU (as part of CTYI) and LOVED it. Something I haven't felt for the subject in the classroom in quite some time. Hopefully this passion & enthusiasm will continue.

I have a few reservations about the degree programme that maybe y'all could help me with.

I've heard that the quality of some of the maths lecturers in Trinity can be fairly awful. As in, seriously bad. This is worrying for obvious reasons.

The actual degree program. The latest information on the structure & outline of the degree is from 1998. I'm guessing a lot has changed since then. Lack of literature = WORRYING

Lastly, how is this degree viewed? does it have a good reputation, is it seen as being a good degree, prestige wise, etc. Y'all know what I mean.

Thank y'all very much in advance.
Any help / insight would be very much appreciated.

Did you choose this course in the end?
How are you finding it?

Maths & Economics (TSM)

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