Science TR071 seems really nice.

DublinArnie · 11-11-2014 7:35pm #1

Does anyone have experience with this? The course seems really well rounded, catering for many fields and giving you a taste of everything.

The end year choices also seem nice, ranging from Neuroscience to Physics.

If I was to do this, would my end degree (if I chose Physics for example) be the same if I chose Physics as my original course? Or would employers prefer a more Physics focused degree?

Lawliet · 11-11-2014 9:27pm

I don't think there is direct entry for physics (unless you mean theoretical physics). But even if there was, you wouldn't be missing out by doing TR071 as direct entry and general entry science students often do the same modules and are mixed for lectures and labs. The only real difference is that direct entry have their place for 3rd and 4th year, while the general crowd have to compete for places based on exam results.

Also in my experience employers care more that you've got experience or done an internship than about the precise make-up of your degree

DublinArnie · 11-11-2014 9:47pm

Lawliet wrote: »

I don't think there is direct entry for physics (unless you mean theoretical physics). But even if there was, you wouldn't be missing out by doing TR071 as direct entry and general entry science students often do the same modules and are mixed for lectures and labs. The only real difference is that direct entry have their place for 3rd and 4th year, while the general crowd have to compete for places based on exam results.

Also in my experience employers care more that you've got experience or done an internship than about the precise make-up of your degree

Ah! Makes much more sense now, thanks.

bscm · 12-11-2014 9:08pm

It is a fairly well rounded, and there's about 300 or so people including the other courses (Med Chem, TP etc) so you're almost guaranteed to build friend groups.

As for employers and the direct entry vs general entry: they don't mind. Most employers care more about the degree grade (First, II.1 etc) and experience/research/internships, than what modules you did in 1st and 2nd Year.

Also in other colleges, they offer electives so it's rare to find a 1st or 2nd Year student with completely degree specific modules.

DublinArnie · 12-11-2014 10:49pm

bscm wrote: »

It is a fairly well rounded, and there's about 300 or so people including the other courses (Med Chem, TP etc) so you're almost guaranteed to build friend groups.

As for employers and the direct entry vs general entry: they don't mind. Most employers care more about the degree grade (First, II.1 etc) and experience/research/internships, than what modules you did in 1st and 2nd Year.

Also in other colleges, they offer electives so it's rare to find a 1st or 2nd Year student with completely degree specific modules.

How will the employer find out about your modules? Will you include that on the CV or give them a certificate that state the module.

In your opinion, would you say Trinity offer the best science course? All the other universities in the dublin region only offer specialised degrees so an all rounder in Trinity is really making me think twice.

Also, would there be any industry, lab or research links with trinity? Like do people come in and look for graduates for their company or what ever?

bscm · 12-11-2014 11:21pm

DublinArnie wrote: »

How will the employer find out about your modules? Will you include that on the CV or give them a certificate that state the module.

In your opinion, would you say Trinity offer the best science course? All the other universities in the dublin region only offer specialised degrees so an all rounder in Trinity is really making me think twice.

Also, would there be any industry, lab or research links with trinity? Like do people come in and look for graduates for their company or what ever?

Employers will sometimes ask for a breakdown of results on an application form or else just for your transcript (attainable at any point during you course from an Academic Registry or similar). They really don't mind how many Physics/Chem modules you studied, just that you passed or achieved high grades in most of your modules.

It's very, very rare that they would compare individual modules for assigning jobs/positions. This would only happen if two candidates had almost identical grades and skill sets.

You can include whatever information you wish on a CV, you can give an overall mark for your 1st/2nd/3rd/degree grade, or you can list out important modules you did well in, it's all up to you (or up to the company you may be applying to as some of them request only 1 page CVs).

As for the course, you will leave with a degree in Physics or Astrophysics or Neuroscience or Zoology etc. You won't leave with a degree in General Science. On your CV, your Bachelor degree will be a specialisation. You will not be looked at any differently from a student who entered into that degree with a direct route. The general entry is purely to give students a taster of the various options available. The CAO entry system is very flawed and forces students to make hasty decisions, so general entry courses help to give students interested in the area some options.

TCD and UCD have similar general entry courses (for the first 2 years at least). Material and modules are quite similar. The main difference is UCD offers electives, TCD does not until 3rd Year and it's a 5 credit option you can substitute for labs in some degree specialisations (e.g. Physics).

As for after your degree, TCD has a large number of research groups, spin off companies and opportunities. There are PhD and Masters places available each year in many areas. Many faculty members have worked in other universities or research facilities, they are more than happy to provide information if you decide you wish to apply during your final years for a graduate role. Also we have a Careers Advisory Service, who can help with internship and graduate job applications and vacancies.

A degree in Science can be a great thing. I'm currently doing Astrophysics. I completed an internship with one of the world's leading financial institutions over the summer, and already have a graduate offer from one of the Big 4, as well as interviews for other positions. Another person in my class completed a research project in the US over the summer, and another is pretty much guaranteed a place a HPC Masters position. Entering into my course through general entry has not hindered my classmates or I in any way.

DublinArnie · 12-11-2014 11:36pm

bscm wrote: »

Employers will sometimes ask for a breakdown of results on an application form or else just for your transcript (attainable at any point during you course from an Academic Registry or similar). They really don't mind how many Physics/Chem modules you studied, just that you passed or achieved high grades in most of your modules.

It's very, very rare that they would compare individual modules for assigning jobs/positions. This would only happen if two candidates had almost identical grades and skill sets.

You can include whatever information you wish on a CV, you can give an overall mark for your 1st/2nd/3rd/degree grade, or you can list out important modules you did well in, it's all up to you (or up to the company you may be applying to as some of them request only 1 page CVs).

As for the course, you will leave with a degree in Physics or Astrophysics or Neuroscience or Zoology etc. You won't leave with a degree in General Science. On your CV, your Bachelor degree will be a specialisation. You will not be looked at any differently from a student who entered into that degree with a direct route. The general entry is purely to give students a taster of the various options available. The CAO entry system is very flawed and forces students to make hasty decisions, so general entry courses help to give students interested in the area some options.

TCD and UCD have similar general entry courses (for the first 2 years at least). Material and modules are quite similar. The main difference is UCD offers electives, TCD does not until 3rd Year and it's a 5 credit option you can substitute for labs in some degree specialisations (e.g. Physics).

As for after your degree, TCD has a large number of research groups, spin off companies and opportunities. There are PhD and Masters places available each year in many areas. Many faculty members have worked in other universities or research facilities, they are more than happy to provide information if you decide you wish to apply during your final years for a graduate role. Also we have a Careers Advisory Service, who can help with internship and graduate job applications and vacancies.

A degree in Science can be a great thing. I'm currently doing Astrophysics. I completed an internship with one of the world's leading financial institutions over the summer, and already have a graduate offer from one of the Big 4, as well as interviews for other positions. Another person in my class completed a research project in the US over the summer, and another is pretty much guaranteed a place a HPC Masters position. Entering into my course through general entry has not hindered my classmates or I in any way.

Such a detailed and tailored response, thanks! You answered all my questions about the course and the university its self.

It's interesting to see how it works, and that it offers a taste in everything.

This might seen a bit off topic, but how do not the lectures work with such big class sizes in the first two years? Are they all compulsory?

Also, for the last two year electives, is it competitive? Do only an X amount get to go into x, y and z?

Thanks! You're REALLY lifting the weight off my shoulders for the CAO application, now I just have to get the points.

bscm · 13-11-2014 12:35am

DublinArnie wrote: »

Such a detailed and tailored response, thanks! You answered all my questions about the course and the university its self.

It's interesting to see how it works, and that it offers a taste in everything.

This might seen a bit off topic, but how do not the lectures work with such big class sizes in the first two years? Are they all compulsory?

Also, for the last two year electives, is it competitive? Do only an X amount get to go into x, y and z?

Thanks! You're REALLY lifting the weight off my shoulders for the CAO application, now I just have to get the points.

During each year, you take 60 credits in modules. Most are 10 credits each, especially in 1st Year. In 2nd Year, most change to 5 credits. In 3rd Year, most are 5 credits aside from labs/practical modules.

The Biology modules tend to have the largest numbers (about 200-300 in 1st Year), Physics has the least, especially as time moves on. I think we had about 70 in 2nd Year (including the TPs and Nanos), less in 3rd. There are some very large theatres in college, which you will more than likely be in for 1st and 2nd Year lectures. You'll have smaller group tutorials in most modules, where you'll have time to speak to a postgrad/lecturer while you do a set of questions or work on a project.

You don't have to attend all lectures. It is advisable to attend as many as possible and some lecturers do take attendance (and they can prevent you from sitting the exam if you are caught out missing most of their lectures without a valid reason). Obviously you may have a lecturer who isn't the best at conveying a topic for you, so working in the library for that hour may work out better.

No one module is compulsory but you need to sit certain modules to be eligible for your chosen degree specialisation. For Physics/Astrophysics, you need to sit both Physics modules in 1st Year, both Maths modules, and then you can pick another 20 credits (2 modules) in Geology, Geography, Biology, or Chemistry. It's a similar situation in 2nd Year, you have 20 remaining credits for Physics/Astrophysics eligibility to fill after the required modules. Most Physics/Astrophysics student tend to pick Chemistry or Geology as their "extra subject".

The competitiveness is mainly in the Biology and Bio/Chem options. Neuroscience is very competitive. Within Physics, everyone tends to get a place in whichever degree they wish to pursue (Physics or Astrophysics). They claim Astrophysics has X places and is competitive, but everybody in my year who wanted it got into it. The Physics options are probably the least competitive. But this situation changes within the Bio and Chem options, where they can't create one or two places here and there due to lab space.

stealinhorses · 13-11-2014 12:39am

This might seen a bit off topic, but how do not the lectures work with such big class sizes in the first two years? Are they all compulsory?

Generally not too many classes are that big. Chemistry and maths are pretty huge the first two years (anywhere between 100-200 people) and questions never get asked during lectures. When you have a question, and are too shy to speak in front of so many people, you can just pop down to the lecturer afterwards and ask them, most will be happy to help you. What happens in such big classes is that for tutorials you are split into much smaller groups, of maybe 15 people. In something like maths, you have two tutorials a week, where you are given a problem sheet in a small classroom, and can ask the tutor (usually postgrad student) for help. Again, most will do their best to try to help you understand the problems.

Also, for the last two year electives, is it competitive? Do only an X amount get to go into x, y and z?

Yes, your exam results from second year will decide whether you get your first choice specialisation, unless you enter something like medchem or nanoscience straight from the CAO. Some courses are more competitive than others, and this seems to depend on what the flavour of the month is. For instance, in botany, you had like 5 people last year, and now there are like 25. Generally genetics/neuroscience are more competitive than something like zoology or physics.

Science TR071 seems really nice.

Comments