Engineering in college no physics??

rachelclarke · 13-11-2014 12:17am #1

I'm im leaving cert year at the minute and I hope to do biomedical engineering next year in NUIG. I love Galway and its supposedly the best university in ireland for anything biomedical! I have no worries about points because they are only around 420 and i've been getting 560-580 points in any exams this year and last year, my main concern is that i dont study physics for leaving cert. I do chemsitry and biology at higher level which will obviously be helpful in the medical side of things. I love maths and I do higher level and always do quite well in exams. I also do Applied Maths which i really like too so in a way i'd have a basis of physics from that..

so basically im trying to ask, would I be at any disadvantage having not done physics for the LC? im a quick learner and I really like physics anyway so im prepared to put in as much work as needed for it! (I really dont know why i didnt choose it!!)

oh also i was talking to a lecturer from ucd at the open day and she said that the dean of engineering sometimes prefers to teach physics from stratch as he doesn't like the way it is thought at leaving cert level!!

GarIT · 13-11-2014 12:22am

What you have heard about Galway is completely wrong. Besides that you would be at a disadvantage without physics, but many other people are too and it shouldn't be too difficult to cover what you need and catch up.

rachelclarke · 13-11-2014 12:46am

GarIT wrote: »

What you have heard about Galway is completely wrong. Besides that you would be at a disadvantage without physics, but many other people are too and it shouldn't be too difficult to cover what you need and catch up.

oh ok what is wrong with galway? I actually read that online on some article so it must have some truth in it, and its printed in the prospectus too.. do you know of any other colleges that are good for that course so?

GarIT · 13-11-2014 3:18pm

rachelclarke wrote: »

oh ok what is wrong with galway? I actually read that online on some article so it must have some truth in it, and its printed in the prospectus too.. do you know of any other colleges that are good for that course so?

I'm not saying it's bad or that there is anything wrong with it, its just in no way the best. I could probably show you articles to show that every college is the best at anything. With the points you are aiming for you shouldn't be looking outside of UCD or Trinity.

Employers tend to look poorly on Galway as it is known for its drunkenness rather than academia.

I've been looking around a few graduate jobs and they all seem to say that they require a 1st(70%+) from every uni except if you graduated from UCD or Trinity they will accept a 2:1 (60%-69%). There are also some multinationals that only hire from those two.

onemorechance · 13-11-2014 3:37pm

GarIT wrote: »

I'm not saying it's bad or that there is anything wrong with it, its just in no way the best. I could probably show you articles to show that every college is the best at anything. With the points you are aiming for you shouldn't be looking outside of UCD or Trinity.

Employers tend to look poorly on Galway as it is known for its drunkenness rather than academia.

I've been looking around a few graduate jobs and they all seem to say that they require a 1st(70%+) from every uni except if you graduated from UCD or Trinity they will accept a 2:1 (60%-69%). There are also some multinationals that only hire from those two.

The OP is asking about biomedical engineering in particular. Galway is probably the best place in Ireland to study and work in this field. Some of the world's largest pharmaceutical and medical device companies have large operations and R&D facilities in Galway, e.g. Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbot. There are many smaller (and growing) Irish companies too that are creating and innovating the next gen of medical devices.

As for the physics, from what OP has said with regard to marks in other subjects and work ethic, I doubt you'll have much trouble with 1st year physics in an engineering course in NUIG.

Galway, best little city in the world!

miss-p · 14-11-2014 3:12pm

You should be fine having no physics. It's not a pre-requisite for the course so they won't assume that everyone has it. I know we did a physics course in first year (DCU engineering) to get everyone to the same level and a few of my friends hadn't done physics before and they were grand.

kevohmsford · 14-11-2014 4:40pm

You will be at a disadvantage having no Physics but it is handy enough to pick up compared to Chemistry or Biology in third level.

Prenderb · 14-11-2014 11:08pm

I too would agree with the other posters who've said that it won't be a huge disadvantage. Conversely you'll have applied maths, which many first year engineering students don't have!

dastardly00 · 14-11-2014 11:12pm

GarIT wrote: »

I'm not saying it's bad or that there is anything wrong with it, its just in no way the best. I could probably show you articles to show that every college is the best at anything. With the points you are aiming for you shouldn't be looking outside of UCD or Trinity.

Employers tend to look poorly on Galway as it is known for its drunkenness rather than academia.

I've been looking around a few graduate jobs and they all seem to say that they require a 1st(70%+) from every uni except if you graduated from UCD or Trinity they will accept a 2:1 (60%-69%). There are also some multinationals that only hire from those two.

In relation to BioMedical Engineering in NUI Galway, you have just spouted the biggest load of crap I've heard in a long time.

dastardly00 · 14-11-2014 11:17pm

OP, as the others have mentioned, not doing physics will only be a disadvantage initially, but that's all. You'll have to work a bit harder in 1st year for the physics class but that's it. You are doing applied maths so that will be a big help.

I did biomedical engineering in NUIG. I didn't do physics, chemistry or applied maths in the Leaving Cert. So I was in a lot worse position that you

I now have the letters B and E, and P, h, and D after my name.

rachelclarke · 15-11-2014 10:58am

dastardly00 wrote: »

OP, as the others have mentioned, not doing physics will only be a disadvantage initially, but that's all. You'll have to work a bit harder in 1st year for the physics class but that's it. You are doing applied maths so that will be a big help.

I did biomedical engineering in NUIG. I didn't do physics, chemistry or applied maths in the Leaving Cert. So I was in a lot worse position that you
I now have the letters B and E, and P, h, and D after my name.

thanks that really boosted my confidence! wow well done! thats definitely my aim for the future too

Ompala · 16-11-2014 11:50am

Tbh OP if you are doing applied maths for the lc then you are probably going to be in a better position than a lot of people who did physics for the lc

djpbarry · 19-11-2014 10:50am

GarIT wrote: »

With the points you are aiming for you shouldn't be looking outside of UCD or Trinity.

Employers tend to look poorly on Galway as it is known for its drunkenness rather than academia.

I've been looking around a few graduate jobs and they all seem to say that they require a 1st(70%+) from every uni except if you graduated from UCD or Trinity they will accept a 2:1 (60%-69%). There are also some multinationals that only hire from those two.

Utter, utter nonsense, from start to finish.

OP, disregard absolutely everything in the above post - it's pure snobbery and nothing else.

tom tit tot · 31-12-2014 7:01pm

I did Mechanical Engineering in UL without having physics from the LC. I found it a bit tougher in some modules for the first year but I picked it up pretty quickly. By 2nd year it wasn't an issue! You'll be fine, and the Applied Maths will come in very useful!

Engineering in college no physics??

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