Open Day Wed 14th

ccd · 07-12-2005 10:14am #1

I'am attending the open day this wed. What I need to know is if thee is anything I should be on the look out for. I'am intending to return to collage after years in the wilderness that is the private sector. Is there any questions I NEED to ask????

Time Magazine · 07-12-2005 10:23am

Hi, and welcome.

I'd advise you to head along early (be there by 10am if you can at all) because it's one day that will seriously alter your expectations for the next four years and thus it's worth the effort.

You will be given sh*tloads of information.

Basically they'll sell the course and the college to you. Are you a mature student? Ask any question you want to know, or just have a chat with a lecturer when they finish to get a bit of a feel for them etc.

If you're thinking of doing a specific course, let us (the boardsies, that is) know, we cover just about every course so we'll be glad to give you a dig-out on what it's like.

Hope this helps you out.

ccd · 07-12-2005 10:28am

Cheers, I spent the last 6 years as I mentioned in the private sector, and iam quite nevrous at leaving my 40k. For four years of poverty. I am thinking about either doing a economics course or a course in applied Maths. Which I had a it of a flair for in school. One question I hav is wheater why a degree in TCD is four years as opposed to three in UCD.

Scarinae · 07-12-2005 10:44am

From last year's open day experience I would say get along early to the lectures about the subjects, the more popular ones like Psychology had crowds outside them. I thought I could turn up at five to eleven for an eleven o'clock lecture and I was wrong. So get there early if you're really interested in a course!

Time Magazine · 07-12-2005 10:47am

ccd wrote:

One question I hav is wheater why a degree in TCD is four years as opposed to three in UCD.

It's called class

. Hehehehe. Only messing.

Nah it's because TCD's degrees are just longer (read more substantial

). However 3 years after graduating you can get a sort of honorary M.A. from the University. It's not a qualification, more a nod that you did four years. Kinda.

But go economics! The Economics department rock. Definitely one of the best.

From what you're saying you might be interested in two courses:
1) BESS (Business, Economic and Social Studies) - which allows you to specialise and get a single degree in Economics, or, if you decide it's not for you, vary it a bit in Business, Political Science or Sociology. Basically you come out with a pretty kick-ass degree in any of the above four, or a mixture of two.

However if you're sure you're up for it, there's always
2) Maths & Economics through TSM which stands for Two-Subject Moderatorship. That's just where you pair two courses from different areas of the college (i.e. Faculty Social and Human Sciences for Economics and Science Faculty for Maths) and merge them into a degree.

If you have any questions on BESS pm me and I'll let you know.

The degree in Maths and Economics is very good and well-respected, and you get to skip the mathsy bits in economics as it's assumed you're able for it. But keep in mind economics is mathsy enough itself. First and Second Year are easy enough, but it does get very maths-orientated. I'm not certain you can access this page off-campus, but here's an Econometrics Third Year exam.

Nietzschean · 07-12-2005 12:32pm

Angry Banana wrote:

Definitely one of the best.

Heheheeee

if you really wanna use the applied maths then either maths or theoretical physics is the course to go with...

John · 07-12-2005 1:04pm

Angry Banana wrote:

Nah it's because TCD's degrees are just longer (read more substantial ).

No it's not. It's taken for granted that we'll be doing an honours degree where as UCD people have to compete for a fourth year. At least it is in science.

ccd · 07-12-2005 2:01pm

I want to teach once I finish my Degree is a Hons Degree nessesary to apply for a H Dip

Agent Smith · 07-12-2005 3:47pm

not as far as i know....

Time Magazine · 07-12-2005 5:12pm

Nietzschean wrote:

Heheheeee

if you really wanna use the applied maths then either maths or theoretical physics is the course to go with...

You're giggling a lot recently! I meant the Economics Dept was one of the best economics departments in the country/continent/world if you want to push it.

ISAW · 07-12-2005 5:43pm

ccd wrote:

I'am attending the open day this wed. What I need to know is if thee is anything I should be on the look out for. I'am intending to return to collage after years in the wilderness that is the private sector. Is there any questions I NEED to ask????

ccd wrote:

I want to teach once I finish my Degree is a Hons Degree nessesary to apply for a H Dip

Trinity onbly does honours degrees thats why they take four years.

You might also consider distance education with the open university for example. Or nightime/parttime. Believe me, from p ersonal experience it is not easy, especially if you have children. But it is not impossible.

It is possible to enter in second year but you would have to cover the equicalent of first year and that might take two years part time. Look up the open university. It is about 60 points a year. If you covered a years worth of the same material for the degree you wanted you might be able to enter in second year. ask about transfers. of course now your degree is taking five years buit you have been workin for two years more.

If you have the experience (I assume you dont) you can do a postgraduate degree. You do not need an undergraduate degree to do one. Say for example you work in a recording studio Trinity do an M Phil or M Litt in digital multimedia. there is also the problem of numbers. If they had no failures in first year the course administrators might fight against you entering even if you have established the academic criteria.

I advise you to look at part II of the Calendar for postgraduates
http://www.tcd.ie/info/calendar/

Part one is for undergraduates so look at the degrees on offer there.
Education offer a HDip in primary and secondary education
http://www.tcd.ie/Education/

I think it is six months Mon to Wed and you teach on the other days.
Again look at the modules in the H Dip from part two of the claendar. Theyare optional and there is a WIDE number from which to to select.
I assume you are childless and in your twenties and have somewhere to live in Dublin. If so you have a lot of advantages already.

Have a chat with someone in education. Look up the course and the name of the co ordinator. You do not need an open day for that but usually they should be available. If you want to know about content got get fobbed of by an administrator get to the person in the calendar. If you want to know about qualifications etc. go for the administrator.

The dip is not an educational requirment it is an administrative measure. so look at the department of education website. You might well get a job but they will not pay you the going rate without a recognised qualification on the Dept of Ed list.

If you take up teaching there is also an in-service department in Trinity.

ccd · 07-12-2005 5:46pm

Thank you very much for your post.It is both informative and Helpfull. Thank you

cuckoo · 07-12-2005 8:18pm

As mentioned upthread, for anyone going to the open day - get to the talks early! i've worked for the coll doing crowd contral at the open day and for fire safety reasons there will be ppl on the lecture theatre doors stopping more people coming in once the theatre is full. and for subjects like law, that can happen 15 minutes before it's due to start.

Re Hip Dip for teaching, i've heard of people with the three year pass degrees in Science not getting places on it.

tinka · 09-12-2005 1:27am

what time is it actually starting at? would i be early enough if i got there at 10am?

patzer117 · 09-12-2005 9:36am

get there early, and know what you want to visit and where it is. It sucks the way it is on during my exams though, i was asked to show a few kids from my old school around and can't.

As for the H-Dip you definitely need an honours degree to get into the course. They select who is to take the course and there are 4 applications for every place or so, so you definitely need a decent qualification and honours degree.

enjoy the open day. And don't do engineering.

cuckoo · 09-12-2005 7:01pm

http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/admissions_info/open_day.html

The timetable is up there, the day starts at 9am. From working at the day and spending too much time watching the groups of people wander by i have one bit of advice for people going with their school group - if you and your friends are interested in different courses it is possible for you to split up and go to the relevant talks by yourself. Groups of girls seemed to be the worst for it, "after we've gone to your law talk we'll go to my engineering one". Wander around the campus by yourself a bit. There'll be loads of current students there in bright jackets giving directions, ask them what they're studying and any questions you may have about the college in general. Each school usually wheels out a few 3rd/4th year and postgrad students, they'll be at the specific subject stands - ask them any questions you may have about the course.

snorlax · 09-12-2005 7:20pm

i was at the OT one when i was in 5th year in school, never thought id actually end up doing it though. i also remember going to the med one with a friend and had to sit through an hour on Seasonal Affective Disorder (was possibly the most boring lecturer ever), then i got dragged to a lecture in pharmacy which was about some dodgy chemical stuff.

some of my lecturers want me to work at the stand next week, don't know if i can though.

Ron DMC · 09-12-2005 7:21pm

snorlax wrote:

some of my lecturers want me to work at the stand next week, don't know if i can though.

All the cool kids are doing it.

snorlax · 09-12-2005 7:23pm

i get offered a free book token, i might go down in the afternoon

snorlax · 09-12-2005 7:29pm

ah sure i might aswell work 1-3 wednesday seen as im off then

, come down and say hello, we should be in the Hamilton

tinka · 09-12-2005 7:43pm

thanks for the advice patzer and cuckoo, i'll go along early. i'm really looking forward to it. and i'll be flying solo. well, might be getting the dart in with a friend but considering her choice of course...

Ron DMC · 09-12-2005 7:45pm

tinka wrote:

thanks for the advice patzer and cuckoo, i'll go along early. i'm really looking forward to it. and i'll be flying solo. well, might be getting the dart in with a friend but considering her choice of course...

No worries going on your own, I made friends with people at the open day that I still hang around with from time to time.

Crash · 09-12-2005 8:39pm

I'm working at this actually. will be wearing a big bright yellow jacket - i could've worked on the cs stand but its only a book voucher, whereas this way its cash.

John · 10-12-2005 2:30am

snorlax wrote:

ah sure i might aswell work 1-3 wednesday seen as im off then , come down and say hello, we should be in the Hamilton

Come say hi to me at the neuroscience stall. I should be there all day.

10-12-2005 10:34pm

I'll be at the SU stand, in between other stuff.

tinka · 10-12-2005 11:20pm

i'll be looking mainly at the various language stands & european studies. might have to pick up some physics info for somone who can't make it... oh how i despise physics

snorlax · 11-12-2005 12:32am

sure will do!

Time Magazine · 11-12-2005 3:33am

I'll be doing an exam, and going through grant applications

Ron DMC · 11-12-2005 3:45am

I just told a girl I'll meet her on wednesday when she's around.

Time Magazine · 11-12-2005 3:49am

Ooooooooh, Ronny's gonna bring a girl back to his house

.

wheresthebeef · 11-12-2005 1:11pm

i've to collect my nurses uniform on wednesday and thus will miss the open day. i really wanted to hang around and warn people off nursing.

Open Day Wed 14th

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