Anybody any thoughts on ITB?

py2006

Hi all,

I am considering doing computers at Blanchardstown IT. The reason being is its not far from where I live and they feed alot of the computer companies in the area.

I am also thinking of applying to DCU as they have probably the most highly regarded Computer degree programme in the country.

I am 28 and if I went to ITB I could still keep my job at same time. Whereas DCU is full time only. I would have to pack in me job and sell me car.

Anybody attending ITB or got any thoughts on it?

Thanks

smileykate

I am going to itb since September. Im doing social care so wouldnt know much about computer courses.

But, on the whole its a brilliant college...for studying-not so much for the social aspect! In our course the lecturers are more than helpful and its very well organised...i hear from friends that are doing computers that their course and lecturers are much the same.

Its a cosy kinda college- everyone's real friendly, so id def reccomend it. However it mightn't be your cup of tea,it really defends what your looking for!

Hope it helps a little

py2006

smileykate wrote:

I am going to itb since September. Im doing social care so wouldnt know much about computer courses.

But, on the whole its a brilliant college...for studying-not so much for the social aspect! In our course the lecturers are more than helpful and its very well organised...i hear from friends that are doing computers that their course and lecturers are much the same.

Its a cosy kinda college- everyone's real friendly, so id def reccomend it. However it mightn't be your cup of tea,it really defends what your looking for!

Hope it helps a little

Cheers, thanks alot for that! Its also very handy for me as I don't live all that a far away from it.

Repli

smileykate wrote:

I am going to itb since September. Im doing social care so wouldnt know much about computer courses.

My sister's friend did that course in ITB and she is graduated and all now, loves the work, great money and she is getting to travel all over the place.. She is off to South America for a few months now!

As for the college, I was at an open day years ago and it was very nice, know a few ppl who go there and have no problems with it..

Lemlin

I went there but moved to Sligo IT after three years to finish my degree. If you're not interested in the social aspect, its a very good college. But having been to other colleges like Carlow, Letterkenny and Killybegs and now living in Sligo, I wouldn't recommend Blanchardstown to anyone who wants to have a fun time at college.

The lecturers are mostly very good and helpful but the place is very boring on the whole. Even some of our lecturers used to refer to the lakc of a college-style atmosphere. Maybe some people like that though, I didn't.

py2006

Lemlin wrote:

I went there but moved to Sligo IT after three years to finish my degree. If you're not interested in the social aspect, its a very good college. But having been to other colleges like Carlow, Letterkenny and Killybegs and now living in Sligo, I wouldn't recommend Blanchardstown to anyone who wants to have a fun time at college.

The lecturers are mostly very good and helpful but the place is very boring on the whole. Even some of our lecturers used to refer to the lakc of a college-style atmosphere. Maybe some people like that though, I didn't.

Well, I'm 28 now and wouldn't really be into the getting drunk every night thing but it would be good to have a good vibe to the place.

I was gonna go to Sligo IT at one stage as I like the town and the women are hot and I have relatives there!

Lemlin

py2006 wrote:

Well, I'm 28 now and wouldn't really be into the getting drunk every night thing but it would be good to have a good vibe to the place.

I was gonna go to Sligo IT at one stage as I like the town and the women are hot and I have relatives there!

In Blanchardstown its not so much people getting drunk every night but people getting drunk once a month, and I'm being serious here. The place was a joke for the social life.

I love Sligo. I can go out down here on €20 (€2.50 a vodka and mixer, €7 a pitcher and €2.95 a pint in some pubs). In Dublin it was €7 for a vodka and mixer alone. The resnt is far cheaper too. In Dublin, I was paying €65 for a room in Blanchardstown with bills on top. Down here I pay €60 for an apartment style with its own en suite and that includes my heating.

Sligo IT seems to be a lot more laid back too. In Blanch, I got 3 weeks or so to do a 4,500 word essay. Down here, we got three months to do a 12-page typed essay between 7 people!

Lump

Keep posts related to COLLEGE WORK. Thank you.


John

TempestSabre

I am (was?) doing a part-time IT course in ITB. Found the workload unreasonable and poor admin at every turn. No one seems to know what the procedures are for anything. I usually recieve no notifications of anything and have to chase them for every last scrap of info. For example You find out about exam times last minute. So organising work around it is impossible.

However the Lecturers in general were quite good and very interested in their subjects. Most of the subjects were ok but there were a few techobabble ones they threw in which as a class we had no interest in. The place is souless though. While the social life isn't what your there for, I found that the place is so lifeless that most people don't even want to hang around to discuss the course work. I found that quite off putting to be honest. We had a high drop out rate in our class, and I might join them to be honest.

DCU has a great rep in the IT world, probably the best in the country.

Slaanesh

I too went to ITB. As with all the previous posters it is a great college for studying, not a whole lot of distraction. It's very personal with the lecturers as they tend to do the labs aswell. If I was ever stuck with something I could just go up to a lecturer and make a query and if it was any way complicated they would take a few minutes out to run you through it.

Seeing that you are 28 I would highly recommend ITB, I do however feel that I missed a massive part of college life by not having that crazy social aspect. I am currently in a nice paying number doing computer programming. Thing is I didn't need my qualification to get it

With regards to DCU, if you want a challenge and can handle assignment after assignment being thrown at you, by all accounts it is a fantastic college. My Ex-girlfriend was doing the computer applications course there and it seemed way more advanced than the course in ITB, that being said the material was slightly different but the projects seemed alot more difficult. The classes I think were alot bigger than in ITB and that makes it a bit more impersonal.

Hope this gives you some insight.

py2006

cheers thanks!
decisions decisions

Idgeitman

ITB is first on my CAO. Place is just around the corner lol, seemed to be the best attraction.

~ Idgeitman

eskimo

I'm in my second year and the college is 95% study-orientated, 5% social life-orientated.

If you're looking for a college that's home to brainless students who love nothing more than going out getting cheaply sloshed three times a week, try Maynooth or any such university. If you're actually looking for a career and fantastic lecturers, I'd highly recommend ITB.

God forbid a student should actually have a life that doesn't involve getting skulled 5 times a week.

So if you get the offer, then yeah, go for it. I doubt you'll be disappointed!

Lemlin

eskimo wrote:

I'm in my second year and the college is 95% study-orientated, 5% social life-orientated.

If you're looking for a college that's home to brainless students who love nothing more than going out getting cheaply sloshed three times a week, try Maynooth or any such university. If you're actually looking for a career and fantastic lecturers, I'd highly recommend ITB.

God forbid a student should actually have a life that doesn't involve getting skulled 5 times a week.

So if you get the offer, then yeah, go for it. I doubt you'll be disappointed!

You don't have to get skulled five times a week but it'd be nice to have a good social time at college. ITB doesn't offer that.

As regards work, I've found the workload at Sligo IT far easier. Maybe a bad thing but I'll be getting the same degree at the end of the day.

Naikon

Anyone have info on the 5 year computer engineering course there?Thanks

pamajacon

I completely agree with what most people are saying. The place is the definition of BORING! Some people say college should be just about studying and not about the social life. I disagree, I am in forth year now in ITB and I am finding it really difficult. The lack of a social life in the college doesn’t help and because of this you don’t make many friends with anyone outside your class.

In saying this, I have found the lecturers most helpful over the past few years. They are not pompous like a lot of lectures can be and really make the effort to help you. But please don’t get me started on facilities (crap food, crap social room, crap printing system…I could go on!)

The student union is trying harder to create a better ‘college atmosphere’ than ever before. There are a lot more events held and activities done in the college (DJ’s and the like). Everyone knows the student president Lesleyann (I couldn’t tell you who the previous presidents were and that really tells you a lot about them!). Go on Lesleyann!!! Wasn’t impressed that there was no social held the night of the results! Although last years graduation was excellent!

Since your thinking part time, a dull college may not bother you all that much!