Communication Studies.

GretchenWieners

Hey!
I really really want to go to DCU. My parents think Communication Studies is a **** degree and will get me nowhere and actually bullied me into putting down Commerce in UCC first! Can someone please tell me just in general what the course is like for a student and the quality of jobs etc (I had intended on doing the MA in PR and the one in Advertising afterwards).
Also as someone from Cork is the cost of living etc that bad?
I would be holding down a part-time job is I went there but I think my family are just being spiteful.

GretchenWieners

Anybody? :eek:

jdivision

I didn't do the degree but most of my mates did. They're all working in varied sectors now: PR, brand management etc but a lot of people who do it end up going into teaching. It is hard to get a good job out of the degree and most people go on to do a post grad of some sort which obviously would suit you based on what you were saying about the MA. I'm from Cork originally so I can tell you that rent is a bit more expensive but it depends on where you live - around DCU itself is comparatively cheap for Dublin - and you're talking about 50 cent to e1 more for a pint and a bit more for restaurant food. Other than that it's not too dissimilar.

GretchenWieners

SO do you think I would be better maybe doing a different degree and then doing it as an MA? DO you know if it is actually difficult even if you have an interest in it? And how many hours a week? Would you be able to hold down a part-time job too?

newestUser

I have a close friend who did this course.

She couldn't get stable employment upon finishing the course (only short-term contracts).

She found certain aspects of the industry extremely irritating (luvvi-ness, it's not what you know but who you know, for example).

She's currently retraining to be a primary school teacher. She regrets choosing the communications course, she didn't have a realistic idea of what her prospects were upon finishing the course, nor of what the media/pr industries were actually like.

If you have to ask people on the internet what your prospects would be after doing this course, you haven't researched this decision enough to justify your choice to your family.

If you don't want to do Commerce in UCC, don't let your family bully you into it. It's your life.

If you're unsure about what you want to do, don't do a degree course. Can you do a diploma/cert somewhere, which will be of shorter duration, less expensive, and allow you to suss out a particular career path without committing to a degree? If I had a fiver for everyone I knew who regretted their CAO choices made in haste at 18, I'd be a rich man...

GretchenWieners

I want to do Communication Studies but I was unsure of the actual job prospects because I hadnt spoken to anyone who did the course. I went to the opn day, loved it. But then again the employment think is a problem. If I did it as an MA it maight be better afterall.
I wouldnt mind doing Commerce, I just didnt like the fact my parents cut out Communication Studies altogether.

Thanks for all the advice and if anybody knows anything else please tell me!

GretchenWieners

I want to do Communication Studies but I was unsure of the actual job prospects because I hadnt spoken to anyone who did the course. I went to the opn day, loved it. But then again the employment think is a problem. If I did it as an MA it maight be better afterall.
I wouldnt mind doing Commerce, I just didnt like the fact my parents cut out Communication Studies altogether.

Thanks for all the advice and if anybody knows anything else please tell me!

jdivision

The course has comparitively few hours - around 16 to 20 if memory serves. You'd have no problem holding down a part time job. I disagree with the other person who replied about it being about who you know afterwards. I think it's more about showing a desire to work in the industries while you're in college. So get involved in college radio station etc and if you're willing to work for very little money during college (such as as a runner) you can start to build up a CV which I think is more important to employers than whether you get a first for example. Job situation with just the basic degree isn't the greatest but it's only three years so you'd have your MA after four. I think that's the same time it would take to get a BA in Commerce. Communications would be a good forerunner to the MA in Advertising or PR.

6ix

Course hours are quite short, probably 10-15 hours on average. I'm in my final year of the Multimedia degree, which is in the same school (School of Communications) in DCU.

Like my course, I'd say its a difficult course to find direct employment from, in comparison to nursing etc. It depends how bad you want it.

We had INTRA (work experience), which has allowed me to build up contacts in the particular area of the industry which I'm interested in. Previous to this, I had none.

Often, you have to be willing to start at the very bottom and work your way up.

Anyway, I personally wouldn't have chose communications, I chose multimedia because of the more 'hands on' nature of the course, but that's just me.

Make your own decision.

6ix

jdivision wrote:

The course has comparitively few hours - around 16 to 20 if memory serves. You'd have no problem holding down a part time job. I disagree with the other person who replied about it being about who you know afterwards. I think it's more about showing a desire to work in the industries while you're in college.

Of course work ethic, attitdue and aptitude are important, but in reality a lot of it is about who you know. This 'who you know' attitude is prevalent everywhere, but particularly in Ireland, with such a small population.

jdivision wrote:

So get involved in college radio station etc and if you're willing to work for very little money during college (such as as a runner) you can start to build up a CV which I think is more important to employers than whether you get a first for example. .

True, its good to get involved with the college radio/TV stations, but runner experience is hard to get. It's the experience I got for my INTRA last year, but many places look for a 3rd level qualification and some related experience, even though the work of a runner may sometimes be menial.

GretchenWieners

Thanks! There is no INTRA with Communications that's the thing. I went to a radio station for my work experience in TY and they loved me and I loved it. Plus my cousin is involved with the media too now but like me she wasnt allowed go to DCU.

rugbug86

your parents can't stop you going to DCU

28064212

rugbug86 wrote:

your parents can't stop you going to DCU

That's a pretty foolish statement, unless you can afford to live on your own

micromegas

GretchenWieners wrote:

Hey!
I really really want to go to DCU. My parents think Communication Studies is a **** degree and will get me nowhere and actually bullied me into putting down Commerce in UCC first! Can someone please tell me just in general what the course is like for a student and the quality of jobs etc (I had intended on doing the MA in PR and the one in Advertising afterwards).
Also as someone from Cork is the cost of living etc that bad?
I would be holding down a part-time job is I went there but I think my family are just being spiteful.

I'm not Irish and am only at DCU for a semester, but I'm taking Communications courses while here. I'm not sure if it works the same here, but at home in the US the success you have in Communications (journalism, etc) depends largely on what you yourself do outside of the classroom. Getting your name out there is the biggest step to overcome, but once you do, and have clippings, references, and a general feel for the industry, your chances of getting a job grow exponentially.

But, things could be much different here so I don't know. Just thought I'd chime in with my two cent.

GretchenWieners

Thanks! See thing is I would enjoy all of that, after all that is one of the things you need to do in the job, get your name out there.

Yes my parents can stop me from going to DCU. I need money and trust me working all Summer and while I'm up there doesnt sound nice it would be nice to have some help from my parents but I doubt it.

stringy

My bro finished it last year and I have friends that did it and finished it a few years ago. Basically it depends how motivated you are in getting a job when you finish, what I mean is you kinda need to know what you would like to do, be it media, tv, radio, PR. Because you have quite amount of time,it would be well worth your while joining the Media Production Soc, where you'd get invaluable work experience. I won't lie, upon graduating it's tough to get a job, if you don't have relevant industry experience or know someone. However a huge amount of people working in the irish media, i.e RTE or radio, even BBC, did Communications. Without doubt you'll enjoy the course, but do keep in mind, that it could be very worthwhile doing a masters at the end. It is a 3 year course, so you are robbed of a year most degrees are 4 year courses, why not do the Journalism, Multimedia, Film & TV or even Marketing Masters afterwards. Dublin isnt that more expensive than Cork so tell your parents not to be put off by that. Regards Commerce in UCC, dont do it because your parents say, when you reach 21/22 and realise its not what you wanted, you'll blame your parents. Anyway research it more and see if you can talk to people who did it.

jdivision

If your parents won't allow you do CS, make sure you get involved in media related societies in UCC. Get work experience in one of the radio stations (even if it's a pirate, it's still something for your CV), or even in the Evening Echo (fairly easy to get I think and they always have loads of young people working there so you never know where it could lead).