Computer Applications

Naikon

I understand this may have been asked before but if any students doing the DC121 course has any feedback i would greatly appreciate any info.
The main worry i have is about the maths content.
I am reasonable at ordinary maths in the leaving cert course and i would be well able to get a high C or standard B grade in the real leaving cert.
I looked at some of the sylabus and for the most part it seems good.
Would this course provide a good grounding for server analyst/computer networking/hardware jobs or is it just purely software orientated?
If anybody could comment on the maths content it would be great as i like maths generally but honours maths stuff isnt my thing as i have been doing pass since i started school and i was put into the lowest calibre maths class and also after getting a B in the junior cert without too much effort(despite screwing up one question due to time constraints) was put back into the "messers" class. I feel if there is crazy maths content i would be kinda screwed but i understand that programming is difficult but interesting from what i have heard.
I like networking/hardware/architecture stuff as i enjoyed building a system last summer. Sorry for the lifestory but any reply is welcome.
Cheers;)

steviec

I did higher level Leaving Cert Maths and I think the stuff in CA was a bit easier than that, there's generally one Maths module per semester(out of 6 subjects), certain areas can be complicated but it's not tough to get a pass grade.

You don't get much/any real world hardware training or anything along those lines in the course though, it's all software.

StickyMcGinty

i'm just finished second year, and while the maths is hard the only real trouble any subject has given me was probability at the start of second year. its tough, but not un-passable, again like every subject in CA, its about how hard your willing to work at it!

if you like architechture you'll love CA, its archy all the way through, assembly language and pipelining etc. but generally i'd say you seem interested so give it a go, but as a warning work hard from day one - if you fall behind its a bitch to catch up

jaakko100500

just a quick questioin, are there a lot of foreigners around studying CA?

StickyMcGinty

eh a few but not more than 10% of the class, why you a vicious racist or somthin?

Will

Naikon: I did pass maths for the leaving cert, and found first year maths ok. in saying that i still had to repeat it in the summer the key to it to do well in the continual assessment and you will be fine. To be honest i wouldnt be too worried about the maths in 1st year, just work on the programming aspect. I found that the hardest out of all of them. Worry about maths in 2nd year
The drop out rate is also huge in the class. Last year in 1st year there was 187 students i think, now there are only about 75-80. It is one of the best courses though in computing so its well worth a shot.

You will get a nice few words of encouragement of a lecturer who does computer architecture in the first week.
And if you didnt know its gonna be a bit of a c0ck fest, 5 girls in second year...but theyre great! (just in case they are watching)

Now go study, leaving starts in 2days!

gizmo

Indeed, as Wilburt said first year maths isnt too much of a problem. From both personal experience and watching other years go through, the main problem is that Maths is a year long module so at the end of First Year you have an exam on all of the material from the year. This is contrary to the other (non-core programming/architecture modules) modules and so people leave themselves with too large a workload and end up not giving the module enough time. As Will said, keep your head down regarding the material in class, keep up on whats going on in the class, do well in the continuous assessment tests and you'll be grand.

The maths after that isn't too bad, the main problem being Probability in Second Year but to be honest, the vast majority of the class has a problem with that. Its just one of those "scrap a pass and forget about it" modules as I like to call them.

As for the rest of the course, well to be honest there isn't much hardware elements to the course. Its mainly software engineering and system architecture, in the assembly language sense not in the system building sense. There is also plenty of Networking throughout the course and you'll find plenty to keep you occupied.

I'll also take this opportunity to point out one of the biggest assets CA has, in my opinion anyway...Redbrick. Redbrick is the "Networking Society" here in DCU and has some great workshops and facilities catered for the type of material you're interested in. If you chose to get involved, and I mean properly involved, you'll pick up alot of system administration and networking skills in your spare time. The society has positions such as Network Admin, Helpdesk and Webmaster all of whose duties include either the practical application or passing on of knowledge of the topics you're interested in. Check our more info here.

Hope that helps anyway.

jaakko100500

VinnyL wrote:

eh a few but not more than 10% of the class, why you a vicious racist or somthin?

nah, quite the opposite

i've always loved programming, but for certain reasons, I don't want to apply for software engineering here in finland.

studying abroad naturally scares a bit thus asking how's the foreigner/native ratio in Ireland.

any more info about CA that's useful for a foreigner is appreciated.

thanks

Naikon

Thanks for the help everyone;)

Will

jaakko100500: If you wanna live on campus i wouldnt and most other people wouldnt recommend it, shanowen would be the place to go. Campus accomadation is very iffy, im sure faceless man will comment on it more cos hes got more experience. I live at home

Just more general information on the coures:
1st year is a common year i.e. no one is split up.
2nd year: Class is split up into 2 streams:
Software engineering: More programming, C++, haskell, advanced computer architecture.
Information Systems: Less programming, more business modules.

3rd Year: 1 semester of classes, second semester spent working on an assignment, also working in industry aka INTRA. There is another option you could do and that would be ERASMUS (which i am hopeully doing) where you go to a foreign university. In our course you do it for the whole year, you dont do a big assignment and spent your summer working in the foreign country.

4th year: Most important year of all...obviously A big big project throughout the whole year and various modules. This is the year your degree is measured, if you fail an exam you are automatically down to a pass degree.
Thats a basic run down of the course. If ive missed anything just throw it in.

bpmurray

In 4th year, there's also a competition from IBM on Open Source with a thinkpad as a prize. While only one can win it, it's a fantastic way to score points with IBM if you're interested in working there.

phreak

if you're interested in the hardware side of things have a look at electronic and computer engineering in NUIG

andrew163

Hiya Naikon,

Naikon wrote:

The main worry i have is about the maths content.
I am reasonable at ordinary maths in the leaving cert course and i would be well able to get a high C or standard B grade in the real leaving cert.

If you go to the lectures regularly (this seems to be a point that flies over the heads of alot of first years - they just don't go to the damn lectures) and listen to the lecturer (or at least take down everything that's written on the boards whether you understand it or not) you'll be alright for maths. It's not really rocket science - about the same level of difficulty as the LC Higher Level but a little more in-depth in some areas. (for first year anyway.. can't speak for the other years).

I looked at some of the sylabus and for the most part it seems good.
Would this course provide a good grounding for server analyst/computer networking/hardware jobs or is it just purely software orientated?

There's alot of software in it but there is also much lower level stuff covered, like how CPUs work on the inside (we all know ye plug them in and they make the computer go but nobody seems to know *how* exactly they make them go).. looking over the other years there seems to be a bit of networking here and there too. There's an electronics module in first year.

... but i understand that programming is difficult but interesting from what i have heard.

It's difficult sometimes but if you have any sort of interest in it you'll be fine. And the programming lecturer you'll (probably) have for the first semester is amazing.


I'd agree with gizmo/Faceless Man about RedBrick too. The society is amazing.. both on the technical side (for a non profit organisation the amount of computing resources they have at their disposal is amazing) and the social side (friendliest bunch of people I've ever come across - and not all nerds either. Quite a few non-CA people there and people with very little interest in computers.). If you're into computers at all then RedBrick alone would be a good reason to put DCU near the top of your choice list.

Anarking

Wilburt wrote:

jaakko100500: If you wanna live on campus i wouldnt and most other people wouldnt recommend it, shanowen would be the place to go. Campus accomadation is very iffy, im sure faceless man will comment on it more cos hes got more experience. I live at home

I agree, avoid campus unless you like having any decent parties ruined by drooling mongoloids, 17 year olds on half a bottle of beer screaming "IM REALLY DRUNK" and being woke up at four in the morning by Bog men belting out The Fields of Athenry after they return from their GAA Drinking/Fighting meetings.

BizzyC

I did pass maths for the leaving, and I passed every maths subject in the course by studying them at the last minute.

CA is easy, if you are a good crammer.

Art_Wolf

CA is easy if you attend the lectures and listen

gizmo

CA is never easy. Its challenging but in a good way. Like everything else, its easier if you put the time into your study and make sure you attend lectures but don't get an preconceptions that its an easy course or anything.

Will

Yeah i made that mistake
thought itd be easy, i was so so wrong

douglashyde

I have CA down as my first choice, seems like the thing to do! But im still iffy about 1 or 2 things.. is it the same as having a computer science degree and how many hours a week would you spend IN college with this course.. and last but not least, do people mingly from all courses in the college well, or is it generally restricted to people that is in your course! Cheers Dean!

ghostdancer

- sort of, i'd say it's a lot more highly valued in the IT sector than traditional computer science degrees. gets rid of the science-y part of CS degrees and focuses on more practical computer experience, including work experience, and teamwork which is why employers seem to value it higher.

- it really depends on yourself and what you want to do. you can get by with going to 1 or 2 hours a week if you really wanted, not recommended cos it's much harder, but it's possible. not sure what the timetable for 1st years is like as i'm going into 3rd year this year, but i'd say most people would go to about 3/4 hours worth of classes a day on average. obviously the spread of these dictates how long you stay in college, eg. if you've 3 lectures in the morning/early afternoon, then a 4 hour gap and then a lecture at 5pm, most people will just feck off after the first few lectures....
have a look on the dcu site in the students section and search the CA1 timetable...alot of the lectures there though you won't have to go to because of subject choices and stuff....

-well, it's mostly people from the course at the start, but through the various clubs and soc, and friends of ppl on the course, and events organised by the college, you'll get to know plenty of people from all around the place.
especially if you're lving in student apts like the college accomodation, or shannowen etc. often you'll end up in a friend of a friends house/apt. after a night out for a party, or even just a few drinks in the evenings or whatever...

Anarking

Wilburt wrote:

Yeah i made that mistake
thought itd be easy, i was so so wrong

It is easy but theres easy with a little work and theres easy with sleep in till 6pm.