Architectural Technology at WIT

Havermeyer

I have a few little questions for anyone studying Architectural Technology at WIT that would be kind enough to offer any views or opinions from a student's perspective. I am researching this course for the past few weeks now. I've wanted to do Arch Tech for a good few years now, but have had many doubts about how I could manage living away from home on a student budget. But to be honest, it's time I got off my arse and did something about it. Basically what I would like to know is:

A : How difficult is the course?

B : How difficult is it to fit a part time job around college hours and course work?

C : How do YOU as a student find WIT? Have/are you enjoyed/enjoying your time there?

D : How do you find the lecturers?

E : Is there much time to enjoy student life outside of college work?

F : And if YOU'RE from outside of waterford and are living on campus, how do you find it?

I would appreciate any answers or replies on the above as I don't happen to know anybody that is attending, or previously attended, WIT and any info would be of great help.

Thanks.

Steve_o

I'm a 2nd yr in Arch. Tech. its a good course but the workload is huge...although its not hugely difficult its still hard to everything done on time unless you put in hours of work everyday....i never lived on Campus but living away from home is no great hassle....

bp_me

Im not doing architecture, but maybe I can help anyway.

a....no idea...

b...handy enough really. I did for 2 years. Gave it up as I can earn enough during the summer to not need to work the rest of the year. Courses are at most 24 hours a week now anyway, so its pretty handy fit in a p/t job if you want one.

c...while I havent experienced any other 3rd level institutions, I have no major complaints about WIT

d...any I have had to deal with have been pretty good. no complaints.

e...plenty of time.

f...Im not living on campus, but rent on campus is expensive. You will get a room in a house much cheaper. I have been in and out of manor village and riverwalk. I personally wouldnt like to live in either.

Havermeyer

Thanks for the replies folks. Bp_me, are there any specific reasons you wouldn't like to live on campus? I think the access to free broadband is pretty handy. And when they say on the site or in the prospectus about single ensuites and singles and doubles, are they just talking about bedrooms or the actual apartment?

bp_me

Well there is very little actual "on campus" accomadation, I was talking about the student villages I have visited. I just didnt feel comfortable in the places.

Single usually means 1 bed in the room. Double means 2 (so you share the room). Rooms in the student villages are all ensuite, whereas in a house you will have to share bathrooms with who ever you are living with.

The "free broadband" isnt all that free when you consider the rent compared a room in a house. Its dreadfully slow (in manor village anyway) and you would have plenty of time when you are on campus to do whatever you need to do online. I wouldnt let it sway my choice of living place.

From memory, the rent in strawberry hill includes tv and broadband also, and its somewhat less like an institution.

Havermeyer

Strawberry hill you say? Is that another area for student accomodation? I've not actually made up my mind as in what type of accomodation I will settle for, but I am trying to narrow my options. Going back to college is freaking me out so I'm trying to sort out everything, and plan for everything as soon as I can. Sorry for all the questions, but I believe in hearing it from the horses mouth so to speak. It's a major step, and I just want to be prepared.

Thanks again.

bp_me

Strawberry hill is near the old infirmary.

If you have any questions or want to talk one on one about WIT/waterford feel free to IM me on msn - brendanphelan [at] hotmail [dot] com

Peyton Manning

Speaking of Manor Village, I dont recommend it. It just doesnt feel like a home, very hard to feel relaxed there. Maybe its just me, but I cant wait to get out of there.

johnny_adidas

i finished the course a few years back but from talking to people it hasnt changed that much. here is my taking on it:

A : Its not that difficult but a good understanding of the following would help, Tech drawing, computers (lot of Autocad needed - if you can get your hands on a copy beforehand and practice with it, it will make a hell of a difference) construction studies in school wud help but not essential, Maths (for those bloody structures lectures, god i hated them)

B : If you want to succeed in this course you will not have time to work an every night part time job. maybe a few hours on a fri night and sat. other than that i think you are fooling yourself. ive seen people fail who didnt have the time for both and put the short term job in front of the long term qualifications. some of them still work at those same jobs. It might be possible to work on projects etc during the day while you are not in class which obviously would allow for more time in the evenings for a job. personally i found this hard and preferred to work at home. (see computers crashing below)

C : i enjoyed my time at WIT even though i travelled home for the first 2 years. the years i lived in waterford (sharing in a house) were prob some of the best days of my life and id love to go back to it

D : Without naming names although id love to, some were good, some were useless and some (one in particular) were right pricks. guess its different for everybody. if you like brown nosing you'll get on better with said prick

E : the first 2 years i didnt have much student life obviously as i went home but when i lived there, it was hard to keep on top of things as i was easily persuaded to go out, go on a bender etc. at the same time though, we still have the odd conversations about certain events, days, nights. afterall you're in college, it has to be done.

F : Duno, see above.

I think you should really add question G in there, job opportunities / salary in there. At the moment there are loads of people out there who can do this job and there isnt a great demand from what i can make of it. in saying that i walked straight out of college into a job and bought my house a year later at 22 (that being a few years ago now) there are other jobs out there where the demand is greater and obviously salaries are higher for someone with little to no office experience.

Oh and a computer/laptop is basically a must. i duno how many times computers crashed losing people maybe a whole days work.

one other bit of advice. if you do go into this course. try get your projects done early. the amount of stress that accumulates while you're queuing for a plotter/plotter breaking/computer crashing/file corrupting on the final day of a project hand-in is not worth it.

Popa_irl

Im interested in this course as well for next year, thanks for da info johnny. I think i might be staying in manor village next year.

Vallie

Me too and I'm starting to wonder if its the right idea.

I've only been to WIT once but the business sector is all on the main campus right? And Manor Village is the student accom that you can see behind it? How far is that to walk?

Um could someone do me a favour and list out all the places that have student accomodation for WIT and which is the nearest campus to each (and maybe tell me what each campus is called too. I've no idea about anything).

gosimeon

AFAIK College Fields is on the Cork Rd campus.

Manor Village is a few minutes from the College Street campus.

http://www.witstudentservices.com/accommodation_services.php

Popa_irl

Does anyone know/think the points will go up for this? It has gone up in the last 2 or 3 years and is now at 350. Could it go up to 370???please god it wont.