Engineers, why UCD?

DtotheK

Just wondering why you engineers chose UCD over other dublin colleges?

I'm doin the leaving cert and plan on doing (electronic probably) engineering. It's between trinity and ucd and i cant really make my mind up. So I'd really appreciate some reasons for(and against) UCD. Locationwise they're both as handy.

Thankyou!!:rolleyes:

gubbie

When I was deciding, I didn't like the way in Trinity you had to do 2 years of general engineering and then go for what you want (and choices would be allocated as how you did in your exams I was told).

In UCD you can either go straight into the one you want or you can do Omnibus Engineering (I actually argued against them calling this, its just so stupid, whats wrong with Undenominated?). I knew what engineering I wanted to do and the thought of having to do all the engineering like mechanics and that crap was just Bleugh. I wouldn't have been able to do it in Trinity for 2 years. If you're not 100% sure of what to do, do Omnibus engineering. We share 9 out of 11 modules with them and then you can choose 2 elec one's and say a chem one if you're also thinking about doing that. There's no cap on places (elec holds we were told about 50 and 23 came in last year, with 27 due to go into 2nd year next year). Points are about 500 for omnibus. You'll need the same level as maths for them all. And make sure you're good at maths! Though Maths is easy in college.

I think some things have been crappened by modurilisation and semesterisation but I love the way we only have 6 exams at Christmas and 6 at Summer (UCC have like 11 at summer. I'd die if I'd to do all the exams around now. The leaving is not the hardest exams you'll ever do... Solid State Electronics is!). But we don't have August repeats which is a balls - we have the repeats with the next set of exams. But we do have a load of continuous assessment. So much that in some exams, for a pass you'd only need 25% in the exam to pass the course - only a quarter right!

Red_Alerts doing a phd in Electronics, I'm doing a general elec degree (you choose between electronic and electrical in 3rd year). But he's old school.

imp

Well I wanted to do Electrical & Electronic Eng but most of the other Dublin colleges don't offer Electrical (most only do Electronics). Also UCD's got the only high voltage research lab in Ireland which is nifty.

From people I was talking to, UCD Engineering seemed to have a slightly better rep than the others although I was pretty much always told that they're all excellent.

I didn't like the idea of having to do 2 common years in TCD when I pretty much knew what area I wanted to go into, also I liked the semesterisation thing UCD's got going and the option to do electives etc. which none of the other colleges had to the same degree at that stage, and I think that's still the case. Also I spent a year in a different course in TCD before and hated every second of my experience there, so I wasn't really eager to go back, not that it would've stopped me if I genuinely thought their course was the one for me.

Anyhoo for the record I put DCU second on my CAO, their course didn't have quite as good content (imho) as UCD's but the work placement scheme is really a great idea and I wish we would do it too.

woop

I dont do engineering, but I have to say looking back that ucd was probably better for me, instead of trinners I say this because trinity have all theyre exams at the end of the year unlike us who have 50% at xmas, but thats recently been brought about and it also depend on youre study habits and how hard and how many exams you have, but as I have no experience of trinity(which could have thing I feel are lacking in ucd) or of engneering I cant advise you other than this, anyway thats my $0.02

tywy

UCD have a better rep for engineering than Trinity, that's for sure. Plus Trinity I think do Electrical and Computer Engineering which is different to UCD. UCD do Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Elec is good if you're interested in it. Look into DIT too. I think UCD is very theory based in comparison, from what I hear.

cast_iron

UCD does seem to have a better rep in Engineering. Trinity don't do 'Electrical' Engineering, just Electronic, Computers etc.

If it's Electrical you want, your options are limited - just UCD and DIT in Dublin.

UCD have a heavier theory base from day one while DIT (Kevin St) has a more practical element to it.
Both courses are approved be the IEI (I think it's them), and both are level 8 hons, so you end up with the same thing in the end. Ditto with DU.

A large part of it really should be your preference for each college, and their facilities. It's a big thing as you'll be there for 4 years. UCD has top class facilities (both academic and recreational), Trinity is similar (dunno about their new Sports Complex though), DIT is a bit of a dump.

DtotheK

thanks all for the replys!

i'm pretty certain its electronic engineering i'll be going for. But my first choice will be the omnibus engineering, just incase i have a change of mind i wont be stuck, and it prob wont hurt if i learn stuff in other topics.

UCD it is!

One thing i'll be really looking forward to is the yr of study and work in japan.(well i'll apply for it, i hope i get through) although thats a few yrs down the line...

thanks everyone for replying!!!

imp

Just to clarify, the year in Japan is a year-long work placement (well 4 months learning Japanese and 8 months working with a company) and you're in competition with students from all over the EU to get places (about 40 were selected this year from the whole EU). Also its in the form of an extra year between third and fourth year.

I just mention this because when I applied to UCD I was under the impression that the year in Japan was in a Japanese university and counted towards your degree, and also that it'd be easier to get into :P

Still, I'll probably apply for it when the time comes around.

http://www.eujapan.com/europe/vulcanus_japan.html

gubbie

DtotheK wrote:

thanks all for the replys!

i'm pretty certain its electronic engineering i'll be going for. But my first choice will be the omnibus engineering, just incase i have a change of mind i wont be stuck, and it prob wont hurt if i learn stuff in other topics.

UCD it is!

One thing i'll be really looking forward to is the yr of study and work in japan.(well i'll apply for it, i hope i get through) although thats a few yrs down the line...

thanks everyone for replying!!!

Its also pretty easy to go for a year out for erasmus-there's 4 places, one in Switzerland (which is the only one taken up this year) I'd recommend it as a way to get away from 3rd year.

Wow first I heard about Japan... note to self, do lots of study.

tywy

I don't know if that Japan thing is available for Elecs... we didn't have the option this year (I'm in 3rd year).

I would choose UCD if I'd to choose again even though we've been a bit screwed over by the modularisation. The year behind us seem to think modularisation is great. We just weren't supposed to modularised.

breadmonkey

tywy wrote:

I don't know if that Japan thing is available for Elecs... we didn't have the option this year (I'm in 3rd year).

I would choose UCD if I'd to choose again even though we've been a bit screwed over by the modularisation. The year behind us seem to think modularisation is great. We just weren't supposed to modularised.

I seem to be the only guy in UCD who thinks that modularisation is great!

gubbie

tywy wrote:

I would choose UCD if I'd to choose again even though we've been a bit screwed over by the modularisation. The year behind us seem to think modularisation is great. We just weren't supposed to modularised.

What are you talking about... we've got all the work ye do, plus having to do an extra module on top of that... at least they made electrical easier cos we were in with 3rd mechs

But... ya.

tywy

Well the thing is, we weren't supposed to be modularised, so we have all these subjects that have been squashed into less lectures than they used to be taught over. There were a couple of screw ups at Christmas, I guess only the 3rd years heard about them because we were in the middle of the mess.

As for your course being easier, so far anyway, I looked at your circuit theory exam that you guys had a Christmas, if we'd gotten that last Christmas we would have been laughing. We both had the same lecturer for it and we asked her about it and she said yes the course has changed and implied it was easier.

Also, hate to be in with 3rd Mechs, they're OBNOXIOUS! There's about 6 or 7 of them who come in late to lectures and then just chat. GAH!

tywy

breadmonkey wrote:

I seem to be the only guy in UCD who thinks that modularisation is great!

Aren't you a civil?

3rd Elecs were screwed over by it, but I think the years below us are getting on grand. I don't know though, gubbie doesn't seem so sure.

Pythia

They have the best maths lecturer for 1st and 2nd years!

tywy

In Rod We Trust!

imp

The Japan thing is definitely available for Elecs, but basically its all down to the student to organise afaik because of the nature of the program (i.e. its not like erasmus where I think the two universities do most of the organisation). I think the international office should know about it...

tywy

ah right, I thought it would have been mentioned by one of the lecturers or at least an email sent around, I heard something about it in 1st year but thought it wasn't for elecs...

gubbie

tywy wrote:

Well the thing is, we weren't supposed to be modularised, so we have all these subjects that have been squashed into less lectures than they used to be taught over. There were a couple of screw ups at Christmas, I guess only the 3rd years heard about them because we were in the middle of the mess.

As for your course being easier, so far anyway, I looked at your circuit theory exam that you guys had a Christmas, if we'd gotten that last Christmas we would have been laughing. We both had the same lecturer for it and we asked her about it and she said yes the course has changed and implied it was easier.

Also, hate to be in with 3rd Mechs, they're OBNOXIOUS! There's about 6 or 7 of them who come in late to lectures and then just chat. GAH!

Don't forget the pegging! And you forgot how hairy they are. Funnily the Mechs have the same problem with the civils that the elecs do with them.

I think its been switched all over the place. I asked a few third and fourth years for help but they said they'd never seen the stuff. And it also doesn't help lack of sample papers. Did you see the sample paper that O Dowd gave us? "Q1: In terms of satellite communications describe.... in relation to... Numerical question to follow"...

The circuits was changed because they've moved in with the mechs for that one but we will have to do it all eventually. The electrical one, in comparison to yours last year was a sinch. I think they're being a bit easy on us as we're the first year of it and have nothing to go by (hello having to pass e-mag by learning the subject, not the paper!)

I love Christmas exams, and I know loads of people love doing easy maths courses for easy points but I think if thats gonna be the attitude then it'll devalue our degree. And I LOVE continuous assessment. It makes it much easier to pass and makes you work during the year. I've heard of some of the problems with the 3rd years (we'd a meeting with ye guys ages ago too... mmm free pizza). I've actually heard of a lot more problems thats being caused by it from a few professors.
Elecs seemed to take it a lot worse them 3rd chems. Hmph

And the in rod we trust thing is what they say about O'Dowd too!

And you should see the stats lecturer we got! *drools*

ozt9vdujny3srf

gubbie wrote:

01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01100111 01101111 01100100 00100000 01100001 01101100 01110011 01101111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01100100 01100101 00100000 01100010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001

YW5kIGdvZCBhbHNvIG1hZGUgYmluYXJ5

copacetic

funny to hear u all complaining, u don't know you were born!
try back in the day when they brought in the semesterised course schedule
but not the exams at christmas.

half the subjects finished then, but all 12 exams were in May.
opening your notes then to revise and not even remembering having written
them wasn't a pleasant experience!

Of course back then many people had their own semesterisation technique of only studying for 6 in May and taking the summer to study for the rest. Which was fine until it backfired on a lot of them..

ah, I miss those days.

DtotheK

I got the impression that it wasnt that hard to get a place in japan, they frogot to mention only 40 were selected from all of europe like imp said in the UCD prospectus!!...convenient! Oh well i'll still apply when the time comes hopefully!

and thanks for educating me bout that situation! i thought it would be alot easier!

Your Man

how about civil? why should i choose ucd over trinity?? how big are the classes?

Eoin D

Your Man wrote:

how about civil? why should i choose ucd over trinity?? how big are the classes?

Do Trinity not jsut Qualify with a Bsc rather than in UCD we get a Beng?
I'm in third civil (well just finished) and we were ****ed over royaly with the modularisation. Work placement went tits up and the elective was a pain in the bollix.

I think my class was around 60-70 in third year but we were with the first year of SEAs for a lot of our lectures so I think they made up part of that.

UCD civil will have loads of new equipment from now on as we've just moved to a new building.

UCD has a very good reputation in terms of engineering, thats why I picked it. As far as I have learned the best engineering colleges in the country are UCD, DIT, UL, NUI Galway and Queens in belfast.

What I want to know is, whats the story with our maths degree after 3rd year? Is this truth or fiction?

Eoin D

Eoin D wrote:

Do Trinity not jsut Qualify with a Bsc rather than in UCD we get a Beng?

Nope, we get a BA (after 3 years), a BAI (after 4) and the token MA (after we graduate 3 years). It's all the same thing really.

DirkVoodoo

You dont get a BEng in UCD, its a BE(Hons).

tywy

Isn't a BE the same as a BEng? Both E and Eng stand for engineering, right?

Then the (Hons) is only after it if you get more than a pass degree...?

DirkVoodoo

Nope. A BE is what UCD get and is accredited to the standard of an honours degree even if you get a pass. Thats what makes it a good degree. These kind of things are important if you decide to go work in the UK or US or somewhere.

On the actual degree itself it says Baccalaureus in Arte Ingeniaria, and I believe the BE or BEng depends on the institution you got it from. I believe all NUI degrees are BE and if you go to DCU you get a BEng.

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