Arts questions

Liquid155

I'm starting Arts (Omnibus, DN012) soon and I had a few questions...

This may be a stupid question, but it seems every where I look I just get more confused. Looking at the arts subjects on the UCD website, under major, or joint major, or 30crd major etc... most of them say 'Stages 2-4'. I know it's supposed ot be a 3 year course, and they say you get Your degree after 180 credits or something, but when it says 'Stages 2-4' Does that mean it will take 4 years to do it?

Another question, while registering, it says under 'Credits'; Core/opt required 50, electives required 10. Does that mean I HAVE to take 10 credits from electives? I chose 3 subjects and was going to do 20 in each, but does this mean I have to do 10 in one and 10 from electives?

Also, out of curiousity, has anyone here done Linguistics? How did you find it?

Thanks in advance!

Économiste Monétaire

No it's three years in length. No you don't have to choose electives, 60 credits from core and options is fine (been answered a few times before).

Liquid155

Thanks for the quick response. I thought 60 credits from cores and options was okay but it was just the way it was phrased on the registration page that confused me. Thanks again!

kev_s88

can you explain the whole "stages 2-4" thing please UCD_ECON. im just wondering what its all about

Économiste Monétaire

kev_s88 wrote: »

can you explain the whole "stages 2-4" thing please UCD_ECON. im just wondering what its all about

What he's talking about is when you choose your major at the end of your first year (stage one). You then take that major through stage 2-3. I'm guessing it's just a bug that it lists stage 3 again as stage 4 - when there is no stage 4.

Stage = Year.

Zounds

I took linguistics and thouroughly enjoyed it.

It's a very interesting subject and is both somewhat artsy and somewhat sciencey.

I took the following modules:
Language Use and Communication: about pragmatics, the sub-field of linguistics concerned with language in use. You talk about stuff like what distinguishes language from other forms of communication. How and why adult speech is different from adolescent speech, how male speech is different to female speech and how being polite works in speech. Also the difference between spoken and written language.
I very much disliked the lecturer (there's a new one this year though) and it was on at 9am so I failed it last year. Still, what I saw looked good.

Sounds in Language: a pretty important module to take actually as it's where you learn the IPA, the International Phonetic Alphabet, an alphabet that has a different symbol for every sound. It can seem daunting at first but you really do pick up as you go along. The practicals are sometimes fun some times frustrating and I like the lecturer. It's one of the more sciencey modules. You learn how sounds are produced and interpreted in language, how different languages have different rules about what sounds can be used and how they can be arranged and how to write it all down. I enjoyed it a lot.

Words and Sentences: the other sciencey module. This is about how words are stored in the brain. How morphemes (or units of meaning) are put together to make words and how words can be put together to make sentences. It can be very technical but also very interesting. A good chunk of the grade is based on a take home assignment too which I always like.

Language Acquisition and Disruption: This is about how language is learned and how it can be disrupted. It's also about how much can be learned about the nature of language by studying how it's learned. A big part of this is the nature Vs. nurture argument. You'll also look at how language developed in people with mental problems or feral children. Then you'll look at how disorders like aphasia can break down language and what can be learned about the way it breaks. This is a really interesting module and the lecturer, Fearghal Murphy, is great.

I changed degree because I hate everything else I was doing so I'm back in first year now and still doing linguistics, I'm taking the fifth first year linguistics module "Introduction to Linguistics" to make up for the module I failed last year.

If you have any more questions about it feel free to PM me.

Liquid155

Thanks for the detailed reply, I chose sounds in language, words and sentences, language acquisition and disruption and introduction to linguistics. Language use and commmunication sounds interesting but there's a schedule conflict so I can't pick it. Maybe that's for the best though X]

clickerfingers

im doin linguistics and absolutely love it!! messag me if you want any info

Zounds

Liquid155 wrote: »

Thanks for the detailed reply, I chose sounds in language, words and sentences, language acquisition and disruption and introduction to linguistics. Language use and commmunication sounds interesting but there's a schedule conflict so I can't pick it. Maybe that's for the best though X]

Excellent choices

I may see you in Intro to Linguistics.

clickerfingers

on the subject of linguistics, does anyone know what this can actually lead you into after college?? i love it as a subject really do, but am a bit worried as i dont actually know what i can do with it after college?!!

Zounds

Other than research I have no idea. If it's bothering you I recommend you ask your lecturers or tutors about it.

clickerfingers

yup, cant wait to go back on monday, need to get the whole next moves/careers sorted in my head!!