What is the HDip in Education like to do?

Fabio

Hi guys,

I have heard that it is a very hard and difficult year to complete but I have been offered a place on the hdip course for next year.

However I am kinda set on doing a Masters in US Foreign Policy next year and I'm in a dilemma now.

My heart says do the Masters as I would enjoy it more and that is true as it would be a natural continuation from studying US Foreign Policy for the last three years!

My head says do the hdip first and then do the Masters after it because my fees for both would be paid for that way but not if I did the Masters first.

What I would like some info on, is the structure of the hdip course...

- how long should you leave it to get teaching hours? (I've been offered 4 [when I need 6] by my old school as they reckon I am fairly late in asking but they know that was because I recieved a second-round offer and it has been suggested to me that most schools will have their quotas of hdip students sorted at this stage as the guys who got first round offers would have quick off the mark).

- what is the workload like during the year? I have heard that it would entail very long days, beginning at 9 and perhaps ending at 9 that night as you teach and then attend lectures and try to do lesson plans and whatnot.

- is it enjoyable? I will soon be (fingers crossed) a history graduate (did a major in history focusing mainly on US Foreign Policy) and I am not sure would the hdip be interesting for me as it wouldn't really be in the field of history such as what I have been going through for 3 years and realy enjoying...if that makes sense!

- what sort of standard is there and do you get a lot of assignments on top of lessons plans and that?

- is there exams too?

Thanks for reading this long post, I am really in a bit of a dilemma and need all the info I can get as my mind must be made up by May 29!

freire

Fabio wrote: »

Hi guys,

I have heard that it is a very hard and difficult year to complete but I have been offered a place on the hdip course for next year.

However I am kinda set on doing a Masters in US Foreign Policy next year and I'm in a dilemma now.

My heart says do the Masters as I would enjoy it more and that is true as it would be a natural continuation from studying US Foreign Policy for the last three years!

My head says do the hdip first and then do the Masters after it because my fees for both would be paid for that way but not if I did the Masters first.

This is true.

What I would like some info on, is the structure of the hdip course...
Didn't you get an outline of various colleges' courses with your application literature?

- how long should you leave it to get teaching hours? (I've been offered 4 [when I need 6] by my old school as they reckon I am fairly late in asking but they know that was because I recieved a second-round offer and it has been suggested to me that most schools will have their quotas of hdip students sorted at this stage as the guys who got first round offers would have quick off the mark).
I'd say you'd need to get a major wiggle on in that respect. Schools finishing up next week.
- what is the workload like during the year? I have heard that it would entail very long days, beginning at 9 and perhaps ending at 9 that night as you teach and then attend lectures and try to do lesson plans and whatnot.
This is true, though not as horrific as it's made out, IMO.

- is it enjoyable? I will soon be (fingers crossed) a history graduate (did a major in history focusing mainly on US Foreign Policy) and I am not sure would the hdip be interesting for me as it wouldn't really be in the field of history such as what I have been going through for 3 years and realy enjoying...if that makes sense!
It's not the most fun you can have while fully clothed, for the reasons you've outlined above, but if you enjoy teaching you'll get a buzz off it.
- what sort of standard is there and do you get a lot of assignments on top of lessons plans and that?
Fairly high standard of work and teaching required for 2.1 but it's not rocket surgery either. There's plenty of work to keep you on the straight and narrow. Also attendance at lectures is mandatory and there's often a roll type thing passed around! One of the lowlights.

- is there exams too?
Yes.

Thanks for reading this long post, I am really in a bit of a dilemma and need all the info I can get as my mind must be made up by May 29!

Hope this helps.

xt40

maybe its changed but i didnt find it particularly difficult. to be honest the stuff was all fairly basic but nonetheless quite interesting. the only stupid bit was the history of irish education stuff.

Fabio

Thanks for those replies guys, I appreciate the time put into them both.

I'll be ringing schools tomorrow to get an idea of what the story is as regards hdip applications and to see if there are hours available but at this stage I reckon there may not be which will then of course decide the matter in its totality for me.

We shall see!

Thanks once more.

edeldonlon

Not to late to get hours. I didn't get mind until the middle of June last year because I was teaching in Japan and couldn't call to schools and have a friend who didn't get them until august.

Just keep knocking at doors and calling everybody who you know is a teacher

Good Luck

Fabio

Thanks for those responses guys.

ManFromAtlantis

it seems that 'hours' get you credits, but is it that 'informal' to get teaching hours before hdip? u just ask around etc? thanks

Rodar08

Just to confirm - I've just finished the HDip and there are no Exams any more. This was the first year the exams were scrapped. The work load was piled on to compensate but honestly it isn't as hard as people make it out to be and the course co-ordinators have mentioned lessoning the work load for next years HDip students as they now realise the work load was too much at times. If I can do it anyone can! I thought on hearing reports that it is the 'hardest year of your life' and 'you can forget about a social life' that I'd never get through it - alas, these statements were NOT true so I wouldnt worry about that side of things. It's not going to be interesting to a lot of people as it is a generalised teaching qualification not focused on your area of expertise. It is interesting at times and there are times you'll be like - I'll never use this useless information.

Its irritating though - for example, get this ... over the course of the year we did 19 assignments this year (not unmanagable, maybe at times, but most are straight forward and shortish in length) to date we have recieved a grand total of 6 results out of the 19. Am I passing? Am I failing? I wondered this a lot throughout the year, and still am. To make matters worse still, the assignments we handed in were not given back to us. I expected them back with individual tips, advice, comments and feedback. Instead a document was posted on line with 'General Feedback' for all the classes assignments (approx 250 studnets on the course). This makes it almost impossible to track if you are meeting the required standards or have an idea if you are passing or failing the whole course all along.

Still no results out so I'm still at the 6 our of 19 results mark. Expecting results in 2 to 3 weeks.
Definately do it first because of the masters and fees thing. I was unaware that I am still eligable to get my fees paid for a masters now having done the HDip first so that good news . You'll always have the Hdip then so yeah - it makes total sense to so the HDip before your Masters. Best of Luck. and oh yeah - I didn't get in until late on the summer (few complications) and got teaching hours np - I was doing block though. They say you could be in 9 to 9 but in fact mosttly its 4pm to 5pm mon to wed. Could be 9 to 5 on a Thur then off on a fri. For 3 weeks I had a module from 5 to 7:30 on a Thur. There's a lot to keep up with between lesson plans and assignments but like I said, it's managable and if I managed it you will. As long as you get everything handed in on time, each time, you'll be fine.

hot chick

Rodar08 wrote: »

I was unaware that I am still eligable to get my fees paid for a masters now having done the HDip first so that good news

I know all EU citizens are entitled to 4 years undergraduate study under the free fees scheme, but I thought everyone had to fund their own Masters?

Fabio

I've rang around for schools and they are all full...tried almost 30 of them!!!

They all have their HDip quotas full so I reckon that I am going for the Masters now and am very happy with that to be honest as it is a natural progression for me to carry on.

Thanks for all of the advice though, I just can't risk not getting a school and having to drop out and spend a year not doing anything cos the deadline for applying for the Masters will have passed too.

Thanks again though, someday I'll get back to do it!

sitstill

Rodar08 wrote: »

Just to confirm - I've just finished the HDip and there are no Exams any more. This was the first year the exams were scrapped. The work load was piled on to compensate but honestly it isn't as hard as people make it out to be and the course co-ordinators have mentioned lessoning the work load for next years HDip students as they now realise the work load was too much at times. If I can do it anyone can! I thought on hearing reports that it is the 'hardest year of your life' and 'you can forget about a social life' that I'd never get through it - alas, these statements were NOT true so I wouldnt worry about that side of things. It's not going to be interesting to a lot of people as it is a generalised teaching qualification not focused on your area of expertise. It is interesting at times and there are times you'll be like - I'll never use this useless information.

Its irritating though - for example, get this ... over the course of the year we did 19 assignments this year (not unmanagable, maybe at times, but most are straight forward and shortish in length) to date we have recieved a grand total of 6 results out of the 19. Am I passing? Am I failing? I wondered this a lot throughout the year, and still am. To make matters worse still, the assignments we handed in were not given back to us. I expected them back with individual tips, advice, comments and feedback. Instead a document was posted on line with 'General Feedback' for all the classes assignments (approx 250 studnets on the course). This makes it almost impossible to track if you are meeting the required standards or have an idea if you are passing or failing the whole course all along.

Still no results out so I'm still at the 6 our of 19 results mark. Expecting results in 2 to 3 weeks.
Definately do it first because of the masters and fees thing. I was unaware that I am still eligable to get my fees paid for a masters now having done the HDip first so that good news . You'll always have the Hdip then so yeah - it makes total sense to so the HDip before your Masters. Best of Luck. and oh yeah - I didn't get in until late on the summer (few complications) and got teaching hours np - I was doing block though. They say you could be in 9 to 9 but in fact mosttly its 4pm to 5pm mon to wed. Could be 9 to 5 on a Thur then off on a fri. For 3 weeks I had a module from 5 to 7:30 on a Thur. There's a lot to keep up with between lesson plans and assignments but like I said, it's managable and if I managed it you will. As long as you get everything handed in on time, each time, you'll be fine.

Where did you do the dip? I had friends doing the dip in both Trinity and UCD this year, and all had exams.

Rodar08

Fabio - it's the way it rolls. They offer too many places on the course for the amount of places for the required placement available. It doesn't make sense at all and the same thing happened to me. BUT, the way I saw it was - they offered me a place, it's really hard to get into in the first place and I wasn't going to give up my place just because of something that was beyond my control - an admin or managment mistake that I was not going to suffer for. A few people I knew gave up and decided to reject their offer but I didn't. They had to sort me out one way or another in the end and thats what they had to do. I wasn't going to back down and walk away from my place. I insisted I be allowed to do block in my home town where I knew I would be able to get placed. Not sure if block is an option for the where you might be doing the HDip.

HotChick - Yeah I'm not sure, I was just really going by what Fabio said in his original post

Sitstill (funny username on a teaching and lecturing board lol) - I did it in Galway, no exams there

efioamur

im currently doing the hdip in galway, and we have been given our first assignment. we have to write a 1500 word essay on why we want to do teaching, what we expect from this course etc.

if anyone can give any help with this it would be great

delta_bravo

efioamur wrote: »

im currently doing the hdip in galway, and we have been given our first assignment. we have to write a 1500 word essay on why we want to do teaching, what we expect from this course etc.

if anyone can give any help with this it would be great

Not off to a good start anyway if you can't think of your own answers to why you want to teach.

rainbowtrout

efioamur wrote: »

im currently doing the hdip in galway, and we have been given our first assignment. we have to write a 1500 word essay on why we want to do teaching, what we expect from this course etc.

if anyone can give any help with this it would be great

Well what do you expect from the course? Why do you want to teach? Why did you apply for the dip in the first place?

Nobody here knows those answers...

Toto Wolfcastle

This thread is a couple of years old, no one can answer your question for you and it is against the charter to look for help with assignments.

Locked.