Finance

WangZi

I'm just goin in2 first year finance this autumn and was wondering if anyone wud be able to just give me a few of their thoughts on the course...?
also wat are the opportunities for a postgrad studies after finance

orangetictac

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055397166

Just finished 1st year. Some interesting subjects like Business Finance and Management Accounting...some easy(Quantitative Techniques in Econonomics) but Data Collection and Financial Reporting are stup.
Expecting more from/Looking forward to economics in second year.

Exams aren't that hard in first year and hours are good.

Fridays off for us this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

turgon

Bear in mind that orangetictac's definition of "easy" is very different to most peoples

MikeCork2009

Did Finance for 4 years at UCC and then went on to do a Masters in Financial Economics after. As for the course 1st year and 2nd year are fairly handy, they are where u are thought much of the foundations e.g. economics for those who never did economics before, accounting from the basics, data analysis etc. By the time u get to 3rd year (which is a bit hectic cos u also have placement that year and college & exams & projects are squashed into 3 months - but you will get thru it ) you start looking at the more practical uses of what you have learned and how it is used in the real world and by 4th year u will have a good idea of where ur interests lie e.g. some people may go more the tax/management acc route (you get to make choices) while others will focus more on investment, pricing derivatives etc

As for postgrad study options well the ppl from my class went and did all sorts both in UCC and at other colleges - financial economics, corporate finance, accounting, tax, business information systems, financial mathematics - starting this year UCC are also offering a masters in finance and a masters in corporate finance as well as the masters in financial economics.

Overall u will enjoy finance and UCC. Finance is quite an interesting course and is fairly alright exam and project wise if u put in some work. Also finance always seems to have a good mix of ppl and (this is my own opinion and experience ) have some of the best and craziest nites out of all courses. Anyway enjoy!!!

Figerty

So you want to do a Finance in a college that can't control it's own finances and where the president has asked the staff to give up a weeks wages to make up for the budget deficit he is responsible for creating and running..

It would make you wonder about the quality of the course if the management can't run the finances of the college.

WangZi

Figerty wrote: »

So you want to do a Finance in a college that can't control it's own finances and where the president has asked the staff to give up a weeks wages to make up for the budget deficit he is responsible for creating and running..

It would make you wonder about the quality of the course if the management can't run the finances of the college.

HAHAHAAH yea i heard about the whole week budgets thing..my dad works there and was talkin bout it, at least its optional.....

Nice one Mike for giving me the jest of the course..really lookin forward to it nw actually, its good that u say they give ya the business foundations cz i didnt take any business subjects for the LC...though i did do hons maths and accordingly to my maths teacher theres supposed to be alot of maths like recerrence equations in finanace....?

MikeCork2009

Ah the maths in finance is fairly straight forward, quantitative techniques in 1st year and econometrics in 2nd year (dunno if its still like that) are the most mathsy (all the maths in other modules are basic) and are testing enough but you quickly get ur head around them and someone with honours leaving cert maths should have no worries. As for not doing any business subjects, should be no problem with economics - I never did any economics and picked it up quickly. Accounting is thought from a basic enough level but some ppl in my class found accounting a bit tricky to get their heads round since they had not done it before. There are tutorials which are definitely worth going to though which help and you can always get help off ppl in your class who have done it b4.

Itchyrivers

How does the college manage mature student with regard to the work placement in third year... is it optional or cumpulsory?

MikeCork2009

Mature students gotta do work placement too. But its a good thing, its experience which will def stand to you in the long run.

Itchyrivers

Ah yeah thought so. Just weighing up commerce/finance at the moment. Ill still be working but if I can make most of the 12 hours a week I should be fine.

How did you find the course overall?

Chefdf

Realistically finance is much the same course as accounting. However by the end of the 4 years with the accounting course you have learned more or less everthing that the finance course learn plus get a a good few more exemptions in the accounting exams. If you are thinking of doing Finance my advice would be do the accounting degree. It is by no means all accounting (3 accounting subjects in first two years and two finance subjects in first two years), Finance subjects far more interesting may i add. Come to 4th year you get option to study most of the subjects finance study( bar 1 or 2 but most of the important interesting ones).

Be warned in Finance there is a lot of accounting in the first two years. Even more than the accounting course( In 2nd year Finance study tax, accounting dont).
Nice course though. Short hours. Around 11 hours a week. maybe 18 with tutorials. Not too hard exams, do your bit of study in the month off and you'll be flying it.

orangetictac

Chefdf wrote: »

Realistically finance is much the same course as accounting. However by the end of the 4 years with the accounting course you have learned more or less everthing that the finance course learn plus get a a good few more exemptions in the accounting exams. If you are thinking of doing Finance my advice would be do the accounting degree.

I would argue the other way. There is alot more of the "interesting" stuff in Finance as well as a much more established work placement programme.

Of course the main advantage of Accounting is the extra(only one?) exemption(s). Which of course is only necessary to have if you want to be an accountant.
Obviously if you want to do accountancy do accounting.

Chefdf...Did you do Finance ya?

MikeCork2009

Chefdf wrote: »

Realistically finance is much the same course as accounting. However by the end of the 4 years with the accounting course you have learned more or less everthing that the finance course learn plus get a a good few more exemptions in the accounting exams. If you are thinking of doing Finance my advice would be do the accounting degree.

I would totally disagree - If you want to do accounting do accounting. However, finance will give you options of doing a range of things. Yes finance does have a good deal of accounting in it (well in 1st & 2nd year) but after the first couple of years you can decide to do more or less whichever you choose. Also the accounting related subjects you do in latter years are geared more towards looking at companies from an investment/finance perspective than an accounting/tax/audit perspective. If you are thinking of doing finance then my advice is to do finance because you obviously are interested in many aspects of what finance has to offer and are not sure what you want to do when you finish. Over 4 years you will decide whether maybe economics, investment, tax, accounting or something is for you. I guess I could go totally flipside on what Chefdf said and say if ur thinking of doing accounting have a think about doing the finance degree instead and give urself more options (one of which will be accounting - with a few less exemptions)

Chefdf

orangetictac wrote: »

I would argue the other way. There is alot more of the "interesting" stuff in Finance as well as a much more established work placement programme.

Of course the main advantage of Accounting is the extra(only one?) exemption(s). Which of course is only necessary to have if you want to be an accountant.
Obviously if you want to do accountancy do accounting.

Chefdf...Did you do Finance ya?

Well im only saying there isn't as much a difference between the courses as you would think. 1st and 2nd year are practically the same bar 2 or 3 subjects. I dont do finance but im in with finance for alot of stuff.

I'd strongly disagree with the placement but to be fair it was very difficult to get places this year. A lot of companies put their name in the hat for accounting students aroound february or march only to pull out one by one. Same for Finance. Only two accounting practices took on students this year. Howver accounting students were a lot more succesful in getting placement than finance this year. Only 5 companies took on people altogether in Finance. With AIB taking the vast majority. In Accounting 9 companies took on people. So i think your wrong saying the finance placement is more established sumhow.

Im not saying the courses are the same. They are similar. In my opinion, thats my opinion now, i dont want people to jump down my throat, i think that you get the same options when you graduate from accounting as you do from finance plus more. I think the placment possibly proves that maybe?? Which when it comes down to it now its all about getting a job after we graduate which has become a lot harder.
And i didnt know about that one exemption which if its true thats fair enough.

alexcorb1991

orangetictac wrote: »

I would argue the other way. There is alot more of the "interesting" stuff in Finance as well as a much more established work placement programme.

I read in the prospectus that the placement is arranged through the college, does this mean they choose where you go instead of you trying to find a placement for example in the U.S?

Chefdf

alexcorb1991 wrote: »

I read in the prospectus that the placement is arranged through the college, does this mean they choose where you go instead of you trying to find a placement for example in the U.S?

They try and organise it for you. But you can organise one for urself if you want. This year 5 or 6 did it. Once it is related to your course etc etc...

Calcio

Hi mickcork2009, I see that you have completed the masters in financial economics in UCC, I have a degree in civil engineering and I was offered that masters course this year. I was just wondering what the course is like and do you think it would be asking too much of someone in my situation to manage it without any previous experience in the area.

stainluss

I see that you dont need honours maths for this course. Is the maths hard? (for someone who would get an A1 at ordinary, for example?)

Would it be hard to get a high paying job abroad from this degree or does it have a good record in terms of graduates and work placements?

Ruby21

Just finished third year Finance and def recommend it. With regard to the placement the careers office give a list of all the companies and you choose your top 8 choices. It kinda works like the CAO then, if they call you for interview and you get the job you have to take it or the office wont help you get another one. Couple of ppl organized their own placements though, think the careers office just hasta check them out to make sure they give you actual work that's relevant instead of photocopying and tea making. Someone above said barely anyone got placement, we were a smaller class ya, only 18 in Finance got jobs in the first half but everyone else did in the other then. And Accounting we have half their subjects first and second yr and a few in third year, don't think they get anything we don't except one or two exemptions but they are more limited if they realize they don't want to be an accountant at the end. Finance is way more flexible for jobs afterward-can still become an accountant if you want but loads of other options.