Programming in DCU

pixeldesign

Hello .Im 6th year now and im planning to do computer programming in DCU .Is anybody who is doing computer programming aswell?Im curious how is in there.What languages do you do?Online C++ ?What you do in the first year, the fees etc.Thanks!

douglashyde

pixeldesign wrote: »

Hello .Im 6th year now and im planning to do computer programming in DCU .Is anybody who is doing computer programming aswell?Im curious how is in there.What languages do you do?Online C++ ?What you do in the first year, the fees etc.Thanks!

Im a 3rd year Marketing student in DCU at the moment, however my first year in DCU was spent in this course.

A health warning: this course is intense and has a massive drop out rate, I think it 40% make it to the end.

That said, I know people doing this course and it suits them down to the ground.

When I did first year the only language we learned was Java and assembly.

Choose carefully as Computer Apps is a tough ride.

Pygmalion

1st year now, doing Java, I think assembly was moved to 2nd year (all the second years are doing it and can't realy see how it fits into the modules we have, unless you do a bit in Programming 2 or Operating Systems).

If you have any experience programming semester one should be easy enough (the programming anyway, maths is a bit tough), but apparently it gets challenging fairly quickly after this.

Hauk

douglashyde wrote: »

Im a 3rd year Marketing student in DCU at the moment, however my first year in DCU was spent in this course.

A health warning: this course is intense and has a massive drop out rate, I think it 40% make it to the end.

That said, I know people doing this course and it suits them down to the ground.

When I did first year the only language we learned was Java and assembly.

Choose carefully as Computer Apps is a tough ride.

Good post. I'm in 4th year of this course now, and it is very intense. I ended up repeating second year and have repeated more exams than I care to count.

You are right in calling it a health warning :P

If you are doing this course, prepare to do a bucket load of theory. And I mean a load of theory. Courses like Languages and Computability is just straight theory. It's a theory module. That's followed by Algorithms and Complexity. I'm convinced they added complexity for the fun.

There were a couple of fun modules which I enjoyed, like Artificial Intelligence in third year.

Luckily, I think they copped on, and gotten rid of the "filler" modules that we had in first year, like American/Irish politics and Accounting.

Personally, I just can't wait to finish. And it's an incredibly tough course.

Any more questions just ask.

Hauk

Creadak

Hey, I'm a second year on this course. And so far I've found it really good

Yeah, it's a pile of neverending work and quite a bit of theory (Networks and Internet in first year in particular was fairly difficult and Operating Systems was horrendously boring)

People say the maths in first year is tough, but I don't know where they get that impression, I didn't really get the maths for a while and then we started with differentiation and probability (both of which were not much more advanced than the leaving cert)

The programming aspect of the course is so much fun, and I'm really enjoying it this year as we're learning more and more languages, yeah, its difficult at times, but practice is a great thing :P

I think as long as you realise that, just because you can surf the internet doesn't mean you can program computers you'll be okay. The amount of people that think the internet is all there is to a computer is unreal.

In short, with a lot of effort, CA can be a brilliant course

Attol

Another 2nd year here. First year was fun. I enjoyed it. The networks module provided a very nice challenge and I found the content interesting. Programming 1 was a fun, helpful intro to programming. I'm useless at maths but got through that ok in the end. To get through it just keep on top of the work and attend your lectures.

I'm currently exhausted and a bit stressed as I feel slightly overwhelmed. I foolishly haven't mastered the practical aspects of this semester's courses yet. Hopefully if I keep my head down I'll be able to catch up. It's good to have a challenge though. A lot of learning by yourself is required as well. Do *not* expect to be spoonfed.

markpb

Creadak wrote: »

People say the maths in first year is tough, but I don't know where they get that impression, I didn't really get the maths for a while and then we started with differentiation and probability (both of which were not much more advanced than the leaving cert)

I was the same. The course drove me nuts, I hadn't a clue what was going on. Towards the end of the year, I started looking at past papers and realised it was on a par with honours LC maths so the exam itself went fine. Crazy module.

The rest is tough but if you're interested and enjoy it, most of it is fine. The theory courses are dull as dishwater but they're not the worst. To be honest, a lot of people who drop out have no interest in computers or programming or didn't understand what the course was about before registering.

Useful.Idiot

I am also a 2nd year in CA. As everyone said there is quite alot of theory. I found 1st year very enjoyable and personally I loved programming in Java.

I am however seriously slacking this year and have missed way too many lectures. Id say if you just keep attending lectures/tutorials and spend a bit of spare time studying in labs/library etc (which I am doing lots of now) you'll be fine and it will be very rewarding.

public_enemy

Hauk wrote: »

Good post. I'm in 4th year of this course now, and Luckily, I think they copped on, and gotten rid of the "filler" modules that we had in first year, like American/Irish politics and Accounting.

American Politics was my favourite subject in CA

Cy_Revenant

Third year CA.

If I knew a thing or two about computers I'd never have started this course.

pixeldesign

Thanks guys for the replays.I really love computers.I have 3 years experience with C and C++ .Last month i started to learn Java..I hope i will get in DCU .I need over 300 points.I also like maths( Is the only subject i like) .Im not really worried about the college..im only afraid about Leaving Cert.

Creadak

3 years eh? Nice, you should find Java relatively simple so.

Good luck in the leaving so

Pygmalion

pixeldesign wrote: »

Thanks guys for the replays.I really love computers.I have 3 years experience with C and C++ .Last month i started to learn Java..I hope i will get in DCU .I need over 300 points.I also like maths( Is the only subject i like) .Im not really worried about the college..im only afraid about Leaving Cert.

Exact same position I was in.

Leaving cert. isn't nearly as bad as it seems, was pretty much ****ting it over everything but maths and came out with a good bit more than needed without too much work.

Katniss everMean

- 1st year is easy
- 2nd year has a huge learning curve, which is what makes it hard.
- 3rd not that hard, a lot of assignments though, but second semester is
spent on work placement, so you only have one set of exams \o/
- 4th year, so far it seems ok, assignments all due around same time, so
you need to work hard for a 4 - 5 week period. Again its difficult but
doable, it may seem harder and more stressful, as for the first time the
marks you get actually matter towards your degree

Overall I love this course, the only thing that really gets me is January exams,(I know this is the college and not the course ) because you never really have a stress free Christmas break, I did science for a year then transferred into computer apps, so five years in arrow and you start to crack up!

irish_boy90

Sounds like you have an interest and a bit of experience. You will be fine.

JoePie

Fella, if you have all that, you'll fly through most if it. I finished last year, and I'm barely alive after it. An awful lot of work. I took the information systems side of it (I think its called something like Business Fun or something silly now), and the course has restructured a bit, but there was crossover between the two streams. More so in the first two years. The third year project was good fun. Work placement was just... work really, but it was good for me in that I now know I don't want to be sitting in front a computer developing reports for the next 40 years. 4th year is just tough. Tough. Tough. Tough. You have to stay on top of it.

So yeah, like everyone else said, tough course. But doable. And wasn't all that bad in the end.

Hauk

My advice is to take a year out and think about. Then if you want to do it afterwards, sure.

pixeldesign

With how many points did you get in?.I saw on internet that i need over 315 ...i hope i`ll get them.I only do 2 higher levels and 5 ordinary.I think programming is not hard when you really like that.

Attol

pixeldesign wrote: »

With how many points did you get in?.I saw on internet that i need over 315 ...i hope i`ll get them.I only do 2 higher levels and 5 ordinary.I think programming is not hard when you really like that.

It's not just programming though. There's theory and maths and stuff too.

Hauk

Yes, lots of Maths and lots of theory. And leaving massive chunks of relevant information out of notes to "encourage" people to go to lectures just doesn't work.

Thank god for the library!

barnacle

Hauk: OUT

JoePie

You need 2 C3's at higher level I think it was, and then 4 passes at ordinary level. It was only 300 points for me, before the revamp, and I got in with 315.

pixeldesign

So any higher level?My first language is polish and i do higher level polish and geography.

Finch*

oh hey what's up 4th years, think i'm supposed to be in that year aren't i hmmmmmmm

JoePie

Yeah, any two higher level subjects.

simonw

Hauk wrote: »

Yes, lots of Maths and lots of theory. And leaving massive chunks of relevant information out of notes to "encourage" people to go to lectures just doesn't work.

Thank god for the library!

Go to lectures tbh.

Nearly all of the lecturers (particularly at the start of the course) mention the correllation between module results and attendance of lectures. whats the most hours a week through the entire course, maybe 20? including tutorials?

I graduated the SE stream this year, doing a Masters in DCU now. It's tough alright particularly 4th year, and I think the end of 3rd year first semester was tough enough too, but if it wasn't hard it wouldn't be worth much, would it?

As for maths, I think the standard was somewhere above leaving cert ordinary maths, but not quite higher level.

A lot of people who start CA will find that they can't handle the course's system of natural selection, so they'll defect to the more business-oriented Enterprise Computing. Ignore these traitors. They are merely the front line cannon fodder.

That said, CA is fupping rock hard. Take a year off (as Hauk said) and then decide. Rushing into the course straight from school is a mistake. First year is a handy transition from the slacking of secondary school, but after that, it's like getting hit in the face with a freight train.

If you don't have nads of steel, go away and do business or orts, roysh?

JoePie

simonw wrote: »

As for maths, I think the standard was somewhere above leaving cert ordinary maths, but not quite higher level.

You are HIGH if you think the maths we did was only at ordinary level standards. I struggled for so long. Mostly due to my own laziness. But once I did get my head around it, it was still pretty tough.

the butcher

Deleted User wrote: »

A lot of people who start CA will find that they can't handle the course's system of natural selection, so they'll defect to the more business-oriented Enterprise Computing. Ignore these traitors. They are merely the front line cannon fodder.

If you don't have nads of steel, go away and do business or orts, roysh?

This is the kind of bullcrap you should not listen to. Did CAIS (EC now), graduated 2008 and been doing dba/.net development work since. End of the day doesnt matter if you pick CA or EC, they could wind up as a developer or a business analyst depending on the job/cv. Your whole "traitor" attitude gives a stink of immaturity and doesnt help the OP.

I forgot thats why people picked EC..to become traitors... :rolleyes:

OP, with the experience you have, you should be fine as long as you stick with the lectures/labs in first year.

robby^5

the butcher wrote: »

This is the kind of bullcrap you should not listen to. Did CAIS (EC now), graduated 2008 and been doing dba/.net development work since. End of the day doesnt matter if you pick CA or EC, they could wind up as a developer or a business analyst depending on the job/cv. Your whole "traitor" attitude gives a stink of immaturity and doesnt help the OP.

I forgot thats why people picked EC..to become traitors... :rolleyes:

OP, with the experience you have, you should be fine as long as you stick with the lectures/labs in first year.

Hey let the programmers be elitist cause afterall it is one of, or the, toughest courses in DCU... and then to see us EC types doing their modules sans programming and maths must sting a little

But that said it's not really as business-orientated (as in I dont think anybody interested in business courses would get much from EC) as people seem to think. We're the middle ground, more or less.

the butcher

the butcher wrote: »

This is the kind of bullcrap you should not listen to. Did CAIS (EC now), graduated 2008 and been doing dba/.net development work since. End of the day doesnt matter if you pick CA or EC, they could wind up as a developer or a business analyst depending on the job/cv. Your whole "traitor" attitude gives a stink of immaturity and doesnt help the OP.

I forgot thats why people picked EC..to become traitors... :rolleyes:

OP, with the experience you have, you should be fine as long as you stick with the lectures/labs in first year.

Pity you don't have a degree in humour or troll detection to go along with your shiny IS parchment. :pac:

RealistSpy

What excatly is the name of the Programming course in DCU? I am doing software development in ITCarlow. I just want to compare the modules.

gizmo

The two courses in DCU are called Computer Applications and Enterprise Computing. The former is the proper programming one whereas the latter is the Business IT orientated one. I would assume it's the former one you should be comparing...

RealistSpy

Thanks