Electives for bringing up your G.P.A.?

jamser89

Any advice on 1st year modules that are fairly straightforward? Which of the beginner language courses did people find most interesting/enjoyable/easy?!:cool:

rainbow kirby

I particularly enjoyed Japanese when I did it. Pick whichever one interests you most (and actually has spaces!) though.

jamser89

Thanks!Anyone have any idea what the German for beginners course is like? Is there much homework to do outside of the classes etc.?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

jamser89 wrote: »

Thanks!Anyone have any idea what the German for beginners course is like? Is there much homework to do outside of the classes etc.?

I did it this semester, the material is pretty handy only my lectures were on from 6-8pm on a wednesday which was pretty inconvenient so I only made about 4 of them.

jamser89

Any mcq exams or modules where there's no final exam? Preferrably introductory science modules

Browney7

Information and communications technology in Computer science and algorithmic problem solving are both handy enough. Think they might only be 1st semester though.

German is grand. A lot of continuous assessment including participation/attendance, mid term, oral and final exam. Useful enough aswell.

fillmore jive

There's a first year geology module that is just a field trip to Antrim or somewhere for a weekend to do some project. No exam you just have to write up a report but there's probably some co-requisites to do the module.

Another good science one to do is Algorithmic problem solving, it's a first year comp science module. Interesting subject, easy enough exam and the lecturer is very sound so that should bring your gpa up a good bit.

El Siglo

Land Use and the Environment (AESC 10010) with John Feehan, probably the best module I ever did in UCD.

jamser89

Any 2nd semester modules though? think those modules are 1st semester.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

jamser89 wrote: »

Any 2nd semester modules though? think those modules are 1st semester.

Formal Foundations (COMP10070) is second semester as far as I remember. No final exam and pretty light workload.

MrKingsley

I did a social policy elective last year. Approaches to Social Issues.

Absolutely great class. 1200 word essay worth 50% and hour exam for the rest. Well worth it.

Glad to see some people are using the elective system correctly!:D

upmeath

Polish was good craic, small class, about 12 of us if I remember correctly. Tape test was tricky but the rest was a piece of cake. The written exam was like join the dots meets MCQ. Got a B+ with minimal effort.
DO IT!

jamser89

Does anyone know what the third year history module The Birth and Death of Yugoslavia is like??

33% God

jamser89 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the third year history module The Birth and Death of Yugoslavia is like??

Probably a gigantic cluster****, like Yugoslavia itself.


On Topic:
Introduction to Programming. Easiest A in the world.

WeeBushy

El Siglo wrote: »

Land Use and the Environment (AESC 10010) with John Feehan, probably the best module I ever did in UCD.

I think a friend did that course, did he tell you the exact questions that were coming up on the exam?

Biology for the modern world is very interesting and fairly easy if you're interested in that area. It's kind of a social commentary on current matters within biology. It's a first semester module though. Had the mcq exam this morning and with little to no study (many harder, more important exams ahead) I knew the answers to pretty much all the qs.

I did beginners spanish two years ago it was interesting, enjoyable and easy!

SmashingPilot

fillmore jive wrote: »

There's a first year geology module that is just a field trip to Antrim or somewhere for a weekend to do some project. No exam you just have to write up a report but there's probably some co-requisites to do the module.

Ye, this module requires you to take all the other 1st year geology modules to be eligible for it, did it last year.
Its also more than a weekend. Its 4 days, during the midterm break in March and as much fun as it was the workload almost killed me for those few days.

jamser89

Whats the exam like in Principles of Macroeconomics? 1st year module.

JBUCD

33% God wrote: »

Probably a gigantic cluster****, like Yugoslavia itself.


On Topic:
Introduction to Programming. Easiest A in the world.

They changed it for people doing it as an elective.

33% God

JBUCD wrote: »

They changed it for people doing it as an elective.

Really? What is it now?

JBUCD

33% God wrote: »

Really? What is it now?

Not sure exactly. Anyone tell us whats the difference. But they divided up the Comp Sci students and the students doing it as an elective.

Korvanica

Introduction to Cognitive Science - Most interesting module I've done in Ucd. Excellent lecturer and easy exam.

WeeBushy

Korvanica wrote: »

Introduction to Cognitive Science - Most interesting module I've done in Ucd. Excellent lecturer and easy exam.

1st or 2nd semster? My elective in Sem2 is fairly meh, wouldn't mind trying to find somethig better. I'd say places are full for the best ones though...

Jaybl

Korvanica wrote: »

Introduction to Cognitive Science - Most interesting module I've done in Ucd. Excellent lecturer and easy exam.

Im doing this course next semester so good to hear. Also doing my other elective this semester. (Comp Forensics)

scange01

+1 for Algorithm Problem Solving. Could you solve the Cabbage, Sheep and Wolf problem as a child? That's pretty much an exam question.

And if you have any kind of competency with Maths, or if you're doing Micro/Macro, Intro to Quantitative Economics.
A not so hidden secret which led to one course actually being banned this year from doing it as an elective.

jamser89

How did people find the beginners spanish course?

Stercus Accidit

Drawing systems.

Its first year tech graphics (secondary school) and is tailored to the architecture students who have no time for more than one lecture a week, we do be busy with projects.

So three submissions, no exam, and one 2 hour lecture a week.

And its easy if you have done tech drawing before, or even if you havn't.

MrKingsley

jamser89 wrote: »

How did people find the beginners spanish course?

Absolutely beautiful if its done through the applied languages centre.

Learn some really practical stuff and its mainly done through oral work. The first class i went to was in week 6 an i still managed a b- so its not a huge workload either

jamser89

MrKingsley wrote: »

The first class i went to was in week 6 an i still managed a b- so its not a huge workload either

did you not miss out on assessment then by missing the first 5 weeks?lol

littlefriend

Has anyone done 'psychology of perception' as an elective. I chose it for next semester but not sure about it now..

jamser89

littlefriend wrote: »

Has anyone done 'psychology of perception' as an elective. I chose it for next semester but not sure about it now..

Don't worry Aidan Moran is a great lecturer. Lectures very enjoyable and interesting and exams weren't too stressful!:)

CRoche09

Economics and society in first year is pretty simple....The lecturers arent great though. Cormac O Grada - an old man who seems to be constantly on his period and Colm McCarty - who is good but just does random stuff and its not very interesting.

Its 2 lectures a week, and 2 hour exam and a mid term. Its not exactly interesting but it could be easy to do well in it if you just put in a bit of work..

CRoche09

Also issues in world development pol10050....its a semester one exam though..
Basically the exam is the same every year where there is 8 topics, choose 2.
Its 30% for tutorial and one essay which is easy...the tutorial is every two weeks.
So basically you only have to cover two topics and you wouldnt even have to go to lectures to find out what is going on. Its self explanatory.

MrKingsley

jamser89 wrote: »

did you not miss out on assessment then by missing the first 5 weeks?lol

Missed out on 5 per cent for attendance yeah. I was doing a different elective for a couple of weeks. First class I was in we had a aural test worth 10 per cent and I got 8/10 having never listened to the language before.

If it wasnt for that class I would have had a nice 220 repeat fee and an extra module this semester!:D

RandolphEsq

Art History in 1st year is hilariously easy! No summer/winter exams except for the ones in class

jamser89

MrKingsley wrote: »

Missed out on 5 per cent for attendance yeah. I was doing a different elective for a couple of weeks. First class I was in we had a aural test worth 10 per cent and I got 8/10 having never listened to the language before.

If it wasnt for that class I would have had a nice 220 repeat fee and an extra module this semester!:D

Ye sounds handy enough alright. Have registered for it now along with food diet and health

jamser89

Is it worth paying to do additional modules beyond your allocation of 60 credits to bring up your GPA?:rolleyes:

Frisbee

Intro to Project Management

Intro to Computer Forensics

Both very easy

Forensics exam was the easiest exam I've ever sat, you have to pick 30 definitions from the 40 given on the exam.
But he gives you the list of definitions before the exam, so all you have to do is learn 30 by heart and your away.

WeeBushy

30 definitions... i dunno, sounds like a lot of work

Frisbee

WeeBushy wrote: »

30 definitions... i dunno, sounds like a lot of work

He discourages you from writing long answers though.
He only wants like 3-4 lines on each. It's insane...

WeeBushy

Frisbee wrote: »

He discourages you from writing long answers though.
He only wants like 3-4 lines on each. It's insane...

That ludicrous... Went to try and pick it there but it clashes with one of my cores