Summarise Your Semester

Thwip!

Okies so for many of us it was our first semester in the wonderful place that is NUI. So summarise for us your semester, what you learned, what exciting stuff happened etc. Also non-first years feel free to do this aswell and tell us how your semester went

What I've learned/did
-Takes the shower five mins to heat up
-Gingerale, Innocent Smoothie and 7up mixed tastes amazing suprisingly
-"PUT THE GODDAMN ROOT IN THE GODDAMN BASS.....UNLESS IT'S ONE OF 'THOSE' CHORDS"
-Computer problems go to Dave
-Learned what an Oreo Malt is
-Went to my first Concert:D:D:D:D
-Paper thin walls are not good for a good night's sleep
-Being recognised by Boardsies you've never seen before is an interesting mix of excitement and shock
-That if i slip on the campus bridge i will end up on a crutch
-I can do 2 months worth of food shopping in Aldi for less than 20 euro
-That there is such a book in existence called "The Big Book of Ginger"
-Chocolate cake is suprisingly easy to make
-Far too many people have november birthdays..leading to the realisation that most condoms probably fail during the month of february
-Berlioz still haunts us in college:(:(
-Started Piano:D:D
-House Jazz and Rock 'n' Roll bands are a free means of entertainment
-Brunnetes can have ginger beards:(
-Number one cause for assignments being printed late is other people using farmville
-It is entirely possible to write a 2000 word assignment at 2 in the morning after a Blizzards concert
-Something interesting always happens in Law whenever i dont show up:(
-You can be 20 and still look 15
-Whenever you offer to walk someone home make sure you know just how far away their place is
-If you wear shoes that are in any way reminiscent of Ugs you will be ridiculed

PrivateEye

What I learned/did:

- That the 66 Bus waits for no man.

- That there is a cafe hiding up the laneway by Supermacs, and it does the best coffee in Maynooth.

- They're not really as strict on deadlines as first feared.

-Aer Lingus prices come down as well as go up. Bring on "MH113 Does Belgium" in January.

- I got onto the George Hook Programme, that was cool. The whole Bertie business was pretty surreal actually. Nothing like picking up your house phone and having Ulster Radio blahblah FM on the other side.

- Only did a handful of nights in Maynooth, I attribute this to the recession. Town is much, much cheaper for me.

-That Maynooth is actually a lot SMALLER than I thought it was last year. I'm bumping into the same people everyday.

- That I can get a sandwich, drink AND crisps for less than 3 quid in Dunnes. WHY GO TO O' BRIENS EVER????

- That the Student Union pub will, on occasion, pour a good pint of Guinness.

- That I have no interest in learning to drive, sorry Dad.

- That The Kinks are a much better band than I used to think they were.

- That The Specials can still perform live, and in fact- Blew my tiny brain away.

-That there is NO NEED to buy books, thanks to the libary.

-That The Spoke was savable, long live The Print. It started of a bit rocky but is looking well.

-That I still can't rule out following the dad into the Fire Brigade, due to a bit of a reawakening. I don't know what I want to do and I'm twenty, shocking.

-That twenty is just as scary as expected

-That my Mam still can't hide Christmas presents well

-That the South Campus is a lot nicer than I first thought, and worth walking around often.

- That Maynooth is not the reactionary hole people used to tell me they thought it was. Between the amazing sight of students manning two picket lines during a national strike, and 250+ students and lecturers delivering a petition to the University, as well as spotting three Maynooth banners on the ICTU demo (Staff,Labour and FEE) we're actually in a very, very good place. "Where the fcuk have Belfield gone?"

MsDarcy

Privete eye- gotta agree with you on the 66- it is the devil,and also have no interest in driving even when my mam and dad are offering to insure me on their cars

When reading the thread about annoying mature students i felt bad for all the slagging people gave them - 3 months on, they wreck my head in almost every lecture although talking to some of them is good craic as some of them havent been to school in years, (one women in my english tutorial cannot understand why we must go into "such depth" about poems etc.) they're entertaining at the best of times!

Jucie lucie is well over-priced

I hate the library or just the people who hide books.

I love having a bus ticket as it feels like im not paying and everyone else is (even though i paid at the start of the week )

Also, the realization that the leaving cert doesn't measure ones intelligience all that well as i'm doing a hell of alot better in college then i ever did in school

Holsten

One word: Bollox.

Rozabeez

Lecture attendance: Poor.
Work submission: Adequate.

funky penguin

- Mantra as COMPLETELY ruined the equalibrium of the pubs in Maynooth. 5Euro in on a weekday in Maynooth? **** off.

- The wall to South Campus should never be hopped in extreme weather.

- a whole day's work on an essay worth 40% of 2.5 credits Vs 1 hour on half a composition worth 20% of 20 credits seems just a TAD unbalanced.

- I discovered the hilarity of Troll 2

- I discovered the Joy of singing in the NUIM Chamber Choir

- I discovered the genuine nature of Banquo

- I can be a bastard when I need to be.

- Apparently my brother can deep throat a bottle.

- wii golf is fun

- so is cheep booze

- My last ever lecture with Paddy Devine was a sad moment...

- My last ever carol service was great fun

- Turns out, I'm NOT as a bad a sightreader as I thought.

Effluo

MsDarcy wrote: »

When reading the thread about annoying mature students i felt bad for all the slagging people gave them - 3 months on, they wreck my head in almost every lecture although talking to some of them is good craic as some of them havent been to school in years, (one women in my english tutorial cannot understand why we must go into "such depth" about poems etc.) they're entertaining at the best of times!

nice :cool:

Something i've learned
- When changing your trousers it is not necessary to take off your shoes(try this out, it's a great timesaver)

DDastardly

to sum up, i realised that with every passing year, maynooth is inhabited by more and more plums

Seren_

My second last semester in Maynooth as an undergrad anyway lol!

- Third year involves A LOT of stress (although this may be my own fault)

- I have very, very good friends

- Living on campus for the third year in a row is not fun, even if it does mean I can get up five minutes before I've to go to a lecture.

- Not to hand another essay in late :P

- I spend wayyyyy too much time messing around on the internet.

- Aldi chocolate chip muffins are shexy om nom nom

- It's fun to have random conversations using codenames so nobody knows what or who you're talking about, especially when it involves squirrels!

- Skipping lectures so you can watch Fight Club is never a bad thing to do.

Meh, probably loads more than that, but I just can't think of them.

mickstupp

Hmm. I learned that:

- Second year involves way more reading than first, and I need to sort out my time management for next semester.
- Since it's such a small campus it really pays to be polite.
- Some people will never learn to wash their hands after using the toilet.
- I miss seeing last year's classmates all the time. Different timetables means you've to schedule meetings with your friends. Bah humbug to that crap!
- Some lecturers are much friendlier when they see you've kept their subject into second year.
- Dragon Age: Origins is really not something you should get into if you want to write essays. Or read. Or sleep. Or see daylight.
- The library really needs a quiet room. Or six.
- Rose in the Academic Advisory office kicks ass! And she gives free refill pads and highlighters.
- George is a cool guy.
- Swapping your essays with classmates as exam prep really helps when they've done different topics than you.
- JH7 gets filled with the unearthly stench of burnt unmentionables from the O'Briens pit of hell.
- Sometimes the people you thought were bellends in first year are actually very nice.
- I like the common room. It has comfy seats and I can study well there.

Kazuma

F*** is my summary. Unless I pass. :mad:

LeixlipRed

I got older, they get younger and yeh, I still would.

lsuzanne1987

LeixlipRed wrote: »

I got older, they get younger and yeh, I still would.

God help the incoming 1st years next year.

allandanyways

Things I learned in my second last semester as an UG in Maynooth:

- I was never as fcuking annoying as the first years this year. No, you are not a Sexy Chick, nor will I take you to Infinity. Please stop playing these songs at half 4 in the morning/at top volume in yer earphones in the library
- Facebook is possibly the best/worst website ever invented. Fcuking Farmville, and just general dickheadism of everyone using FB when people are queueing to do academic work is disgusting. A WARNING IN THE PRINT DOES S.F.A. Block it ffs.
- Department staff are fully sound when you actually sit down and get to know them/show them you're really interested in what you're doing.
- Nerding it up and really getting involved in what you're studying really pays off and lecturers/tutors do notice the hard work you put in (wish I'd learned this in Second year)
- Mantra is shít and if I hear one more person saying it's the "place to be" I will punch them in the face.
- Two bottles of wine do not a party make. They make me violently ill with no recollection of the night before and no shoes.
- Mature students are amazingly sound and make really good friends.
- Common room isn't that bad, and is the perfect spot for perving.
- Having a decent group of friends who are both a bit older than you (keep in mind I'm the youngest in my year, so that's not difficult) and also studying the same subjects as you makes life a hell of a lot easier.
- I have to stop talking to myself in Spanish when leaving campus, people are starting to think I'm insane.
- Bringing my own lunch ftw. Yet I still end up paying 1.80 at least twice a day for a cup of tea. Hypocrite.
- Spotting boardsies is becoming more frequent and some of them are pretty feckin nifty
- I will find something to complain about everyday because people are gobshítes and have no respect for their colleagues, but I do love Maynooth and will miss it greatly when I go away. But I'll be back.

Effluo

allandanyways wrote: »

- I was never as fcuking annoying as the first years this year. No, you are not a Sexy Chick, nor will I take you to Infinity. Please stop playing these songs at half 4 in the morning/at top volume in yer earphones in the library
- Facebook is possibly the best/worst website ever invented. Fcuking Farmville, and just general dickheadism of everyone using FB when people are queueing to do academic work is disgusting. A WARNING IN THE PRINT DOES S.F.A. Block it ffs.
- Mantra is shít and if I hear one more person saying it's the "place to be" I will punch them in the face.
- Common room isn't that bad, and is the perfect spot for perving.
- Bringing my own lunch ftw. Yet I still end up paying 1.80 at least twice a day for a cup of tea. Hypocrite.
- I will find something to complain about everyday because people are gobshítes and have no respect for their colleagues

dudes got some issues!

Anger Management anyone? lol

LeixlipRed

lsuzanne1987 wrote: »

God help the incoming 1st years next year.

Oi, I'm kidding

allandanyways

Effluo wrote: »

dudes got some issues!

Anger Management anyone? lol

Dude, I am a lady thanks very much!

iLoveTwilight

mickstupp wrote: »

- JH7 gets filled with the unearthly stench of burnt unmentionables from the O'Briens pit of hell.

Awh its horrible ! 11am Monday mornings were the worst ...

K4t

Drank a bit too much and missed a few too many lectures but still got all my assignments done and wrote a fairly decent English essay.

However, in the last two weeks I've found out to my dismay that I'm down 10% in two modules even though I submitted both assignments in full and on time. The reason they're not being graded is because I never changed the file types so they're unreadable on their computers. This is strange as when I open the files on the college computers they are converted into a readable format. Anyway, it's a f**king joke and imo completely unfair considering the amount of work I put into them to get no reward whatsoever for something so trivial. Left me in a serious bad mood atm and it looks like I'll be staying in over Christmas to study now. What makes it even harder to accept is when I see other students (2nd and 3rd years a lot of the time) handing assignments in late in other subjects and getting extensions due to hangovers.

Duddy

Amount of Lectures missed = not as bad as last year!

Amount of Assignments handed in on time= all of them!:D

Dissertations done on time = 1

Times gone out = 0

Time Drunk = 0

Committee positions held = 1

Committee positions left = 1

Number of takeaways = thousands.

To summarize, a swollen, studious, sober semester:)

nothing

Hmmm... 2nd last semester...

Attendance : Full
Assignments : All in, all bar one above 85%

Managed to get an amazing crop of new housemates, limited myself to one society, sorted out a PhD for next year and studied / studying like a woman possessed!

Effluo

K4t wrote: »

However, in the last two weeks I've found out to my dismay that I'm down 10% in two modules even though I submitted both assignments in full and on time.

Honest to god, k4t you need to "Talk to Joe". I've been thinking about this problem in the college for a long time and none of it makes sense!

Is your course anything to do with "how to change file formats"? Is it your fault that the people who corrected your assignment never updated their office suite? And the biggest point is that, you could actually open the document yourself in the college! That is a joke...
Joe would be having none of it! lol
And it is downright unjustifiable on the colleges part, if you make any kind of fuss you will get what you deserve.(CAO for new students is just around the corner + the colleges really don't want bad publicity right now)


allandanyways
I'm sorry, i think your giving out made me feel annoyed too
duuuuuude;)

Ostrom

It was ok

jamesie_boy

It was the shizzzzzz:D

Miss Lockhart

Lesson Plans and Procrastination

sadie06

Great thread....

Looking back on my first semester, I am mostly delighted....

I can't believe how many new friends I have in my life, ranging in age from 17-60. I have had so much fun getting to know these people and the support for one another is great. It makes me really look forward to the years ahead...

The college is VERY mature student friendly......and so are most of the student body. Not all it seems though.....:rolleyes:

I love my course, which is Music. The aspects I am most interested in are living up to my expectations.

I survived! Despite some extremely wobbly moments and severe attacks of self doubt, I have come out the other side of semester one relatively optimistic. Wish I could say the same for my husband though.....one essay deadline saw me swinging wildly between sobbing and proclaiming I would just have to drop out, to laughing hysterically, all in a ten minute time frame. He will never be the same again!

My biggest thrill has been singing with the chamber choir. In short, it has opened up a whole other musical world for me.

In semester two, I would like to do a hell of a lot less procrastinating, which will hopefully eliminate episodes like the one mentioned above.


Happy Christmas everyone......:)

pisslips

I never really stopped to think about this.

I need to go back more than one semester.

August 2008, I have a failed degree, no interest in the subject anyway, in a room with some woman in Vegas who "surprisingly" turns out to be a prostitute.....who'd a thunk it. Runs away, spends the night drinking some very nice tequila with some veitnamese guy who wants my friend Dave.

Comes home to re-sit 15 credits and manages to scrape a 2.1. by getting 3 firsts basically.

September starts an Msc. in a course with a computer science/ programming element, having never used a computer other than to look at porn an play games really.Had no idea what code actually looked like. I think I lied on the application or something maybe.
Thought a supercomputer was a giant computer in a dark room with one monitor that you get allocated time on or something.

Wrote my own software from scratch to simulate the fractional hall effect, still bearly understand the physics. The paralell element was fairly simplistic though.

Completed continous assesment for the first time in my life, never even did school work in fairness.

Presented for the first time ever in my life to a room of people and took questions.(This was the hardest thing)

Tutored guys in class that I failed as an undergrad and in fairness I answered all their questions correctly. I don't know how retarded I must have been(maybe still am?).

Wrote an essay for the first time since my leaving cert.(actually two)

Learned loads of practical stuff, like latex and wrote my own shell to figure out a lot of the linux commands as well as C, MPI, scripting and lots of stuff really.

Just started a PHD doing molecular simulations with a guy who wrote some of the seminal papers in a huge field that is about 60 years old.Getting there, beginning to be a little bit interested in what i'm doing for the first time ever.

If I can maintain the current growth rate for the next 18 months, I'll be happy enough I think. I think I can feel proud, I'll give it a try.

The dream is actually to do eight hour productive days like working people.
The adult world beckons which is dissapointing but I'll ge used to it, everyone does.

Oh yeah, and the canadian, still love that girl......in a healthy way.

Man what a year! Brilliant, Still having the craic.

leopoldbloom

Good God. Is the entire Chamber Choir on boards?!

pisslips

Was it not built for masterbation? My mistake then

Nationalist

Third year firsts semester, GREAT SUCCESS! Not so much

-Moving out wasn't as much fun as I thought. Cold house. Infested with Too many house mates, felt like a goddamn commune.

-Good house mates none the less.

-Lack of internet at night time sucked balls.

-COD Modern Warfare II & Xbox Live. Had internet temporarily. Major distraction.

-Missed ma's cooking, lived off chilli con carne, chili chicken, pizza and McDonalds.

- Fúcking ridiculous amounts of assignments.
>Design a bench,
>design a water boiler,
>design an alarm clock,
>design a bike pump,
>3000 word ethnographic on the elderly and furniture
>design a band concert poster
>design a company's logo, letterheads and business cards.
>One exam on how to manufacture shít with robots.


-Didn't join any Socs, was in bits from the night before fairs day.

-12 months+ of looking forward to and preparing to live in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Only to find out that the department never organised it properly.

- Voiced disgust of Mantra's control over Maynooth's youth.

- Voiced glee to see that the original 3 pubs are slowly coming back.

-22nd December and still were waiting for the dept. to sort out our Erasmus/ work experience.

-One Soc joined, later in the semester, Go Racing. Great craic in Louth.

-The factory. The 3rd year product design studio, right in the middle of the Rye hall apartments, well away from any tutors in the engineering building. Complete with HUGE speakers for chewns, projector and screen to watch films on and 24hr access.

-My spiral stairs to mine and Paudi's rooms. Which even sober people had difficultly climbing.

-2 weird parties. Friends of friends. Complete with jazz jams. Weird....

-Having loadsamoney from working so much in the Summer.

funky penguin

pisslips wrote: »

Was it not built for masterbation? My mistake then

This confuses me......