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What's your opinion of teaching and departments in UCC?

  • 17-02-2010 6:58pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,500 ✭✭✭


    I was thinking about this today about my lecturers and their respective departments. I have to say that they're both very impressive and helpful. The standard of teaching is excellent too and I can't fault the depts. of History and Classics. They're vastly helpful imo. Maybe I'm being very optimistic of sorts but I rarely have bad experiences with them both.

    What are your thoughts on your subject's teaching and departments?

    *Apologies mods if this topic is breaking rules etc., just looking for general opinions.


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 824 ✭✭✭Nova_era


    I have a love/hate relationship with the German department.

    It's a lovely department, perfect size, so you can always just go and chat to your lecturers, and they're happy to answer any queries etc. However some of them just scare me, and I don't come away with a whole lot of confidence about their teaching abilities.

    However, overall it's a good department, and I'm glad to be a part of it as such. :)


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 15,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭rebel girl 15


    Depends on what happens, I can end up really bi*ching about my department one day and feel a different way on a different day depending on the lecturer


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,070 ✭✭✭✭pq0n1ct4ve8zf5


    Art History department: hard to find fault with really. Small enough number of lecturers that by third year you know them quite well and vice versa (which can be a good or bad thing, good because you have a lot of contact with a few people, rather than vice versa like in bigger departments, bad because if you miss a few lectures it gets scary to go back because you know they'll have noticed and will say it). Secretary is lovely too, course is well structured, challenging, and really interesting. Head of department can be a bit strict I guess, but he's also really funny with it, and I suppose he's only doing it coz he cares :)

    Engish: Meh. I like the course for the most part, but the department is just so big it's all a bit impersonal. And the goddamn office!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Carolus Magnus


    I was thinking about this today about my lecturers and their respective departments. I have to say that they're both very impressive and helpful. The standard of teaching is excellent too and I can't fault the depts. of History and Classics. They're vastly helpful imo. Maybe I'm being very optimistic of sorts but I rarely have bad experiences with them both.

    What are your thoughts on your subject's teaching and departments?

    *Apologies mods if this topic is breaking rules etc., just looking for general opinions.

    Concurrence! The History department is one of the most supportive I know. Although, word is soon there won't be a Classics department as such ... thankfully I'm finishing up this year. With the retirements in the Classics department (you'll know who I'm talking about - lovely weren't they? :)) and no money to hire replacement lecturers they simply aren't viable anymore (at least Greek and Roman Civilisation in translation isn't. Dunno about Latin and Greek.) Some of the Classics lecturers look set to be absorbed into History as Ancient History lecturers. Sad to see.

    All went tits up when Professor Sidwell left in 2008 if you ask me. The University took the first excuse it could not to appoint a Chair of Classics to replace him.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,500 ✭✭✭ReacherCreature


    Concurrence! The History department is one of the most supportive I know. Although, word is soon there won't be a Classics department as such ... thankfully I'm finishing up this year. With the retirements in the Classics department (you'll know who I'm talking about - lovely weren't they? :)) and no money to hire replacement lecturers they simply aren't viable anymore (at least Greek and Roman Civilisation in translation isn't. Dunno about Latin and Greek.) Some of the Classics lecturers look set to be absorbed into History as Ancient History lecturers. Sad to see.

    All went tits up when Professor Sidwell left in 2008 if you ask me. The University took the first excuse it could not to appoint a Chair of Classics to replace him.

    Well in relaton to the Classics dept. for me, it's Greek/Roman civilisation. Some of the staff are 'pushing' on quite a bit however there's some very young lecturers who are excellent. I'm sure you'll know who I mean too.

    It would be pretty rubbish if the whole department shut down, hopefully the courses will stay albeit they'll be merged with History, like you said.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭Orizio


    Government was always pretty ****, bizarre assignments, some awful lecturers and poorly organized.

    The politics, history and philosophy are all better organized with better assignments. However, again the lecturing is mixed at best (philosophy having two of the worst lecturers I've ever come across in my life). Currently doing a History MA, which, besides my core seminar, is pretty poor, unchallenging and repetitive.

    Also, no names or anything personal in this thread. Keep it general.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,242 ✭✭✭mariaf24


    Always found the sociology dept to be lovely, very warm atmosphere and very approachable. Nice staff who went above and beyond what was required.
    Economics not so much tbh,I don't know if it was the building or what but i always seemed a bit lost in that subject,definitely not as warm as sociology.

    Great thread!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,500 ✭✭✭ReacherCreature


    Orizio wrote: »
    Currently doing a History MA, which, besides my core seminar, is pretty poor, unchallenging and repetitive.

    That's pretty depressing considering the History department's been well set up over the last few years imo.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,863 ✭✭✭Papa_Lazarou


    Science department is all over the place really.

    Theres some of the best most intelligent people i have met teaching in the department yet there is also people i wouldnt let near a primary school.

    The dpt has had huge budget cuts which means instead of having 9 labs in a module they've been cut down to 2 and everything is really really rushed. No tutorials or anything this year. Also equipment that is being broken isnt being repaired. Im doing a spectrometry module this year and for all our labs we dont even get to actually use one cause all the ones in the undergraduate labs are broken. So they should us "how it should be done" on a thing that doesn't even work.

    Also they need to knock the kane ;p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,500 ✭✭✭ReacherCreature



    Also equipment that is being broken isnt being repaired. Im doing a spectrometry module this year and for all our labs we dont even get to actually use one cause all the ones in the undergraduate labs are broken. So they should us "how it should be done" on a thing that doesn't even work.

    Sounds like a joke!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,863 ✭✭✭Papa_Lazarou


    Sounds like a joke!


    To be honest it really is. I really enjoy the module and doing the lab work but instead we just print outs of what our samples would have been.

    And to throw a spanner in the works...UCC president who is in charge of like lets say 20-23,000 people gets paid more than the president of America. He also retains his lecturing salary while being president. His overpay could get my spectrometer fixed!!!!! :p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,500 ✭✭✭ReacherCreature


    To be honest it really is. I really enjoy the module and doing the lab work but instead we just print outs of what our samples would have been.

    And to throw a spanner in the works...UCC president who is in charge of like lets say 20-23,000 people gets paid more than the president of America. He also retains his lecturing salary while being president. His overpay could get my spectrometer fixed!!!!! :p

    Christ I didn't know that! Wonder what Mr. Obama'd make of that. :pac:


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,796 ✭✭✭GERMAN ROCKS


    irish are iffy. some lovely lectures some really rotten ones (they would make time stop)and some very hard to understand with strange accents. also they never use blackboard or send emails around or even have a proper website on ucc to check up there emails/office hours etc. there very bad with the technology


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 130 ✭✭catiny


    electrical engineering are grand, there's 2 or 3 top class lecturers, but as with most departments there's a few ropey sods that don't bother much. however on in a one to one scenario they're very good.

    In my experience with the maths department they appear to have good lecturers...

    although I can't boast the same about the applied maths department!! :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,477 ✭✭✭grenache


    History: Good lecturers who are passionate about the subject.

    Geography: Excellent lecturers but are let down by those embittered moany drones in the department office. Their demeanour matches the colour of the building they occupy.

    Archaeology: The friendliest department i've yet experienced, and very good lecturers. Top marks.

    Psychology: Meh, only so so. They're a little bit aloof.

    Politics: Cool lecturers. I've not really had any experience of the department heads yet as i've only taken up the subject in Sept.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 92 ✭✭Haru


    History is awesome.

    But I'm always scared of having to go to the secretary of the French department... :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 457 ✭✭Celtise


    The management/marketing department are a disaster. The admin office for it in the orb are disgraceful and very unhelpful most of the time. Lecturing staff for management are THE WORST I've ever had to tolerate. Of course this is not all of them but 98% for sure.

    Also the accounting and finance department's lecturers for the most part have gotten worse and worse every year I think. I can't say the lecturer's aren't helpful though, they are just dire at teaching.


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