International U.S. Exchange Student

dgator

Hey,

I attend the University of Florida in the US, and I'm going to be studying at Trinity in the Fall. I've heard you've switched to the "Americanized" two semester system. I was wondering if that meant classes are now only offered every semester (start - finish) and not year long?

I'm a business/health care student so I will be taking classes in both fields. Have you ever heard of year long classes (international business/ operations management) being offered in one semester and receiving half credits. There are never year long classes at my school, only 4-5 month courses.

Also, I've received the list of courses for last year (http://www.tcd.ie/international/course-directory/index.php), but how about the upcoming 10/11 year? With regards to grading, it seems classes are based on one final exam, this is never the case in the U.S., so I was wondering how exactly you prepare for such a test!

Lastly, should I seek accommodation at Trinity Hall or venture off campus and rent a room? I've seen some ads, and it seems to be the cheaper way to go. I just want to make sure I don't get short listed on the full social experience.

Oh ya, and from your opinion, do international students stick to themselves? Are there a lot of them? Just curious.

Thanks,

Dahlia

El Siglo

dgator wrote: »

Hey,

I attend the University of Florida in the US, and I'm going to be studying at Trinity in the Fall. I've heard you've switched to the "Americanized" two semester system. I was wondering if that meant classes are now only offered every semester (start - finish) and not year long?

Yes, I think this is the case with the new modules, don't think there's any such thing as a year long one, just whatever you do each semester.

I'm a business/health care student so I will be taking classes in both fields. Have you ever heard of year long classes (international business/ operations management) being offered in one semester and receiving half credits. There are never year long classes at my school, only 4-5 month courses.

Same as above, they've only brought this new shit in this year so I doubt they're anyway prepared to start chopping up courses and credits, but yes it's generally speaking as you say, 4-5 month modules here to, so it's not a total culture shock.

Also, I've received the list of courses for last year (http://www.tcd.ie/international/course-directory/index.php), but how about the upcoming 10/11 year? With regards to grading, it seems classes are based on one final exam, this is never the case in the U.S., so I was wondering how exactly you prepare for such a test!

Don't expect to see that list for a while it takes time for stuff to get updated and the chances are it might not and they'll probably use the same list with slight changes depending on students etc... On the grading and exams, get used to it. You'll most likely have essays to hand in during the semester but a lot will be riding on the exams. Just get used to it, it's not that bad. How do we prepare? Well, we'd study our bollocks' off for about a fortnight, simple as that.

Lastly, should I seek accommodation at Trinity Hall or venture off campus and rent a room? I've seen some ads, and it seems to be the cheaper way to go. I just want to make sure I don't get short listed on the full social experience.

Yeh, but you'll want to do your homework on locations. Like you might think paying <€350 and living in somwhere like Balbriggan is good but it's not. Check on location, distance, transport etc... as well as the price. Be expected to be paying between €350 and €450 for the rent alone (per month).

Oh ya, and from your opinion, do international students stick to themselves? Are there a lot of them? Just curious.

Tons of international students, Trinity is full of them. No, they don't stick to themselves, it's a matter of socialising etc... obviously there are exceptions to this but generally if you're willing to put yourself out there (not literally of course) then it's all good.

Thanks,

Dahlia

Not a bother.

dgator

Thanks for the advice.

I guess I'm just a bit confused still. I read that courses go through ehhh " Michaelmas" and "Hilary" terms, but I'll only be here for the former. So that's what I was confused about, as I have found courses that state "academic year". I've never heard of modules. We just have a database of 1000+ classes to choose from each semester, it' a 5 month class, we take an exam and that's it...no coming back spring term-you move on.

Example:

BU4510 International Business (Professor Louis Brennan & Professor Frank Barry)

Duration: Academic year
Contact hours p/w: 2 lectures per week, 1 tutorial per week
Assessment: Individual and group assignments, 1 x 3 hour exam
Weighting: 15 ECTS (9 Credits)
Description: The first half of this module deals with the environment in which international business decisions are made. It also deals with the managerial issues arising from the international transfer of people, resources, capital and knowledge, and the critical issues that a firm and its employees encounter when engaging in international business. The second section of the module deals with current developments in the Irish, European and global economies, including the “Celtic Tiger” era and the current global crisis, the changing nature of global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows and their causes and consequences, the expansion of India and China, and debates and controversies within the EU and the World Trade Organisation.







Is that now going to be offered in only Michaelmas term? Obivously I'm trying to talk to advisors on this, but it's a bit slow.



So you think off campus housing over Trinity Hall is best?

Liquorice

I think that officially we've been semesterised but not modularised. So yes, there are year-long courses, and yes, they will be year-long next year too.

El Siglo

dgator wrote: »

Thanks for the advice.

I guess I'm just a bit confused still. I read that courses go through ehhh " Michaelmas" and "Hilary" terms, but I'll only be here for the former. So that's what I was confused about, as I have found courses that state "academic year". I've never heard of modules. We just have a database of 1000+ classes to choose from each semester, it' a 5 month class, we take an exam and that's it...no coming back spring term-you move on.

Example:

BU4510 International Business (Professor Louis Brennan & Professor Frank Barry)

Duration: Academic year
Contact hours p/w: 2 lectures per week, 1 tutorial per week
Assessment: Individual and group assignments, 1 x 3 hour exam
Weighting: 15 ECTS (9 Credits)
Description: The first half of this module deals with the environment in which international business decisions are made. It also deals with the managerial issues arising from the international transfer of people, resources, capital and knowledge, and the critical issues that a firm and its employees encounter when engaging in international business. The second section of the module deals with current developments in the Irish, European and global economies, including the “Celtic Tiger” era and the current global crisis, the changing nature of global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows and their causes and consequences, the expansion of India and China, and debates and controversies within the EU and the World Trade Organisation.







Is that now going to be offered in only Michaelmas term? Obivously I'm trying to talk to advisors on this, but it's a bit slow.



So you think off campus housing over Trinity Hall is best?

Up until this year, the academic year was three terms, now it's two but for the sake of posterity (Trinity is over 400 years old) they keep the same names for terms except Michaelmas is the first, Hilary is the second and Trinity is two weeks before the summer exams. I think things have changed in that direction to in Trinity (i.e. learn the **** in one semester, do the exam, forget it and move onto the next semester).
Well the way the system works (to the best of my knowledge), 5 ECTS = 1 Module ("class" as you say), so 15 ECTS is worth three modules. From what I've read on the website you've given, that class is for the whole year because it's that big, you might want to email the lecturer about it just to be sure, it might (i.e. I'm just guessing) that you could take this in the first semester but you'd be limiting the number of other modules you could take. Again, you should probably contact either the lecturer or the department office and ask them the situation. Modularisation is really fucked up in Trinity.
If you're not staying for the whole academic year and this being you're first time in Ireland, it might be a good choice to go with Trinity hall. If you're staying for a full year then go with off-campus accommodation. Again, this depends on what you're most comfortable with, and if you're only over for 5 months you're going to find it hard to get accommodation for this duration a one year lease is usually the most common. However you could work something out with a landlord, as rental prices have fallen pretty sharply and it's no longer as bad as it used to be. Again it all depends on what you're looking for!

gamma23

Send an email to international@tcdsu.org, the International Officer and the team of volunteers will help answer your questions. Off the bat im gonna have a go now:


Courses: You will be mailed out the list of courses availabel for you to make your selections befroe arrival, in the past some international studetns have not received these during jjune like other students we are pushing to have them emailed out too at the minute but contact the above address if you have problems with that. All courses offered in Trinity have been adapted so that they can be assessed at christmas so you will receive a grade for each course you take. For some courses this may be done from an essay set or an exam (like a previous poster said trinity isnt quite used to this yet)


Grade weightings will be on the list sent out to you. Consult your home colleges requirements for the number of ECTs credit they require. Also consider the semseter start up scheme which gives you a backgorund in irish histories and humantity type stuff, if your college will accept it can be really useful and interesting, and you get to come out early and settle in 1st.


Halls?: Yes if you are used to dorm arrangements in your own college thi sis probably best, the jcr there offer events for the purpose of getting to know people and you will find it a lot easier to make friends in there. Note if you are here for only 1 semester you will have to apply through one of the schemes/companies that offer that, usually 1 semester students aren't offered college owned accomodation. We are onto this so send an email to help the case if your interested in living in halls.
For off campus accomodation the best thing to do is look on daft before you come to see the type off accomdation offered and costs involved. Please please please dont take something online, come over to dublin to see it first. Good accomdation comes on the market daily aaround august september time and is taken up on the day most of the time, come into college to the Accomodation Advisory Service the Students' Union run and they can offer advice and the facilaties you need to find somewhere. This year it usually took 2-3 days of looking to find a good place, but not longer.


Other Int Stu's: We have many, they are spread out over college and mix well with other students, there will be events next year with the explicit motivation to help this allong early next year too.

dgator

I just emailed the lecturers, so we'll see.

I'll just make the housing issue...an adventure. I'm going into my last year of undergrad, and am not looking for a freshman dorm life experience again lol.

thanks for all of the help.

gamma23

consider the on campus rooms still then (3rd 4th years and postgrads) if you appied under one of those schemes

dgator

hey thanks gamma! that was great info! I have emailed the international office already, so I'm just waiting for them to get back to me... I'm assuming over the week. it's great that they start to let students just take exams at end of term early.

And ya I am definitely doing the summer start up program. My college requires full time of 12 credits or 20 ECTS from September - December...but I'm interested in classes that would make up 25 ECTS for the term.


thanks for the good info!

dgator

and i will ask them about campus housing then as well.