Computer Applications

Keano!

Anyone here doing it right now?

Thinking of going into it next year but would like if anyone could tell me a bit about it and how they think it is etc...

Skylinehead

I'm just coming out of first year, and it's been fairly easy. You'll do bits on hardware, operating systems and networks (and the dreaded maths), and programming is completely Java-oriented. Not sure about other years though.

Keano!

if you don't mind me asking, what points did you go in with?

maths hard in it? i'm pretty useless when it comes to figures :P

john.needham

If you search the boards, you'll find plenty on this subject.

But anyway...

Im about to finish my final year of the current ca software engineering course. I dont believe the maths has changed to much over the years and is do-able for most people, you just have to do the work. I came in with hit and miss maths skills (that hasnt changed much.. :rolleyes:), and got through ok. (make friends with people who are good at maths!)

The new course is still very java orientated, but you get a good grounding in a wide enough area. Its a good degree, I loved it. Its not all easy, like any good degree, and it seems to still hold a decent bit of respect in industry.

Good luck.

Keano!

cheers for the info.

stainluss

john.needham wrote: »

Its a good degree, I loved it. Its not all easy, like any good degree, and it seems to still hold a decent bit of respect in industry.

I heard its Irelands most popular, would it be more respected nationally than the Computer Science degrees like the ones in NUIG, UCD etc?

Is there much diff?

john.needham

stainluss wrote: »

I heard its Irelands most popular, would it be more respected nationally than the Computer Science degrees like the ones in NUIG, UCD etc?

Is there much diff?

Im not totally familiar with those, I know its much more applied and less theoretical than say trinity. It used to have a very, if not the highest standing in Ireland afaik, dont think thats the case today, not that its looked on badly though.

I would focus more on other things than degree standing myself, DCU is a four year degree and the chances that opinions will change over that time are very high (they have since I statred). Look at your interests, see what matches up on the courses, look at the rest of the college (clubs/socs (see other threads dont bring that up here :rolleyes: )), accomodation etc.

john.needham

Mr.S wrote: »

you will probably fail maths tbh. Going through the results lists there atleast 1/2 the class have failed the last test:)

You'll usually find about that many did a decent bit of study too, (unfortunately) while there are courses where cramming will work (in some years) Maths just isnt one of them. First year maths in ca is..unique..by the way

Keano!

What level of maths are we talking here?

Applied maths
Very good at honors
Okay at honors
Very good at ordinary
Weak at ordinary

john.needham

Applied maths
Very good at honors
Okay at honors
Very good at ordinary

Should be fine, vg at ordinary will need you to put the work in (preferable have done a bit of the hons course but you should be fine), above that should be no bother.

Skylinehead

Mr.S wrote: »

Plus we have an awful lecturer for semester two.

Maths learning centre ftw.

Aye, she's awful. Been to two of her lectures out of....34-odd. Lordy.:D

TheChrisD

At least you guys don't have Michael Clancy... Not that he's bad and all, but he has a very roundabout way of teaching.

I remember him teaching me first year maths a good while back. Spent the best part of a week explaining something, and only at the end did he say, "Now this is how you did it in the leaving cert", and only then did it make perfect sense

It's mostly high-end ordinary, low-end higher stuff at the beginning. If you struggled at maths in the leaving you might have trouble with the maths modules.

stainluss

TheChrisD wrote: »

It's mostly high-end ordinary, low-end higher stuff at the beginning. If you struggled at maths in the leaving you might have trouble with the maths modules.

And do you see immediately how this fits into computers?

Keano!

john.needham wrote: »

Applied maths
Very good at honors
Okay at honors
Very good at ordinary

Should be fine, vg at ordinary will need you to put the work in (preferable have done a bit of the hons course but you should be fine), above that should be no bother.

Cheers. And to what degree is CSS covered? Ie. writing codes and layouts etc... I run a website so that would be interesting.

I think this course is right up my ally

Keano!

Mr.S wrote: »

First year you take a Web design module, only for Semester 1 though.

50% project where you have to create a website which uses CSS.

Very basic though so if you have any experience in websites, you'll find it piss easy.

haha, nice one. 99.9% sure I'll be heading down this route now. :cool:





thanks for all the help

Keano!

hmm

will do thanks

Landa2

stainluss wrote: »

I heard its Irelands most popular, would it be more respected nationally than the Computer Science degrees like the ones in NUIG, UCD etc?

Is there much diff?

The other courses around the country are more theory based courses, i transfered into Computer Applications from DIT Kevin Street where they have their own Software Development course for this reason.. You will find DCU's course to be a lot more on the practical side while still keeping its grounding in theory, making graduates of Comp Apps more used to programming and the Practical side of the discipline than other colleges..

argonaut

You'll probably want to really, really like Maths.

If this isn't the case, do EC, which is what I do and I'm practically morally opposed to the very concept of mathematics at this point.

Skylinehead

It wouldn't have anything to do with this test tomorrow would it?:D:(

Fuhrer

Maths is really easy



But you have to teach yourself, the classes are far too large for any kind of back and forth with the Teacher.

irish_boy90

argonaut wrote: »

You'll probably want to really, really like Maths.

If this isn't the case, do EC, which is what I do and I'm practically morally opposed to the very concept of mathematics at this point.

There isn't that much maths.
First year maths is year long and pretty much leaving cert higher level with a bit of applied maths. so if your doing it for the LC, hang on to your notes. they will help you a lot later.

Keano!

irish_boy90 wrote: »

There isn't that much maths.
First year maths is year long and pretty much leaving cert higher level with a bit of applied maths. so if your doing it for the LC, hang on to your notes. they will help you a lot later.

i'm okay at ordinary though. expect b1 at the very least.

did honors for my junior cert and got a c.

argonaut

argonaut wrote: »

You'll probably want to really, really like Maths.

If this isn't the case, do EC, which is what I do and I'm practically morally opposed to the very concept of mathematics at this point.

Yeah, but you're a business student, so if you think about it, you lose at everything by definition. Of course someone in EC would express distaste for maths; EC exists for people who can't count but want to benefit from presenting employers the illusion of them knowing something about computers. Thank Lucifer that Information Systems was done away with and replaced with your course, so the degrees are now different and no longer considered equally valuable.

(No prizes for guessing which the more valuable one is. :pac:)

Keano!, Computer Applications is very difficult. Prepare for long, sleepless nights and bitter resentment towards all the slackers doing business and humanities courses. There is no mid-semester Reading Week for scientists (read: people valuable to humanity) either.

argonaut

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah, but you're a business student, so if you think about it, you lose at everything by definition. Of course someone in EC would express distaste for maths; EC exists for people who can't count but want to benefit from presenting employers the illusion of them knowing something about computers. Thank Lucifer that Information Systems was done away with and replaced with your course, so the degrees are now different and no longer considered equally valuable.

(No prizes for guessing which the more valuable one is. :pac:)

Keano!, Computer Applications is very difficult. Prepare for long, sleepless nights and bitter resentment towards all the slackers doing business and humanities courses. There is no mid-semester Reading Week for scientists (read: people valuable to humanity) either.

Troll post is troll post.

e: Admittedly it doesn't exactly take Sherlock Holmes to notice that...

Hauk

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah, but you're a business student, so if you think about it, you lose at everything by definition. Of course someone in EC would express distaste for maths; EC exists for people who can't count but want to benefit from presenting employers the illusion of them knowing something about computers. Thank Lucifer that Information Systems was done away with and replaced with your course, so the degrees are now different and no longer considered equally valuable.

(No prizes for guessing which the more valuable one is. :pac:)

Keano!, Computer Applications is very difficult. Prepare for long, sleepless nights and bitter resentment towards all the slackers doing business and humanities courses. There is no mid-semester Reading Week for scientists (read: people valuable to humanity) either.

+1 +1 +1 +1

public_enemy

Deleted User wrote: »

Keano!, Computer Applications is very difficult. Prepare for long, sleepless nights and bitter resentment towards all the slackers doing business and humanities courses.

Wouldn't quite agree with that, there are an awful lot of people in CA who seem to get through it without actually knowing anything. Most of the exams, you can pass them with a decent cramming session the night before and a considerable number of the assignments have you working in groups. There are points towards the end of the semester where you can have a pretty severe workload but it's more of a quantity thing than difficulty most of the time.

If you like computers and aren't stupid, you'll be fine in CA.

MrS

MrS wrote:

Also no girls

This is a good thing if you're gay (~3% of men) or don't feel like listening to high-pitched whining and an abundance of upper inflections while trying to do seriously difficult work (100% of people).

argonaut wrote: »

Troll post is troll post.

e: Admittedly it doesn't exactly take Sherlock Holmes to notice that...

My post was neither particularly controversial nor contrary to what I actually believe. Speaking one's mind doesn't equate to trolling. EC is designed to spit out people to work in "IT management" and other buzzword fields; you know, the kind of entrepreneur who sets up his small business in the "computing industry", wears a blue polyester shirt with jeans since he's young and hip, and pretends to know what he's talking about because he did web development and Java for a couple of years.

CA also tries to push a business edge on students, but it's far easier to ignore when you know you won't be condemned to that kind of existence because you have skills and knowledge which go beyond Internet Explorer and Microsoft Word.

public_enemy wrote:

Wouldn't quite agree with that there are an awful lot of people in CA who seem to get through it without actually knowing anything. Most of the exams, you can pass them with a decent cramming session the night before

Not really anymore. The exam format has changed to make sure students understand everything and can't just memorise to pass. CA has a massive drop-out rate; people go into the course thinking "O I PLAY GAMEZ I CAN DO DIS LOL" and then **** themselves to death before second year. First year is easy, second year it's like getting hit with a freight train and the subsequent years are that train picking up speed.

public_enemy wrote:

and a considerable number of the assignments have you working in groups. There are points towards the end of the semester where you can have a pretty severe workload but it's more of a quantity thing than difficulty most of the time.

I didn't say the assignments were all insanely difficult (although many are), but the course as a whole is; whether or not this is due to the quantity of work doesn't change the fact that it's a hard course.

Carri

Mr.S wrote: »

Also no girls;)

Beg to differ. *wave*
One of the smartest people in our year (2nd year CA) is female.

Deleted User wrote:

This is a good thing if you're gay (~3% of men) or don't feel like listening to high-pitched whining and an abundance of upper inflections while trying to do seriously difficult work (100% of people).

You make it sound like that girls never do any work -_- I know a fair few men in CA who are loud and obnoxious when it comes to getting work done and it's impossible to work with them in the vinicinity.

Attol

I'm a 2nd year CA.

As long as you go to your lectures and don't leave your assignments til the last minute you'll be fine.

The people who drop out/think the course is impossible are quite often the same ones who just don't go to classes.

If you're going to college for ladies do ARTS. If you're going to college to be a MAN!!! do Computing, look at it like this, in a computing course, its very hard to be looked upon as odd.

Tiroskan

Pfft. Everybody knows all the gays are in arts. Duh.

Also,

Mr.S wrote: »

Not so good when basically the whole year are long haired & greasy:D

this. Wouldn't wanna be cruising by the computer building :P

Sod'o swords

Mr.S wrote: »

Not so good when basically the whole year are long haired & greasy:D

There was one lecture where there was someone with the smoothest hair ever a bit down from us, we debated if it was a guy or girl for a while.

True to the nature of CA, it was of course a guy.

But yeah, the maths isn't that hard, if you have a bit of cop on, and do the work, you'll be grand.

Nanaki

Tiroskan wrote: »

Pfft. Everybody knows all the gays are in arts. Duh.

a spy!

RichardAnd

I graduated from CA last year and I can honestly tell you that it was the most stressful 4 years of my life. CA is extremely broad in what it covers and whilst there are aspects of computing I love, there were modules I absolutely loathed. This is just something you have to deal with but be aware that some guys will excel at computer programming but still fail CA simply because they can't pass the more business orientated courses.

The standard of lecturing in CA can also be a bit iffy. Some of the professors are very experienced, very intelligent guys who know how to teach. Others are academics through and though and often have no idea what they're on about. There is also one math lecturer (I won't name names) who despite being a genius is without a doubt the most unsuitable man I have ever seen lecturing. Anyone who did CA will know who I'm talking about (the one with the jumpers and the beard....)

Also, and this is a bit controversial but it has to be mentioned, CA attracts some very socially bizarre people. When I was there I, I always left my mp3 play on before lectures so I wouldn't have to listen to the red brick bell ends at the back of the class talking out their back sides about everything and nothing. These people are always there and they are utterly irritating but learn to ignore them, focus on your studies (and not on world of warcraft) and CA will set you up nicely.

Good luck with your choice.

Matthewthebig

RichardAnd wrote: »

When I was there I, I always left my mp3 play on before lectures so I wouldn't have to listen to the red brick bell ends at the back of the class talking out their back sides about everything and nothing.

Em, you went to lectures, and then listened to your mp3 player? o_Ó

gg you

RichardAnd

RichardAnd wrote: »

Also, and this is a bit controversial but it has to be mentioned, CA attracts some very socially bizarre people. When I was there I, I always left my mp3 play on before lectures so I wouldn't have to listen to the red brick bell ends at the back of the class talking out their back sides about everything and nothing. These people are always there and they are utterly irritating but learn to ignore them, focus on your studies (and not on world of warcraft) and CA will set you up nicely.

Of course CA attracts socially bizarre people. That's hardly a controversial statement. In the world of science, the socially adept are the socially retarded and vice-versa.

I must say though I am surprised by your claim as a whole, mostly because it's ironic. I was in your year for a while, and the vast majority of the loud bell-ends who wouldn't ever shut up were not the RedBrick members (I have no love for RedBrick), but the knobs who clearly had no passion for what they were doing and wanted to become code monkeys for its financial rewards, and in fact hated RedBrick.

I remember that these people instantly made themselves the most hated shower of twats in L125 one Christmas as they were throwing presents at each other and screaming their lungs out, while everyone else in the lab was struggling to get assignments and functional specifications done.

I'm not sure why you mentioned World of Warcraft (which I've never seen being played in the School of Computing), especially because the same were constantly making noise in the labs while playing on SNES emulators and talking about Bomberman. :pac::pac::pac::pac: Funny how polar opposites are so alike.

Creadak

Tiroskan wrote: »

Pfft. Everybody knows all the gays are in arts. Duh.

Wouldn't wanna be cruising by the computer building :P

*points at himself, undermining your absolute.

And yeah, the Computing Building is not for cruising. *Stalks to the business building, humanities building, and the sports fields :pac:

binncheol

Mr.S wrote: »

Also no girls;)

this is not completley true! >.>

Tiroskan

Creadak wrote: »

*points at himself, undermining your absolute.

And yeah, the Computing Building is not for cruising. *Stalks to the business building, humanities building, and the sports fields :pac:

I knew one of ye would pop up EVENTUALLY to prove me wrong.

Although, really, would you want to pick up anyone from humanities or business?

stainluss

Tiroskan wrote: »

Although, really, would you want to pick up anyone from humanities or business?

Is there many nice girlies in the place?:o

Heard its good for nursing...that must be something

irish_boy90

stainluss wrote: »

Is there many nice girlies in the place?:o

Heard its good for nursing...that must be something

If you want to go nursing go ahead.
Believe business is 1:1 girl/boy
and well you can guess what science and computers would be like.

JoePie

Put in an effort with maths. You';; pick everything else up as you go along. I never found any of this overly hard; other than maths and Z notation.

JoePie

JoePie wrote: »

Put in an effort with maths. You';; pick everything else up as you go along. I never found any of this overly hard; other than maths and Z notation.

That's not relevant now because you did Information Systems which doesn't exist anymore, and the OP is doing CA, not Enterprise Computing.

You don't pick up anything as you go along in CA. It's seriously hard work. Z notation is one of the easiest things you need to learn and understand.

Hauk

Yeah, I still need to do Z tomorrow.

You can't just sail through this course. No way HOSE-AY.

trellheim

"In other news, business student chlamydia rates hit an all-time high this year..."

simonw

Deleted User wrote: »

That's not relevant now because you did Information Systems which doesn't exist anymore, and the OP is doing CA, not Enterprise Computing.

You don't pick up anything as you go along in CA. It's seriously hard work. Z notation is one of the easiest things you need to learn and understand.

I don't know about that, I did SE and picked up most stuff as I went along, and found Z to be a pain in the hole

johnmcdnl

What's the INTRA work experience like?

and what's the general outlook on getting work from this course

public_enemy

INTRA can be anything, it depends entirely on what job placement you get. Most people seem to get a good experience out of it, but others end up working in tech support or doing stuff that's not really relevant to the degree. Mine was great.

When I had INTRA, I'm pretty sure everyone in my course found a job, but I know of a few people this year who still haven't got any work and it's supposed to start in April. A lot of the prospective employers do look at your results from previous years, so generally speaking, if you work hard and get good grades in first and second year you'll have a great shot at being employed somewhere decent.

Useful.Idiot

is it possible to get INTRA having had to repeat subjects in both 1st and 2nd year?

Hauk

Yep. I repeated a rake of them and still got a job. Wasn't a programming job, but it was money for the summer.