Bachelor of arts (mathematics and education)

niamhocxox

Hey I'm doing my leaving cert and I'm caught between primary teaching and this course I know all about the primary teaching but i'd like to know more about this course. I read the info on it on the website for NUI Galway but its not great.....I was hoping to hear from students currently studying the course.
When you qualify as a maths teacher are you qualified to teach a 2nd subject at all or do you have to do it elsewhere?
Do you like the lecturers and the college itself?
What is the timetable like for the course?
Any comments would be very much appreciated x

trakeena

This course only just started a year or two back so you won't be able to talk to graduates. Email the course co-ordinator if you need to know something. The maths department in NUIG are really nice.

AFAIK you're basically taking honours maths and some general stuff about education. The work experience in second year is done a bit too early as you havn't covered enough but looks great on a CV. You will only be qualified for maths for LC. However there is a shortage of maths teachers at the moment.

To be honest you are better taking a joint hounours degree and then do the dip. Possibly the best avenue but a longer time in college which may not be feasible in your circumstances. Maths is better done through science but if you do end up going for another subject you can also do maths through arts. Science should be your preferable option though.

As to subjects I would only know the maths ones. PM me if you want to know more.

Sianery

My housemate just finished her first year of that course, she seems to really enjoy it! She was familiar with most of the maths stuff they were doing (I know nothing about maths!) apart from applied maths, which she had to take a module in. She did a lot on the education side of things too, lots of projects and a week or two of "observation" in a classroom. That's about all I know about it really, but she's planning on being a maths teacher and it suits her!

niamhocxox

Thanks guys I have only one concern. . . .it ok to only be qualified in maths though in terms of getting a job???

nobbo

Im pretty sure their class rep is on boards. If I see her online on facebook Ill get her to pop in..

REBELS91

niamhocxox wrote: »

Hey I'm doing my leaving cert and I'm caught between primary teaching and this course I know all about the primary teaching but i'd like to know more about this course. I read the info on it on the website for NUI Galway but its not great.....I was hoping to hear from students currently studying the course.
When you qualify as a maths teacher are you qualified to teach a 2nd subject at all or do you have to do it elsewhere?
Do you like the lecturers and the college itself?
What is the timetable like for the course?
Any comments would be very much appreciated x

Hey.. I just did first yr of this course.. I think it's a really good course. I think when we qualify we can teach applied maths as well as maths. I didnt do applied maths for the leavin cert and i found it really hard but i didnt really work at it and my friends that did work at it thought it was ok. The exams on it anyway at summer and xmas are taken from the problem sheetsnd homeworks given out durin the semester so just learnin the answers to them got me through it. Maths is ok.. but there are somethings which were kinda hard but like again work at it ul be fine. Education has a lot of projects, presentations etc but there mostly group work! We did an observation as well in a primary school which we had to do an essay on. We did homework clubs as well as a practice to teach.. other subjects as well u can do other courses after like post grad i spose..the timetable was ... about 15 hrs a week inc tutorials... only thing was some of the lectures were early but u had the rest of the day then to urself... lecturers are nice and very approachable.. esp the education ones!! the college itself is nice and theres a friendly atmosphere.. theres only about 30 goin to be in ur education class which is good to make friends and stuff.. if u have ne other qs u can PM me if ya want!! good luck x

RolandIRL

know one fella from sligo doing the course. can't say anything about the education side of it but i'm doing science, and they're in the same maths and applied maths lectures as me but they've a different exam than me.
i found the maths lectures to be grand, some bits are tricky and it's more conceptual (theory of doing it) than procedural (actually doing out the problems with a little theory). the applied maths lectures were good. i'd done it for LC so i'd less trouble with it than some others.

i was actually considering doing this course myself last year but switched to science instead. you'd be qualified to teach maths and applied maths, and that's what stopped me from doing this course. i'd prefer to have a broader subject range as most schools don't do app maths so only having maths would be a bit limited (hence why i did science)

i went down to galway in LC year to talk with the course director (or something). he really explained everything to me. it'd be worth emailing him and asking any questions you have about the course. info's on his page
http://www.nuigalway.ie/education/staff/tony_hall/

if you've any other questions, just ask

niamhocxox

Thanks so much for all ye're help and advice. it was brilliant!

I'm still undecided about this course to be honest, I love maths and the course outlook looks great, I'm just worried about getting a job after.....everyone seems to love Galway which is a huge plus and its a good bit from home but not too far

I have until the 1st of July to decide, thankfully! Thanks again for all ye're replys x

RolandIRL

no problem. glad to have helped.
galway's a good place to go to college. it's only a 2hr bus journey for me. it's a small city, and it only takes about 10 minutes to walk from the college into town (eyre square/shop street and the nightclubs )

if you wanted to have a science subject to teach with along with maths, i think you'd be able to do that through undenominated science. that's the course i'm doing and i'm hoping to teach after my degree (however you need to do a HDip after the degree - in the BA (maths + ed) the HDip is included in the course). Going the science route, it's 5 years including the HDip, arts it's 4 years and the HDip is part of that course.

just looking through the indo today, a lot of schools are looking for Maths + a science subject like Biology or Physics. but the BA (maths) doesn't limit your career to just teaching. i think you're able to do statistics/analysis etc. look at the brouchure and see.

hope this isn't making you indecisive good luck in the Leaving

Polynomial

One of the best things about the BA Maths & Education is the fact that the PGDE (HDip) is built in, so you come out after the four years as a fully qualified teacher of Maths and Applied Maths.

This is a huge plus - people who do other BA or BSc degrees have to compete to get into the PGDE and there's no guarantee they'll get in.

And there's a big need for qualified Maths teachers - so many schools have Maths teachers that are not qualified to teach it.

mr_november

Hey just thought I'd have a bit of a ramble about this topic!
Last year when I was filling in the CAO I knew I wanted to go teaching afterwards so, like you I wanted to maximize my chances of getting a job.

I chose not to do this course as, as has been pointed out, it qualifies you to teach maths and applied maths. Applied Maths, as far as I know is not a common subject in schools especially with teachers being laid off and subjects cut. So I decided that there would be other subjects more in demand than App Maths.

I decided to do Arts and for first year I picked Honours Maths, Irish, History and Geography. Plan keeping on Irish and Maths for degree, doing PGDE and becoming qualified to teach them two compulsary subjects. Likewise if you're interested in teaching a science subject with Maths maybe undenominated science would be the way to go. It takes 3yrs to get arts degree and 4 to get science degree. Then another year i think to do PGDE.
Maths&Ed course is 4 yrs. True you have to compete for places in PGDE if you choose arts or science paths but I don't think it's too much to worry about to be honest...;);)

Nearly done...!! If you change your mind about wanting to go teaching a degree which focuses largely on teaching methods etc. mightnt be much use to you compared to a joint honours arts degree or science degree. I'm only saying that from my own experience. I'm having doubts whether I want to go teaching already even though i was dead set on it last September

As for the course content I can only speak for the Maths module of the course as I dont do Applied Maths. I'm certain Maths & Ed have to take the honours Maths course so we had the same lectures. The course in first year anyways isnt too bad. Some concepts take some time to get your head around but once you understand it you're away with it. Its handy enough to get good grades in it if you just put in a biteen of work. Supposedly 2nd yr is much harder but sure everything gets harder in 2nd yr!

Best of luck with the exams and let us know which course you decide on!:D

*Ramble over...*

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

niamhocxox

Thanks for everyones help and advice. I've decided to do the course anyway.....limited or not. I love maths and I dont want to do an arts course.......and I can go into banking etc until I find a job teaching so its ok

RolandIRL

glad to have helped. hope the exams went okay and good luck in college. hope to see you at NUIG (or this forum) in september

nobbo

niamhocxox wrote: »

Thanks for everyones help and advice. I've decided to do the course anyway.....limited or not. I love maths and I dont want to do an arts course.......and I can go into banking etc until I find a job teaching so its ok

Am, its a BA, it is an Arts course...

Toto Wolfcastle

niamhocxox wrote: »

Thanks for everyones help and advice. I've decided to do the course anyway.....limited or not. I love maths and I dont want to do an arts course.......and I can go into banking etc until I find a job teaching so its ok

I just showed my boyfriend your post. He is a bank manager. He says that thinking that you can get a job in a bank with a maths degree is unrealistic. A business degree would be more suitable.

Enjoy the course. I have heard that the education department is more organised since I did my PGDE there.

niamhocxox

Hmmm well I was told banks, insurance companies etc were interested in maths graduates and its not a typical arts course where you start with 4 subjects in first year and pick 2 to get your degree in, its continuous maths for 4 years with some teaching practice along the way. The fact that it has only 25 places is attractive and it went up 50 points last year......which could mean it has more of a demand???
Doesn't make a difference to be honest....I want to do the teaching part of it anway but at the end of the day its nice to know I'm not limited after I graduate.

trakeena

Banks don't specify what kind of degree a jobseeker should have. They just want someone with a 2.1 degree of higher. Business, econmoics, maths or computer science look better as they want analytical people.

To the OP it basicaly depends on this: are you 100% sure about teaching. If so then this is the course for you however doing another subject as well as maths will make getting a job easier but if that isn't for you so be it. If you aren't 100% about teaching do undenominated science and take maths. It will leave your options open and if you get a good degree a HDip is not difficult to get into at all.

By the way, maths in third level is nothing like secondary school. It is very theoretical and you should be prepared for that. Your subjects in first year will include honours algebra, analysis and probably maths physics. Go to the tutorials as it is very easy to get lost early on.

RolandIRL

agree with trakeena, though a HDip is difficult to get into. you need to be the best if you decide to go with undenominated science.

you should go to tutorials every week. i didn't bother (despite 2nd years telling me to go), but you need to go every week, it'll help with any difficulty you have, and help you to understand the course better. it's only one hour a week per subject. not much at all.

trakeena

I'd rather miss a lecture than a tutorial!

niamhocxox

I'm doing this course because I 100% want to become a maths teacher......I was just merely saying that if it was difficult to get a job when I graduate I can work until a job comes up where they can accept that I only teach maths. I didn't do a science subject by they way.......and I did honours maths for my leaving cert and hopefully got an A2 or higher. I have a huge interest in maths and I do think that its a subject you can't miss a class on or you'll be left behind so don't worry I won't be missing a tutorial or a lecture
I appreciate everyones advice though x

REBELS91

dont worry if ya miss a lecture... last yr they put all the notes on blackboard... tutorials are the job!! and i no a girl that went to all lectures and people who didnt go did better than her in the end... i depends on how quick u grasp the maths really!! its the education ones ya have to turn upto no matterhow borin coz ur marked on attendance and its scary how fast they learn ur name and who u are!! well prob see ya in semptember so... best of luck

Davys Fits

Hi Just wondering if anyone out there has graduated from this course recently and what the job prospects are like?? My son is a lover of maths and I think teaching might suit him. Any help would be appreciated.

MontyChips

I know a few people with math degrees who have gotten jobs with insurance/financial companies. So you are not just limited to teaching!