Why are engineering points so low?

ainrialai

points were 405 last year.anyone think theyll shoot up

No.

pocket aces

The points won't shoot up, the reason they're so low is that so few people are doing honours maths.

Chuchoter

No-one wants to do it. Thats the only reason things like psychology and med are high, lots of applicants. They won't shoot up unless theres a massive honours maths uptake.

Jonathan

Dónal wrote: »

No.

There is a strong possibility that they will go up this year.

The school is reducing the number of places for incoming students in order to have the same amount of students in the school when it moves to a five year program.

boblong

However I would imagine that in the future, Project Maths will make the higher level requirement more accessible.

electrogrimey

They're also making an A1 in higher maths worth 200 points, or so I heard. Not sure when it's coming in.

PurpleFistMixer

boblong wrote: »

Project Maths

boblong

PurpleFistMixer wrote: »

*facepaw*

Now now, students need to learn the merits of shape drawing and venn diagrams!

:P

timmywex

No one wants to do engineering these days with the whole perceived construction industry in ruins etc! Its dropped by like 50 points last year!

Denerick

200 points for honours maths is crazy. Mainly because I'm rubbish at maths.

Does nobody else find it mad that someone who managed to get an A1 in maths and a D3 in all of his other honours subjects will get the same amount of points as someone who averages a C1 across the board?

FruitLover

Denerick wrote: »

Does nobody else find it mad that someone who managed to get an A1 in maths and a D3 in all of his other honours subjects will get the same amount of points as someone who averages a C1 across the board?

What's more useful to an engineer - an A1 in maths or a C1 in French, History and Home Economics?

Denerick

FruitLover wrote: »

What's more useful to an engineer - an A1 in maths or a C1 in French, History and Home Economics?

Personally I despise our education system, which seems to think that the development of 'skills' is more important than the fostering of a freethinking, fully rounded individual. Why not make an A1 in English worth 200 points? or Art? Why maths? Is this what our education system has become? A factory for economic units to ply their days at mirthless occupations in order to facilitate another generation to live in a grey myopia?

SimpleLogic

Denerick wrote: »

A factory for economic units to ply their days at mirthless occupations in order to facilitate another generation to live in a grey myopia?

lol nice sentence and all, but really be realistic. High level computer work and research are high level growth areas in the future along with other jobs that require a high standard of maths. It is hardly evil of the government to encourage people to be well trained so they get those jobs. Just because you wouldnt enjoy these jobs doesnt mean other wouldnt too. People will still learn the other subjects, they are just encouraged to focus on maths

claire h

Is that 200 points for honours maths across the board, regardless what course you've applied for? Because that does seem a tad idiotic.

boblong

Denerick wrote: »

mirthless occupations .... grey myopia?

All in the eye of the beholder. There's hardly anything malignant with a government trying to promote areas that it thinks will serve to further the nation. I do have to laugh at any insinuation that a greater focus on science and mathematics will spawn some sort of Orwellian hive-mind though :-)

Denerick

I stand by my hyperbole.

amacachi

Denerick wrote: »

200 points for honours maths is crazy. Mainly because I'm rubbish at maths.

Does nobody else find it mad that someone who managed to get an A1 in maths and a D3 in all of his other honours subjects will get the same amount of points as someone who averages a C1 across the board?

You really are rubbish at maths, believe it or not 325 is not equal to 420. It's crazy huh? See this is what you're missing out on by being rubbish at maths. Actually no, maybe you're freethinking enough that they do equal each other in your little world.

Denerick

amacachi wrote: »

You really are rubbish at maths, believe it or not 325 is not equal to 420. It's crazy huh? See this is what you're missing out on by being rubbish at maths. Actually no, maybe you're freethinking enough that they do equal each other in your little world.

What use is maths when I'm gazing at the stars dear lad?

amacachi

Denerick wrote: »

What use is maths when I'm gazing at the stars dear lad?

I enjoy looking at the stars far more when I understand what's keeping them there, how far away they are, why we can see them and pretty much everything about them.

Denerick

amacachi wrote: »

I enjoy looking at the stars far more when I understand what's keeping them there, how far away they are, why we can see them and pretty much everything about them.

Where's the mystery in that?

amacachi

Denerick wrote: »

Where's the mystery in that?

If you're happy being a free-thinking ignoramus while others educate themselves and can still feel wonder at things they understand then more power to you.

A Primal Nut

Denerick wrote: »

What use is maths when I'm gazing at the stars dear lad?

What use is French, English, Art or any other subject while gazing at the stars? By that logic we shouldn't study any subject because apparently they are no use to use while starting at stars (is this all you do with your life or something).

Offy

There are very few jobs in engineering in Ireland and the pay is poor when compared to other professions. If your going to spend 4+ years in Uni you might as well spend them doing something that will pay well afterwards. At present Tesco's pay better than a lot of engineering jobs.

C.D.

Offy wrote: »

There are very few jobs in engineering in Ireland and the pay is poor when compared to other professions. If your going to spend 4+ years in Uni you might as well spend them doing something that will pay well afterwards. At present Tesco's pay better than a lot of engineering jobs.

Not quite true my friend. Biomedical and computer/electrical industries employ very large numbers of people in this country. The starting salaries have been, and still are, above most other professions (one of my posts here or in work and jobs links to the gradireland salary survey, which confirms this). The issue of low pay relative to other industries only happens mid to late career if you don't make the jump into management- but that is not unusual, that's always where the big money is.

However, in reference to Civil Engineers (who outnumber the rest of us!) jobs are very tough to come by and I can't think of any Civil Engineering graduate from 2008 onwards who has a job in their field.

Jonathan

Tone down the insults but carry on as you were.

just-joe

Hmmm, I can agree somewhat with both sides of the argument here. Its unfair to reward those who are gifted in one area (ie maths) and give them more points, and leave those who prefer languages etc with whatever they normally get.

Obviously they are doing this for a reason, because there is a need for people who are good at maths, but at the same time, isn't it unfair?

Theres nothing stopping the government saying "forget numbers lets focus on design..", money can be made in many different places, not just finance/computers/electronics?

And also, I think its unwise to give more points to maths, thus dropping the standard you need to get in to these courses. So many people will get a nasty surprise when they realise the amount of maths involved in so many 3rd level courses. I guess this is more relevant to that project maths lark, setting a lot of people up for a tough time in college.

ajjmk

back to the original question....i hope they dont shoot up, engineering in trinity is 1st on my cao! the way im looking at it is that if we're still this deep in recession in 4-5 years time, we're all fecked!:P

just-joe

As a really random aside, a talk from Ignite (which was in the science gallery) about the importance of creativity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZNHpafnvPY

Kinda says something about why we should not just focus on maths..



(There was a lot of cool talks on that night about various things, click on the links and watch them if you have time!)

trellheim

But we don't focus on maths. And I think we need to.

just-joe

Maybe there is no focus in Irish education then? Cos there definitely isn't a focus on language/art/music..

And from what I can remember there was always a lot of maths homework, and a bit of everything else..