Computer applications...

--SmItHy--

Got my results yesterday and will more than likely be doing this course...What's it like?..Is it tough?...does it require a lot of time and constant effort?..I like to think that i'm pretty handy with computers and have always had a great interest in them!

--SmItHy--

Found a Thread which pretty much answered any questions that need answering. Supposedly It's a hard course and very mathsy . I wouldn't consider myself very good at maths and got a c1 in ordinary lvl. . humph :O

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2055894726
That's the link to the thread for anyone else that may be in the same position

Sod'o swords

--SmItHy-- wrote: »

What's it like?.

It's funny the amount of people who've said this about the course despite having it down first or second.

Out of last year's first years, 47 out of ~120 have passed so far, then half the repeat exam hall is empty. They way i found the year was it's not too hard, at all. Just do the work. The maths is about the same as leaving honours, or easier. Just do the work as it comes to you, don't leave it to the last minute, or just not do it. Otherwise you'll be like myself and others, and repeating pointless exams which if you even did a days work before the exam, you wouldn't be repeating.

cedomination

This is my first choice, I've read most of the threads about it on here (unlike most people it seems ) and the general concensus seems to be that it's tough but if you put the work in you'll be ok.
I'm a bit worried on the maths side, I got a B1 in ordinary (I definitely could've gotten an A but nerves got the better of me on paper 1 and I made a ton of simple mistakes). Anyway, I was just wondering if there's anything I could do to prepare myself for the maths in this course?

JoePie

I did ordinary LC maths and graduated this couse in '09. Just keep on top of maths. The only way. Whatever about the rest, I always went to my maths lectures and took notes down on everything. And then just practised the same questions over and over and over for the exam so I knew the formulae, etc.

Some of the stuff in first year you'll recognise from LC maths.

You'll be able to handle this course as long as you work hard all year. I went in with the "I know everything about computers blah blah" attitude and figured I could wing most of it a day or two before the exams as I was able to do in the LC. But there's no room for filling out page after page of waffle. For the majority of subjects you either know the stuff or you don't.

--SmItHy--

--SmItHy-- wrote: »

Found a Thread which pretty much answered any questions that need answering. Supposedly It's a hard course and very mathsy . I wouldn't consider myself very good at maths and got a c1 in ordinary lvl. . humph :O

So did I. Actually, I may have gotten a C2 in pass maths. Anyway, I just finished CA with a 2.1 (second-highest grade) degree. Put the hours and the effort in and you'll be alright.

DGRulz

Ive done Honours Maths for leaving cert and got a D3, should I be ok w/ te level of maths in this course? Also how much practical work is involved in first year??

irish_boy90

DGRulz wrote: »

Ive done Honours Maths for leaving cert and got a D3, should I be ok w/ te level of maths in this course? Also how much practical work is involved in first year??

Most of the maths will be higher level LC all over again.
Keep your notes.

fatbhoy

--SmItHy-- wrote: »

Found a Thread which pretty much answered any questions that need answering. Supposedly It's a hard course and very mathsy . I wouldn't consider myself very good at maths and got a c1 in ordinary lvl. . humph :O

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2055894726
That's the link to the thread for anyone else that may be in the same position

Regarding the Maths, DCU have a dedicated Maths Learing Centre that will help. The Maths course in 1st year is comprised of lectures and tutorials, so if you go to all of the tutorials then that will help too (loads of people don't bother, to the detriment of their success).

CA is a good course, and the job prospects for graduates is very good, especially for the Software Engineering stream.

Carri

CA is grand. 1st year is quite simple in comparsion to 2nd year.. I'm assuming the same thing happens with 3rd year *cry*

The general CA degree has changed a good bit over the last 2 years too, so don't take everything people who've graduated to heart - It might not be the same for you.

Also with regard to Maths, get a few friends - meet up and do the tutorials whenever you struggle.

I didn't do this, but we did meet before the 2nd year Linear Maths exam and had a tutorial organised by ourselves. This is probably the only reason I passed it.

I'm going into third year CA (SURPRISINGLY) and I actually grew to love the maths. *hides*

Useful.Idiot

yep its grand if you keep a somewhat decent attendance and just generally pay attention. For the last 2 years I had a leave it till last minute attitude which resulted in repeats in both years. repeats are absolutely awful and make you realise how much of an slacker you were during the year.

The maths isnt really difficult, you'll only need a competent understanding of maths for 1st year and if you find yourself struggling there could be tutorials you can attend or the maths learning centre.

Attol

I got a C3 in ordinary maths in the leaving. I've just finished 2nd year. As long as you put the work in in maths you'll be fine. Attend the tutorials and the maths learning centre the second you find yourself unable to do questions and you'll be grand.

Can't wait to get started on 3rd year!

The mix of subjects is pretty good in my opinion. You get to try out a fair few things and learn your strengths. As long as you're motivated and bother to turn up for lectures you won't have any problems.

Good luck!

Creadak

I'm (hopefully) going into my third year of this course and I love it

The maths really is fine, just put in the work. I failed the Linear Algebra module this year only cause I didn't put in as much work as I could, and I failed Databases, purely because I didn't go to the lectures. So, when people tell you that you should go to the lectures/put in the work, they aren't saying it idly

There is a bit of a jump in difficulty from 1st/2nd year, but as people have already said, the course changed and it may not be as difficult. Attol, Carri and I are in the first year through the new course, and so we're the test year as it were

Content wise, the course is very practical, both in and out of college. With the programming I've learned I'm always writing programs to do things I don't want to do (great practice if you have trouble with programming by the way). Its very fun, if you're interested in that sort of thing

Good luck and if you end up here, welcome to DCU

irish_boy90

Noone can be blamed for not wanting to go to databases lecturers though.

Useful.Idiot

irish_boy90 wrote: »

Noone can be blamed for not wanting to go to databases lecturers though.

Martin Crane at the start of the semester: "Be warned, this is a very dull module". He's great for motivation!

nemomcc

I'm going into second year in CA.

If the course is the same as it was this year then you should be fine if you put in a little bit of work.
One thing I will say is to go to programming lectures and tutorials, especially in semester one as alot of people found it hard in semester one and it gets alot harder in semester two and they were already behind from semester one which meant alot of them had repeats...

Honestly the more you work in this course the more you realise how interesting it all is!

DGRulz

How do you know what moduals to pick without really know what it involves?

Pygmalion

DGRulz wrote: »

How do you know what moduals to pick without really know what it involves?

You don't get any choices in 1st or 2nd year, so by the time you have to choose you should know what it involves :P.

cedomination

Would you recommend getting a laptop for this course or is that completely pointless? I'm absolutely clueless as to what I'm expected to have/know

foFox

I`m going to start CA this year but in my opinion, for every course laptop is pretty handy. I`d say, even more handy in case of CA. You can keep all the work and notes in safe place, everything is easily accessible, you can record the lectures etc.

Creadak

cedomination wrote: »

Would you recommend getting a laptop for this course or is that completely pointless? I'm absolutely clueless as to what I'm expected to have/know

Yeah, a laptop would be very handy, as it involved programming, so its handy to be able to do assignments and that on the bus/in bed with a hangover/anywhere really.

Most of my assignments are done on my hour long bus journey, provided I've charged my battery :P

LevelSpirit

When I did CA thera was about 120 or so people that started in 1st year.
about 25% of that graduated. The rest dropped out along the way.
The maths and physics will be harder than LC honours - or at least it was.
But if you have an aptitude for maths and logic you'll fly this course.
Unfortunately a lot of people find out they dont, along the way.