Science freshers thread

LukeDavfc

Who's starting science in September?

What classes are you going to take, what do you want to specialise in after the second year and why?

OrlaB12693

I am!!! ... obviously enough... (:

Emm, in first year think im goin with pattern 4, Chemistry, biology and geography in semester 1 and Biology, Geography and geology in semester 2.... Then maybe... depending on how all that goes... go into geology in 3rd and 4th.... cuss im just a major fan of all that geology earthquake and volcano stuff!

Sparticle

I'm hoping to do physics, maths + bio first semester and physics, maths + Geology second semester. I'll prob lean towards the astrophysics + physics side in second year. I like me some stars I do.

Iceuil

Im going into science too! Im thinking of going with pattern 2. I want to do maths, bio and chemistry in 1st and 2nd years. In 3rd year I'm thinking of genetics or chemistry. Yeah, Im a lab geek

Lawliet

We have a general science thread here if you want to ask any questions about the course, modules choices etc.

I'm going to be around on Monday of Freshers week helping out with the JF modules registration, so I might see some of you there

Craguls

+1 to the above, skimming through that thread should tell you what you need to survive.

Also don't do chemistry in second year.... oh god, worst decision ever.

steve84

Going to do Physics, Maths and Chemistry in semester 1 and 2 (Pattern 1).

Want to do Physics and Astrophysics in 3rd & 4th year hopefully!

Burkie.EXE

I'm going to do physics and maths anyway since I'm looking at doing Physics in third and fourth year. Then it's a bit of a toss up between Chemistry and Biology. I really should get around to deciding about that...
Seeing all the people doing science posting here is making me really excited about starting. Can't waaait!

bscm

Yay Physics people are starting to creep onto here I was worried about the lack of us on other threads

Phil92

Pattern 1 again, Physics and Maths and probably Chem too

seasonoflove

Think I'll take Chemistry, Bio and Maths Who's with me? Anyone know if we can do a language module? I really really want to continue french...

There are language classes that you can join separately to the course itself. They're run in the evening and the application for them should be in your info pack when you get it.

But if you guys have questions you should really post in the Science TR071 thread, you'll get far more answers from people who have already done first year than you will posting in a just freshers thread.

steve84

Yea hoping to get into one of the evening language classes too, although I'll be a complete beginner thinking of Spanish..

Iceuil

steve84, i want to start doing a language too, but it says that the classes are project-based, which I guess means they are not really teaching a language...

steve84

Yea I saw that about them being project-based. It's got to be worth a try anyway, I really want to try get into another language so I think they'll be beneficial. What language are you thinking of??

Iceuil

I really want to learn german. My dream is to live in Austria or Switzerland.

steve84

Sounds good, i'm thinking kinda the same just different countries lol

bscm

Think I'll leave the language modules until 3rd year when broad curriculum kicks in credits are more appealing imo

Emmerz

@seasonoflove

Exact same as me lol Bio Chem and Maths and also want to do French lol....would it be a bit much though?

Iceuil

Bio Chem and Maths too!

irule

Im thinking of doing maths biology and chemistry.. The only thing is i havnt done chemistry for the LC. Anyone else picking it up? Im gonna try out that week chemistry course. Anyone else thinking of doing it?

Carl Sagan

irule wrote: »

Im thinking of doing maths biology and chemistry.. The only thing is i havnt done chemistry for the LC. Anyone else picking it up? Im gonna try out that week chemistry course. Anyone else thinking of doing it?

Chemistry can be be quite hard, but if you put some effort into it from the start, you'll be able to keep up. I used this website to pretty much learn the whole first year course http://www.khanacademy.org/#chemistry

Lawliet

irule wrote: »

The only thing is i havnt done chemistry for the LC. Anyone else picking it up? Im gonna try out that week chemistry course. Anyone else thinking of doing it?

They also run basic chemistry tutorials throughout the year, which are suppose to be good.

I wouldn't worry too much about picking it up from scratch, after the first few weeks the material will be new for everyone. Plus leaving cert chemistry doesn't cover a whole lot and can leave you with some bad habits that are hard to break, so while while it is a help, I wouldn't say it's a massive advantage.

Hollzy

I'm going with the third pattern. Biology and Geography all year with Maths Methods in the first semester and Geology in the second. I want to do zoology in 3rd and 4th year. I've wanted to be a zoologist since I first heard the word when I was ten years old :')

I'm also taking up beginners Spanish with those language classes! As I said on another thread, I think 1st year is the year to do it, the workload is only going to increase.

Phareon

Hollzy wrote: »

I'm going with the third pattern. Biology and Geography all year with Maths Methods in the first semester and Geology in the second. I want to do zoology in 3rd and 4th year. I've wanted to be a zoologist since I first heard the word when I was ten years old :')

I'm also taking up beginners Spanish with those language classes! As I said on another thread, I think 1st year is the year to do it, the workload is only going to increase.

Almost the same, 'cept I've decided on Bio and Chem all year, Maths Methods in semester 1, and Foundation Physics in 2. Im still undecided on a major, so I'm keeping options open

Then I'm gonna do French through the language classes.

^Okay, not the same at all, but same pattern lol :L

jasmin2011

I'm thinking of biology, maths and chemistry. maybe specialising in genetics or microbiology or neuroscience or well i havnt really a clue yet haha.

I'm thinking of continuing french in those language classes, either that or take up italian

bscm

anyone managed to get into the course office yet and pick up a handbook? this time last year people had managed to get their hands on the timetables

...there may or may not be a major hint here to anyone out and about near college soon to pop in and check this out for all us stuck outside the city until the 19th

Iceuil

I didnt know about those handbooks Are they not available online?

bscm

No, not yet anyway we'll be getting them on the 19th but I'm applying for a job on Monday and it would be nice to know what hours I'm in College for in case they call me back for an interview during the week

blahhhhh

jasmin2011 wrote: »

I'm thinking of biology, maths and chemistry. maybe specialising in genetics or microbiology or neuroscience or well i havnt really a clue yet haha.

I'm thinking of continuing french in those language classes, either that or take up italian

i'm the same, bio, chem and maths, and probably french in the classes

i haven't done chemistry before though, doing those classes this week, hopefully the'll be useful and there'll be familiar faces on the 19th!

Jammyc

bscm wrote: »

No, not yet anyway we'll be getting them on the 19th but I'm applying for a job on Monday and it would be nice to know what hours I'm in College for in case they call me back for an interview during the week

You wont really know until the first week of lectures. The timetable that is in the course booklet has all the lab and tutorial slots listed. You don't know which one that you'll be assigned yet! You can expect 25 hours give or take 1 or 2 hours a week anyway.

amortentia

Did anyone email their tutor yet? Is it a group thing or everyone individually?

My sister was looking up her 3rd year timetable and found the 1st year Science one. Really don't know if it's what the actual timetable will be and I don't think any of the tutorials and labs are on it. So far looks like a 9am start every day. Praying that I'll be out early enough on Fridays to get the train home!

bscm

amortentia wrote: »

Did anyone email their tutor yet? Is it a group thing or everyone individually?

My sister was looking up her 3rd year timetable and found the 1st year Science one. Really don't know if it's what the actual timetable will be and I don't think any of the tutorials and labs are on it. So far looks like a 9am start every day. Praying that I'll be out early enough on Fridays to get the train home!

I got timeslots on my letter so I assume I just drop in during them?

Any chance she can screen shot it and post it here?

Jammyc

If you're looking for an idea of the timetable, have a search through the Science TR071 thread. I remember us screening ours at some point so it should still be there.

Also, your timetable will be up on www.tcd.ie/science in the local access section. You'll be able to get into the local access when you register.

bscm

Jammyc wrote: »

If you're looking for an idea of the timetable, have a search through the Science TR071 thread. I remember us screening ours at some point so it should still be there.

Also, your timetable will be up on www.tcd.ie/science in the local access section. You'll be able to get into the local access when you register.

We're not registered until Friday though so if we wait until then we may as well wait until Monday when we have lectures and possibly assigned tutorials

Jammyc

The norm is not having tutorials or labs in the first week anyway, only lectures.

kate.m

how difficult are the maths modules/sections? would it require HL maths? thanks guys!

Millsy91

kate.m wrote: »

how difficult are the maths modules/sections? would it require HL maths? thanks guys!

Maths methods is pretty easy, and can be taken with any level of LC maths, and should be an pretty easy decent grade at the end of the year, really easy marks in tutorials etc. If you want to do full maths you should probably have higher level LC, and be pretty keen about it. It starts out ok but goes in depth pretty quick, also very different from LC, you'll rarely see actual numbers, only letters... If you are good at maths though you should definitely give it a go. You can switch to maths methods easily if/when you change your mind, as long as it hasn't filled up, so don't worry about being stuck in one module.

Lawliet

Millsy91 wrote: »

Maths methods is pretty easy, and can be taken with any level of LC maths, and should be an pretty easy decent grade at the end of the year, really easy marks in tutorials etc.

I don't know, I did maths method with ordinary maths and I found it tough; the lecturers assumed that everyone had HL, or just weren't aware of how little the ordinary level course covered. If you're not the strongest in maths to begin with its easy to get left behind. Although I hear Levene is leaving, so maybe the new lecturer will be better at explaining the course to OL plebs!

NeuroCat

I think I spent the whole of first year asking the same question in every Maths Methods lecture. 'What in the name of God is a Polynomial?!'.

I went to all the tutorials for Levene, didn't understand much of what was going on. I did find it difficult coming from OL maths L.C but I passed the module in the summer exams with very little work.

amortentia

Millsy91 wrote: »

If you want to do full maths you should probably have higher level LC, and be pretty keen about it. It starts out ok but goes in depth pretty quick, also very different from LC, you'll rarely see actual numbers, only letters... If you are good at maths though you should definitely give it a go. You can switch to maths methods easily if/when you change your mind, as long as it hasn't filled up, so don't worry about being stuck in one module.

Ah I'm worried now. I want to do physics in 2nd year so I have to do full maths. I got an A1 in pass in the LC and found it really easy.. dropped from honours in 5th year cause I didn't need it for any courses and the workload sounded like a lot. If I work really hard at it do you think I could manage? Will they even let me pick it as a module?!

nommm

Question: For the Bio labs, is it the assement on glutahlione that we have to fill out for labs tommorow? And secondly, how are we supposed to fill it out, I can't find the answers anywhere.

Hollzy

I'm struggling with it as well :S I have answers to the first three questions on the questionnaire but that's it so far.

Lawliet

They should have given you instructions in the lab manual on how to get to a website where you can find the answers

partyatmygaff

Lawliet wrote: »

They should have given you instructions in the lab manual on how to get to a website where you can find the answers

The information they provided is completely useless tbh. Hardly any of it is relevant to the questions... I'm doing this module as part of JF Pharmacy and have my lab tomorrow and so far have 4/7 questions done. I've spent the past two hours or so sifting through papers and websites to try and find the information to no avail.

Jonathan

Is there merit in keeping this thread open or should it be locked and the conversation moved over to the general TR071 thread?

NeuroCat

Jonathan wrote: »

Is there merit in keeping this thread open or should it be locked and the conversation moved over to the general TR071 thread?

Tbh people would get more answers in the TR071 thread.

Lawliet

partyatmygaff wrote: »

The information they provided is completely useless tbh. Hardly any of it is relevant to the questions... I'm doing this module as part of JF Pharmacy and have my lab tomorrow and so far have 4/7 questions done. I've spent the past two hours or so sifting through papers and websites to try and find the information to no avail.

Yeah that was me last year, I remember that assignment well. All the answers are on the website and in the lab manual, it's just people don't realise that until they've done the relevant lab. The main problem with that assignment is that they expect you to do it before you understand what it's about.

Hollzy

I think you summed it up exactly there. It's like we're supposed to know everything automatically.