Computer Systems/Computer Science UL and Trinity

SellingJuan

Hi,
Im doing my leaving cert at the moment and I cant decide where to do my course. I would like to study software but I dont know which college to do it in.
Which college is known by employers as a better degree etc.

Any help and information would be much appreciated

Thanks

wallst

UCD is also highly regarded, but I dont think there is a big distinction between any of them. More important will be you the person and the 1st class, 2nd class degree u get to employers not the college u got it from.
Get a 1st degree from any of them and employers will queue up for you. No interview required.

wnolan1992

Not sure does Trinity/UCD have the Co-op that UL has (open to correction) which really helps employability. Other than that, it'll be more about your personal CV, portfolio of work, etc, than the institution you studied at.

You might get better feedback in the UL/Trinity forums.

Overheal

not sure how accreditation works in ireland but look for an accredited course. Those courses are more likely to be taken seriously by job prospects later on. When a course is accredited that means it certifiably meets the needs and expectations of the accrediting body which basically means "This person completing this accredited course meaning you can rely on them to do all of these competencies and do them well". Examples include http://www.abet.org/ which accredits engineering and science courses. These bodies basically exist to ensure that standards are kept high so competencies aren't lost. And they don't accredit everything. If you want the best quality degree, look for something accredited by a well-respected body.

wallst

Not sure does Trinity/UCD have the Co-op that UL has (open to correction) which really helps employability. Other than that, it'll be more about your personal CV, portfolio of work, etc, than the institution you studied at.

You might get better feedback in the UL/Trinity forums.

This is sound advice.

JonB

In regards to UCD Computer Science. It has plenty of opportunities throughout your degree to get something like a summer internship. General and job opportunity talks are easily a weekly thing. The college helped me write my CV and gave tips for interviews etc. Also in the final year they have something called Opportunities day were you get to show off your fourth year project to students/staff and businesses that may be looking for graduates to hire.

To be honest I wouldn't be worried about college and its relation to employment. For me it wouldn't be a deciding factor on what college to pick. As someone mentioned already a 2.1 degree helps you get a foot in the door of an interview. That's about it, when I went for my first interview they loved the internship I did and talking about group projects I did throughout my degree. As what they wanted to see from this is I did group work(so I can work well in a team) and that I could also do work on my own and be independent. It also gave me the opportunity to talk about the projects which showed I had a clue about what I was talking about and a interest in the field.

On a side note. I highly recommend you do an internship even if it's a summer one throughout your degree. The experience is great and it looks nice on the CV. It can make you stand out from the rest of the graduates looking for a job.

SellingJuan

Thanks for the help But if anyone has any experience from either of the colleges inclu UCD could you tell me about the computer science course in general and what the collge was like

John_Mc

I did Comp Sys in U.L. I enjoyed it, although I found the maths pretty tough at times.

The CO-OP/Internship is a big plus and I found it helped me when applying for jobs. I have been in full time employment since graduating so the course has obviously done a good job of making me somewhat employable.

In terms of U.L - it's a fantastic place to go to college. I've yet to meet someone who went there and didn't like it.

amen

What about DCU , UCD etc
why are you ruling those out especially as DCU also has a Coop (Intra)?

wnolan1992

I'm doing Multimedia and Computer Games Development in UL at the moment, and we had a common first with Comp Sys and still have about 3/5 modules the same each semester.

Could not praise the CSIS department in UL highly enough. Great facilities (an entire building dedicated to CSIS students), great staff(have yet to meet a lecturer, tutor that isn't sound, enthusiastic and helpful), and lots of support(the ICT Centre will help you out with anything in your course that you're having difficulty with).

As for the course itself, you need to want to do it. You can't just wander in and hope to develop a liking for it, you will end up wasting 3-4 years of your life. The maths is tough going. But doable. You'd need at the very least a high grade in Ordinary Level maths, honours would be advisable.

Writing code seems to be the biggest stumbling block among the guys in my course and in Comp sys. The Java programming language is central to the first two years of the course(at least, I'm not sure about after that cos I'm still in 2nd year).

And finally, UL itself is a fantastic place to go to college. Great craic on campus, great atmosphere.