Easy electives?

icicle2000

Can anyone recommend any easy electives in 2nd semester, something that doesn't have essays to do? I've a lot of essays as it is.

Conor108

Earth, Environment & Society

Midterm MCQ, Final MCQ

WeeBushy

Conor108 wrote: »

Earth, Environment & Society

Midterm MCQ, Final MCQ

I would second that, relatively easy to get a high mark if you put a bit of work in and interesting to boot. I would imagine its full, however, as its a popular option.

Also the intro language modules are good and not too demanding time wise.

icicle2000

Thank you, I'll look into those.

Also, I did German for Junior Cert (but remember very little), what level should I take if I were to do that?

Slang_Tang

Take a language with the Applied Language Centre. Choose a language at level one (a language you haven't done before). They're enjoyable, useful if you pick the right language, and the assessment is spread out over the semester.

I'd be wary of taking "easy electives" in any discipline. It never ends well.

WeeBushy

icicle2000 wrote: »

Thank you, I'll look into those.

Also, I did German for Junior Cert (but remember very little), what level should I take if I were to do that?

Not sure tbh. I know that if you have done a language at LC level you are not meant to be allowed do the intro module, you'd have to start at level 2. I'd imagine you should do the intro course seeing as its been so many years since you've studied it. I doubt one would remember enough to be at level 2 standard.

But I'm not expert. You could contact a lecturer involved in the language you want to do and ask them.

Ruski

nothing comes easy mate. Pick something that you find interesting, and it will be easy.

icicle2000

Yeah, I know that. I didn't mean easy in that way, I meant more in terms of assessment, I don't want to take on something that'll take up more time than my cores & fyp.

Meow_Meow

LIBA10030 (Special Topic Introductory) -- comes highly recommended. The lecturer is young and engaging, the course material is very interesting, classes are easygoing and conversational and just keep up writing your weekly notes with an end of semester essay of 1200 words (ignore what it says on the module description- it's only 1200 words) - also, no exam. I really enjoyed it.

icicle2000

Meow_Meow wrote: »

LIBA10030 (Special Topic Introductory) -- comes highly recommended. The lecturer is young and engaging, the course material is very interesting, classes are easygoing and conversational and just keep up writing your weekly notes with an end of semester essay of 1200 words (ignore what it says on the module description- it's only 1200 words) - also, no exam. I really enjoyed it.

It certainly sounds interesting, but it says it's semester 1 - do I ignore that as well? :P

kkumk

Has anyone got any experience with Intro to International Politics?/any politics module? If you put the work in is it hard to get an A? I've done some philosophy courses before and did terrible in them even though I worked really hard/went to all classes etc so I'm a bit wary of electives in general.. might just stick to my major.

Meow_Meow

icicle2000 wrote: »

It certainly sounds interesting, but it says it's semester 1 - do I ignore that as well? :P

Oops! For next year then :P

kkumk

kkumk wrote: »

Has anyone got any experience with Intro to International Politics?/any politics module? If you put the work in is it hard to get an A? I've done some philosophy courses before and did terrible in them even though I worked really hard/went to all classes etc so I'm a bit wary of electives in general.. might just stick to my major.

From someone doing second year history/politics and who did a few economics modules in first year, I can honestly say that intro to international politics is a piece of piss if you have a brain and know a bit about the world. Same goes for most vague political modules, macro/micro economics are incredibly easy, got a C in economics and society without ever even attending a lecture.

That said, I do know that many (most?) people in my year do have problems with these subjects so you would be better off just looking at the relevant subjects and pick the one you have the most prior knowledge about.


I was in your position in August when I had to make up 5 first year credits and I ended up picking 'intro to the problems of philosophy'. Picking a whole new subject I knew very little about was a bad idea. I completed it, of course, but it definitely took more work than most of my political modules in first year.

WeeBushy

Ruski wrote: »

nothing comes easy mate. Pick something that you find interesting, and it will be easy.

No, but some things are easier than others. Fair enough to ask about it.

littlefriend

SSJ10020 Global Justice. Really interesting and easy to do well in.
SSJ10060 Inequality in Irish Society. Pretty interesting and easy to do well in.

There is a module called Psychology of Perception [not sure of code] which is very enjoyable and handy enough as well.

littlefriend

kkumk wrote: »

Has anyone got any experience with Intro to International Politics?/any politics module? If you put the work in is it hard to get an A?.

Go for it. If you go to the lectures and do the readings you'll be well set up for the exam. He doesn't put any lecture notes up on bb so you need to have good attendance if you want to do well. Its a good module.

littlefriend

littlefriend wrote: »

Go for it. If you go to the lectures and do the readings you'll be well set up for the exam. He doesn't put any lecture notes up on bb so you need to have good attendance if you want to do well. Its a good module.

Here's a little sample from the exam last year:

Who was the leader of Germany in 1914?

A - Bizmarck
B - Kaiser Wilhelm II
C - Kaiser Permenente

If you need to attend lectures to answer questions like this then...fair enough.

littlefriend

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

Here's a little sample from the exam last year:




If you need to attend lectures to answer questions like this then...fair enough.

Don't be a dick.

littlefriend

littlefriend wrote: »

Don't be a dick.

Just being honest.

Neeson

If you didn't know much about history or politics then you probably would need to go to lectures.

kkumk

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

Here's a little sample from the exam last year:




If you need to attend lectures to answer questions like this then...fair enough.

I do History so I'm fairly sure I could handle that haha Although I was looking at the course outline and there seems to be a lot in the later half about economics? I've never done anything like that before, is it difficult?

OneOfThem Stumbled

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

Just being honest.

Some of the essay questions are meaty enough but they should be careful about the MCQ section. A couple of those questions are a bit embarrassing at third level.

During the Cold War the United States:
a) successfully pressurised Switzerland into letting it use Swiss naval ports.
b) Tried to invade Canada but was rebuffed.
c) Invaded Grenada
d) assassinated Fidel Castro.

Seriously :eek:

Sad Professor

When I did that module Tobias said he designed the MCQ so that some of the questions would be ridiculously easy and some of them ridiculously hard. Several of the questions at the end of the MCQ related to pretty obscure stuff that was never covered in the lectures. And there was several trick questions too. I seriously doubt anyone knew them all, and with negative marking they wouldn't have been inclined to guess too many of them either.

Having said that, it was one of the easiest exams I've sat. But littlefriend is right, you definitely need to go to most of the lectures in that module, or at the very least get the notes, or you are going to make life very difficult for yourself when it comes to the exam. But with the notes the exam is very easy.

TimeToShine

does anyone know anything about the new physics module PHYC10200 conceptual physics? is the lecturer any good? is there a point doing a module with no past papers, would it be risky?

beardedmaster

TimeToShine wrote: »

does anyone know anything about the new physics module PHYC10200 conceptual physics? is the lecturer any good? is there a point doing a module with no past papers, would it be risky?

Go for it. Tom McCormack is a dude.

TimeToShine

TimeToShine wrote: »

does anyone know anything about the new physics module PHYC10200 conceptual physics? is the lecturer any good? is there a point doing a module with no past papers, would it be risky?

I cast thee out of the easy electives thread!

[Jackass]

kkumk wrote: »

Has anyone got any experience with Intro to International Politics?/any politics module? If you put the work in is it hard to get an A? I've done some philosophy courses before and did terrible in them even though I worked really hard/went to all classes etc so I'm a bit wary of electives in general.. might just stick to my major.

I am doing international politics in second semester, and I think it will be pretty easy. Especially as 50% of it is Tutorial / essay based.

I did intro to political theory in 1st semester, and whilst I found it relatively easy once you went to tutorials, I did think it was marked very tough in comparrison to other subjects (for info studies I was on a A going into exams with barely any effort, with politics I spent a lot of time at tutorials and more time on essays etc than other subjects, and was on a C going in to exams, where I feel I should have been on a .

Contemporary political subjects like International Politics, and politics of great nations (which im also doing) should be handy enough I reckon.

All my subjects this semester are split mostly 50 / 50 between final exam & continuoes assesment, which I'm more than happy to put in the work during the semester and have all the pressure off come exam time.

teenagedream

Anyone know if it's possible to do perspectives on film ii without having perspectives on film i?

Ruski

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

I cast thee out of the easy electives thread!

From the looks of it, there's no actual physics in it. Just waffle.

seXmym0nkey

I can't do conceptual physics because of my modules but I might sit in on a lecture or two anyway! Sounds deadly.

Ruski

Ruski wrote: »

From the looks of it, there's no actual physics in it. Just waffle.

My favourite kind of physics!

Would be awesome if this guy was teaching it..

Pacifist Pigeon

I'm in 3rd year of a 4 year degree.

If I choice a 1st year module as an elective, will the marks I get in that contribute to my GPA at the end of the year, or is it just the 3rd year modules that get counted?

(I badly need the GPA)

Thanks in advance!!

PP.

beardedmaster

Yep, you can pick the 1st year module for your GPA.

._.

beardedmaster wrote: »

Yep, you can pick the 1st year module for your GPA.

^ This, but it'll also be on your transcripts what levels your modules were (if that matters for you).

Pacifist Pigeon

Does anyone have any experience with "Anarchy, Law & the State" (PHIL30230)? It's a third year philosophy module. I'm doing it at the minute and I find it quite interesting given that I have a libertarian disposition.

However, I wondering should I change it as I want to boost my GPA. Does the lecturer (Professor Gerard Casey) mark hard?

seXmym0nkey

Pacifist Pigeon wrote: »

Does anyone have any experience with "Anarchy, Law & the State" (PHIL30230)? It's a third year philosophy module. I'm doing it at the minute and I find it quite interesting given that I have a libertarian disposition.

However, I wondering should I change it as I want to boost my GPA. Does the lecturer (Professor Gerard Casey) mark hard?

You should have a look at the past exam papers on your SIS web if they're available.

EDIT: Actualy, it's kind of pointless now seeing as how registration closed at five o'clock...