Electives choice 2012/2013

jandek

Incoming second year here, looking for some nice elective suggestions for next semester.

Studying Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry, so Id be better off with something without too much of a heavy workload, but if it's an interesting module I'd love that too.

Hand me your tips and tricks baiz

Victoria.

I did Integrated Brain and it was both interesting and simple but the module was poorly run. We did one midterm worth 10% and that was fine most people did very well I think I got about 8 and we had to do these tutorials whilst watching a youtube clip and write obvious answers down and I got over 90% of what that component was worth. All good so far. We then had this essay and were given a choice of topics and a few weeks to do it. Sunmitted it around Easter and they kept on feeding us stories of nonsense as to why we hadn't recieved our grades and telling us next week, next week. We didn't get them until after the final exam :eek:. Added unnecessary pressure going into the final without knowning how much of that component you had secured.

If it fits in your timetable do Human Health and Disease it's a first year semester 2 module. It didn't fit in my med chem timetable last year but I did its sister module in 1st year and it was really interesting and perfectly run by Dr.Maguire who is great.

I did 2 geology ones in 1st year which were 2 easy As, Earth and Humanity (sem1) and Earth, Environment and Society (sem2). These are rediculously easy with regard to the workload. Both have a mcq midterm a few weeks in worth about 30% and then just a mcq final for the remaining 70%. These were fine can't complain. The neg marking on those exams is fairly heavy at -.33 so you'd need to be careful but basically you learn key facts about 10 easy assignments on blackboard and the final is there for you on a plate and you could cram the entire thing over a weekend.

I still haven't found any electives for myself for this year yet agh :S

Chucky the tree

Can I sign up to as many electives as I want and then drop then once I am allocated a place? Don't want to just sign up to 4 then find out I missed out on random selection to be left with all the good ones good on the 7th.

IrishKnight

You can only sign up for two electives.

Muir

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Can I sign up to as many electives as I want and then drop then once I am allocated a place? Don't want to just sign up to 4 then find out I missed out on random selection to be left with all the good ones good on the 7th.

Yeah, my friend did this, except she got a place on them all & was trying to decide which she liked best. They'll all have to fit in with your timetable & each other though. Like I don't think you could pick two electives that clash.

Maldesu

Victoria. wrote: »

I did Integrated Brain

Looked that one up but it seems to be gone. Similar to it though is Brain and Behavior, which fits in my timetable nicely.

Food, Diet and Health is supposed to be handy according to a friend of mine. 3 MCQ's in the year and its on in Sem 1 and 2.

I did Intro to Socio which was easy enough if you could stay awake in the class. Wouldn't recommend it unless you had an interest. Also did Archaeology of the Medieval Castle but unless you had an interest. Project and exam were 50% each. If you didn't show up and have good notes, you'd be screwed, though it was pretty interesting and most you did was look at pictures of castles.

Geography of the Cities was good but its not on this year. Classical Myth is handy if your familiar with it - very basic. The group project is simple.

Chucky the tree

Muir wrote: »

Yeah, my friend did this, except she got a place on them all & was trying to decide which she liked best. They'll all have to fit in with your timetable & each other though. Like I don't think you could pick two electives that clash.

Seems I can't. Says I can only sign up for surplus credits on 9th Sept.

Muir

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Seems I can't. Says I can only sign up for surplus credits on 9th Sept.

That sucks. You can always get in touch with the module coordinator or programme office & ask to be notified if someone drops out of a module you wanted to take.

HavingCrack

Most of the 1st Year Archaeology modules are pretty handy, Into the Recent Past is actually fairly interesting and easy to do well in if you put a small amount of work in.

Victoria.

Did anyone try Earth Systems (GEOG10080)?

Maldesu

Did that last year. Unless you have an interest in it. It wasn't to difficult but I would say that the lecturer is acquired taste.

Neeson

Victoria. wrote: »

Did anyone try Earth Systems (GEOG10080)?

For the love of God, for your sanity, don't choose it.

Turner is...annoying.

Neeson

If you don't like English snobby sorts don't choose that module!

Victoria.

Haha thanks for the heads up Neeson!

Do you know of any good ones for semester one? I'm finding it really tricky to find one that fits into a science timetable due to all of the labs and tutorials :S. Thank god it's my last year having to do electives

Neeson

Can't really think of any. I usually end up looking for something that has less crap to be written but it usually ends up being quite boring in the end.

Victoria.

Could you do well easily in that geog one even though it was rubbish? I can't find anything to fit in my timetable

Neeson

Victoria. wrote: »

Could you do well easily in that geog one even though it was rubbish? I can't find anything to fit in my timetable

Ah you could yeah. But Turner is a boring man. He might put you to sleep and you'll eventually stop turning up. He also has an issue with laptops being used at the back. He has trust issues.

DocToBe

Has anyone ever done the module: Exploring Archaeology? It seems interesting, and no essay based end exam which is key! Wondering what the field trip would entail tho?

Muir

I recommend modules from the school of information & library studies, the module codes start with IS. Many of them don't have loads of lectures & stuff so can be easier to fit into timetable.

Neeson

DocToBe wrote: »

Has anyone ever done the module: Exploring Archaeology? It seems interesting, and no essay based end exam which is key! Wondering what the field trip would entail tho?

Hill of Tara. Handy enough. Fill out the book a bit on the day. Print of a new one, clean one and write it up properly for a few weeks later. Also a museum visit is part of it. The Archaeology part of the National Museum beside the Dáil on Kildare Street.

Ill upload the workbook from last year for you in a minute.

Neeson

Here's last years workbook:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8voev9

DocToBe

Neeson wrote: »

Hill of Tara. Handy enough. Fill out the book a bit on the day. Print of a new one, clean one and write it up properly for a few weeks later. Also a museum visit is part of it. The Archaeology part of the National Museum beside the Dáil on Kildare Street.

Ill upload the workbook from last year for you in a minute.

Thanks very much Neeson, much appreciated! Looks handy enough, will definitely consider it!

Also what about the module : Irish for Beginners/Gaeilge do Thosaitheoirí (IR10050)? Can you do that if you did Irish for your Leaving Cert. It says it's not suitable but it doesn't say ya can't do it!
I'd love to do an Irish module, but it's been 3 years since I did my L.C. and I'd say this would be the only one I could manage now!

Maldesu

Methinks I'll keep that Arch one for a backup if the PSY falls through. Much demand for it Neeson?

Neeson

DocToBe wrote: »

Also what about the module : Irish for Beginners/Gaeilge do Thosaitheoirí (IR10050)? Can you do that if you did Irish for your Leaving Cert. It says it's not suitable but it doesn't say ya can't do it!
I'd love to do an Irish module, but it's been 3 years since I did my L.C. and I'd say this would be the only one I could manage now!

Can't do it with LC.


Prior Learning
Requirements:
Excluded:
This module is not suitable for students who have studied Irish to Leaving Certificate level or have studied the language to a comparable standard.

http://www.ucd.ie/students/course_search.htm

DocToBe

Neeson wrote: »

Can't do it with LC.


Prior Learning
Requirements:
Excluded:
This module is not suitable for students who have studied Irish to Leaving Certificate level or have studied the language to a comparable standard.

http://www.ucd.ie/students/course_search.htm

Yeah kinda presumed I wouldn't be able to do it, but there is no inbetween module, for the other Irish language one you need at least a B3 Higher level!

Neeson

Maldesu wrote: »

Methinks I'll keep that Arch one for a backup if the PSY falls through. Much demand for it Neeson?

I'd say it's a popular enough, probably one of the better archaeology ones. Google will get you through it fairly lively.

DocToBe

Muir wrote: »

I recommend modules from the school of information & library studies, the module codes start with IS. Many of them don't have loads of lectures & stuff so can be easier to fit into timetable.

The module Introduction to Information and Social Computing (IS10010) sounds almost too good to be true! Has anyone ever done this?

Maldesu

Neeson wrote: »

I'd say it's a popular enough, probably one of the better archaeology ones. Google will get you through it fairly lively.

Sure its an option. Italian will fit in too so there is another backup.

Neeson

DocToBe wrote: »

The module Introduction to Information and Social Computing (IS10010) sounds almost too good to be true! Has anyone ever done this?

Was looking at that myself. Wonder what it's like?

Neeson

Maldesu wrote: »

Sure its an option. Italian will fit in too so there is another backup.

Jaysus. How many languages can you speak?

Neeson

Don't care what Information and Social Computing (IS10010) is like. It's 9am Tuesday and Thursday. Not in until afternoon Tuesday and Thursday is a day "off" without choosing that.

Maldesu

Neeson wrote: »

Jaysus. How many languages can you speak?

Just about speak English most days, but you can take entry level languages here
http://www.ucd.ie/alc/flm/undergrad/choosealanguage/

Beginners stuff.

Neeson

Maldesu wrote: »

Just about speak English most days, but you can take entry level languages here
http://www.ucd.ie/alc/flm/undergrad/choosealanguage/

Beginners stuff.

Oh. I wouldn't fancy doing languages. Probably time-consuming.

Are there any Level 0 modules at all?

Maldesu

It's my last resort option.

I've yet to see a Level 0 module. I figure they've kicked them since

thisisadamh

Just wondering what are good Electives to take if one is starting Engineering?
Thanks

Muir

DocToBe wrote: »

The module Introduction to Information and Social Computing (IS10010) sounds almost too good to be true! Has anyone ever done this?

I haven't done that one, but in my experience these modules really are as good as they sound. I've done Web Publishing (it's for Arts students so if you're from a more computery background you should find it okay) and I did Social Computing & Media - it was 20% attendance, 20% for an online multiple choice quiz which you could take as many times as you wanted within an hour & it told you which Qs you got wrong and 60% for a Mash up or App, we were able to use an app builder so you didn't need coding or anything.

Muir

thisisadamh wrote: »

Just wondering what are good Electives to take if one is starting Engineering?
Thanks

Do you know what kind you're most interested in? The Robotics one which is an Engineering module is fun, you basically get to build & program a robot & then have a competition against everyone else at the end.

Neeson

Contemporary Irish Culture and Society (SOC10030) is handy enough.

30% for seminar attendance and a page written for a topic for each seminar.
70% for a 2000 word essay. (titles included Celtic Tiger bullsh1t and all that)

amtaxi

Muir wrote: »

I recommend modules from the school of information & library studies, the module codes start with IS. Many of them don't have loads of lectures & stuff so can be easier to fit into timetable.

Ah don't forget you'll be bored to tears, that is if you can stay awake!!! Don't do it !!!

Muir

amtaxi wrote: »

Ah don't forget you'll be bored to tears, that is if you can stay awake!!! Don't do it !!!

I actually found them less boring than other electives/core modules! What did you take?

Maldesu

Only bad point is they are on at 9am usually.

Neeson

Maldesu wrote: »

Only bad point is they are on at 9am usually.

Yep, I'd suffer the boredom if it was later on though. I mean one of them has the whole exam online!

Yuugib

Hey guys,

Anybody done ECON30150 (International Money & Banking) before? I'm thinking of taking it as an elective this year. Looks like it's a bundle of fun!

Any feedback?

misslt

Yuugib wrote: »

Hey guys,

Anybody done ECON30150 (International Money & Banking) before? I'm thinking of taking it as an elective this year. Looks like it's a bundle of fun!

Any feedback?

It's one of my options and I'll be taking it too, haven't heard any bad reports from the year above me anyway!

If anyone has any first hand experience I'd be interested in hearing too!

Yuugib

misslt wrote: »

It's one of my options and I'll be taking it too, haven't heard any bad reports from the year above me anyway!

If anyone has any first hand experience I'd be interested in hearing too!

Hey!

Do you know if the class is big? It only had 2 spaces left when I was registering for it.

Also, if I remember correctly, you're going in 4th year BAFS? Have you heard of any people doing Monte Carlo last year or picking up this year? I wonder what's that like...

Canteloupey

thisisadamh wrote: »

Just wondering what are good Electives to take if one is starting Engineering?
Thanks

I don't know how easy/hard it is or anything but this module looks like great fun! You:

1. Get to make a robot
2. Then the robots play rugby
3. If you win, you get a cash prize

https://sisweb.ucd.ie/usis/w_sm_web_inf_viewer_banner.show_module?p_subj=EEEN&p_crse=10020&p_term_code=201200&p_return_url=&p_website_mode=CONTINUINGCONTINUING&p_semester=2

http://roborugby.ucd.ie/contest.html

TopOfTheRight

Anyone have any experience/knowledge of the following modules??

Economics of Sport (SMGT20030)
Food Diet and Health II - Making Healthy Food Choices (FDSC20110)
Developing Future Leaders (BMGT20100)
Computer Science for Engineers II (COMP20080)

RMD

For anyone interested in History I'd recommend European Civilizations. It focuses on the dictatorships of Lenin, Stalin, Franco, Hitler and Mussolini. Extremely interesting, the lecturer is very good and the assignments are easy.

Cinna_man

thisisadamh wrote: »

Just wondering what are good Electives to take if one is starting Engineering?
Thanks

I did the Biosystems Design Project when I was in first year eng. No exam, only an hour a week and very easy to get a good result. Also the possibility of a cash prize .

You have to write up a few words each week and do a little work outside lecture time, but overall Its one of better electives i've done.

Muir

Energy challenges is another Engineering elective that has cash prizes. You do a group poster & presentation. there is an exam too though.

misslt

Yuugib wrote: »

misslt wrote: »

It's one of my options and I'll be taking it too, haven't heard any bad reports from the year above me anyway!

If anyone has any first hand experience I'd be interested in hearing too!

Hey!

Do you know if the class is big? It only had 2 spaces left when I was registering for it.

Also, if I remember correctly, you're going in 4th year BAFS? Have you heard of any people doing Monte Carlo last year or picking up this year? I wonder what's that like...

Aargh...I think they keep places over for people who have it as an option which could be freed up when we register (we can't until 3rd Sept until our work placement results are in)!

Yep I'm going into 4th year BAFS but I don't know of anyone who took that, it's the only class on a Friday for 4th years so most people avoid it