UCD Open Day

UnawareCaesar

West Side Culchie wrote: »

That sounds very interesting, what's the content of that course like?

First year you'll basically do the same as the engineering omnibus but you don't do the electrical engineering module or any electives and do two history of architecture modules and a basic enough theory of structures module instead.

From then on it really goes into materials, soil interactions, design and analysis of structures.

you keep up the common maths modules for the first three years and the architectural history as well.

I'm in the first year of the masters now where you start looking at more difficult reactions of buildings to forces and designing with more varied materials. then there's an 8 month placement in the 2nd semester.

Its all very maths heavy as you'd expect and the workload fairly ramps up every year but its not an overly difficult course if you're good at maths and have an interest in structures.

West Side Culchie

UnawareCaesar wrote: »

First year you'll basically do the same as the engineering omnibus but you don't do the electrical engineering module or any electives and do two history of architecture modules and a basic enough theory of structures module instead.

From then on it really goes into materials, soil interactions, design and analysis of structures.

you keep up the common maths modules for the first three years and the architectural history as well.

I'm in the first year of the masters now where you start looking at more difficult reactions of buildings to forces and designing with more varied materials. then there's an 8 month placement in the 2nd semester.

Its all very maths heavy as you'd expect and the workload fairly ramps up every year but its not an overly difficult course if you're good at maths and have an interest in structures.

Did you do your Under-Grad in UCD?

UnawareCaesar

Yeah, the course is a 3+2 format in that you get a BSc. after three years and then it naturally leads into an ME. All of the people in my year went on to do the masters but I've heard of years where people opt out of the masters to pursue other careers but you won't get Chartered in Structural Engineering without a Masters these days.

West Side Culchie

And what kind of work placements will/have you do(ne)?

Maldesu

Those going to the Open Day on Sat, just give a bit of extra time as Kildare Street is closed so the route will be a bit different from usual if travelling by 145, 46a or 39a buses. In saying that, there shouldn't be that much of a difference and it probably depends on the time of day you go out.

httpete

Definitely worth going to the Open Day, I made up my mind to go to UCD based on it.

Trisha XxX

What time will most people be heading to the open day? Also is there many mature students checking it out?

West Side Culchie

Maldesu wrote: »

Those going to the Open Day on Sat, just give a bit of extra time as Kildare Street is closed so the route will be a bit different from usual if travelling by 145, 46a or 39a buses. In saying that, there shouldn't be that much of a difference and it probably depends on the time of day you go out.

Wish I had read that before I left! :mad: Missed the computer science talk!!! Anyone get to it? :pac: Loved it otherwise, definitely first choice next year!

Eurovisionmad

Was mad yesterday getting a bus out there, every bus that came along Nassau Street was already packed with people and they put no extra buses on once I got out there though, the place was lovely, I really liked the campus and I went to the Radiography talk which I thought was very good. I also went on the residential tour but that was a bit of a joke because they only showed us the two new done-up houses in Belgrove, instead of what the rest of Belgrove looks like!

West Side Culchie

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

Was mad yesterday getting a bus out there, every bus that came along Nassau Street was already packed with people and they put no new buses on once I got out there though, the place was lovely, I really liked the campus and I went to the Radiography talk which I thought was very good. I also went on the residential tour but that was a bit of a joke because they only showed us the two new done-up houses in Belgrove, instead of what the rest of Belgrove looks like!

I know, I was on that tour too, falsely represented or what? you go on the 1:30, or the 2:30?

Eurovisionmad

West Side Culchie wrote: »

I know, I was on that tour too, falsely represented or what? you go on the 1:30, or the 2:30?

1:30, I think!

West Side Culchie

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

1:30, I think!

Me too, :pac: What did you think of the "new Belgrove" as a whole?

Eurovisionmad

West Side Culchie wrote: »

Me too, :pac: What did you think of the "new Belgrove" as a whole?

It was nice enough in fairness, the only thing I noticed was that there was no oven which everyone seems to complain about!

West Side Culchie

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

It was nice enough in fairness, the only thing I noticed was that there was no oven which everyone seems to complain about!

I know! No pizza's for us! :eek: I was also disparaged by the lack of a nice couch!

Eurovisionmad

West Side Culchie wrote: »

I know! No pizza's for us! :eek: I was also disparaged by the lack of a nice couch!

From what I could see from trying to look in the windows of the old apartments, they did have a good couch! There's for and against both the new and the old apartments!

West Side Culchie

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

From what I could see from trying to look in the windows of the old apartments, they did have a good couch! There's for and against both the new and the old apartments!

Mhm, I presume your in 5th Year, so Leaving Cert in 2014?

Eurovisionmad

West Side Culchie wrote: »

Mhm, I presume your in 5th Year, so Leaving Cert in 2014?

No this year, why did you think that?

West Side Culchie

BTW, Thanks to the Mod who cleaned up that post. :pac:
Brownie points for you!

West Side Culchie

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

No this year, why did you think that?

...Because I'm an idiot. I'm also posting on a 5th year 2012/2013 thread, got mixed up... :P

You set on UCD then? Or prefer somewhere else?

Eurovisionmad

West Side Culchie wrote: »

...Because I'm an idiot. I'm also posting on a 5th year 2012/2013 thread, got mixed up... :P

You set on UCD then? Or prefer somewhere else?

Not at all, I live only about 20 minutes from UCC in Cork, so I'd only be going to UCD if I were set on doing something that wasn't in Cork, I'm thinking I might do Radiography though, but nothing is for definite yet.

West Side Culchie

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

Not at all, I live only about 20 minutes from UCC in Cork, so I'd only be going to UCD if I were set on doing something that wasn't in Cork, I'm thinking I might do Radiography though, but nothing is for definite yet.

I see! My cousin is doing Finance in UCC. What do you think of the place?

Eurovisionmad

West Side Culchie wrote: »

I see! My cousin is doing Finance in UCC. What do you think of the place?

It's very nice! It's a bit more broken up though, like you know in UCD everything is inside on the campus, but in UCC, a lot of the buildings are maybe a 3-4 minute walk from the campus, as it's in a more central location. But on a positive not the campus comes across as a bit more. . . lively than UCD if that's the word I can use!

West Side Culchie

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

It's very nice! It's a bit more broken up though, like you know in UCD everything is inside on the campus, but in UCC, a lot of the buildings are maybe a 3-4 minute walk from the campus, as it's in a more central location. But on a positive not the campus comes across as a bit more. . . lively than UCD if that's the word I can use!

I see, I might have to take a peek at that! I don't suppose you know anything about their Computer Science course?

Eurovisionmad

West Side Culchie wrote: »

I see, I might have to take a peek at that! I don't suppose you know anything about their Computer Science course?

It's very highly regarded from what I hear it's based out in the new Western Gateway building, it's tough though, like all Computer Science courses, there's a large drop-out rate. I did a Computer Programming course for TY's and 5th years there (which made me decide I wasn't cut out for Computer Science) and the facilities there are excellent, on top of the normal computer labs they've Mac labs and everything.

West Side Culchie

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

It's very highly regarded from what I hear it's based out in the new Western Gateway building, it's tough though, like all Computer Science courses, there's a large drop-out rate. I did a Computer Programming course for TY's and 5th years there (which made me decide I wasn't cut out for Computer Science) and the facilities there are excellent, on top of the normal computer labs they've Mac labs and everything.

Lovely!

I didn't realised there was such a high drop out rate until yesterday, everyone seems to mention it!

Eurovisionmad

West Side Culchie wrote: »

Lovely!

I didn't realised there was such a high drop out rate until yesterday, everyone seems to mention it!

I think it's mostly because people don't realise what they're getting themselves into, like it isn't in Secondary School, so a load of people who apply to computer Science only realise how tough and abstract it is when they start doing it in college.

Maldesu

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

It's very nice! It's a bit more broken up though, like you know in UCD everything is inside on the campus, but in UCC, a lot of the buildings are maybe a 3-4 minute walk from the campus, as it's in a more central location. But on a positive not the campus comes across as a bit more. . . lively than UCD if that's the word I can use!

A few notes just:

UCD is usually more lively on a weekday, that a Saturday 3 weeks before exams.

Also, while everything in UCD is on the same campus, if you were in Health Sciences (where Radiology is based) it would still be about a 5-10 minute walk to the restaurant from there. Just something to think about when comparing the two campuses.

Eurovisionmad

Maldesu wrote: »

A few notes just:

UCD is usually more lively on a weekday, that a Saturday 3 weeks before exams.

Also, while everything in UCD is on the same campus, if you were in Health Sciences (where Radiology is based) it would still be about a 5-10 minute walk to the restaurant from there. Just something to think about when comparing the two campuses.

It's not with regards to the amount of people I meant that, they're was plenty of people there for the open day! But because the buildings were so spread out it can feel a bit isolated compared to UCC where everything is on top of each other and so it has more of a bustling feeling. Overall anyway I was more impressed with the UCD campus I have to say!

Maldesu

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

But because the buildings were so spread out it can feel a bit isolated compared to UCC where everything is on top of each other and so it has more of a bustling feeling. Overall anyway I was more impressed with the UCD campus I have to say!

I know what you mean. Its strange when you're there on the busy days and you wonder why you can't get a bit of space to yourself. Takes a bit of getting used to.

HavingCrack

To be honest I think the UCD campus is woefully designed, the way it's laid out in one massive long strip that takes 20-25 minutes to walk. When you consider they had a complete blank canvas when they built it originally it's pretty crappy.