Chemical Engineering in UL or UCC

BTDOD95

Hello,Im looking to do Chemical Engineering next year in either UL or UCC.Going to UL would mean driving in and out every day as I live 25 mins from the college while UCC would mean getting accomodation.My parents have told me they'll buy me a car if I go to UL.So what should I do based mainly on which one is the better chemical engineering course and what is the better situation, driving in and out of UL every day or staying in UCC? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

magicianz

Honestly, for the whole college experience I would definately recommend UCC. While I am biased in that opinion, I will give a break-down as to why.

1. Accomodation. If you want to go out in UL you will need to get a taxi home as you live so far away, and a 25 min drive, thats an expensive enough taxi to be getting 1-3 times a week, depending on how often you go out! In UCC if you get some decent accomodation, all you have is a 5-10 minute walk, tops.

2. Minor, but UCC is ranked internationally for Chemical Engineering, somewhere in the 150-200 range, and UL isn't.

3. Recreational - there are a much greater variety of Clubs and Societies in UCC, 90ish societies and 60-70 clubs, as opposed to UL's 31 socs and 39 clubs, not to mention UCC regularly wins awards are the national awards ceremonies for societies (3 this year)

They're only some small points but something to think about. College life is about the experience as well, not only the course. There are many more opportunities to get involved in UCC for building you CV, from clubs and socs, to peer support programs, internships within the college and many more.

jive

The above post is ridiculous. More societies and clubs so you'd go move out and live in a different county for that? Christ. Choosing Cork because of the accomodation? hahahha. Yeah, 6k odd on accomodation would outweigh an 'expensive enough taxi'.

Go to UL and get a car, such an easy decision. Why splurge 6k on accomodation for a course which is essentially the same only further away. Employers won't be bothered about where the universities are ranked.

If you want to move out of your house then you are probably better off going to Cork. If you're not that bothered and will likely end up moving out of Limerick when you get a job (funnily enough likely Dublin or Cork if its in chemical engineering) then stay at home for the year, save money on accomodation and get a car. If it was me I'd go to UL 100%, no doubt about it. A 25 min drive is nothing so don't worry about the commute

magicianz

Do tell what experience you have in the matter jive. Studying Engineering? Maybe a recruiter/HR who knows the importance of extra-curriculars in the engineering for people who aren't in the top 5% of the class?

jive

magicianz wrote: »

Do tell what experience you have in the matter jive. Studying Engineering? Maybe a recruiter/HR who knows the importance of extra-curriculars in the engineering for people who aren't in the top 5% of the class?

Common sense and firsthand knowledge of the job market along with a friend who is head recruiter at a multinational pharma company in Ireland. Why spend 5k odd a year on accommodation because a university has more clubs and socs? You think there aren't other extra-curriculars that couldn't be performed outside of clubs and socs? They're the only viable extra-curriculars now? UCD is ranked higher than UCC, so based on your criterion OP should go there. Makes no difference because he'd be upping sticks anyway.

Being completely honest, your logic is just horrible. Picking a university with your fundamental reasons being walking distance from town and the number of clubs and socs is laughable. OP, you should pick your University based on the structure of the course as well as relevance of the course to the industry you want to enter along with monetary considerations long before even thinking about clubs and socs or any other extremely minor details in the grand scheme of things.

magicianz

So you took my comment which I summed up with "College life is about the experience as well, not only the course." and also pointed out that "They're only some small points but something to think about." and you took it as "GO HERE FOR THESE REASONS!" ? That essentially what I just took from your posts.

I recommended UCC and gave a few good things about it, that is all. I did not say that OP should pick it for those reasons. I did not say that it would be the best choice for the OP. It was not meant to be an in-depth analysis of all the positives and negatives of both. If I wanted to really do that we can go into cost of living of not just accomodation but food, drink, healthcare, both physical and mental, support services, and so on.

You simply took a basic post about a few small things and blew it out of proportion for whatever personal reason you have with it. Good job, you should try politics.

dj_

I did engineering in UCC (still there doing a PhD), my brother did it in UL (he is now working in Cork). Although neither of us did chemical engineering and I'm not too familiar with the courses I don't think there is much to put one above the other. Also, when it comes to getting a job after you graduate it really doesn't matter which of the 2 you have studied in.

In my opinion, it really comes down to whether you want to stay living at home (Limerick) or move out (Cork). AND what you can afford.

In your situation, I personally would choose to move out, but this really is up to you. I made friends with many people who lived with their parents and it didn't take away from their collage experience.

Bpmull

I'm currently doing chemical engineering in Ucc just finished first year. I was in the same position as the op last year I had to choose between Ucc and ul although they were the same distance away so that wasnt a factor really. All ill say is I like the course and like Ucc I think I made the right choice. I have a friend doing engineering in ul not chemical but he has nothing bad to say about ul.
In saying all that if I lived that near to ul that's probably where I would go if I was in your position. But they were both 2 hours away from me and I just preferred Ucc hence why I choose it. Hope this is of some help to you op.

eipi

As it is unlikely that you will find someone who has experienced both courses in both colleges, every response that you are going to get for this question will be biased. Anyone who recommends doing course x in college y based on the fact that they have done course x in college y is being intellectually dishonest.
I am a UCC student, however I am not doing chemical engineering.
You can find specific information regarding the modules for chemical engineering in UCC at this link: http://www.ucc.ie/calendar/engineering/eng004.html

I am not sure why, UCC and many other colleges find the need to hide the most important information, i.e the specific modules you will be doing, about their courses in an obscure part of the website.

Look for an equivalent source of module information on the UL website and compare both of them. Don't just look at what you will be studying in first year, also look at the modules for subsequent years. Also, actually read the module information rather than just the module titles as these can be misleading and ambiguous.

Piquet

The CIT Chemical Engineering course beats the socks off both the courses you have mentioned when it comes to getting jobs. 50% of this year's Final years had jobs before doing their Finals. All of last year's class were fixed up when they were conferred in November.

You need to make a choice. Do you want to go to a University because of the Status that implies or do you want to have a better chance of getting a job when you graduate?

If the former, by all means go to UL or UCC. If the latter, there really is only one choice, CIT.

magicianz

I'll just leave this here for Piquet. I know people who are offered jobs in every engineering stream in UCC before they enter 4th year.

http://www.ucc.ie/en/processeng/prospective/whyucc/

Piquet

magicianz wrote: »

I'll just leave this here for Piquet. I know people who are offered jobs in every engineering stream in UCC before they enter 4th year.

What, exactly are you saying here?

Do you mean " I know people in every Engineering Stream in UCC who have been offered jobs at the end of Third Year"?

We both know that's Bull****.

Or are you getting mixed up between Full-Time Permanent Employment and an Undergraduate Industrial Placement between Third Year and Final Year?

confusticated

I know a few that were offered jobs at the end of third year, to start after fourth year like. Lots of places take back people who do placement with them, and I suppose if they're really good they want a shot at getting them first. But I'm sure it's equally likely to happen whether you go to UCC or CIT. Or UL!

OP I think work placement counts for a lot in engineering, I didn't do process so can't help you out much on the course itself but check if both places do placement.

magicianz

Piquet wrote: »

What, exactly are you saying here?

Do you mean " I know people in every Engineering Stream in UCC who have been offered jobs at the end of Third Year"?

We both know that's Bull****.

Or are you getting mixed up between Full-Time Permanent Employment and an Undergraduate Industrial Placement between Third Year and Final Year?

No I am not mixing it up with placement, I'm not an idiot.

And no, it is not bull****. Maybe you took it too literally when I said it, I meant that provisionally there would be a position available for certain people if they impressed in their placement, once their results were kept up. If you would like to dispute that I would like to know how many of the current 4th year engineering student in UCC you know so we can compare facts.

Piquet

magicianz wrote: »

No I am not mixing it up with placement, I'm not an idiot.

And no, it is not bull****. Maybe you took it too literally when I said it, I meant that provisionally there would be a position available for certain people if they impressed in their placement, once their results were kept up. If you would like to dispute that I would like to know how many of the current 4th year engineering student in UCC you know so we can compare facts.

There is a big difference between students being "offered jobs at the end of third year"

and "provisionally there would be a position ......if they impressed" depending on their Final Year results.

What actually happens is when a company is recruiting graduate students, they go on the "Milk Run" to the various colleges and draw up a list of candidates for first interview. If a student has been on placement in the company, that student is often "exempted" from the first round and gets a second interview along with those who have impressed at the first interview stage.
Obviously, if a student has impressed in a company during the placement, (s)he will be at an advantage over those who were not on placement, but it is not unusual for the job to go to a graduate with no connection with the company.

It would be most unusual and probably in breach of a rake of recruitment procedures to offer - even provisionally - a Third Year a job a whole year in advance.

Raggaroo

Piquet,
You are obviously a big fan of CIT over UCC, but as you can see by quotation from the link provided magicianz on the UCC Chem Eng site:

"0% of graduates are seeking employment six to nine months after graduation in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The same was true in 2012"

so I figure that employment prospects are not a problem with the UCC course or the CIT course by your reckoning.
As a graduate of both Institutions I can assure you that facility wise CIT really lags behind UCC for both teaching / research facilities and for the "student experience" On the offers of employment after third year placement I personally know three people who have had such offers, all were engineering students one doing Process & Chemical in UCC so I don't think it is that unusual.

Piquet

Two things:
Firstly I would doubt those data very much. I don't think there is a Chem Eng Department in any College has that 100% employment rate for each of the last four years.

Secondly by "offers of employment after third year placement", do you mean:
"You have a job with us, here next June"
or "If we're recruiting Graduates next year and you apply, and you get a 2.1 (say) in your finals, you have a great chance of getting the job"

As I have said above, it regularly happens that a Placement in a company results in a permanent job on Graduation. That's an entirely different thing to being offered a job at the end of your third-year placement for the following year.

Mind you I know of a Graduate of one College who last year got a Permanent job in a Plant ahead of two other graduates who had done their placement there!!

confusticated

Piquet wrote: »

Two things:
Firstly I would doubt those data very much. I don't think there is a Chem Eng Department in any College has that 100% employment rate for each of the last four years.

Secondly by "offers of employment after third year placement", do you mean:
"You have a job with us, here next June"
or "If we're recruiting Graduates next year and you apply, and you get a 2.1 (say) in your finals, you have a great chance of getting the job"

As I have said above, it regularly happens that a Placement in a company results in a permanent job on Graduation. That's an entirely different thing to being offered a job at the end of your third-year placement for the following year.

Mind you I know of a Graduate of one College who last year got a Permanent job in a Plant ahead of two other graduates who had done their placement there!!

I know and know of people who have had this said to them. Once they pass their degree obviously. Not often, okay, but they do exist.

Also they're not saying 100% employment, they're saying 0% seeking employment. So that takes into account people who went on to further study or went travelling etc. Just means there's nobody who graduated and is actively looking for a job in chem eng. They might have emigrated to find one mind you.

Beargrylls01

magicianz wrote: »

1. Accomodation. If you want to go out in UL you will need to get a taxi home as you live so far away, and a 25 min drive, thats an expensive enough taxi to be getting 1-3 times a week, depending on how often you go out! In UCC if you get some decent accomodation, all you have is a 5-10 minute walk, tops.

3. Recreational - there are a much greater variety of Clubs and Societies in UCC, 90ish societies and 60-70 clubs, as opposed to UL's 31 socs and 39 clubs, not to mention UCC regularly wins awards are the national awards ceremonies for societies (3 this year)

I have a few points to make about these, and please don't jump on me because ye all seem to be arguing. Anyone going to UL would find it easy to find a friends house to sleep in for the night, this taxi point is quite silly, if you don't mind me saying.

The recreational activities you may have a fair point on, I agree that the C&S department in UL could do with some life, but if you play hurling or Football or soccer, you are in contention with half of the LIM and TIPP teams, and with the best training facilities in the country (this is not an opinion, the only other place coming close would be GMIT or Athlone) you would be well catered for.


You are correct about the history of UCC's course, it is much longer and more distinguished, but as a 3rd year ChemEng in UL I feel happy in my choice. UL has been pumping out Chemical Engineering Diploma's for 30 years and I am confident in their ability to prepare me to enter the working world this January.

You have obviously already received your offer and I am sure if you work you will do grand anywhere, but if you are going into UL, drop me an email (loobyw@hotmail.com) and I will be able to help you out with a good bit of your work if I can find my spare stuff, or at least put you in contact with one of the second years who are pretty much geniuses.

Welcome to the group.

Piquet

The Chem Eng Degree course in CIT was recently accredited to Masters level by the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

It is the only Chem Eng Degree in Munster with this accreditation level.

The Degree in UCD is the only other one in the country at that level.