NUI MAYNOOTH ARTS CLASS SIZES???

melizza96

Hiya. I'm thinking of putting arts down on my CAO and maynooth is most likely going to be my first option. I've always loved both English and Business and literally couldn't decide which to study, so I thought I'd do both. :P Luckily, Maynooth offers this combination. Just wondering, does anybody think this combination is pointless and doesn't compliment eachother at all? I've had one guidance counselor tell me that it's pretty limited combination and could only be used for secondary teaching, whereas another told me it's good as it broadens my career options. :eek: I am not quite sure whether I would like to be a secondary school teacher, but yes, it is a possibility.

Also, I REALLY want to know how big the class sizes are for these subjects? I know it varies from year to year, but in general. Because I have a friend who studies English in UCD, and she said theres 700 people in her lecture hall and finds it impossible to make friends! I don't think I'd be comfortable with that, so just wondering what Maynooth is like for sizes?

PLEASE HELP ME.
Thanks a million!!

andrew369

Hey there , I am taking English through Arts in first year at the moment and have found it really disappointing compared to what was covered in the LC. Is more literary theory and criticism which is very very different to close readings from school, focuses on a specific aspects such as Marxism, Feminism, Structuralism, Eco-criticism, Post Colonial Theory. And the creative writing side of things is non existent although there is a couple societies which cater for that. Suggest you try looking up a few academic articles to see if they spark your interest at all, from the people I have been talking to this semester it isn't everyone's cup of tea although all we have done is poetry so far.

As for numbers it would be no where near as busy as 700 people. Would guess around 450 people, about the same for business too from what I seen in a couple lectures I sat in on with friends. Still feels huge compared to classrooms but getting towards the end of semester 1 and am getting used to it.

Maynooth is a great university, was thinking of transferring out to another college for a while but is just a case of taking time to settle in, gradually get to know a lot more people and because it is such a small campus see them quite regularly. Sorry I can't give more detail on business and career opportunity but hoped it a help a little.

Alt_Grrr

With regards to making friends, Maynooth is quite an easy place to meet new people.

JayEnnis

andrew369 wrote: »

Hey there , I am taking English through Arts in first year at the moment and have found it really disappointing compared to what was covered in the LC. Is more literary theory and criticism which is very very different to close readings from school, focuses on a specific aspects such as Marxism, Feminism, Structuralism, Eco-criticism, Post Colonial Theory. And the creative writing side of things is non existent although there is a couple societies which cater for that. Suggest you try looking up a few academic articles to see if they spark your interest at all, from the people I have been talking to this semester it isn't everyone's cup of tea although all we have done is poetry so far.

As for numbers it would be no where near as busy as 700 people. Would guess around 450 people, about the same for business too from what I seen in a couple lectures I sat in on with friends. Still feels huge compared to classrooms but getting towards the end of semester 1 and am getting used to it.

Maynooth is a great university, was thinking of transferring out to another college for a while but is just a case of taking time to settle in, gradually get to know a lot more people and because it is such a small campus see them quite regularly. Sorry I can't give more detail on business and career opportunity but hoped it a help a little.

If you think college level English is going to be about creative writing you're going to have a bad time.

OP, English at NUIM is fantastic. Although I didn't carry it into second year I thoroughly enjoyed the modules even if the reading is a little heavy. Don't worry about class sizes as you will have tutorials with <15 people in them.

Business is great. Fantastic modules, lecturer's are great and with loads of group work you'll find it easy to make friends. I'm currently doing business in second year and it gets a little tougher with the accounting module but apart from that it's a lot of common sense once you keep up with your classes.

CaoimH_in

The worst thing about English in NUIM is that the course is only 3 years long.

That's it.

ElvisChrist6

I don't know about business, but the English class in first year usually almost fills JH1 lecture theatre (accounting for people not showing up etc), which has a capacity of 450 people, so it's not as big as UCD. However, it's REALLY easy to make friends within your lectures, tutorials and outside your course altogether in Maynooth, honestly the most friendly university there is.

karaokeman

I am 2 years into NUIM's English course, and currently on exchange in Canada until April.

Love it, yes the Creative Writing is non-existent for students not doing a major, but if you have an appreciation for literature, the time periods that produced them you will love it regardless.

You might want to get used to third person writing, that's the main difference from Leaving Cert English, but I find the more objective you are, the stronger your arguments come out.

Best of luck OP.

karaokeman

Lectures are about 400+ students, but you will have tutorials, which encourage group discussion.

Don't worry, it's really easy to make friends in Maynooth. The friends I've met in English are some of the nicest people I've ever met anywhere (and that's saying something for someone who started college at 20).