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Bachelor Sceince -NUI Galway, UCD or Trinity? please help!

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  • 15-06-2014 9:20pm
    #1
    emilieellis
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭


    Hi so filling out my CAO app, want to specialise in Zoology. I would love the opportunity to study abroad in 3rd or 4th year but I don't have to.
    My main dilemma is which course is the best? I need people who have heard/ actually do the courses to give me feedback!
    I know what the websites say about each course but at this stage I just need first hand experiences and advice as to which on I should put down first!!


    any talk back please!
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    #2
    Lostman1990
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭Lostman1990


    emilieellis wrote: »
    Hi so filling out my CAO app, want to specialise in Zoology. I would love the opportunity to study abroad in 3rd or 4th year but I don't have to.
    My main dilemma is which course is the best? I need people who have heard/ actually do the courses to give me feedback!
    I know what the websites say about each course but at this stage I just need first hand experiences and advice as to which on I should put down first!!


    any talk back please!

    Honestly, if you got Trinity, why would you not go there??


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    #3
    emilieellis
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭emilieellis


    Lostman1990 wrote: »
    Honestly, if you got Trinity, why would you not go there??

    But what is the advantage of trinity? UCD and Galway seem to be just as comprehensive!
    What are the actual benefit a of the Trinity science course?


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    #4
    Lostman1990
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭Lostman1990


    emilieellis wrote: »
    But what is the advantage of trinity? UCD and Galway seem to be just as comprehensive!
    What are the actual benefit a of the Trinity science course?

    I know you specifically asked about the Science course so I can't be of much help with that specifically. But Trinity is ranked in the top 50 universities in the world. That on its own is a huge advantage.
    However, students of science in NUI Galway may be able to give you more specific information. Best of luck in whatever you choose...


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    #5
    dropping_bombs
    Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭dropping_bombs


    I did Science in NUIG, I didn't do Zoology however so I can't give you totally accurate information. It is very difficult to study abroad in NUIG, in my year the top 4 people in my class got to go to Hong Kong and that was all I heard of. I tried to organise an Erasmus myself in Belgium but that fell through as it was impossible to get the College of Science to cooperate despite having lecturers backing me.

    Another, and in my opinion larger, issue is that in the lab based sciences which were what I did, there is not enough hands on lab experience and no/very little possibility for industrial placement. I found that in my further studies and in applying for jobs that this low level of lab exposure is an issue.

    I can try and answer further questions if you have them, but I don't know anything about TCD or UCD!


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    #6
    emilieellis
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭emilieellis


    dropping_bombs wrote: »
    I did Science in NUIG, I didn't do Zoology however so I can't give you totally accurate information. It is very difficult to study abroad in NUIG, in my year the top 4 people in my class got to go to Hong Kong and that was all I heard of. I tried to organise an Erasmus myself in Belgium but that fell through as it was impossible to get the College of Science to cooperate despite having lecturers backing me.

    Another, and in my opinion larger, issue is that in the lab based sciences which were what I did, there is not enough hands on lab experience and no/very little possibility for industrial placement. I found that in my further studies and in applying for jobs that this low level of lab exposure is an issue.

    I can try and answer further questions if you have them, but I don't know anything about TCD or UCD!

    That's interesting info, thanks a lot! I'm expected better from NUIG I think I'm gonna choose ucd- well hopefully I'll get the points!


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    #7
    mockshelp
    Registered Users Posts: 106 ✭✭mockshelp


    I second what dropping_bombs has stated. There's really no difference where you do your degree. I am heading into 3rd year undenominated science in NUIG specilizing in EOS (earth and ocean sciences). I have studied other subjects in my first 2 years. NUIG has some excellent lecturers dedicated to their duties but there are others that are soooooo bad. I don't think there's anything "out of the ordinary" about NUIG science - you have your standard lectures, labs, tutorials etc. They would have these also in TCD or UCD. I think TCD or UCD would be just as good if not better than NUIG. Choose wherever is convenient for you. If your closer to Dublin why not go there? Sometimes I think the teaching here in NUIG is pretty poor plus you have very little chance to go abroad for a year - only the very best students may have a chance to. If I could choose again would pick UCD or TCD for these reasons. I don't think NUIG offers any pros over UCD or TCD... Choose UCD or TCD if you get the points - think it would be better for you!


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    #8
    MyNameIsMethos
    Registered Users Posts: 185 ✭✭MyNameIsMethos


    Quick thread steal here, but would you recommend Maynooth over NUIG as well? I'm stuck between the two presently&the deciding factor of cheaper accommodation in Galway has me swayed that way. If the quality of some lecturers is cat though then that'd be me out, depending on if I'd ever cross them in my studies. Would I be grand with lecturers if I was gearing towards anatomy or physiology?


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    #9
    dropping_bombs
    Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭dropping_bombs


    [QUOTE= If the quality of some lecturers is cat though then that'd be me out, depending on if I'd ever cross them in my studies. Would I be grand with lecturers if I was gearing towards anatomy or physiology?[/QUOTE]

    I don't know a thing about price of accommodation, but I know a lot about physiology and a little about anatomy.

    In physiology three or four of the eight lecturers are good with one of the remainder awful. However, all of them improve as you progress through the years and the subject itself is good and that's what matters really. You have good options at the end of it and you get a great taste of all parts of physiology, both at a macro scale and at a cellular level.

    Anatomy has great lecturers as a whole, with one d1ck who is good at what he does. However, the outcome isn't great because there is no actual lab experience or a massive amount of anatomy related careers about.


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    #10
    emilieellis
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭emilieellis


    MyNameIsMethos wrote: »
    Quick thread steal here, but would you recommend Maynooth over NUIG as well? I'm stuck between the two presently&the deciding factor of cheaper accommodation in Galway has me swayed that way. If the quality of some lecturers is cat though then that'd be me out, depending on if I'd ever cross them in my studies. Would I be grand with lecturers if I was gearing towards anatomy or physiology?

    Is the Maynooth course a level 8?


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    #11
    MyNameIsMethos
    Registered Users Posts: 185 ✭✭MyNameIsMethos


    Thanks for the speedy reply dropping_bombs, specifically towards physiology. Oh I know well the house-price situation already; it has me swayed towards Galway.

    Yerrah, so long as the course matter is engaging & I'd not be stuck with a thundering cnut as a lecturer, that's all gravy. Job prospects would not worry me greatly as I would be hoping to follow on into either research or M. Sc. Regenerative Medicine once the four years are cleared, or so goes the plan; four years is long enough to plan ahead for, but it's nice to have an idea.


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    #12
    MyNameIsMethos
    Registered Users Posts: 185 ✭✭MyNameIsMethos


    The maynooth course is biomedical&biological sciences that I'm pondering, but they do have a level 8 undenominated science emilieellis.


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    #13
    emilieellis
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭emilieellis


    MyNameIsMethos wrote: »
    The maynooth course is biomedical&biological sciences that I'm pondering, but they do have a level 8 undenominated science emilieellis.

    Sounds like we have nearly the same CAO!


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    #14
    MyNameIsMethos
    Registered Users Posts: 185 ✭✭MyNameIsMethos


    Well not to worry, I'm a mature student so I'm outside the range of robbing places :D Hope you find where it is you're looking to go :)


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    #15
    dropping_bombs
    Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭dropping_bombs


    MyNameIsMethos wrote: »
    Job prospects would not worry me greatly as I would be hoping to follow on into either research or M. Sc. Regenerative Medicine once the four years are cleared, or so goes the plan; four years is long enough to plan ahead for, but it's nice to have an idea.

    Just to let you know I'm doing this course and there is a guy from Maynooth doing it too, he speaks highly of NUIM. I'm confident that either NUIG or NUIM will set you up for the MSc, as long as you work hard throughout your undergrad.


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    #16
    MyNameIsMethos
    Registered Users Posts: 185 ✭✭MyNameIsMethos


    I think I was very lucky to stumble across this thread, you've allayed many fears bombs :D


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    #17
    Celestial12
    Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    I've enjoyed undenominated Science overall but there's many needless restrictions. You don't have as much choice/flexibility in choosing your subjects as you're made to believe. I chose Group D in first year as it was my preferred selection of subjects. I thought I'd really like Earth & Ocean Science, and although I did mostly enjoy it overall I realised it wasn't something I wanted to study longterm. I absolutely hated Biochemistry when we had lectures at the beginning of the year (Hence I was content to remain in Group D) because the lecturer was useless, but when it came time to study for the exams I really began to enjoy it and ended up with an A. Physics is a requirement to study biochemistry in second year, and I didn't study it in first year... I asked would it be possible to be exempt from this requirement as I had an A in both Biology and Chemistry in first year. They seemed willing but in the end I wasn't allowed and thought it was an unfair decision as Physics is in no way needed to study biochemistry, they just have it as such so people will chose group C... Best of luck with your decision!


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