Business course question

MessIsMine

Hi, I'm in sixth year and I'm currently thinking about CAO courses. Would it be difficult to do business in college if you had never done it before in secondary school? I'm considering doing International or Global Business, however I have never done business before and wouldn't want to fall behind. I have touched on it in various other subjects and I enjoyed it.

Also, I've heard that there is no work placement on the International Business course, is that true? If so, would that greatly effect employment chances upon graduation?

Thanks

exovoomnia

Hi, I'm a first year global business student! A lot of people in my course never did any business stubjects at school and don't experience any disadvantages because the lecturers assume no prior knowledge anyway.
With Global business you do two years abroad as opposed to one with international business and those two years abroad you will be studying in that country's language which is apparently very very tough and not for everyone so that's something to think about!

bs2014

I did the business studies BBS and I don't think it would be a major disadvantage. General consensus among peers was that economics and accounting leaving cert is beneficial whereas business studies for leaving cert was useless on the BBS in DCU. I know in Y1 of BBS, the economics and accounting modules were broadly a leaving cert crash course so that brings people up to speed usually. Hope that helps a little.

Elemonator

I'm here in DCU, actually typing my reply from a DCU computer. I know many people in the BBS degree and the global business one, but I'm doing law. I can't imagine you having any disadvantages as the lecturers assume you have no previous knowledge anyway and your first year is basically a crash course in the basics anyway. You don't need any prior knowledge unless it is explicitly stated on the course description.

As previously mentioned by another poster, with the GB degree you do two years abroad in the country stream you picked as opposed to 1 year in the IB course. But yes, bear in my the languages (if you take a foreign one) are going to be much tougher than secondary school. I think you have to have a minimum grade in a language. I know someone who switched to my course because the languages were tough. I'm sure you are able for it if you are motivated enough, but bear in mind that languages at university level are all self-directed and you learn most of it yourself. The lecturers just throw the stuff at you. But the same can be said for all learning in college really. It can be a bit of culture shock, still getting used to it myself.

MessIsMine

Elemonator wrote: »

I'm here in DCU, actually typing my reply from a DCU computer. I know many people in the BBS degree and the global business one, but I'm doing law. I can't imagine you having any disadvantages as the lecturers assume you have no previous knowledge anyway and your first year is basically a crash course in the basics anyway. You don't need any prior knowledge unless it is explicitly stated on the course description.

As previously mentioned by another poster, with the GB degree you do two years abroad in the country stream you picked as opposed to 1 year in the IB course. But yes, bear in my the languages (if you take a foreign one) are going to be much tougher than secondary school. I think you have to have a minimum grade in a language. I know someone who switched to my course because the languages were tough. I'm sure you are able for it if you are motivated enough, but bear in mind that languages at university level are all self-directed and you learn most of it yourself. The lecturers just throw the stuff at you. But the same can be said for all learning in college really. It can be a bit of culture shock, still getting used to it myself.

Hi, thanks so much for replying. (: Are you doing the BCL or EPL? I was looking at doing law before I even thought of business and I loved the look of the DCU courses. I've kind of switched back to the idea of law at the moment and have law in Trinity, DCU and UCD at the top of my CAO! I do, however, have a few questions which I hope you can help me with.

In Trinity law is a four year course, whereas the BCL in DCU is only three years long unless you go abroad for a year. I'm a bit confused as to what is different in Trinity, as it's a year extra. Do you know the difference or is there merely just more modules in Trinity?

Also, do you know which countries you can travel to on the year abroad?

I've also heard that studying law can be quite boring, so how do you find it? There's a lot of reading and studying at home, but is it difficult or is it manageable?

Thanks (:

Elemonator

MessIsMine wrote: »

Hi, thanks so much for replying. (: Are you doing the BCL or EPL? I was looking at doing law before I even thought of business and I loved the look of the DCU courses. I've kind of switched back to the idea of law at the moment and have law in Trinity, DCU and UCD at the top of my CAO! I do, however, have a few questions which I hope you can help me with.

In Trinity law is a four year course, whereas the BCL in DCU is only three years long unless you go abroad for a year. I'm a bit confused as to what is different in Trinity, as it's a year extra. Do you know the difference or is there merely just more modules in Trinity?

Also, do you know which countries you can travel to on the year abroad?

I've also heard that studying law can be quite boring, so how do you find it? There's a lot of reading and studying at home, but is it difficult or is it manageable?

Thanks (:

I'm in BCL but I know many EPL's as we share a few nights out so if you have any questions for them, I'll sure to pass them on.

Well to start you off, I think the course in Trinity is an LLB degree rather than BCL but I could be wrong. The LLB is pure law and probably covers more whilst the BCL covers society and civil law. But I think the BCL is modern. The law degree in Trinity will be almost certainly better. DCU only started doing law recently enough, within the past few years or so. We have a couple of law socs and all the judges that have come in studied at Trinity and Kings Inns bar one Supreme Court judge who studied Economics and Maths at UCD. But like all Trinity courses, the points are huge. Have you considered Maynooth? The law department there is a lot more established than DCU and you have the option of LLB or BCL. The BCL in Maynooth is combined with an arts subject but you still get the BCL. They also do Law and Accounting with includes the BCL and a full degree in accounting, very handy qualification to have. UCD also have the option to combine subjects and UCD Law School has a very high standing. New law buildings/gym and even moot court included also.

With regards to countries you can travel to, I can't remember honestly. I'm not considering it. But I'm pretty sure Italy, Canada, China, France are on there but I'm likely wrong. Spain, Scotland and Poland are definitely there.

It can be very boring in certain modules and difficult in others but I find if you interrogate it a bit, it can be very interesting. Constitutional law is fun. There is a lot of reading but some students choose to ignore it. You won't get away with that beyond first year. We have about 8 hours of college a week, but a general rule of the lecturers is that take the number of hours of law lectures a week and multiply by 3. That is your minimum reading hours. I was always surrounded by law at home but I enjoy it. It's challenging in a good way. Do the work and you will get through.

Hope this helps.

MessIsMine

Elemonator wrote: »

I'm in BCL but I know many EPL's as we share a few nights out so if you have any questions for them, I'll sure to pass them on.

Well to start you off, I think the course in Trinity is an LLB degree rather than BCL but I could be wrong. The LLB is pure law and probably covers more whilst the BCL covers society and civil law. But I think the BCL is modern. The law degree in Trinity will be almost certainly better. DCU only started doing law recently enough, within the past few years or so. We have a couple of law socs and all the judges that have come in studied at Trinity and Kings Inns bar one Supreme Court judge who studied Economics and Maths at UCD. But like all Trinity courses, the points are huge. Have you considered Maynooth? The law department there is a lot more established than DCU and you have the option of LLB or BCL. The BCL in Maynooth is combined with an arts subject but you still get the BCL. They also do Law and Accounting with includes the BCL and a full degree in accounting, very handy qualification to have. UCD also have the option to combine subjects and UCD Law School has a very high standing. New law buildings/gym and even moot court included also.

With regards to countries you can travel to, I can't remember honestly. I'm not considering it. But I'm pretty sure Italy, Canada, China, France are on there but I'm likely wrong. Spain, Scotland and Poland are definitely there.

It can be very boring in certain modules and difficult in others but I find if you interrogate it a bit, it can be very interesting. Constitutional law is fun. There is a lot of reading but some students choose to ignore it. You won't get away with that beyond first year. We have about 8 hours of college a week, but a general rule of the lecturers is that take the number of hours of law lectures a week and multiply by 3. That is your minimum reading hours. I was always surrounded by law at home but I enjoy it. It's challenging in a good way. Do the work and you will get through.

Hope this helps.

Ah, thank you. Your advice is very helpful. Yes, the points for Trinity are very high, I think it's something like 540 for pure law and they'll most likely go up as apparently more people have put law on there CAO this year. I'm also considering German and Law, but I'd love to do Business and Law at Trinity, but the points are out of my range completely. I actually haven't looked into Maynooth as it's a bit far from where I live, but from what you've said it sounds pretty good so I'll look into it. DCU and Trinity are closest to me, so I feel they'd suit my circumstances best. I wouldn't completely rule out UCD as the law department there looks great. I just worry that the travelling would get a bit much for me if I went to Maynooth or UCD. I don't know if I should worry about the location of the college at the moment or just choose wholly on the course itself.

Sounds like a lot of reading, which suits me I was also wondering about job prospects. I know that you can go on to become a solicitor or barrister, but what other options do you have upon completion of a law degree?

Thank you again

Elemonator

MessIsMine wrote: »

Ah, thank you. Your advice is very helpful. Yes, the points for Trinity are very high, I think it's something like 540 for pure law and they'll most likely go up as apparently more people have put law on there CAO this year. I'm also considering German and Law, but I'd love to do Business and Law at Trinity, but the points are out of my range completely. I actually haven't looked into Maynooth as it's a bit far from where I live, but from what you've said it sounds pretty good so I'll look into it. DCU and Trinity are closest to me, so I feel they'd suit my circumstances best. I wouldn't completely rule out UCD as the law department there looks great. I just worry that the travelling would get a bit much for me if I went to Maynooth or UCD. I don't know if I should worry about the location of the college at the moment or just choose wholly on the course itself.

Sounds like a lot of reading, which suits me I was also wondering about job prospects. I know that you can go on to become a solicitor or barrister, but what other options do you have upon completion of a law degree?

Thank you again

I wouldn't put the long distance colleges off you CAO at all! I thought Maynooth would be far away and the same with UCD and I took them off. But I've actually done that commute and they are both a lot closer to Dublin than people think, especially if you live by a train station. There are many direct trains too and you can sleep on them. I drive sometimes and it literally only takes me 30 mins as opposed to an hour and a bit on a bus, so consider that! I did long distance commuting for a while during the school years and if you keep a reasonable bedtime, you actually get used to it.

With regards to the Trinity points, still put it down. I am in a great course but it wasn't my first choice, it was my second. I swapped them around thinking I wouldn't get the points and I kept coming up with other excuses to justify it. I actually ended up getting the points for my first choice as they points fell by 50 and I got more than expected (a whole extra 5 points ). I know other people who got dream RCSI courses as a result of the random selection too (there are limited places available on random selection if you got over 400 points I think, didn't know that at the time and it annoys me so much now). If you seriously want Trinity, its not too late to start working now. I'm only a year over my Leaving, and I seriously regret not studying more now. I did get the points but even just for my self esteem I could have done a lot better. Just get the head down now if you haven't already, its only a few short weeks and it will be so worth it (I know you hear this everyday, but take my word for it ) Trinity/UCD may be higher points but its an investment in your future that you have to make.

There are loads of careers available if you decide not to go to Blackhall (solicitors) or the Kings Inns (barristers). You can go into Counselling, Journalism, Government/Politics, Negotiating and Conflict, Non-Governmental Organisations, Business and Academia. You can get a lot of finance and banking positions too, as a good few of these just require any degree and the skills you pick up earning it. They train you on the job.

There is loads of masters programmes available for law students. Journalism is one, though you could probably get a journalism job without one. HRM is another. Go to the UCD/DCU/Trinity websites or whatever and they will tell you what you the requirements to get a Masters.

MessIsMine

Elemonator wrote: »

I wouldn't put the long distance colleges off you CAO at all! I thought Maynooth would be far away and the same with UCD and I took them off. But I've actually done that commute and they are both a lot closer to Dublin than people think, especially if you live by a train station. There are many direct trains too and you can sleep on them. I drive sometimes and it literally only takes me 30 mins as opposed to an hour and a bit on a bus, so consider that! I did long distance commuting for a while during the school years and if you keep a reasonable bedtime, you actually get used to it.

With regards to the Trinity points, still put it down. I am in a great course but it wasn't my first choice, it was my second. I swapped them around thinking I wouldn't get the points and I kept coming up with other excuses to justify it. I actually ended up getting the points for my first choice as they points fell by 50 and I got more than expected (a whole extra 5 points ). I know other people who got dream RCSI courses as a result of the random selection too (there are limited places available on random selection if you got over 400 points I think, didn't know that at the time and it annoys me so much now). If you seriously want Trinity, its not too late to start working now. I'm only a year over my Leaving, and I seriously regret not studying more now. I did get the points but even just for my self esteem I could have done a lot better. Just get the head down now if you haven't already, its only a few short weeks and it will be so worth it (I know you hear this everyday, but take my word for it ) Trinity/UCD may be higher points but its an investment in your future that you have to make.

There are loads of careers available if you decide not to go to Blackhall (solicitors) or the Kings Inns (barristers). You can go into Counselling, Journalism, Government/Politics, Negotiating and Conflict, Non-Governmental Organisations, Business and Academia. You can get a lot of finance and banking positions too, as a good few of these just require any degree and the skills you pick up earning it. They train you on the job.

There is loads of masters programmes available for law students. Journalism is one, though you could probably get a journalism job without one. HRM is another. Go to the UCD/DCU/Trinity websites or whatever and they will tell you what you the requirements to get a Masters.

I suppose I could travel the longer distance easily enough from where I live, just may take a while. If I learned to drive it'd be much easier. I guess I'm just lazy!

As for working hard in school, I already am but I seem to be staying in the same place. I just about got 500 points in the mocks, which I'm delighted with, but I'm not sure if I could achieve any more in the actual LC, which is really annoying. I'm still going to try push myself, especially for orals/practicals coming up. How many points did you get, if you don't mind me asking?

That's actually quite a broad range of career opportunities. It seems, from what I've heard, that law is a handy degree to have if you're not quite sure what you want to do. For months I hadn't a clue what course I wanted but I've narrowed it down to a few areas, law being top of the list, followed by English. Journalism may suit me in the future but people say it's dying out with new technology and everything. It's certainly one to think about. I'll also check out a few masters courses to see what people with a law degree are doing, good idea. (:

Birbaosb152

I got offered the DC111 business today and just wondering could anyone give me a quick rundown of the course? Is it interesting? How many hours a week is it? How many students would be in the year? What's INTRA like? I'm just worried I wont like the course. I don't know anyone starting in dcu this year either

DCU Student Help

Had you done some research on the course before you put it down? You can give us an email on studenthelp@dcu.ie and we can help you out.

Brovile

Birbaosb152 wrote: »

I got offered the DC111 business today and just wondering could anyone give me a quick rundown of the course? Is it interesting? How many hours a week is it? How many students would be in the year? What's INTRA like? I'm just worried I wont like the course. I don't know anyone starting in dcu this year either

Hey there! I too got offered DC111 so I'll be joining you in September!

As for a rundown in the course, I found this thread on Boards.ie from 2 years ago which has a lot of good information about the course we'll be going into! Unfortunately I can't post the link to it because I'm a new user, but if you Google search "DC111 DCU in general boards", it will be the first post there!

I think there will be between 160-180 students in our year. But every lecture obviously won't have that many students in it, we'll be broken into smaller groups every now and then!

As for INTRA I can't speak about what it's like. But based on what I've heard other people say, they cannot get over how amazing it is. Most of them don't think much of it in their first two years but after they finish this course, they stress how amazing and vital it was to their learning experience as they get first hand experience in what they've been studying for two years!

Don't worry too much about not liking the course just yet. It could very well end up surprising you as every I spoke to has only had good things to say about our course! Plus if you don't like it, you can speak to the staff in DCU about possibly changing course, so don't let that stress you out!

I have a few people I know in DCU (I wouldn't consider them friends) so I'm kind of in the same boat as you with not having any friends here but we should be excited about that! I will be very nervous, as many others will be too, but we'll have the chance to meet hundreds of people in our course alone, not to mention all of the friends you can make by joining all the different clubs and societies! Trust me when I say that this time next year if you do end up liking the DC111 course, you'll have had the absolute time of your life over the past year. You'll have made numerous new friends, experienced a different type of life and feel very optimistic for your future!

If you have any other worries or queries just let me know! Our next year in DC111 is going to be absolutely amazing, I guarantee you so look forward to it!!

bs2014

DCU Business studies graduate myself. Unless it has changed, the first few days of orientation are all ice breakers and getting to know people, usually get broke up into groups of about 30. I graduated in 2014 and now am about to embark on a full time masters....learning never ends:eek: Ironically, in first yr in particular, people generally all become friends with people who have a surname with the same or close letter....as the first few days everyone is divided into groups alphabetically and these are the people you tend to hang around with. also in 1st year, alot of the group assignments are allocated alphabetically so you tend to stumble across the same cohort. It was only in my 2nd and final year I got talking to new people who I never had any dealings really with. 1st year, all you need to do is scrape a past, 2nd year is a little more serious and final year is hell for leather....relax and enjoy 1st year...it will fly;)

Birbaosb152

Brovile wrote: »

Hey there! I too got offered DC111 so I'll be joining you in September!

As for a rundown in the course, I found this thread on Boards.ie from 2 years ago which has a lot of good information about the course we'll be going into! Unfortunately I can't post the link to it because I'm a new user, but if you Google search "DC111 DCU in general boards", it will be the first post there!

I think there will be between 160-180 students in our year. But every lecture obviously won't have that many students in it, we'll be broken into smaller groups every now and then!

As for INTRA I can't speak about what it's like. But based on what I've heard other people say, they cannot get over how amazing it is. Most of them don't think much of it in their first two years but after they finish this course, they stress how amazing and vital it was to their learning experience as they get first hand experience in what they've been studying for two years!

Don't worry too much about not liking the course just yet. It could very well end up surprising you as every I spoke to has only had good things to say about our course! Plus if you don't like it, you can speak to the staff in DCU about possibly changing course, so don't let that stress you out!

I have a few people I know in DCU (I wouldn't consider them friends) so I'm kind of in the same boat as you with not having any friends here but we should be excited about that! I will be very nervous, as many others will be too, but we'll have the chance to meet hundreds of people in our course alone, not to mention all of the friends you can make by joining all the different clubs and societies! Trust me when I say that this time next year if you do end up liking the DC111 course, you'll have had the absolute time of your life over the past year. You'll have made numerous new friends, experienced a different type of life and feel very optimistic for your future!

If you have any other worries or queries just let me know! Our next year in DC111 is going to be absolutely amazing, I guarantee you so look forward to it!!

Thank you so much... Feeling so much more excited now... I love business and accounting in school so I don't know what I'm worrying about really!!