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Study English in UCD?

  • 27-06-2017 9:07pm
    #1
    Ella89
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 ✭


    I'm thinking of studying English in UCD. Wondering if anyone who has studied or is studying it as either joint or single honours can offer advice on workload, course content, assessment etc.? Any info good/bad appreciated
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  • #2
    Maldesu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,416 ✭✭✭Maldesu


    Ella89 wrote: »
    I'm thinking of studying English in UCD. Wondering if anyone who has studied or is studying it as either joint or single honours can offer advice on workload, course content, assessment etc.? Any info good/bad appreciated

    Did it as my minor. Work load is heavy, some modules having a book read each week with class work prepared for each. This could be for up to 5-6 modules per semester. (For my minor it was 2 modules).
    There is a pretty good range of modules to choose from when you hit the 3rd year stuff. First year is pretty handy from what I recall of it.
    Second year, most hated module for all students was Critical Theory - bit of everything in it and can be difficult. Lots of reading and extra reading.

    Third year modules - There is one on Zombies (Sharae is v. nice), Literature and Science (basically how people wrote about the fears/understanding of modern science eg. Island of Dr. Moreau type stuff) - There are loads of options and the department is pretty nice.

    Assessments do vary, but most is an essay and an exam. To do well, make sure you have outside sources to supplement your answers. Don't just rely on what you heard in class.

    Tip - get a copy of whatever referencing guide they use (MLA/Harvard/etc) - Physically buy it and keep it near. You can use the net, but sometimes the net gets them wrong. If you have the book, you know your right.

    Bad things - group work. You will get angry and hate it.

    Hated module - Year 2, Reading the Story of Ireland - big Joyce fans.


  • #3
    Mr.Saturn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,997 ✭✭✭Mr.Saturn


    They've revamped Critical Theory since I've done it (overdue considering the one-time uber-high fail rate of the thing), I've actually heard of people enjoying it now. It went from mid-term essay and end-of-term exam to a series of worksheets each tutorial and an exam, so it doesn't seem to be the beast it once was, but they might have tinkered with it again.

    English in UCD is overall very enjoyable. 1st year because it's all new and cool and whatnot, and 3rd is brilliant as it feels like there is so much choice in which to specialize and all classes are just tutorials with loads of discussion time. That's before getting to the whole 'assessment's mostly by essay' business. 2nd year can be a slog because the workload will be the highest it's ever been, where you're focusing in on particular periods and all have the same 40% essay/60% exam. Basically, it can feel like something of a marathon, but it's ultimately worth it.

    The group work in 1st year exists as some concession by the teaching and learning mafia to bolt 'transferable skills' onto learning outcomes (not wrong, technically, I suppose), but the reality is you and a peer will shoulder the bulk of the labour while the other one/two disappear for 12 weeks and only seem to reappear 5 hours before deadline with whole host of semi-useless suggestions as they wanna look like they did something. Don't think it's a unique experience in terms of group work, but, yeah, the experience might make a wee bit bitter.


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