Prospective Students: Q&A and Information on courses

ApeXaviour

It's this time of year again where people frantically ask questions that may decide the direction their life will take. It was suggested by our ever venerable SU education officer that this thread might be set up and stickied to keep the questions together, and as an information source for others.

I hope he (Myth) will have more to add but in the meantime here you can find some official information on the college's courses: http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/courses/index.html

Our own boards wiki page delves lightly into the College faculties and their courses: http://www.boards.ie/wiki/index.php/Trinity_College_Dublin

If you've any questions about courses, please don't hesitate to ask here. Though I'd ask that you could keep them as specific as possible.

ApeXaviour

Our first question asked in a different thread I'm moving here and deleting that post.

Evernal wrote:

What fees do you pay to get into Trinity College?
If I wanted to do Medicine, would I have to pay a 6000 Euro Tuition Fee? ( I'm not doing mdicine, its only an example)
If I dont have to pay tuition fees, what fees do you pay for?

If you are an Irish citizen and you apply to the college through the CAO using your leaving cert or A-level results to make up your entry points. Then you won't have to pay college fees any more than you would have to had you gone to any other public college/university in the country. That is only with the exception of the government registration fees of 700 euro or so (you may be entitled not to pay this depending on what your parents earn).

Evernal

If I was to apply to 5 Courses would it be 700 * 5 = 3500 I would have to pay?
If I was to apply to five courses, do you think there is a high chance of getting into the college itself?

ApeXaviour

Evernal wrote:

If I was to apply to 5 Courses would it be 700 * 5 = 3500 I would have to pay?
If I was to apply to five courses, do you think there is a high chance of getting into the college itself?

Emmm....

Maybe it would help if you told us a little more about yourself, as in what year in school you are in. Are you doing the leaving cert? Are you an irish citizen?

Cos to be honest you don't seem to know how the CAO works..

Evernal

5th yr in Leaving Cert.
Yes, I was always an Irish Citizen!

aodh_rua

Evernal wrote:

If I was to apply to 5 Courses would it be 700 * 5 = 3500 I would have to pay?
If I was to apply to five courses, do you think there is a high chance of getting into the college itself?

The fee is a registration fee - so it's not an application cost. If you were to accept entry into more than one course, and for some reason you were admitted, the state would only cover fees for one. The free fees initiative only covers students in full-time education who are doing the year for the first time (repeating for first year - you have to pay fees; changing course to do a different first year - you have to pay fees).

Evernal

When I said apply to five courses, I mean that I want to get 1 of them, so if I was declined one, then there is a chance of getting into another course!

ApeXaviour

Okay then to answer your question:

On the CAO you can apply for 10 degree courses in any Irish public university. You put them in order of preference. You will get the highest placed course on this list that you have enough points for. So in essence you only really apply for one course. You can only possibly attend ONE of these courses anyhow. And since you only pay the registration fee for the course you attend (as opposed to the one's you applied for) you can only pay it once.

Evernal

So you can apply to 10 Trinity Courses, or 10 different college courses?

CAO handbook is online. Should answer some questions on how the CAO works...

http://www2.cao.ie/handbook.php

ApeXaviour

Evernal wrote:

if I was declined one, then there is a chance of getting into another course!

Not really. This is why you write them on your CAO in order of preference, so if you want course A over course B. Then put A as number one and B as number two. So if you get enough points say for both courses you will only be offered course A as it was your higher preference. That explain it well enough?

EDIT:
Yeah thanks myth: Read that link he posted Evernal, it will answer all your questions

Evernal

Evernal wrote:

So you can apply to 10 Trinity Courses, or 10 different college courses?

You can apply for 3 Trinity, 4 UCD, 1 Sligo....You have 10 places, use them as you wish...

Evernal

I understand what ur saying, so it goes this way, I place 10 different Trinity Courses in order of my own preference, so does this mean I am guaranteed or there is a good chance I will get into Trinity

ApeXaviour

Evernal wrote:

I understand what ur saying, so it goes this way, I place 10 different Trinity Courses in order of my own preference, so does this mean I am guaranteed or there is a good chance I will get into Trinity

That is a personal thing and there is no way we could know. It depends on how many points the course you apply for is, and how many points you get in the leaving cert, dassit. We can't help you with this.

Evernal

Myth wrote:

You can apply for 3 Trinity, 4 UCD, 1 Sligo....You have 10 places, use them as you wish...

Why cant it be Trinity 5 or Trinity 7 or Sligo 3 etc?

Evernal

What if I get 530 Points, and I cover all the points for every course then?

ApeXaviour

Evernal wrote:

Why cant it be Trinity 5 or Trinity 7 or Sligo 3 etc?

I'm beginning to think you are [wiki]trolling[/wiki]. Please don't lead me to think this anymore.

Evernal wrote:

What if I get 530 Points, and I cover all the points for every course then?

No.
Many courses last year were over 530: http://www.cao.ie/institutions/DEG04.HTM#trd

Evernal

I'll quit asking questions then seen as Im been accused of something called trolling.
I just like to find out answers to questions I don;t know, but if I can't do that then I might as well unregister as a memeber of this website.

Evernal

ApeXaviour wrote:

It's this time of year again where people frantically ask questions that may decide the direction their life will take.

If you've any questions, please don't hesitate to ask here. .

I thought I could do this, ask any questions but it's not allowed!

ApeXaviour

Evernal wrote:

I thought I could do this, ask any questions but it's not allowed!

It was solely the following that lead me to think you were trolling:

Myth wrote:

You can apply for 3 Trinity, 4 UCD, 1 Sligo....You have 10 places, use them as you wish...

Why cant it be Trinity 5 or Trinity 7 or Sligo 3 etc?

You ask a strange question that is clearly and blatantly answered in what you quoted. Why? Are you trying to waste our time? We're very willing to answer people's genuine questions, but I have no patience for time-wasters.

cuckoo

http://www.skoool.ie/skoooltime.asp

Is another guide to the CAO applications process and has information about careers.

FAO Evernal: The CAO application process isn't complicated once you have a read about it, and if your school has a Career Guidance person they'll be talking to your classes about it over the next two years.

Evernal

I thought that he was saying you could only apply to 3 Trinity Courses, I misunderstood what if he said, but I'm happy to know now that I can apply more than 3 to Trinity.

I have never been accused of anything on other boards and I don't want it to start now, so I think I'm better off staying away from these boards for a while until it's safe to post or maybe I will go onto another Trinity Board on other websites or something.

I found out a lot of information anyway, so thank you for that!

Evernal

Thanks Cuckoo, I have a Cuckoo Clock at home!!!

celingfan

Evernal wrote:

Thanks Cuckoo, I have a Cuckoo Clock at home!!!

I like this guy he is an idiot a retard at that but he does this on purpose and make the rest of yous look like a flock of quadraplejics ( spelling is irrevelent). Continue my good but simple sir.

Pet

Evernal wrote:

Thanks Cuckoo, I have a Cuckoo Clock at home!!!

I have knives at home. Stabby stabby!! *manic laugh*

Stargal

Originally Posted by Evernal
Thanks Cuckoo, I have a Cuckoo Clock at home!!!

ROFLMAO

the smiley one

Just wondering what the dealio with "scholarships" is? I was looking up the trinners website and trying to find something on it. Is it the "enterance exhibitions" and if so, d'you think I'd be eligable (got 590 pts and took law and German - 535). Also what do you get?

thanx

There's a huge amount of information as always in the college calendar. It's your one stop shop for all things academic.

http://www.tcd.ie/Secretary/College_Calendar/Part_I/pdf/t1.pdf

punka

the smiley one wrote:

Just wondering what the dealio with "scholarships" is? I was looking up the trinners website and trying to find something on it. Is it the "enterance exhibitions" and if so, d'you think I'd be eligable (got 590 pts and took law and German - 535). Also what do you get?

thanx

yeah you'll get an entrance exhibition. anyone over 545 i think gets it, though given point inflation they might raise that threshold. but with 590 you'll be fine. you get about €250 split over 2 years (so 125 each year) in the form of a "book prize" - when you go to claim it you choose which bookshop (out of hodges figgis, waterstones and easons) you want to spend it in. some people go and "break" it in waterstone's to get lots of shop vouchers back which can then be used in hmv. but tbh it's handy to put towards the cost of books, particularly if you're doing something like law.

schols are something completely different. see the other thread in this forum, and check the calender like myth suggested. basically they're on the basis of special exams you take in your 2nd year.

Sisu

Here's a summary for the smiley one as a Law and German student:-

You sit schol during the Easter break of second year. For Law and German, you’d do (i) four law exams (your choice from your German and Irish law subjects taught in the first two years, at least one subject from each year) worth 80% of the total marks and (ii) two written and an oral German exams, worth 20%. If you get a II.I (60%+) overall and in individual second year subjects, you are exempt from sitting them in the summer of second year. If you get a first (70%+) overall, you get schol, ie free rooms, dinner and fees (which is relevant at postgrad level) for up to five years. It’s a very good idea to try them. One girl in Law and German got it this year and two people in the year who just finished have it.

the smiley one

thanks for all the help, will check it out!

edibility

I'm hoping for trinity accomodation, having accepted computer science ( \o/ ) and was just wondering what exactly they look for from new applicants?

"Supporting Statement: (Plain text only. 1800 Chars Max.) Please indicate how you believe your application meets the advertised criteria for room allocation"

I presume this means to say why you feel you're suitable for trinity accomodation, but I'm not too sure whether to make myself seem incredibley sociable etc, or just explain why I want the accomodation? It's not that I'm not sociable, but when I write down that I am it seems very false and what not.

THE1NE

You've probably done it already but just say your not within commuting distance,put down any illness you have? (Asthma...whatever).
Other reasons why you need the accomodation and you should get it.
Thats what I done and I checked it just there and I got it so im dellllliighted!!

THE1NE

BTW im doing Science this year.
What I was planning was doing Maths,Biology and Physics or is that a bad idea.
Chemisty and Physics or Chemisty and Biology would probably be a better idea,right?
I've done Chemistry,Physics and Biology all for the leaving already though so would it make a distance.
Its just I don't want to **** up my options down the line in 2nd and 3rd year now.
Please help!!

cuckoo

THE1NE wrote:

BTW im doing Science this year.
What I was planning was doing Maths,Biology and Physics or is that a bad idea.
Chemisty and Physics or Chemisty and Biology would probably be a better idea,right?
I've done Chemistry,Physics and Biology all for the leaving already though so would it make a distance.
Its just I don't want to **** up my options down the line in 2nd and 3rd year now.
Please help!!

I'm doing science (maths, chemistry and physics for the first two years, i'll be going into physics in oct) and during the first week of first year the faculty do lots of 'taster' lectures in all the subjects, plus there are opportunities to talk to lecturers about what options you can take. From what i remember, we filled in a form in the 2nd or 3rd week of term, and had to have it signed by an advisor - the faculty set up an afternoon with lecturers sitting at tables in the hamilton and we could talk to them and get our forms signed then. They will bombard you with information about all this - there'll be stuff in the post, it'll all be run through in the orientation talks in Freshers Week and once you get your tcd email account (again, during Freshers Week) they'll send you reminder emails - the Sci Faculty use email a lot to tell us about deadlines.

So, you don't need to choose before you start college!

There's no right or wrong combination, it all depends on what degree you want to specialise in for third and fourth year - and what subjects you're interested in.

there's some info on the faculty page here:

http://www.tcd.ie/Science/tr071.php

the_rook

Maths, Physics and Biology is actually a really stupid combination.

I'll go into it in detail if you want at a later stage, but seriously, take it from me, do not do this combination.

the_rook

There are two things you need to decide. Whether you want to go the Physical Science way or the Biological Science way. You can do chemistry from either route. But you can't leave you're options open to do either Physics or Biology at the later stage. The reason is, the majority of Moderatorships you take in 3rd Year require JF Chemistry. THe exceptions are physiology, botany and Zoology. And ES if you're lucky.

but, if you're certain you want to take physics, you'll be much better complemented by studying Chemistry, rather than Biology. I'm not 100% on this, Apexaviour or SleepingB can clarify this, but if you take Bio and Physic in JF, you don't do the exact same physics course or something.

So in summary, if you plan on doing physics, imo, do Physics, Chemistry and Maths. If you plan on doing Chemistry, do the same, but, it isn't a problem if you Biology, Chemistry, Maths. If you're considering Biology subjectscfor JS, do Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Bio,chem,x,maths methods. You probably don't know what you want to do, so Bio,chem and maths leaves you the most options, but absolutely removes the opportunity to do phyiscs.

Decide if you want to do physics, a lot of people come in to the college with the intention of doing physic forever, so they don't have a problem with the subject choice. I'm rambling i'll stop.

sleepingbeauty

the_rook wrote:

but, if you're certain you want to take physics, you'll be much better complemented by studying Chemistry, rather than Biology. I'm not 100% on this, Apexaviour or SleepingB can clarify this, but if you take Bio and Physic in JF, you don't do the exact same physics course or something.

yep if you take physics and biology in first year then you do physics B, which is an easier course than what chemistry/geo people do (physics A). you dont go into as much detail and i dont think its very mathsy (cant really remember tbh). so youre at a slight disavantage if you do end up wanting to do physics in the next years.

also to add to the_rooks post above, if you want to do physics then geog/geol instead of chem is an okay choice too. there is prob more overlap with chem and phy courses but i know quite a few people who did geology in 2nd year and are gonna do physics or astrophysics next year. id say chemistry would be handy for biology courses though.

THE1NE do you know what you want to specialise in yet? i could ramble for ages about subject choices in science, but if i knew what you wanted to do i could tell you only what you want to know rather than any unecessary info! if you dont know yet then id say just go with what you enjoy doing, and also talk to lecturers etc in freshers week to get an idea of what the courses are like (you have to talk to them anyway to get forms signed so you might as well take advantage of their expertise!)

THE1NE

the_rook thanks a mil'.
Nah ya weren't rambling was v.helpful.
sleepingbeauty thanks too.

Trust me I will definetely take any chance to talk to the lecturers about it,I was going to take a phone no. off the site and ring one of them and ask but I'll just wait.
I don't know what I'll do yet.
Either Bio,Chem or Phys,Chem.
Biology and Physics were my favourite at LC.
Physiology sounds interesting but im staying away from Botany and Zoology because I know someone who went down that route,Got a PhD and couldn't find work with it.

I'll see how it goes anyway,Astro-Physics is interesting aswell and I really like Physics.But then on Biology front I find Genetics really interesting too.
Anyway thanks for the help and if you have anything else you think I should know lemme' know!

ApeXaviour

My guide to picking your subjects for JF science:

Ordered by priority.
1: Pick your subjects based on what you need to qualify for the moderatorship of your choice. ie do geog/geol if you want to do geography in JS/SS (3rd/4th year).

2: Don't do physics and biology together.

3: Do FULL maths if possible. If you were in any way half decent at LC maths (say C3 honours) you will not only find this very useful, but very handy. The exam-papers are very predictable and you have no labs.

THE1NE

Ok thanks again.
I'll talk it through with one of the lecturers I don't know wheter I want to go into Physics or Biology so it will either be Maths-Phys-Chem or Maths-Bio-Chem.
And im def doing full maths,Only got a B2 higher LC which was a total shock but theres no question fo me not doing full maths.

Scarinae

I'm going to be starting in Science this year, but I'm not sure whether to take Maths or Maths Methods. I'm pretty sure I'll be taking Biology and Chemistry anyway, but if I do Maths Methods I can also take Geography/Geology - is this a good or bad idea? Would my workload be much more if I did it this way? The prospectus isn't too clear on this. I wasn't sure if Maths Methods was meant only for students who did ordinary level Maths for Leaving Cert, or if anyone can take it - I did higher for my LC. I'm not sure what area I want to specialise in yet though, so I thought maybe doing Geography/Geology as well would be useful. Which third & fourth year courses are you prevented from doing if you don't do Geography/Geology? The prospectus lists all the courses you can do but it doesn't tell you which first & second year courses you have to take to get into each one

ApeXaviour

THE1NE wrote:

And im def doing full maths,Only got a B2 higher LC which was a total shock but theres no question fo me not doing full maths.

Glad to hear it. On a different day you woulda prob done better.

Fishie wrote:

but if I do Maths Methods I can also take Geography/Geology - is this a good or bad idea?

Depends.. Do you reckon you'll want to do geography? It's kind of a pseudo-science subject not like LC, closer to arts imo (it is an arts course in UCD btw).

Fishie wrote:

Would my workload be much more if I did it this way?

Yes. not a ridiculus amount more but more nevertheless. Also (IMO) if you keep up the maths you find difficult concepts in your other subjects come to you easier. It's like excercise for the abstract reasoning part of your brain.

Fishie wrote:

The prospectus isn't too clear on this. I wasn't sure if Maths Methods was meant only for students who did ordinary level Maths for Leaving Cert, or if anyone can take it

It's for anybody who chooses not to take full maths as a subject in the JF year

Fishie wrote:

I'm not sure what area I want to specialise in yet though, so I thought maybe doing Geography/Geology as well would be useful. Which third & fourth year courses are you prevented from doing if you don't do Geography/Geology?

Geography only. You can take up geology, with little difficulty I might add, in SF (2nd year) having not done it in JF. Trust me on this, many of my friends have done and passed it.

Fishie wrote:

The prospectus lists all the courses you can do but it doesn't tell you which first & second year courses you have to take to get into each one

I've attached a table of the prerequisite (which you will recieve a booklet on soon don't worry) subjects you need to get into each moderatorship.

THE1NE

Its kind of weird that you get a degree in the area you specialise in rather than a straight up Science degree,No other colleges do that.
Anyway im sure it makes little difference.

Think I'll do Chemistry and Biology.
Which will leave me open for Genetics and Neuroscience and a load of other stuff..
But not Physics/AstroPhysics which is Biaatch,But what can ya do!

cuckoo

THE1NE wrote:

Its kind of weird that you get a degree in the area you specialise in rather than a straight up Science degree,No other colleges do that.
Anyway im sure it makes little difference.

it's also a little weird that we'll be (fingers crossed, touch wood, etc) getting a BA rather than a BSc.

THE1NE

BA is Bachelors Arts and Bsc is Bachelors Science,right?
Thats messed up!!!

ApeXaviour

THE1NE wrote:

Its kind of weird that you get a degree in the area you specialise in rather than a straight up Science degree,No other colleges do that.
Anyway im sure it makes little difference.

No I'm pretty sure all colleges do that. I mean what is a "straight up science degree"?

However trinity (afaik) are the only ones who give a BA in any of the science moderatorships.

The entry into the natural science course just allows you to explore and specialise later than picking your career at 17. Lets you get a feel for what you want and gives you a bit of an all important grounding in other science areas.

What about degrees that are not taken through the natural science course like med-chem and phys&chem of advanced materials. You realise that you can jump say in third year between these and different other moderatorships

Crash

BA Mod is only issued by Trinners, Oxford and Cambridge i think, that right?

tis the exact same and seen as such as a BSc in the same subject like.

Comp Sci is a ba(mod) degree.

AndyWarhol

crash_000 wrote:

BA Mod is only issued by Trinners, Oxford and Cambridge i think, that right?

tis the exact same and seen as such as a BSc in the same subject like.

Comp Sci is a ba(mod) degree.

Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin actually.

Scarinae

ApeXaviour wrote:

Depends.. Do you reckon you'll want to do geography? It's kind of a pseudo-science subject not like LC, closer to arts imo (it is an arts course in UCD btw).

It's really more Geology that I find interesting, not that mad about Geography. I probably wouldn't go to finish in Geology but I would like to see what it's like

ApeXaviour wrote:

Yes. not a ridiculus amount more but more nevertheless. Also (IMO) if you keep up the maths you find difficult concepts in your other subjects come to you easier. It's like excercise for the abstract reasoning part of your brain. It's for anybody who chooses not to take full maths as a subject in the JF year

Would I be at a huge disadvantage if I took Maths Methods then? I think I would be able for Maths just I didn't think it'd be much of an advantage unless you were taking Physics, which I won't be

ApeXaviour wrote:

Geography only. You can take up geology, with little difficulty I might add, in SF (2nd year) having not done it in JF. Trust me on this, many of my friends have done and passed it.

Thing is though, half the reason I want to do Geology in JF is because I want to see if I like it, I've never studied it before. I don't think I'd just randomly take up Geology in SF if I hadn't done it in JF year

ApeXaviour wrote:

I've attached a table of the prerequisite (which you will recieve a booklet on soon don't worry) subjects you need to get into each moderatorship.

Thanks for that, it's really useful!

air_vent

crash_000 wrote:

BA Mod is only issued by Trinners, Oxford and Cambridge i think, that right?

tis the exact same and seen as such as a BSc in the same subject like.

Comp Sci is a ba(mod) degree.

Trinners YOU MAKE ME SICK. andyworhol has it in one DUBLIN,