Computer Science

phreak

which is the best/worst computer science courses to do in ireland?

i'm trying to decide what college i want to go to and any help would be great

Gavin

Don't go to UCD.

DCU Computer Applications and Trinity Computer Science are seen as being currently the best in Ireland.

Gav

zAbbo

The course run at Dundalk IT is pretty good, thats the one i`m doing at the mo, basically computer courses are split into 2

Computer Programming(soft dev)
Computer Applications(support)

Depends what road you wanna go down

Gavin

Originally posted by pcirl.com
The course run at Dundalk IT is pretty good, thats the one i`m doing at the mo, basically computer courses are split into 2

Computer Programming(soft dev)
Computer Applications(support)

Depends what road you wanna go down

I don't know if I would quite agree with that. My course is labelled CA, but there's quite a range of things covered, from processor design to programming.

I wouldn't say that support is an accurate description. No one goes to college to get a qualification in support ( unless you have remarkably little ambition ). You will typicaly either come out as a programmer be it hardware/lowlevel/highlevel programming or system administration. I say typicaly, there are of course other option, teaching/research etc.

Gav

zAbbo

Support as everything from a PC to routers, i wouldn`t count network support as ltitle ambition. But perhaps i didn`t make myself clear. I agree with you that technical support wud be a poor choice(working for dell etc. in front of a pc helping people on the phone). There are a lot of good courses but it`s down to the individual and how much interest you have. There are people in my course who`ll tell you that they hate it, others will say it`s great. Open to discussion on this one.........

Gavin

yeah i think we are just getting mixed up with our words. I see support as being dell desktop type crap. System Administration as network/machine maintenance.

Gav

phreak

What is wrong with UCD?

Gavin

The computer science course has a very bad reputation. I quite like UCD itself mind you

Gav

decob

Originally posted by Phreak
What is wrong with UCD?

Whats right with UCD

Raskolnikov

Just curious but why would i want to go to Trinity over UCD? UCD has a cool new building whereas Trinity has a crappy terraced house thingy

Gavin

Cause you want a job at the end of the day and you want to actually like your course ?

Gav

decob

was it not the trinity CS course that none of them got jobs last year..

In my day DCU, UL and WIt were regrded as the best Computer Courses in the country.

Gavin

*ahem* I don't think many people from many courses got jobs last year...

did they ... ?

Gav

papashiv0

quote:

---

Originally posted by Phreak
What is wrong with UCD?

---

Nothing is really that wrong with UCD but its a bit big and there are so many assh0les and Ag Science heads with wellies that it just kinda sucks.
The lovelly gray Concentration camp style buildings don't do much to help it either and the library lookslike a big pill box.

Drazhar

UL has a great Comp SYS course but they keep changin it, im in my third year, and they have changed the course. We only did C++ for my 3 years, but they're offering C++, Java and a load of web based languages and stuff.

Drazhar

sorry, thats keep changing the course for each first year, not keep changing is as you go through it. Its fairly comprehensive,

for example this year ive done Computer Graphics in Java, AI, Networks, Human Computer Interaction, Programming Language Tech, The entire internals of Linux, though they aint doing that anymore, by the way i recommend Operating Systems with Linux, by John O Gorman, if u want to know the internals of linux, without getting incredibly techical.

SheroN

UL, WIT or DCU. I have heard nothing but bad things about the computer course in Trinity.

decob

Originally posted by Verb
*ahem* I don't think many people from many courses got jobs last year...

did they ... ?

Gav

well not everyone... i know what 10/15 from ca who got jobs... cept me.... so i came back for another year

seamus

Originally posted by papashiv0

Nothing is really that wrong with UCD but its a bit big and there are so many assh0les and Ag Science heads with wellies that it just kinda sucks.
The lovelly gray Concentration camp style buildings don't do much to help it either and the library lookslike a big pill box.

You need to be a fan of anonimity to enjoy it . The pure CS course I've heard is bollox for the first 2 years, but the CS/Science course (my one), I've found is fine. Lot of BS in it though. That said, go to DIT or DCU (they're just plain better for work experience).

Jelvon

well I am on the queen's computer science degree course, I would recommend it, do a extra year at the end and you come out with a MSc. Heck we even get our own building complete with t3 line just for ourselves. Lectures aren't bad either

roar_ie

considering no one has posted about my course i will. I am currently in 2nd yr. of computer science (software development and internet systems formal course title) in DIT Kevin st. It is a fairly new course only in its 3rd year. it covers a wide range of computing subjects. You would be best looking for the prospectus on the website http://www.dit.ie

phreak

Originally posted by Jelvon
well I am on the queen's computer science degree course, I would recommend it, do a extra year at the end and you come out with a MSc. Heck we even get our own building complete with t3 line just for ourselves. Lectures aren't bad either

yeah, i'm seriously considering queens. if i get a choice, i'd choose either Dublin or Belfast. Dublin because i know my way around(especially UCD area. i used to live near there) and belfast because its not as far away as dublin from where i live now and basically internet access is ****e in the south and with eircom in charge i could be on 56k for the next 10 years

Excelsior

NUI Maynooth is awful. Don't touch it with a barge pole. Great great college, awful course. Very confused about what kind of graduate they want at the end of it. Inevitably they'll get bad ones then.

If I was doing it over again I would go to CA in DCU. Superb course, well focused with good to very good lecturers.

Draco

Originally posted by Excelsior
NUI Maynooth is awful. Don't touch it with a barge pole. Great great college, awful course. Very confused about what kind of graduate they want at the end of it. Inevitably they'll get bad ones then.

The CS degree or the CSSE course? The CSSE has been a bit of a shamples alright...

BuffyBot

Originally posted by Excelsior

If I was doing it over again I would go to CA in DCU. Superb course, well focused with good to very good lecturers.

I know a few people doing CA in DCU - all say it's tough, but worth it

Wouldn't know for certain as didn't go there myself mind you

Gavin

I wouldn't say it's excessively tough really. A bit of common sense needed and a lot of work in third year and fourth year ( I'll let you know about that one in a year), but it's all quite doable. Just needs work !

Gav

BuffyBot

Originally posted by Verb
I wouldn't say it's excessively tough really. A bit of common sense needed and a lot of work in third year and fourth year ( I'll let you know about that one in a year), but it's all quite doable. Just needs work !

Gav

Yup, the guys I know are in years 3 + 4 of the degree

BossArky

I'd have to say that the Computer Systems course at UL is fairly good, being a 4th year, just finished up my undergrad formal lectures today. Kinda tough for the first year or two, then it comes out of the haze a bit. Great facilities, lots of mud.

Mutz

I.T Tallaght is pretty good at the Moment:

One Draw Back: The Lack of Computers :mad: They Basically take on too many students at one time and that really puts the strain on ya to have assignements in on time

decob

Originally posted by BuffyBoy


Yup, the guys I know are in years 3 + 4 of the degree

the 4th yrs would be doing the old format of the degree which was/is harder than the newer format with the streaming from 2nd year..

phoenix2181

I did the course in dundalk & then moved down to NCI a few years ago, nci was very good (lectureers really were into their work which was great) then I did my mcse & ccna, got a great job about 18 months ago. I highly recommend nci, & I hear they've moved down to a new campus in the IFSC

DeadBankClerk

Originally posted by RASKOLNIKOV
Just curious but why would i want to go to Trinity over UCD? UCD has a cool new building whereas Trinity has a crappy terraced house thingy

No, no, no!
In TCD computer science we have 3 prefabs and no fixed place for lectures. We have lectures in every building in the college from geography (GLT,M17) to arts block to science block (H5, H3) to the medicine block (MOYNE) to the physics building (basement) to the chemistry building (CHLLT) . And another arts block for good measure (AAP).

Bit of a nomad course. Apparently they are building a faculty in the near future.

jonno

I'm just finished my first year doing computer systems in UL. First year is tough but if you put the work in it's fine. I realise that now. It's a great course. Brilliant facilities down here as well.

When I was trying to decide what to do I was advised that UL, W.I.T and DCU were the best ones with the best records

El_Presidente

CA in DCU is indeed a very good course.

Its not so much tough, more time consuming. I'm on work placement at the moment in 3rd year and have to say its been a great experience from 1st year onwards.

Some of the lecturers suck but I'm sure its the same in any college. The course is very good as is the general college experience you get from the place.

Umm... I sound like an Ad for DCU.....

Jackoman

I went to UCD and lasted all of two months. Hated the place and most of the crowd - so far up their own a$$es. Went to DIT Kevin Street in 1998 where I did Computer Science Diploma. First year wasnt bad, the next two were pretty tough. Basically its lots of programmig, C, C++, Java, Cobol and Pascal. Although I think they are constantly changing the languages they do. Was annoying also that for two years we had to do a foreign language. You also study computer hardware down to the very basics, coding, OS's, Unix, and web design. Its a real good course and if you do a fourth year you can get a degree. The job prospects are'nt as good as they used to be, but in three years when you are finished I'd say they will be good again.

My mate did Computer Applications in DCU. Personally I think that is a much better college, and the course is a really good one. Similar enough, but is four years long.

Dont know anything about anywhere else.

Gorthaur

did ca in DCU by night and then masters ditto. Very good . nice facilities (at least by the time I finished). lecturers are some good some bad (like everywhere).

The concensus at the time was that DCU & UL had the edge, WIT is supposed to be good if a bit strict on deadlines.

DIT kevin street revamped theres a coupke of years back and got kudos for it , don't know how it panned out.

HTH

Synkronite

Ive just finished my first year of Computer Science in UCC- I have to say it's really good (although it could be better in that it doesnt deal all that much with web development and web based applications, but apprently thats going to change starting fall'02). Id say most courses are the same.. UCCs computer facilities are excellent, we all have Pentium 1Ghz workstations with Windows2k/Linux in Addition to 2 Power Mac labs- enough computers for everyone three times over. And the HEAnetwork is sweet

The language of instruction in the first year is Java, but it diversifies a lot.. we do a logic course which is crap (and they are getting rid of it next year) Computer Systems is probably the same all over.. Discrete Maths I hated.. The Economics was, well, an extra..

Looking forward to my second year =]

Illkillya

hey Synkronite I just finished 1st year comp science in UCC also, hopefully i'll see you in 2nd year but i'll have to get through these repeat exams first

eden_my_ass

Don't get too excited about 2nd year Synkronite. I've just finished it and its not that great. The java is okay (you'll get as far as doing a few GUI apps, and wait for Derek Bridge, he'll rock you're world), the C is a joke (you might get to write a calculator program if you're lucky) and don't even mention stats ( a complete waste of time. On that point whats the situation with stats subjects in other colleges, its seems like every course in UCC has to do it now. In summation I don't claim to be the best at this crap, so its even more insulting to a course if I can pass second year without going to a single lecture, buying a single book, making any effort at assignments and thats after skipping first year (and this is what we call education, just give me my piece of paper and let me TRY and get a real job)...:)

twanda

Hey there,
Do any of you know of a good web design or compter aided design course in or around dublin?

Gerry

NUI Maynooth is a good course, with good lecturers, which has been seriously marred by some crappy decisions from on high. However, the lecturers are extremely good for the most part, better than dcu I would say. If you are enthusiastic, you will find the lecturers extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Don't go if you don't like computers / programming though. I say this because about half of CSSE has a deep hate for anything computer related, and no-one else should be making this mistake.
I'm sick of all the moaning which goes something like this:

"I shouldn't have picked this course, I have no interest in it, therefore I'll call the course crap, and divert attention away from my own stupidity".

JJSolutions

There may also be a cost of living issue - im glad i didnt go to college in Dublin, Comp Sys UL is a good course - it seems to be better now since when i was there, i was down a few months ago - feck the women are getting better every year

Whatever course you do -make sure you get involved in the Students union from the start - i left it till 3rd year when it came to the crunch and we werent happy with the way a few things were being run

(Hope you dont mind rain if you're thinkin of goin to Limerick)

Quigs Snr

Speaking to one of the girls in HR here, apparently as far as they are concerned the degrees go like this in order best to worst.

1. DCU - Bsc Computer Applications
2. UL - Bsc Computer Systems
3. WIT - Bsc Applied Computing


I would tend to agree with this as this correlates with a survey I read in 1993 from IT employers before deciding to go to DCU. I'm glad I did because since I got out in 1997 the DCU tag on my Bsc seems to be worth a bit of mileage with employers and has opened lots of doors for me(of course after a while, experience alone counts and degrees become unimportant).

Ul is excellent, and my bro did the WIT one, which in terms of course structure and content is almost identical to the DCU course, so don't rule that one out. The points are also very low, so it's easy to get in, but hard to stay in mind, none of these courses is exactley a doddle.

If you need to know more specifics of these courses let me know.

Quigs Snr

WIT is good from a cost of living point too by the way. Waterford is a nice town to go to college. I used to come down from DCU every spring for their rag week.

spuddy

wouldnt knock ucd - just finished my first year and had no probs

lectures are fine - good facilities - ok some parts of the course are tough but u'll find that in most courses.
there are lots of good points - there arent too many hours, only bout 50 ppl do it so u get 2 know most of ur class - design a game in groups of 3 which goes towards ur final mark - not too fast paced

other ppl have said different but i didnt meet ne assh***s - most ppl were grand - u get used to the size of the place - theres plenty of space - 3 pubs, restaurants, large student centre, gym + loads of other sports facilities - theres a good atmosphere in the place (not too mention one or two fine lookin women!)

if ya dont mind the fact that some of the buildings are a bit ugly!, that ya might run into some ag students in wellies (thou i didnt see any) and ur not a boring anti-social bas***d u'll enjoy urself.

tcd has a 30% drop out rate for cs in first year, ucd's is 15%
- facts speak for themselves

rob1891

I think you'll find the faculty quite frustrating at times in UCD. Also, if you're any good at the subject, you'll start to notice great exceptions being made for less adept students. After a while you begin to wonder what kind of standards are being set, your grade doesn't mean much when you see other people passing their summer exams ... without actually passing. (Well it's not that bad, but there are definitely rules being bent to get student's into their final year.)

I have also noticed the course material is pruned almost ever year, you'll see past exam papers with questions you've never covered, and notice an odd comment or two from a lecturer "we don't cover that anymore" , why not?? (class sizes apparently, though I think we're just not up to it).

I think the root of the problem is they are not getting enough high quality and interested students. I don't know if this is because there isn't as much interest in the computer industry after the tech crash or if this bad reputation that I've seen here is having an effect (certainly, if I had known DCU was top of HR's list I'd not have UCD top of my CAO) <ungrounded speculation> If they're going to keep their government grants they have to fill the places (what with that new shiny building and all) and the standards are being let slip.</ungrounded speculation>
Well, that's the opinion of a 3rd year UCD CS student (now deferring in Sun, you'll need the break from them after 3 years!!).

Hopefully with the new course that's being given to denominated CS students (i.e. non general science people) things will get better.

rob.

Draco

Originally posted by rob1891
I have also noticed the course material is pruned almost ever year, you'll see past exam papers with questions you've never covered, and notice an odd comment or two from a lecturer "we don't cover that anymore" , why not?? (class sizes apparently, though I think we're just not up to it).

Courses change over the years. You may not be noticing other material added after some was taken out.

Gerry

Nah, its completely correct. Plenty of stuff in second year CSSE was skipped over, or left out from the previous years. I fully agree with the rest of rob1891's post, and I can say that the same thing goes on in NUI Maynooth. Its a graduate factory mentality that most of the lecturers hate, but they are going along with it anyway. Money is being spent on getting more students in, instead of on the large classes that are already there. I know plenty of people who should not have made it past 2nd year, but the standards have been dropped for them. Its up to you to realise what sort of standard you should be at, and work to that by yourself.

Raskolnikov

In UCC they have removed the joint honours computer science + maths or stats. Another sign of dumbing things down methinks

Marlon

Have to agree that the CSSE course (NUIM) has cheapened a lot since it was introduced 4 years ago. There are too many people that shouldn't be there as a result.

The vast majority of the lecturers are very good though (with a few exceptions) and are very helpful if you need advice or help.
The CS dept. was told to pass more people by the college president, as the failure rate was too high

Pepe LeFrits

Originally posted by papashiv0
the library lookslike a big pill box.

ahahah