Has Maynooth gone to sh*t?

Permabear · 03-01-2009 04:37PM

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brianthebard · 03-01-2009 05:27PM

I agree with most of what you are saying df, and since moving to another uni I gained a new appreciation of what Maynooth had to offer. However in the past few years (afaik connected to the present president) there has been a policy of rapid expansion and a desire to pack as many students in as possible, which had already put a strain on facilities in maynooth when I left and can only be getting worse. I'm in galway atm and even though it has almost twice as many students as maynooth the number of services, pc's, library size, canteen size is pretty much the same as maynooth. If they don't start to upgrade facilities in nuim soon and acknowledge the increased needs of students then the students will see a fall in quality of university services imo.

Permabear · 03-01-2009 06:31PM

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Acacia · 03-01-2009 06:54PM

pisslips wrote: »

But why would an 18 year old choose to spend possibly their only time in third level education persuing a course thats ''not bad'' in a college thats ''fine''.
The fact that beau had a ,from the sounds of it, dysfunctional course is completely unacceptable and is not some glitch, incoming students should be informed about these things before they make any choices instead of the vague propaganda the universties publicise.

A very good point. I've had a similar experience in my course too, to be honest. Including the abolishment of tutorials in one subject which most definitely is more accessible with tutorials. That has been one of my biggest problems with Maynooth. I agree it's hardly 'going to sh!t', but, still, these 'glitches' are annoying to say the least.

Permabear · 03-01-2009 07:15PM

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banquo · 04-01-2009 12:17AM

I 1/2 agree with Donegal fella.

I do believe though that any uni, by hiring the right people and having the right outlook, could be as good as Harvard. To me, ''not bad'' means that they just couldn't give a crap making it any better.

Any 18yo in the country can go to college, not so much that they don't get to go. If I had the option of a do-over, I'd have gone to DIT, which I now realise for my course is much much better.

Permabear · 04-01-2009 04:25AM

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LeixlipRed · 04-01-2009 04:08PM

Let's be brutally honest, admission standards in Maynooth are very poor. Some of these kids should not be in college. But money talks

brianthebard · 04-01-2009 05:42PM

Thats the case in every university Leixlip.

Ostrom · 04-01-2009 07:00PM

Unfortunate state, but part of the job

Its no different in ITs, but I have to say I found the range of ability at Uni level much greater

pisslips · 04-01-2009 07:43PM

donegalfella wrote: »

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Well, I don't think it should be nessasary for an 18 yr old to have to leave the country to get a decent education nor do I think that one has to get 600 points in their leaving or have to be well read enough to know exactly what they want to do and be at a high enough standard before university to get through some of these demanding interviews.And what if they don't have the money to live abroad and/or pay fees? You'd have to be a ridiculously commited young student to take on debt and leave your family to go live abroad because you feel some other colleges may have a better standard of education.IN fact i think you'd be a rather stupid young student. Some would say it takes bravery to ''follow your dream'', i would say given the information available to that young student, there's noway that he/she could ascertain what their ''dream'' might be and the most likely reason for he/she making such a choice is based on their desire to be acreditted with going to a prestigous university.So, you need money, perfect exam results, to move to a different country and already be well read in your desired subject, to even start learning, that doesn't make much sense to me.

Anyways, I'm only comparing it to other universities and it's fine, awfull in some areas and very good in others.If i was an eighteen year old with over 450 points say, which is the type of student a universtiy would want, give or take 50 and extra curiicular and potential, i would not go to Maynooth to do say, general science, I'd probably have gone to UCD or TCD but there wouldn't be much in it really, I don't know anything about the others or the biological sciences.

Permabear · 04-01-2009 08:15PM

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Beau · 04-01-2009 09:34PM

I don't think its ok to promote new courses as something they're not. In fact my original course director quit because he couldn't get the course to where he wanted it to be and apologised to us for selling us the course the way he wanted it rather than the way it was. The college just wasn't willing to develop it. The excuse that its better than it was just does not fly.

Anyway the point of this thread wasn't just about the university it was also about the so called 'Maynooth Experience' and it wearing thin. What is that anyway?

The gym is back open tomorrow!

Rozabeez · 05-01-2009 06:43PM

I reckon if I was a bogger I'd like Maynooth more. Now I'm fond of the place, but the fact that I live so close, I socialize, work and study there, means that there's no 'home' to go to in order to have a little break from the place. I haven't even bothered going up to study in the library yet because I reckon I'll just get narky.

pisslips · 06-01-2009 11:39AM

I've a pain in my stomach just thinking about it.
I haven't felt that bad about something since anticipating the prospect of doing commando crawls on and icey field.

Rozabeez · 08-01-2009 10:18AM

So eh, what do people like about Maynooth?

I'm in the library now and the view is lovely, particularly with the frosted over grass and blue sky.

Positivity, yeah!

LeixlipRed · 08-01-2009 10:57AM

Are there still tonnes of rabbits in the field out the back of the library? More in the summer I suppose. Used to just sit there and watch them scamper about

The old campus always looks so cool when it's frosty. Then into the warmth of Pugin for lunch. Anyone know is the swimming pool open this week by the way? Time to get back to training after the Christmas splurge.

Rozabeez · 09-01-2009 09:46AM

Swimming pool is open the usual hours, first time there yesterday, way nicer than I expected!

LeixlipRed · 09-01-2009 03:37PM

Haha, I won't tell you about what it was like before the renovations so

partyguinness · 09-01-2009 03:42PM

Maynooth doesnt have a reputation for anything (academic, social, sports) unless you want to join the priests...its like signing for Bolton Wanderers...low to mid table obscurity...sorry

Ostrom · 09-01-2009 03:45PM

Voice of experience?

mp3guy · 09-01-2009 06:28PM

partyguinness wrote: »

Maynooth doesnt have a reputation for anything (academic, social, sports) unless you want to join the priests...its like signing for Bolton Wanderers...low to mid table obscurity...sorry

Source?

And while you're at it, http://communications.nuim.ie/260909.shtml

partyguinness · 09-01-2009 06:38PM

mp3guy wrote: »

Source?

And while you're at it, http://communications.nuim.ie/260909.shtml

That is pure nonsense..every dog in the street that all the colleges will get selected "University of the Year" at some stage...its a publicity stunt to promote all the universities. And who the hell made the SUnday Times an authority on universities. They are in the businees of selling papers. Maybe the circulation in Kildare was slacking...wldnt surprise me.

mp3guy · 09-01-2009 06:46PM

partyguinness wrote: »

That is pure nonsense..every dog in the street that all the colleges will get selected "University of the Year" at some stage...its a publicity stunt to promote all the universities. And who the hell made the SUnday Times an authority on universities. They are in the businees of selling papers. Maybe the circulation in Kildare was slacking...wldnt surprise me.

Since you've nothing to back up your claim, I will no longer acknowledge what you have to say. Have fun posting in vain.

partyguinness · 09-01-2009 06:54PM

Good for you...you replied to my post not the other way around...

Heres a little test for you...compare the average mean CAO points to get into Maynooth with the other Universities. Then sit down and figure out why it is so low.

Heres a start..

no law department (that I have ever heard of),
no medical department,
no veterinary department,
no pharmacy department, and finally
no dental department

In fact, what does it have?

Still think your one of the big boys?? That is some "University of the Year alright...:D:D

Ostrom · 09-01-2009 06:56PM

partyguinness wrote: »

That is pure nonsense..every dog in the street that all the colleges will get selected "University of the Year" at some stage...its a publicity stunt to promote all the universities. And who the hell made the SUnday Times an authority on universities. They are in the businees of selling papers. Maybe the circulation in Kildare was slacking...wldnt surprise me.

And you are basing this on.....?

Hows about some sound argument?

PrivateEye · 09-01-2009 06:58PM

Typical Cork minnowism, Partybeamish.

What was your bad Maynooth experience?
Have you even been?

Points for Arts were higher in Maynooth than UCD this year, we have a fantastic science department and (I'm studying history myself) I reckon the best history department in (the) Dublin (area). I got the points to do the same thing in Trinity or UCD, and chose to do the course in NUIM, on the back of the Department. If we're lacking in a few fields fair enough, we're the fastest growing college and come on in leaps and bounds year by year. I wouldn't do what I'm doing anywhere else.

I see your point we don't do X,Y and Z, but what we do we do well. I'd rather the standards stay high than we introduce terrible departments.

Thinking the Sunday Times rigged the thing is bizarre to be honest, did they wreck the twin towers too?

partyguinness · 09-01-2009 07:00PM

I think my last post was pretty comprehensive on the matter..all fact or will you ignore it..as it prob hurts.

Acacia · 09-01-2009 07:56PM

partyguinness wrote: »

no law department (that I have ever heard of),

There is a department of business and law.

WhenISingAlong · 09-01-2009 08:06PM

partyguinness wrote: »

Heres a start..

no law department (that I have ever heard of),
no medical department,
no veterinary department,
no pharmacy department, and finally
no dental department

In fact, what does it have?

Still think your one of the big boys?? That is some "University of the Year alright...:D:D

The law courses were only introduced this year, so maybe that's why you've never heard of them.

And perhaps you can forgive NUIM for not having all the departments you listed considering it was only established in 1997, while other irish universities that have a wider range of departments are well over a hundered years old.

Has Maynooth gone to sh*t?

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