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My college course... (A 3rd-level student's insight)
Comments
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Anyone going for Chemical Sciences in UCC?
Hello!
I've done First Year Physics (CK408) and a lot of the course content is similar to Chemical Science.
You have 3 options in CK406: http://www.ucc.ie/en/ck406/
If you choose option 3 I can share my wisom with you!
If you're thinking about Option 2 I can help you with most of it.
If you want info on Option 1 I'm afraid I can't help you.
The main Chemistry module is CM1000, which I did even though most on my course didn't.
It's worth 15 credits and split into 3 sections - Inorganic, Physical and Organic. You also have labs every week (which are compulsory) and tutorials/workshops (which, despite what the lecturers tell you, are optional!)
The worst thing is that you have to do 3 MCQ (Multiple Choice) exams, which are a pain because they have negative marking.
Overall, it's an interesting module (apart from Organic which I found boring and difficult). The Inorganic and Physical are simple enough, slightly dull at times, but you do learn a lot of different types of Chemistry, so it's definitely worth doing.
The other module is called History of Chemistry, CM1100. I don't know anything about it because our course doesn't have it, but it's only worth 5 credits so it's likely to be straightforward enough.
If you're considering doing Option 3 and want information on it (The 2 Physics modules, 2 Applied Maths modules and the Maths module) don't hesitate to PM me! 0 -
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Anyone doing Music or Music with Arts down in Cork? Id love to hear more about it, Thanks
I nearly chose Music with Arts last year but ended up accepting Communications in DCU (btw if any of you are looking for info on that course, either ask away here, PM me, or crawl through that huge Communications topic on the DCU forum :pac:)
From what I hear it's pretty popular. I didn't look a huge amount into it but the one thing that did stand out for me is that the Music Department is actually a fair bit away from the main UCC campus...a good 15/20 minute if you're going to be staying in one of the apartments near the college. That aspect did put me off it a small bit because your classes and lessons won't just take place in the Music Dept. but also back on-campus, so you may have to go from the one place to the other during the day too.
One of my friends is just going into 3rd year in that course. If ya want to hear from him personally about the course itself, PM me and i'll send you on his e-mail address0 -
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Course: Law and arts in NUIMaynooth (New)
3 years
480 points or so
The classes are small and neat with good intro material.The course is only new and the college is still trying to get a handle on it but its looking positive.
Hours are minimal and given the first year modules, alot of time is left free for the student bar Maynooth also won university of the year in the sunday times.
(This is more an plee to Dublin people, please come to maynooth and save my sanity...just too many 'cavan' people) .....damn 5 points of ucd law
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May as well add a bit about my course
Politics (NUIM) - 360 points (2008).
The course topic at the minute anyway is very broad, and the topics are taught in a Socratic style, discussion would be promoted, and you would learn that way and by doing the readings also. You do two other arts subjects in first year, I'm doing Philosophy and Computer Science. As with the law course Barry is talking about up there, theres plenty of free time, which is also another thing I like about it. 0 -
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I'm doing Psychology in NUIM.
Course:
BA Psychology
Points:
It was 515 in my year, I don't know about last year. Also you can enter via arts so ~350 points I'd guess that way. But you have to compete for your place.
Number of students:
Any number in first year, there was about 200 in my psychology class. Then 70 in second year, and whoever doesn't drop out of that 70 will be around in three years.
Course structure:
Three years degree. In first year you do psychology and 2 other arts subjects that don't clash. I did Spanish and Philosophy which were both pretty good.
Then in second and third year you just study psychology.
Hours:
About 16 hours or so in first year depending on your subjects. In second year we have two hours of computers/statistics, six hours of lectures, and four hours of practical sessions per week.
Course Content:
The first year course has actually changed now so you don't do any practicals in first year, the classes were just getting too big, so I'm not exactly sure about the first year course in that respect. But for the other modules you study -
Biological and Developmental Psychology - 4 weeks of biopsych which is a more advanced look at the way our brain and nervous system work than you would have done for LC. I didn't do Biology for LC so it was a bit tough. And then 8 weeks of Developmental which is fairly interesting.
Cognitive and Social Psychology - Cognitive Psych is really good, it's about perception and memory and all that jazz. Social psych I found a little duller, but some of the studies were really interesting like Stanley Milgram's study.
Statistics of some description - This is pretty boring, but it's really easy, it lasts both semesters so you're only examined at the end. But don't worry, it's the easiest exam.
Experimental Methods - So in this class we used to do practicals and methodoly, but I don't know what they do now. I think there's some history and methodology etc.
So that's it for first year! In second year.......
Learning, Language and Behaviour - This class is the bane of my existance... Obviously everyone has their own tastes but I find it hideously boring. Me and my friend refer to it as - how to train your rat class.
Biological Basis of Behaviour - Alright! This is more like it. A really interesting class. Looks at cognitive neuropsych methodologies (e.g. neuroimaging). Looks at diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and their neurological basis. Looks at what different areas of the brain do, and what happens when we damage them etc. Really good stuff
Perception and Memory - Another pretty good lecture. It's like a WAY more indept version of the Cognitive Psychology you study in first year. Basically breaks the two areas down into their respective parts, and also studies the deficits that can occur - aphasia and amnesia for example. A really interesting class, quite biological, and requires a lot of study.
Statistics version 2.0 - So in this class you sit at a computer for 2 hours, and learn how to do everything you learned about in first year in the program SPSS. It's not really the most riviting class but it's definitley essential.
That's it for semester one anyway. In each module (except stats where you have a small test and hand outs to complete and be returned), you do one practical worth 22% (5000 word limit) and an essay worth 18% (1500/2500 word limit). You have two weeks to do each. So it's pretty tough going in terms of your work load.
Summary:
A good course, I'd recommend it. I really enjoyed getting to study another two arts subjects in second year. And if you find you prefer them to psychology you can continue on doing those! The workload in first year is pretty ok, and exams are easy enough to pass if you do a bit of study. In second year things really get taken up a notch however, you have 24 classes per module unlike the 12 you had in first year (shared between unrelated areas), and four modules instead of three. So even though you have less hours overall, you've got a LOT to learn.
One thing I would say is that you should make sure you wouldn't be more interested in psychiatry 0 -
Course: Medicine (5 years) at Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, UK.
Points: When I applied (2007), the grade requirement was AAABB with at least one A in a science subject; however demand for the course is increasing so I think those requirements are going to go up.
Application: Apply through UCAS. Deadline is mid October for entry the following year. Grades or grade predictions required along with a personal statement and a letter from a referee. UKCAT also required or if you have a previous degree and/or are over 21, you'll be required to sit the GAMSAT.
Website: http://www.pms.ac.uk/
Number of students: 214; 14 are international students; for first and second year we are split between two campuses in Exeter and Plymouth, 107 of us at each; we are split between Exeter, Plymouth and Truro for years 3-5. Small group sessions involve 6-8 students usually.
Hours: average 15 hours contact time during first year; however we have quite a large workload outside these hours referred to as 'self directed learning' (SDL).
Course Content: I think we're quite different from the Irish colleges in that we have patient and clinical skills experience during 'pre clinical' years. We work on a two week timetable (for first year, I don't know about second year) and have various different sessions...
Plenaries: The PC term for lectures, apparently they don't like lecturing 'at' us, they still do but anyway. I suppose some of them are good and including 'audience participation time' which can be good craic. We have three hour long plenaries one week and four the next. We have something called telematics which means that sometimes the lecture takes place at the Exeter campus and is streamed live to Plymouth and vice versa. We have microphones in case we want to ask the lecturer something and they're at the other campus. Streamed plenaries are available online about 48 hours after so we can use them for revision, which is pretty awesome.
LSRC: Life Sciences Resource Centre. We two 3 hour long sessions every second week. The first hours consists of a lecture in the IT suite which is usually on medical imaging. Then we are split into smaller groups and have a 35 min anatomy session, 35 min physiology session and then facilitated SDL.
CSRC: Clinical Skills Resource Centre. We have two 2 hour long sessions at one of the local hospitals every second week where learn how to take a BP, injections, blood taking, CPR, pregnant abdomen examinations, newborn baby examinations, communication skills etc. We are filmed during our communication skills sessions so we can look back at them after. We'll be learning how to scrub up for theatre after Xmas
Community placement: We have one 2 hour long placement every second week. We get sent to a variety of places including GP surgeries, with the midwives or physios (got to watch a C section when I was with the midwives!), specialist childrens' centres etc. It depends on what we are studying at the time.
Jigsaw sessions: One 2 hour long session every second week. Small group session, ours is facilitated by a GP. We talk about our placement experience and other issues, usually ethical ones. Not everyone's cup of tea but I quite enjoy them.
PBL: Problem based learning. Small group sessions- one 2 hour long one week, two 2 hour long the second week. Our curriculum is systems based and goes through the life cycle rather than subject (ie learning anatomy, biochemistry etc separately). So far we have done four cases which each last two weeks. They have been on conception (where we learned about fertilization, fertility treatments etc), fetal (we learned about embryology and pregnancy), infant (babies and their development) and childhood (concentrated on the musculoskeltal system and damage to the upper limbs). We are given a case (eg Mary and John can't conceive and have done such and such; they come to you as their GP and ask such and such; you ask them such and such). As a group we have to come up with questions and learning objectives at our first session. We then have to go home and research the answers ourselves and draw on what we are learning during the other sessions. We come back and share with the others during the next two sessions.
PBL style learning is how they do at the majority of colleges in Canada and the US I think and is considered a modern style of medical education compared to the old fashioned style of 9-5 lectures where you are spoon fed. However I think it is a case of each to their own so really you should decide which style of learning you feel would suit you.
Workshops: One 2 hour session every second week. We meet as a year group and split into smaller groups where we discuss some sort of ethical issue and then present our arguments to the rest of the year at the end of sessions. Haven't learned much from them yet tbh but they are good fun and a good bonding opportunity for the year
Evidence based practice: One 2 hour session every second week where we learn about statistics and how to read reports on and carry out studies, the different styles etc.
SSU: Student Selected Unit. The GMC requires that medical students spend 33% of their time at med school studying an option of their choice. We are in the middle of one at the moment. Basically we get three weeks to study a particular area of interest and produce a paper by the end of it. For the first one we are just researching papers at home but after this we will have placements at hospitals, labs etc.
Consolidation weeks: We have one of these after xmas. Not entirely sure what it involves but think it has something to do with catch up on what we've done so far.
Workload: Although for the first year we only have about 15 hours contact time a week we are expected to do 15-20 hours study outside this time; this requires a lot of self discipline as they don't check to see if we are doing this.
Assessment: We have four AMK (applied medical knowledge) exams a year which are 3 hours long. Everyone in the school (from yrs 1-5) sit the same test at the same time. It's also known as a progress test so we have a graph of our scores which is meant to increase as we go along. A junior doctor is expected to get 60%. We're expected to get at the very bottom, 0-10%. We also have an end of year knowledge test in May or June. Not sure what that involves though.
We are also assessed on our PPD (Personal and Professional Development) during our contact sessions and we have clinical skill assessments too. Everything has been formative so far ie the marks haven't counted towards our final grade. It all becomes summative after xmas though. If we don't hand in SSU papers on time, or get an unsatisfactory in our AMKs (during summative assessments) we have to repeat the year.
Summary: I love this course. People try to give it bad rep because of the grade requirement which is relatively low compared to the other colleges (though obviously not low at all). The area is beautiful, the night life is decent (thanks to our Medsoc) and the course, apart from being well run, is a lot of fun which personally is what I want from life and how I'd like to spend five years. There is a lot of support available and you feel valued as an individual here. I had the complete opposite experience when I was a Natural Sciences student at Trinity.
Any questions, send a PM 0 -
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Course:
DL242 - Business and Arts Management, IADT
Points: 255
Duration: Four years
I only have a first year's insight, but here's a bit of information.
24 hours of lectures a week, leaving plenty of time for study
First years study Management, Marketing, Arts in Context, Theatre, Music, Learning & Research Methods and Computer Applications. There is no choice in subjects, but they are all very interesting, very arts related and are taught by excellent lectures, many of whom have spent time working in the arts industry.
The year is mainly made up of continuos assessment (CA), with exams either at Christmas and/or Summer. The CAs are serious work, but I have enjoyed doing the majority of them because the topics are just great.
Here's a taste of what we've done last semester:
Put on a gig
Made two presentations on the arts world to class
Held a bake sale
Visited two theatres, two galleries, cinema, two gigs
Completed a book review, assessed a manager, film review
Written a monologue
Planned for this semester:
BIG book review
Another gig
Visit IMMA
Favourite music assignment
Running student care week (an event for the whole college!)
Stage a production of several 5 minute plays (write, cast, direct, produce,sound/light design)
In the third year of this course, the college uniquely offers SIX MONTHS work experience. Excellent chance to get out there and establish yourself. Experience is key in this business.
I'd say to prospective students to think about how much they enjoy the world of the arts. The course does not focus on just business, or just one art form. Every example, every event will relate back to art, music, dance, film, theatre etc!
Any questions, send a PM.0 -
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Points: 355
Places: 55 but fluctuates up and down for a bit.
You do 6 subjects in first year plus a programming project that starts after christmas. I am speaking purely from the negative side of the course having just dropped out of it after first year christmas. I liked the course for the first while (you have two weeks in the beginning to transfer) but then as things went on i decided it really wasnt for me. i had a totally different vision for the course.. but havin said all this if you like programming and assembly languages etc then the course is for you. it is not for the faint hearted. a lot of people in the course seem to have knowledge on programming and the like.
i just feel i have to warn people they need to know what theyre getting themselves into, its the same with every course. i just put it down to fill up space on my cao. bad idea. research is key with these things. everything you put on your cao you must see yourself doin them.
not to put a downer on anything tho... 0 -
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whadabouchasir wrote: »Any one doing medicine in ucd or RCSI?
Im doing med in RCSI. Great course, bit claustrophobic as its a very small college though. Upside to that is that you make really good friends and settle in quickly. Huge workload but thats to be expected. The staff really look after you if you have any problems at all. If you want any more info let me know 0 -
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RCSI Medicine 1st year.
I had been in UCD last year but dropped out and am now here in RCSI, here is quite a bit better in terms of education that UCD. Notes are brilliant and the lectures explain everything so much better, we also have so many practical classes (the only way to learn this course) that in fact I'm now burnt of them!! The college is small, and the craic mightnt be up there with the bigger colleges but in terms of education this place is fantastic. And thats what you are there for at the end of the day! Plus there is nothing stopping you from just hanging around with people from the other places and doing your socialising there, I spend most my nights out with UCD people.
Plus the staff are fantastic and very understanding, if you ever have a problem you will always get an ear, far quicker than you would in the bigger places. RCSI is more personal.
I would recommend it to anyone, pm if you have any questions or anything. 0 -
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i did the Undenominated Engineering course in 1st year, it was a fairly packed week as u cover parts of all the schools of engineering, (Civil, Electronic, Mechanical, Industrial) then at the end of 1st year you choose what engineering course you wanted, (Civil, Mechanical, Electronic, Industrial, Environmental, Electronic and Computing and Bio-Medical, think thats them all...) pm me for more info 0
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