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Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials. TR076

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  • 11-05-2009 12:46am
    #1
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭


    I'm liking the look of this course, few questions.

    1. Anyone do it? What's it like?

    2.What do graduates tend to go on and do after?

    3.Would it be possible to transfer into single honours chemistry at the end of 2nd year? I'd have the required subjects and whatnot, would that be possible?


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    #2
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    Any excuse to go to Trinity then yea? :P


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    #3
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    From what I've been told, it's almost the same as Natural Science with Physics & Chemistry, only you do some special modules. Very small class, too, by the looks of it.


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    #4
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,314 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    Think there was only one person in it in my year, or some similarly small number. You'll be with the natural science people for the most part anyway though.


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    #5
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Jonathan wrote: »
    Any excuse to go to Trinity then yea? :P


    Pretty much yeah :pac:

    UCD=DO NOT WANT......

    It does genuinely look interesting, I had just never paid it much attention before this evening.


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    #6
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    Fad wrote: »
    Pretty much yeah :pac:

    UCD=DO NOT WANT......
    Kinda silly attitude to have.

    Choose what you want to spend 4 years studying and then choose the college.


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    #7
    ApeXaviour
    Registered Users Posts: 5,523 ✭✭✭ApeXaviour


    Fad wrote: »
    I'm liking the look of this course, few questions.

    1. Anyone do it? What's it like?
    It's identical to natural science (had you chosen physics chemistry and maths) for the first two years. The final two years it's most likened to single honours physics with chemistry (and one engineering course) thrown in. This might be because physics in trinity is very materials based.
    I've heard PCAM students refer to their course in the final years as physics-lite.
    Fad wrote: »
    2.What do graduates tend to go on and do after?
    This is a difficult question because it's not a professional course (like pharmacy, engineering etc.) as there really isn't much of a physics or chemistry industry outside of academia (and perhaps intel). About half will go onto to graduate study/research in physics, chemistry or engineering. Sometimes to something further afield.

    Otherwise you're like any other graduate with a technical degree. Desired in a lot of wide ranging sectors.

    Fad wrote: »
    3.Would it be possible to transfer into single honours chemistry at the end of 2nd year? I'd have the required subjects and whatnot, would that be possible?
    Yes, or single honours physics, or astrophysics.
    Podge_irl wrote: »
    Think there was only one person in it in my year, or some similarly small number. You'll be with the natural science people for the most part anyway though.
    Usually the PCAM class will be around 10 strong (unless that particular year has was anomalous). It's the comp phys/chem classes that are in the low single digits.


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    #8
    HoboJesus
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HoboJesus


    Jonathan wrote: »
    Kinda silly attitude to have.

    Choose what you want to spend 4 years studying and then choose the college.

    I chose TCD first then ordered my subjects within the college and I'm glad I did. If there's a place you just don't think you'll enjoy being in for four years there's nothing silly about avoiding it.
    Fad wrote: »
    I'm liking the look of this course, few questions.

    1. Anyone do it? What's it like?

    2.What do graduates tend to go on and do after?

    3.Would it be possible to transfer into single honours chemistry at the end of 2nd year? I'd have the required subjects and whatnot, would that be possible?

    I don't do it but I know a few who do. The class was actually quite big in my year, might have even reached capacity.

    As for the course itself, as stated before it's exactly the same as doing Science taking Physics, Chemistry and full Maths for first and second year, except for one hour every week. Unless it's changed, that hour is spent making presentations on an area in material science (examples being cracking, carbon nanotubes, etc.). Oh yeah, carbon nanotubes are everywhere in that course.

    As for switching, I'm almost certain you can switch into either physics, astrophysics, computational physics or chemistry in 3rd year, as well as continuing doing PCAM, which appears to be a blend of physics and chemistry, as well as some materials specific lecture courses.


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    #9
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    HoboJesus wrote: »
    I chose TCD first then ordered my subjects within the college and I'm glad I did. If there's a place you just don't think you'll enjoy being in for four years there's nothing silly about avoiding it.
    You'll spend 40 years working. Better to do something you like doing than doing something you hate, having gone to Trinity for 4 years.


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    #10
    HoboJesus
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HoboJesus


    Jonathan wrote: »
    You'll spend 40 years working. Better to do something you like doing than doing something you hate, having gone to Trinity for 4 years.

    I don't think the OP would be doing an entirely different subject in UCD if they went there. Science is science, and both colleges have pretty much all the courses therein. As a result, people have the freedom to allow "which college do I prefer?" to play a part in their decision.

    However, if for example, the OP was about to do their beloved subject, say Canadian Studies in UCD, but decided on PCAM in TCD because they prefer TCD, then I take back my comment. That is silly.


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    #11
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    HoboJesus wrote: »
    I don't think the OP would be doing an entirely different subject in UCD if they went there. Science is science, and both colleges have pretty much all the courses therein. As a result, people have the freedom to allow "which college do I prefer?" to play a part in their decision.

    However, if for example, the OP was about to do their beloved subject, say Canadian Studies in UCD, but decided on PCAM in TCD because they prefer TCD, then I take back my comment. That is silly.
    Well he was thinking of doing Irish and something else last week.....


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    #12
    HoboJesus
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HoboJesus


    Jonathan wrote: »
    Well he was thinking of doing Irish and something else last week.....

    Oh. =/


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    #13
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,314 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    ApeXaviour wrote: »
    Usually the PCAM class will be around 10 strong (unless that particular year has was anomalous). It's the comp phys/chem classes that are in the low single digits.

    Yeah, I was thinking of computational chemistry for some reason. Whoops. Everyone just ignore me so!


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    #14
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Irish is a possibility but I'm going to rejig the CAO and have mainly Science on it, I want to do Science (The UCD do not want thing was a bit of a joke :) But I'd really rather not go there tbh).

    Thanks everyone! This has been really helpful.

    Edit: One last thing, would it be particularly difficult (Is it competitive?) to swap into Chem or Physics after the 1st two years (In the event I dont like the degree I'd end up with).


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    #15
    ApeXaviour
    Registered Users Posts: 5,523 ✭✭✭ApeXaviour


    Fad wrote: »
    Edit: One last thing, would it be particularly difficult (Is it competitive?) to swap into Chem or Physics after the 1st two years (In the event I dont like the degree I'd end up with).
    Usually it's not. I can't speak for certain since it's based on course capacity/demand etc. But you should be relatively safe.


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    #16
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Last question I swear!

    At the moment I'm doing OL Maths for the LC, in order to cope with the level of Maths next year, I'm going to do a bit of catch up over the summer. Any particular sections that require a particular amount of attention? (Calculus in general would seem to be one {a rather large one at that!}) or is there any that I can kinda skip/skim over?

    Thanks.


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    #17
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    I would assume that you would need to know how to integrate.


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    #18
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    Calculus and vectors definitely.


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    #19
    Piste
    Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    Sorry to hijack this thread, but vectors come into actual maths in college? noooooo :( Hope I don't end up in science now!


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    #20
    ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 760 ✭✭✭ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI


    Piste wrote: »
    Sorry to hijack this thread, but vectors come into actual maths in college? noooooo :( Hope I don't end up in science now!

    No, they were just taught to you for fun...


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    #21
    Piste
    Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    I'm not going to pretend I thought they had a function. That's the problem with LC maths, they just say "here learn this plz" without telling you how it can ever be properly used.


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    #22
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Piste wrote: »
    Sorry to hijack this thread, but vectors come into actual maths in college? noooooo :( Hope I don't end up in science now!

    Arent Vectors in Applied Maths?

    And to a much lesser extent Physics at LC level.


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    #23
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    Piste wrote: »
    I'm not going to pretend I thought they had a function. That's the problem with LC maths, they just say "here learn this plz" without telling you how it can ever be properly used.
    Decent teachers give you examples of applications where they can be used.


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    #24
    Piste
    Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    I don't think we asked, she mentioned something about physics, but the physics classed seemed as confused as me, so I chalked vectors down to a necessary evil for the maths exam which I'd never encounter again.


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    #25
    ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 760 ✭✭✭ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI


    Jonathan wrote: »
    Decent teachers give you examples of applications where they can be used.

    And decent students go find out themselves when they don't have decent teachers.


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    #26
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,314 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    Everything, and I really do mean everything, is vectors and matrices in physics.


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    #27
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Podge_irl wrote: »
    Everything, and I really do mean everything, is vectors and matrices in physics.


    Savage :)

    One topic I have done a really tiny bit of, and one topic I have never touched at all!


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    #28
    Piste
    Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI wrote: »
    And decent students go find out themselves if they are interested and if they feel it would be of benefit to them when they don't have decent teachers.

    fyp ;)


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    #29
    ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 760 ✭✭✭ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI


    Piste wrote: »
    fyp ;)

    fo ol de rol ol


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    #30
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    Piste wrote: »
    Sorry to hijack this thread, but vectors come into actual maths in college? noooooo :( Hope I don't end up in science now!
    SO MANY VECTORS. (Really. Vector vector vector.)

    They're not that bad though, I couldn't imagine doing physics without them tbh. It would surely be a nightmare. Maybe they're not as important in chemistry/biology though...


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    #31
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Alright, Vectors, Matrices, Calculus.

    Would it be ok to leave out Co-ordinate Geometry (At least the circle!), anything else?


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