Computer Science in Dit

Evd-Burner

Im looking to go to dit and im wondering how hard is the course?

muckwarrior

97% failure rate. And thats just first year! :eek:

Only jokin'. Nah seriously, if I can do it anyone can. First year is sh1t easy but it gets a fair bit tougher after that. But then there aren't any courses worth doin that aren't tough!

In comparison to other colleges the DIT Comp Science degree is very highly regarded among employers. The vast majority of our class (graduated last year) have found very good jobs despite it generally being hard for IT grads to get hired. If ya don't go for DIT then choose Comp Applications in DCU. It's the only other course as highly (perhaps even more) regarded as the DIT one.

Creamy Goodness

i'm in first year in computer science, and tbh with you it's not really that hard.

subjects you'll be doing

communications
software technology
computer technology
mathematics
mathematical modelling
problem solving & algorithim design
management
programming

(i think i got them all).

Communications: This is my main hate (if you will with the course), it's very business studies-ish and anyone who done this in the leaving will be bored off their hole, but to throw it up in the air YOU HAVE TO PASS THIS SUBJECT OTHERWISE YOU FAIL THE YEAR. which is just ridiculous.


Software technology: As long as you have a decent knowledge of everyday computing tasks (like for instance if you know how to use word, excel powerpoint, access, frontpage) you'll fly through that class (software technology).


(this is one i've already passed and we aren't back for semester 2).

Computer technology: Is fairly handy aswell, you sit in lecture room with good old Art (best lecturer ever) explaining the innards of a computer and how they work and relate to each other. Tests (one a semster) come in a handy multiple choice quiz. here's a sample question.


Computer processors are often identified in terms of their speed. In this case the basic measurement of speed is in:
(a) Hits
(b) Hertz
(c) Amps
(d) Millimetres Per Hour (MPH)


Mathematics: The maths seems easy enough to me but i find a lot of people moan about it saying it's too hard but it's not really. At the moment we've covered number systems (binary, octal and hex) logic (AND, OR, NOT etc.). and statistics (bar charts, etc. etc.).

Mathematical modelling: is basically taking every day problems and building a formula to solve that, like for example finding the optimum speed for cars travelling through a tunnel maintaining some constant factors.
(sounds the most difficult out of the rest of the other subjects but really isn't once you get into it).

Problem solving & algorithim design: basically learning how to solve programs using the Haskell language and it's editor Hugs. Quite easy to pick up

Management: maybe some second/third/fourth year can fill you in on this and it starts in semster 2 and we first years aren't back yet.

Programming: The core of the course - and i find the most enjoyable - here you learn how to program in C. The language is taught on the basis that you know nothing, the lecturer starts out showing you how to program the standard "hello world" program to output the text "hellow world" on to the screen.

Generally enough i love the course and tbh i can't wait to get back as we've had an extended holiday (off since the 12th december to the 30th january) and in that time i've learnt that college is much better than a poxy job.

kjt

I'm in the second year and I'm sure a some people from my class
will also post here. From my experience, Its nothing like what I signed up to.
If you want the truth, I'd advise looking here

Best of luck

muckwarrior

Cremo wrote:

i'm in first year in computer science, and tbh with you it's not really that hard.

Ha, say that after second year! (although i've heard they've made it easier)

Cremo wrote:

we've had an extended holiday (off since the 12th december to the 30th january) and in that time i've learnt that college is much better than a poxy job.

WTF? How come?

muckwarrior

kjt wrote:

From my experience, Its nothing like what I signed up to.

What did you sign up to? Dietetics?

Creamy Goodness

there isn't any exams for the first years this year (first year they are doing this aswell according to Art).

the rest of the lecturers said there would be no classes on these days so we basically off.

we had some lecturer trying to stick in a lab test for the 16th but the class was having none of it.

yeh i've heard that second year is meant to be tough, but for me it will be a welcome change, i often go to lectures and say "why the hell did i even bother travelling 1 hr 45 minutes into dublin for this?"

kjt

muckwarrior wrote:

What did you sign up to? Dietetics?

Who told you?

Na, its just the course is being run quite badly run
this year in my opinion and most of the classes
opinions too.

Stench Blossoms

First year is easy.

Its second year thats the bitch!

@CREMO, if ya did business for your leaving cert then management will be easy enough. Boring subject though, with a boring teacher.

Cremo wrote:

Problem solving & algorithim design: basically learning how to solve programs using the Haskell language and it's editor Hugs. Quite easy to pick up

Sorry but this gets harder after christmas!

Repli

It's like this

1st year : easy
2nd year : hard
3rd year (if u do wp) : easy
4th year : hard

to put it in a nutshell!

muckwarrior

Cremo wrote:

there isn't any exams for the first years this year (first year they are doing this aswell according to Art).

There never was any christmas exams when I was in the course.

Creamy Goodness

muckwarrior wrote:

There never was any christmas exams when I was in the course.

ohh okay, i don't know then, maybe they are going extra soft on us then

projectmayhem

kjt wrote:

I'm in the second year and I'm sure a some people from my class
will also post here. From my experience, Its nothing like what I signed up to.
If you want the truth, I'd advise looking here

Best of luck

indeed. 2nd year is quite difficult as the sheer volume of work is piled on. it also doesn't help that it's badly run (we had some big lab exam interview things this week. dates given to us 1 day in advance, one of the days clashed with a mock c++ exam) and it seems a lot of the staff couldn't give a rats ass... oh well.

Evd-Burner

Thanks to all of ye for posting on what the cologe is like, very much apreciated and the great thing is everything that is on the course i cant wait to get stuck into, i just have an interest in it....

Im taking it ive missed the open day wasnt it in like december?

I beta ring em up and try and organise something.....

Thanks for all the feedback...

projectmayhem

Evd-Burner wrote:

Im taking it ive missed the open day wasnt it in like december?

I beta ring em up and try and organise something.....

Thanks for all the feedback...

most colleges go to these fair things in the RDS once a year (can't remember when) where you can walk around to different stalls and talk to students and get some literature. of course you can always just wander into DIT off the street and have a look around... i'm not responsible if you get kicked out though

muckwarrior

Evd-Burner wrote:

very much apreciated and the great thing is everything that is on the course i cant wait to get stuck into, i just have an interest in it....

That's the single most important thing tbh. There's times where you'll have to do a lot of work, but if you have a genuine interest in it then it won't be so bad.

GrumPy

im gonna fill out my CAO tonight, im putting comp science first

Evd-Burner

do ya not think ya left it a bit late???

I hope that its going to be as i hope it will be, i uterly and truely love computers and cant w8 to learn bout em, btw did any of ye go to interlan???

GrumPy

bit late? nah, almost everyone i know in RL and online, havnt even done theres yet, so in my mind im mr. organised

happy_acid_face

Evd-Burner wrote:

Im taking it ive missed the open day wasnt it in like december?.
Thanks for all the feedback...

The rag trip is in Feb, kinda like an open day....

Seriously though, you seem like you really want to do the course so im sure you'll like it when you get here . I'm with the some of the people who've posted before me (in second year of the course). Its a cool course but does get really heavy in second year...

Here's our assignment timetable ->

http://www.comp.dit.ie/coleary/courses/dt2282/assignment_schedule.html

But at the end of the day, with a bit of focus im sure you'd get by.

As someone posted earlier though, most of our year, and i think some third years too, are on the boards on namit.org. You should drop by and see what kind of people are in in the course and what they think of it!

oh and any of the first years looking for notes or help you'll get them there too if you need them..

Good luck in the Leaving Cert! :cool:

djmarkus

3rd year isnt a pushover either(well 1st semester so far), lets hope ye have a better SE lecturer

djmarkus

i was at interlan and i was actually talkin 2 u, we arranged a BF2 game.

projectmayhem

happy_acid_face wrote:

oh and any of the first years looking for notes or help you'll get them there too if you need them..

but it'll cost ya

kdouglas

the course is great once you have an interest and are willing to work, especially in 2nd year,im in 3rd year at the moment, which is grand and i know from friends in 4th year that there's a fair bit of work to be done there too.
i agree with repli:
1st year : easy
2nd year : hard
3rd year (if u do wp) : easy
4th year : hard

you sound like you want to do the course, and your just a bit nervous about finalising that decision, id recommend it anyway, it was my first choice on the cao and damn glad i did it. dit is great, it has its organisational problems at times, but your gonna see that no matter what college you go to.

Dunners

kdouglas wrote:

it has its organisational problems at times

Understatement of the century. It can take six weeks just to replace a toner in a toner in a printer, though having said that they are getting better (I clocked one at a fortnight a while back).

Despite the woeful lack of organisation I'd still whole heartily recommend it. Most of the lecturers are enthusiastic and all bar one or two - who shall remain nameless - know their s**t. All in all it's a great course and I'll guarantee that it will get you a decent job at the end, provided you finish of course.

modal_ie

Once you have an interest in the subject you shouldn't have any problem completing the couses - I saw alot of people dropping out 'cause they just weren't interested enough in the subject. I completed the course in 2004 having done 2-4 year from advanced entry from a PLC and found 2 year VERY hard coming from the easy life of the PLC. Once settled there was only the Final Year Project that was tough.