How was it for you??

Scraggs

Ok boys and girls the years nearly up...what did ye think of the shiny brand new squeaky clean modularised system? [this is aimed particularly at fellow firsties but others feel free to voice your opinions]


I personally thought it was good [except for one grip which i'll come to]. I especially liked the fact that most of my courses were 50-70% continuous assessment because i'm crap at exams!! I also liked getting half my exams over and done with at Christmas. I also liked the fact I was able to do two majors and two minors instead of three majors..even though I hate Psychology with a passion.

One major problem I have with the system is the fact that in Irish, one of our first semester modules 'Teanga na Gaeilge' [where we practised speaking as Gaeilge, Irish grammar etc. 3hrs a week] wasn't continued in semester two like it was in the old system. This according to our lecturers is because of the powers that be wouldnt allow them to have an extra module. Anyway this has left many of students doing Irish with weak grammar and poor speaking skills because of the lack of practice we're getting. The Irish department has said already that its noticed quite significant drop in the standards of continuous assessment [I agree with this I myself have dropped from a B+ average to a C-]. Supposedly there are meetings going on about this and hopefully it'll all be rectified for next year ...otherwise my degree isnt going to be much worth!! [oh and yes I know its up to me to practice speaking and study grammar but without any direction its very hard!]

Anyway thats my experience of the system...what do ye all think of it?

Riamfada

Scraggs wrote:

I especially liked the fact that most of my courses were 50-70% continuous assessment because i'm crap at exams!! I also liked getting half my exams over and done with at Christmas. I also liked the fact I was able to do two majors and two minors instead of three majors..even though I hate Psychology with a passion.

Good Buzz With the modularisation and this new revalation that if you fail a module you take it again in second year so you dont have to repeat first year.

I thought the system was grand. TBH its what i was used to in Second Level( more or less) and griffith college. Wouldnt have been able to handle all my first semester exams in may.

besty

We didn't have it in B&L this year, but it's on the cards for us next year. I don't know what to think about it yet but I suppose it opens up your choices alot more which will benefit me no end. I hope.

dajaffa

I thoght it was pretty good, considering how much less pressure is on first years in the summer exams. Have to say my electives were grand, but all most people care about is passing them. It's going to f**k me up majorly in 3rd and 4th year though; I'll spend half my time off campus on placements, but the current word is I'll still have to do 2 electives, which is poo.

Stabshauptmann

still dont understand how its different from the old system.
I get that you can do an elective outside your core course, thats kindof cool.
And I get the new markng and assesing system.
But, just, you study the same material in your core subject as you would have under the old system yeah?

Pythia

AFAIK, all our subjects are being modularised next year, but most were already. Any that weren't are just being changed into Subject X 1 and Subject X 2, one being examined at Christmas, the other in May. Such is my understanding.
All our subjects were modularised this year except Economics because it's an Arts subject. But I think the business school has being doing that for some time.
Really liked getting rid of 4 subjects at Christmas. Wouldn't be able to cope with 9 exams in May.

Blowfish

All of ours were modularised even though were not first years, and everybody loved it. It makes it so much easier as without it I would be looking at 8 exams instead of 3. Noone in our class complained, and all said it was far better, and we even got the advantage that one of our subjects, which all of the fourth years said was the hardest to get marks in suddenly turned into a continuous assesment, and everyone is doing far better because of it. tbh, pretty much all of our class were wondering exactly why some arts people were moaning about it, when it is actually a better system.

boneless

I felt so used....

arbeitsscheuer

I felt dirty.

Jonny Arson

Mixture of yays and nays from me towards modularisation/semesterisation.

The one thing that annoys the balls off me is that if modularisation was in college last year I would not have had to repeat the year since compensation has now been introduced to Arts.. grrrrr. On the flip side thanks to modularisation I've had to do 2 modules this year instead of 4 modules (1 subject) which has left me with lots of time to work in a job this year.

The importance of coursework now has its plusses and minuses. If you're rubbish at exams like me then it's probably a good thing that you can show your true colours with coursework but the greater importance of coursework (and there is more of it, extra workload) means less time for fun and games which is a vitla element of college life.

The fact that you have to pass modules individually puts more pressure on students as far as I'm concerned. Now it's about passing 12 modules whereas previously you could simply just pass the whole subject overall and get away with struggling badly on a part of the course. However compensation will soften the impact of this and give more students an opportunity to progress to a later stage of their course instead of wasting time doing pointless repeat years unless they're wildly out of depth in their course.

Exams, mixed feelings on this one too. Having two loads of exams will 1) soften the blow of having to do everything at the end of the year but 2) with having two sets exams that = more studying, more time consuming and less time to get aquainted with college (I don't believe in exams for 1st years at Christmas)

Minors/electives - waste of time. This is the one area of the whole horizons where I think it's an absolute sham. What will doing an elective do for your future career? Nothing. It may ''open up your mind'' and ''broaden your horizons'' but it's certainly not going to train you the bread and butter skills for a career and employers won't even look at an elective or a minor you did for only a year when you apply for a job. This is where I feel new students are been conned into choosing UCD. Also with regards to minors/electives no one seems to have a clue how they come into play come 2nd/3rd year.

There's my two cents anyway. It has it's good and bad points. Even though I margianlly prefer the old system modularisation/semesterisation is moving forward with the times and will possibly benefit more students in the long run.

Stabshauptmann

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

The fact that you have to pass modules individually puts more pressure on students as far as I'm concerned. Now it's about passing 12 modules whereas previously you could simply just pass the whole subject overall and get away with struggling badly on a part of the course.

Sorry, but I never really had the old system, and this is quite funny. I cant imagine failing Finance but passing my commerce degree as a whole and then going on to work in banking and finance!

having two sets exams that = more studying

A logical look at things seems to indicate less study for exams.
You have the same number of exams, so there needs not be *more* study.
And since all subjects are fresh in your mind before the exam, less revision and aquainting work should need to be done. So in theory, 2 exam sittings = less study.
But, what I suspect people are doing is spending as much time studying for each sitting as they would if there was only one sitting. You are in fact doubling your efforts - without being asked to, and I hope you see this improvement in your grades.
I did 3 days study before my xmas exams, and havent started studying for summer ones yet.
Last year I spent about a month in the run up studying. My grades havent deviated greatly.

I don't believe in exams for 1st years at Christmas

Here, here! I loved that 2 month (I dont know how long but thats what i felt like) break last year.

Minors/electives - waste of time. This is the one area of the whole horizons where I think it's an absolute sham. What will doing an elective do for your future career? Nothing. It may ''open up your mind'' and ''broaden your horizons'' but it's certainly not going to train you the bread and butter skills for a career

Funny, you said above fun is a vital element of college, opening your mind would historically be considered the primary role of university. If you just want qualifications and career oriented education go to an IT, thats what they're for.I personally would have loved this option in 1st year, but at least I kindof have it next year (Commerce students pick a core area for 3rd year and electives from other subjects within the school of business).

I experienced the old system and the new system side by side as a level 1 commerce student last year, and I scored better in (and believe I understand better) the subjects that were modularised and focused on continuous assesment.

Intel

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

which is a vitla element of college life.

u gotta love those vitla elements

Chakar

Grimes wrote:

Good Buzz With the modularisation and this new revalation that if you fail a module you take it again in second year so you dont have to repeat first year.

Wow that's a great idea, didn't know about that thanks a million I really have to know the technical stuff about the exams.Like the pass with compensation thing. I'll go up to the programme office and ask them.