BESS Thread

mizz.yelof!!!

Black_Couch wrote:

The pink form is for filling in financial information for going away to Europe next year i think.

ah ha! thank you for clearing up all that mystery and confusion!

europerson

gilroyb wrote:

Just a question on the removal of the general paper/dissertation, does it's removal make the BA (Mod) which is currently given out into just a general BA for future graduates?

I was told that the moderator part of it relied on the "general knowledge" on the topic that BESS provided, something that will no longer be examined when the exams are just on specific subjects.

Consulting the Calendar, I think the title of Moderatorship will still hold (apologies for the long quote):

Calendar 2006-07 H1 wrote:

General Regulations and Information

I THE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES OF THE MODERATORSHIP

1 All moderatorship degree programmes entail a broad base of knowledge of both a general and
particular nature, and the intellectual skills that must be mastered are broadly similar in all areas.
All moderatorship degree programmes seek to impart the following:
(a) a strong broad base of knowledge that introduces the student to all the main aspects of the
discipline or disciplines concerned, and to relevant aspects of closely related disciplines;
(b) advanced expertise in the major subject that provides the students with a thorough
understanding of the basic principles and methodology of the discipline and of the means by
which the frontiers of the discipline can be expanded and new knowledge discovered;
(c) a range of intellectual skills that develop as fully as possible the complete range of mental
abilities, i.e. the enlargement and proficiency of mind that has long been a fundamental goal of
university education.
These skills may be divided into two categories:
(i) Thinking skills
These include:
A — the capacity to make sense of what one learns, to analyse and sort data and solve problems
B — to extend what one has learned, to generate new ideas and concepts, to apply what one has
learned to new contexts
C — to deal with knowledge in a critical way, to develop the capacity to evaluate information
and ideas.
(ii) Communication skills
These involve the capacity to organise information and arguments and conclusions, and to
present them in a clear and well-reasoned manner.
Structure of undergraduate degree programmes
2 All undergraduate degree programmes are designed to achieve the objectives described above.
In the first two years there is an emphasis on acquiring a broad base of knowledge in the major
subjects and in related areas that complement the major subjects and increase the student’s
understanding of them. In the third year there is a gradual shift to the study in depth of particular
areas of the major fields with a greater emphasis on small group learning and on independent work
and on the development of a critical and analytical approach to the subject matter.
In the fourth year the student, having acquired a solid grasp of the fundamental elements and
methodology of the particular discipline and a broad base of knowledge, is in a position to undertake advanced, intellectually demanding work, requiring extensive independent research, the critical evaluation of data, the search for new interpretations, and the rigour, discipline and independence of effort that are designed to develop the mental capacities and creative skills.
Students typically do much of their formal work in this fourth year in tutorials, in seminars or in
the laboratory, where they are required to present reports on particular problems and have to deal
with the criticism of their peers and lecturers. They also have to write extended essays or
dissertations, which are elaborate exercises in independent research, analysis, argumentation and
presentation. Their examinations require them not merely to reproduce facts but to show
understanding and to make sense of what they have learned.
The object of this fourth year is to ensure that students emerge with a high level of expertise in a chosen field and with versatile skills of a high order that equip them to proceed at once to advanced research or to bring to bear in whatever employment they enter the capacity to master quickly new areas of expertise, to solve problems, to generate ideas and to communicate well.
3 In 1999, the policy on the Broad Curriculum was approved by the University Council and the
Board of the College. This set out the College’s policy in relation to actions which might be taken to broaden the educational experience of undergraduate students and to promote further the skills and attributes identified above. Details of the policy and of associated initiatives may be viewed on the College website at http://www.tcd.ie/Broad_Curriculum.

Ordinary Bachelor’s degrees (Level 7, National Framework of Qualifications)

4 Qualifications which signify completion of the first cycle at ordinary Bachelor’s level are
awarded to students who have completed a programme of study which enables them to show:
(a) a comprehension (that builds on and supersedes their general secondary education) of the
theory, concepts and processes pertaining to a field or (in the case of joint degrees) fields of
learning;
(b) a knowledge, supported by the use of advanced textbooks, of one or more specialised areas;
(c) that they can apply this knowledge and comprehension in a manner that indicates a thorough
and informed approach to their work or vocation, and have competences typically
demonstrated through devising and sustaining arguments, and formulating and solving
problems within their field or fields of study;
(d) that they have a mastery of a number of specialised skills and tools which they can use
selectively to address complex problems, including design problems;
(e) that they have the ability to devise data gathering experiments, and to gather and interpret
relevant data to inform independent judgements which include reflection on relevant social,
scientific or ethical issues;
(f) that they can act effectively, under the guidance of qualified practitioners, in a peer relationship within multiple, complex and heterogeneous groups;
(g) that they can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and
non-specialist audiences;
(h) that they have developed those learning skills which are necessary for them to continue to
undertake further study at an honors Bachelor or a Higher Diploma level.

Honors Bachelor’s degrees (Level 8, National Framework of Qualifications)

5 Qualifications which signify completion of the first cycle at honors Bachelor’s level are awarded
to students who have completed a programme of study which enables them to show:
(a) a comprehension (that builds on and supersedes their general secondary education) of the
theory, concepts, methods and processes pertaining to a field or (in the case of joint degrees)
fields of learning;
(b) a detailed knowledge, supported by the use of advanced textbooks, of one or more specialised
areas, some of it at the current boundaries of the subjects;
(c) that they can apply this knowledge and comprehension in a manner that indicates a thorough
and informed approach to their work or vocation, and have competences typically
demonstrated through devising and sustaining arguments, and formulating and solving
problems within their field or fields of study;
(d) that they have a mastery of a number of specialised skills and tools which they can use
selectively to address complex problems, including design problems, or to conduct closely
guided research;
(e) that they have the ability to devise data gathering experiments, and to gather and interpret
relevant data to inform independent judgements which include reflection on relevant social,
scientific or ethical issues;
(f) that they can act effectively, under the guidance of qualified practitioners, in a peer relationship
within multiple, complex and heterogeneous groups;
(g) that they can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and
non-specialist audiences;
(h) that they have developed those learning skills that are necessary for them to continue to
undertake further study with a high degree of autonomy.

I don't think that the taking away of a general paper changes the objectives above.

Tacitha

I don't think that the taking away of a general paper changes the objectives above.

It needn't, because they can be accommodated in other exercises. Anyway, there are plenty of Moderatorships in college without general papers (languages, for example).

What would perhaps remove the Moderatorship would be a change to three-year degrees, which came up at the last board meeting as a possible consequence of HEA (not Bologna) standardization.

europerson

Tacitha wrote:

What would perhaps remove the Moderatorship would be a change to three-year degrees, which came up at the last board meeting as a possible consequence of HEA (not Bologna) standardization.

Anyone else dislike this idea...?

Moorsy

It's a bloody disgrace that students aren’t informed of this sort of thing!! At the last SU Council, Simon Hall reported that another 'great' issue of Aontas was published and around College. I could not find one person who had read it, I could also not find it on the student union web page, and I could also not find it in the arts block.

Is this sort of stuff printed in Aontas? Changing a degree's to three years is a serious shift especially for subjects like BESS, which are held in such high regard because they are a four year degree where you get a general sense of all subjects and then focus on two or one.

Why are people not told about these things??!! I wish I could say that students are apathetic but it seems more likely that we should be apoplectic at the pathetic nature of our elected representatives!!

europerson

In almost three years of College, I've never seen a copy of Aontas. How many other non-SU-hacks have seen it?

It was only re-produced this year europerson. I think there have been 3 or 4 copies, I've only seen two of them though I suppose I'm still counted as an SU hack. Bah.

xebec

I've never seen a copy either...

mizz.yelof!!!

nope ive yet to see a copy!

Stargal

This should be a poll...

Crash

Actually, as an SU hack, its interesting to say that i've never seen a copy...

John

What the **** is Aontas?

Stargal

SU publication with news and details on all er, SU happenings. It was scrapped about five or six years ago cos the Record had been brought it and it basically subsumed it. This is the first year that it's been run since then. Although not entirely successfully, it would appear.

shay_562

To add to the multitude: Nope. Hadn't even heard of it til election time, when "NEASA for Aontas on recycled paper as well as on flyers!" caught the ire of one of my friends, who started shrieking incoherently about sentence fragments while I wondered what the hell Aontas was. And now I know! Huzzah! You learn something new (and useless) every day.

Running Bing

Just a quick question. Are we back on the 3rd of april? Thats a bank holiday monday aint it? They will hardly have lectures on that day.

Grolschevik

Babybing wrote:

Just a quick question. Are we back on the 3rd of april? Thats a bank holiday monday aint it? They will hardly have lectures on that day.

We're back on Monday 2nd April, and it's not a bank holiday. The following Friday is Good Friday and there will be no lectures then.

europerson

And we're off on Easter Monday, of course.

Bartronilic

There will be a pav friday though

xebec

Bartronilic wrote:

There will be a pav friday though

On Good Friday?! Correct me if I'm wrong, but afaik the sale of alcohol is banned that day.

King.Penguin

BYOB Pav friday sounds deadly

mizz.yelof!!!

Bartronilic wrote:

There will be a pav friday though

hate to break it to ya crowley but its good friday i.e. no alcamahol!

John

BYOB pav friday + burger BBQ -> **** the Christians

Pet

I like your style.

For added blasphemy, the charcoal should be made from former crucifixes.

John

Excellent. I made practice burgers and drank a practice beer this evening.

Time Magazine

Hehe. Google "economics" and have a look-see what comes up in sixth place .

europerson

Ibid wrote:

Hehe. Google "economics" and have a look-see what comes up in sixth place .

Wow. Go us!

Black_Couch

Yeah but isn't that only because it brings up a lot of Irish results when it recognises your ip?

For instance the first results when you type in politics is politics.ie, now I'm sure if you were in any other country that would not be the first result.

Or if you type in sociology check the 8th result!

xebec

Black_Couch wrote:

Yeah but isn't that only because it brings up a lot of Irish results when it recognises your ip?

There is a certain amount of that, google's algorithm is very complicated!

On a related note, a friend of mine was building a site for an Irish group recently, but the site is hosted in the US for cost reasons. This means that when you select the Irish only option on google there is no chance of his site showing up - frustrating for him!

BessBoy

End of college looms.... wonder where people are going? Smurfit for masters? Accounting? A real job?

Running Bing

Applied finance BU3541. Whats the deal with it? Was I dreaming that you were able to do it in your final year, have they changed that? Cant find confirmation of this anywhere. Anyone know?