Dt211--->Dt228

NerfNerder

Hey guys I am thinking of transferring from dt221-3 to dt228-3 and was wondering if any of you out there are studying in dt228 could give me the low-down on the course?
Basically I am thinking of changing because while I like programming and software engineering, I really don't like the networking aspect of my course. I also understand as part of dt228 you get to do a work placement for a few months which seems like a really good benefit of it.

Creamy Goodness

dt228-3 is probably the worst year in the 4 year course, yes even 4th year is better.

UI programming - ugh java, whilst it was good to know and nice to have on a CV i just couldn't get a feel for it, and that's turned into a personal vendetta about it.

software engineering III - another ****e subject tbh, well not ****e but taught in a complete backwards way to the way it should be taught. it should be integrated into the programming module but apart from code snippets being provided in java, is where the integration ends.

database technology - one the best module in the year, thought by someone who knows their stuff. introduces oracle databases which are EVERYWHERE.

client-server programming - again another brilliant module, taught by someone who knows their stuff and had been in the industry for 10+ years. teaches you proper sockets using C, and mailservers etc.

CSAA - you'll probably breeze this as it's all unix and networking kinda stuff. basic unix stuff though like DNS NFS SaMBa

software knowledge eng. - another subject i just didn't get, the lectures seems to have nothing to do with the labs, but the labs were good, teaching Ant and Unit testing etc.


you do 4 main subjects:

UI prog
client server prog
database tech
software eng. III

then you pick two between these three:

software knowledge engineering
CSAA
games prog

that's just semester 1.

semester 2 is where you do another 6 subjects or go on 6 month work placement, i'd urge you to get on the work placement as it's great if you get a good job, 6 months paid and if you're lucky paid well. although i've heard this year only 15 people got jobs where as when i done it last year, about 40 people got jobs.

anymore questions just shoot

Spunge

If you went from DT211/3 to DT211/3 would you have to pay fees ?

Like the same as repeating, coz you'd be doing an extra year.

NerfNerder

Thank you Creamy for your response. From the sounds of things I think I would by far prefer to be studying in the dt228 course. Also I was just wondering about the class sizes for dt228, and if there would actually be room for transferring into the course? Thanks.

NerfNerder

Spunge wrote: »

If you went from DT211/3 to DT211/3 would you have to pay fees ?

Like the same as repeating, coz you'd be doing an extra year.

Yes as far as I know you do have to pay full fees when you transfer as it is treated the same as repeating a year.

Stench Blossoms

NerfNerder wrote: »

Thank you Creamy for your response. From the sounds of things I think I would by far prefer to be studying in the dt228 course. Also I was just wondering about the class sizes for dt228, and if there would actually be room for transferring into the course? Thanks.

Ah yeh I doubt there wouldn't be enough room for you. There's only about 20 in fourth year now and there was 80 in first year.

Creamy Goodness

bit more than 20 now in fairness.

there's 32 doing SDIS, 7 doing CSAA and about 4-5 doing Games.

:P but yeh there should be no problems space wise.

Stench Blossoms

There's 32 doing SDIS? I thought it was just the people who are always in 117

Creamy Goodness

nope cause that would mean there were only 19 in SDIS

Naikon

Question: What are the chances of a work placement in 228 lately?

The internship in 211 is starting to look quite hairy with the state of the economy and such.
I would be surprised if more than 2 or 3 people got jobs this year.

A 6 month stint will probably look better than the whole 3 days college/2 days working
method. Any 228 people care to comment:D

Stench Blossoms

Naikon wrote: »

Question: What are the chances of a work placement in 228 lately?

The internship in 211 is starting to look quite hairy with the state of the economy and such.
I would be surprised if more than 2 or 3 people got jobs this year.

A 6 month stint will probably look better than the whole 3 days college/2 days working
method. Any 228 people care to comment:D

As far as I know only about 6 or 7 people on went placement this year from 228 compared to about 20 or so that went last year.

Creamy Goodness

yup google - who take 1-3 students depending on quality - pulled out of the work placement program and Ericsson - who took 3 students - didn't take anyone this year due to the fact that they laid off 300 R&D workers and Computer Science and Computing students wouldn't fit well into the business market unit in Ericsson :pac:

it ain't looking good if two major world companies stop taking work placement students as well it doesn't bode well for smaller companies if the bigger ones are not employing.

SoldierForce

Yes you have to pay fees. If you transfer in October the fees are 1620 and if in February it is 3240. This is without the increase in registration from September. I spoke to the coordinators of both courses as well as the head of computing and their personal advice was only a fool will transfer so late as the course content is a bit different. From DT228 to DT211 its easier then transferring from DT211 to DT228 as DT211 is more practical then DT228. Statistically 60% transfer students will fail the year with another 20% failing a few modules mostly Advanced Internet Applications or something it was called that you can repeat in the supplementary exams. This was what I was told. The reason given was transfer students have little to no knowledge of what they were doing. Both courses might offer Software Engineering but the course contents are not the same. Same is with Databases. In one may be SQL and other can be Oracle or PostGreSQL.

FreeOSCAR

Naikon wrote: »

Question: What are the chances of a work placement in 228 lately?

The internship in 211 is starting to look quite hairy with the state of the economy and such.
I would be surprised if more than 2 or 3 people got jobs this year.

A 6 month stint will probably look better than the whole 3 days college/2 days working
method. Any 228 people care to comment:D

I think there was around 18 of us that got placed in the end. I don't know if some of them 18 are still doing their work placement now. The recession really only hit full throttle when half of those were placed. Mark tried up until the end of February to get interviews for people but it wasn't happening.

It will be interesting how DIT will go about the placement for next years lot.

Oh and on top of that, some of them jobs are people working in DIT.
There are some guys doing a Ruby on Rails project in Aungier Street.

Stench Blossoms

FreeOSCAR wrote: »

I think there was around 18 of us that got placed in the end.

Man i'm way off with my numbers lately !

NiteOwl2

SoldierForce wrote: »

I spoke to the coordinators of both courses as well as the head of computing and their personal advice was only a fool will transfer so late

Not that I doubt you but who said the "only a fool" bit ??

SoldierForce wrote: »

Both courses might offer Software Engineering but the course contents are not the same. Same is with Databases. In one may be SQL and other can be Oracle or PostGreSQL.

Different programming languages, diagrammng techniques, but same concepts so not an impossible transfer.

Kenno90

op why do you want to change over , do you just not like 3rd year , i'm in DT211 2nd so just wondering what 3rd year will be like

NerfNerder

Kenno90 wrote: »

op why do you want to change over , do you just not like 3rd year , i'm in DT211 2nd so just wondering what 3rd year will be like

Honestly at the moment it seems like I will be repeating third year so I have been looking at if it is worthwhile to stay in this course or transfer over, since I will be paying the repeat fees for the year anyway.

My main issue with third year has been the project that I had to do this year since I didn't take the work placement. I have found it stressful and difficult to do. A few of the others in my class have really struggled with theirs too. But in saying that a few people have been ok with it.

My advice to you would be, if you are not taking work placement and doing a project instead, make sure you pick something that you have given a really decent amount of research into before you start. By that I mean from the outset make sure you have an idea of the languages you will need to use etc. There are lists of project suggestions from lecturers on the school of computing website. I would pick one from there of I was you.

As regards the rest of the subjects this year they have not been too bad.

Kenno90

Thanks for the advice , ****ting next year now , anyway better get back to my web development