Geography Planning and Environmental Policy

mops

hey i'm starting this course in September.. has anybody done it or doing it this Sept!? Hope I like it...

Mardy Bum

I am not doing it but know a few from last years first year class so I dont know much about the actual content of the course.

However on the more social aspect of it its one of the few small classes in Arts so you will get to know the whole class well and pick friends up easy and head out for a few class parties!:p

mops

ya its good its small coz i no NOBODY up there...:(

Mardy Bum

Wouldnt worry about that at all if you are going GPEP.Sound bunch in general with a good mix of culchies and city shlickers!!

El Siglo

Well first off, congratulations on choosing GPEP! I've just completed my degree in it, got a first class honours (GPA of 3.86), €1000 scholarship award and a medal, so I when I say "I've a pretty good idea about what I'm talking about" you had better believe it!:D

It's a grand course, however you will have to put the work in. There's a fair bit of economics so I would strongly advice learning micro and quants fairly early (environmental policy is full of it so it is). Also, there's a fair bit of sociology, so you'll have to get into reading up things like communicative rationality, rational comprehensive approaches etc... The following people are your bread and butter: Peter Hall and Patsy Healey, get to know these people, learn to love their work because they will consume you, especially Healey she's particularly boring. Also the word 'sustainability' will be implanted in your brain for the next 3 years. Now these are tricky modules:

Environmental Policy (Susana Ferreira, Corrado Di Maria et al.)
Form & Space: Town & Country (Derry O'Connell)

Trust me when I say, study these modules because they're tricky and after a month with these people you'll know what I mean. You'll have Mark Scott as a lecturer, and whatever you do - do what he says the man's a legend, tells you the exam (even in final year and masters students) and a really good marker so don't take the piss. Derry O'Connell is boring, but he'll tell you what to read and what the exam is so that makes up for the 2 hour lectures with pictures of the countryside and Italy, also learn how to sketch quickly nothing major but he love's sketches in the exam. Corrado is fecker, not many people like him, if you're into economics, you'll be grand if not it'll be hell, he is a hard marker and generally 'blunt' so to speak but I got on with him so it depends. Susana is sound, she'll break you into the environmental policy gently but you probably won't understand half of what she says her accent will make things very complicated but you'll have a cheap laugh whenever she says 'ener'll-gee'! Declan Redmond, he's a true blue dub, fairly sound, loves to talk you can have a bit of banter with him he's okay marking, and if he offers ye the free drink thing in richview, go to it, it's class so it is! That's pretty much the stuff for first year, but by the time you get to second year you'll know what they're like.

I will say now is, hit the ground running in second year, first year is grand just try and pass everything, however second year all of the planning modules are level three so there's a wee jump in there, it'll involve much more reading but it'll be good.

It'll be tough making friends first in class, but after a month you'll know the score, most people are sound and it is the one place where all people, no matter where they're from or what background they have can meet on an equal footing. It's not like arts really, it's planning, so you're being inculcated with professionalism that is embodied in the RTPI i.e. the goal of your degree will ultimately lead to you doing the MRUP and being a planner, and you'll be referred to as the 'undergrad planners'.

It's a grand course, do the work and be willing to get to know people in the class becuase you'll be working with those 30 or so people for the next three years.

Any more questions, then pm me.

Good luck with it anyway!

GobBass

Geography kicks freakin' ass,enjoyed it thoroughly in first year and can't wait to do it this year.It is so good it's one of my joint majors.;)

El Siglo

GobBass wrote: »

Geography kicks freakin' ass,enjoyed it thoroughly in first year and can't wait to do it this year.It is so good it's one of my joint majors.;)

Whatever you do, do climatology (Gerald Mills) such a good module so it is. If you work hard at fluvial (Jonathan Turner) you can do really well because most people do it not realising how hard it is so the bell curve is adjusted accordingly.
Here's one you should keep an eye on (for everyone concerned) do the AESC10010 Land Use and the Environment module with John Feehan in the School of Biology and Environmental Science as an elective, it'll blow your mind! Best module I've ever done in UCD, the man's a genius and it's such a useful module for a whole load of subjects (Environmental Management with Marcus Collier in third year, environmental policy etc...) it's a really good elective to do.

eily

I've 2 years of GPEP under my belt, I really like it! More co-ordination between modules would improve the course a small bit. For instance in first year, History of Planning with Paula Russell and Introduction to Spatial Planning with Berna Grist covered alot of the same material in my opinion. Regarding Form and Space, I found during the 2 hour sessions with the projector in the small warm room quite tiring. However, Derry said he realised that the majority of the class were taking the module as a core requirement and as such would not fail anyone who displayed any effort in the exam. Two modules have been delivered entirely through Moodle, an online learning environment, so it would help to be confident on the computer. Most of the staff are pretty cool. No regrets about GPEP and I'm sure you'll enjoy it too!

ucd6

Well i'm currently studying GPEP at UCD aswell and really enjoy it, it truely is interesting and keeps your mind busy anywhere you go when you look at the way the built environment is developing and growing around you. I am currently looking for an easy elective to boost my GPA any suggestions anyone?????????????????????

cats-pyjamas

how much geography is involved in this course and how to the modules compare to the planning and enviromental stuff?

El Siglo

cats-pyjamas wrote: »

how much geography is involved in this course and how to the modules compare to the planning and enviromental stuff?

As much as you want! No seriously, in first year all modules are pre-selected, you can only choose electives. Second and third year your five required PEP modules are pre-selected and then you choose five geography modules then electives, which could be either PEP or Geography.