HPSS: Most useless course in UL?

mrmanire

I've heard a lot of people going on about the HPSS course in UL and saying it was possibly the most worthless of all the courses offered.

Apparently there are very few employment opportunities out of it and 99% per cent of all graduates finish up in either the dole queue or doing a masters within the five years after it finishes.

Serious discussion. Any opinions?

Mossin

This is the 3rd thread [at least] that I've read recently that you have dissed HPSS...Like ffs, if you didnt like it, it doesnt mean that others wont..

If you are finding it hard to get a job, perhaps its not the fault of the course you have graduated with...I dont know what exactly you are looking for, but seriously get a grip, there are people with lots of other degrees in the exact same situation as you are!

Whats wrong with doing a masters after doing it?!
That can only enhance what you have learned no??

If you know that 99% of graduates end up on the dole or whatever, then why study it in the 1st place? Would people not give serious consideration to what they study and actually do research into these things?

Mr. CooL ICE

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't see anything in the OP that states if he has done the course or not?

Mossin

If you have read the OP's posts in other threads it implies that they have done the course...

klong

mrmanire wrote: »

Apparently there are very few employment opportunities out of it and 99% per cent of all graduates finish up in either the dole queue or doing a masters within the five years after it finishes.

Not true...at least according to statistics I saw a few years ago. Bottom of the pile (as regards unemployment anyway) was Public Admin.

Face it, HPSS and all other arts courses have the same result- its a means to an end. HPSS in that regard is no different to Arts in UCD or UCC or wherever.

mrmanire

Granted lads; I just wanted to test the waters and get a bit of a reaction. I have just heard a lot of HPSS grads giving out recently.

Like most people choose their course where they are 17 or 18 and really don't consider the employment opportunities after. I remember seeing the stats myself last year. Not one person in the course was in employment a year after.

As for it being the same as an arts course as the other Universities; it's not as well respected as those in the other Universities like UCD, Trinity and UCC; much the same as Law and Euro.

People really shouldn't knock Public Admin; it's sort of a business course....

NickDrake

mrmanire wrote: »

Granted lads; I just wanted to test the waters and get a bit of a reaction. I have just heard a lot of HPSS grads giving out recently.

Like most people choose their course where they are 17 or 18 and really don't consider the employment opportunities after. I remember seeing the stats myself last year. Not one person in the course was in employment a year after.

As for it being the same as an arts course as the other Universities; it's not as well respected as those in the other Universities like UCD, Trinity and UCC; much the same as Law and Euro.

People really shouldn't knock Public Admin; it's sort of a business course....

Public Admin = Pass Business and everyone knows it in UL. But the course that is and always will be the laughing stock of UL is HPSS. 10 hours a week is a joke and a load of them end up the SU so that really does sum it up.

I lived with 2 HPSS students when I was in UL. Neither of them went to much college. At the most 2 hours a week. They started essay the morning it was due and one started his FYP 2 days before it was due and I mean without research done. He managed to get a B1.

HPSS is a joke of a course but yet some of its students think it entitles them to run of SU. I dont't see it.

I agree 100% with MrManire

mrmanire

NickDrake wrote: »

Public Admin = Pass Business and everyone knows it in UL. But the course that is and always will be the laughing stock of UL is HPSS. 10 hours a week is a joke and a load of them end up the SU so that really does sum it up.

I lived with 2 HPSS students when I was in UL. Neither of them went to much college. At the most 2 hours a week. They started essay the morning it was due and one started his FYP 2 days before it was due and I mean without research done. He managed to get a B1.

HPSS is a joke of a course but yet some of its students think it entitles them to run of SU. I dont't see it.

I agree 100% with MrManire

Jesus Christ; that stuff about the FYP sounds ridiculous; I'm sure it's par for the course in HPSS though. I can't believe they got B1s. Like you wouldn't even get a fraction of the research done in two days! Where did those two guys finish up anyway? PWC? A&L Goodbodys?

As for the SU; I don't know about this years lot but I think the 08-09 SU had like three HPSS in there and I'm guessing St John may have been HPSS himself based on the hair. You can't really fault them though; like it is paid employment and HPSS students are going to find that quite difficult later in life. I suppose it's the only position of authority they will ever be in...


Any HPSS graduates out there who actually have jobs?

cson

\waits for bd to get here...

NickDrake

mrmanire wrote: »

Jesus Christ; that stuff about the FYP sounds ridiculous; I'm sure it's par for the course in HPSS though. I can't believe they got B1s. Like you wouldn't even get a fraction of the research done in two days! Where did those two guys finish up anyway? PWC? A&L Goodbodys?

As for the SU; I don't know about this years lot but I think the 08-09 SU had like three HPSS in there and I'm guessing St John may have been HPSS himself based on the hair. You can't really fault them though; like it is paid employment and HPSS students are going to find that quite difficult later in life. I suppose it's the only position of authority they will ever be in...


Any HPSS graduates out there who actually have jobs?

I forgot to mention that they both ended up with 2.2 degrees. I am not messing here. Sums up what a joke the course is.

Regarding the SU. There is no doubt it is a huge clique in there and each year most of the HPSS class chance their hand at getting elected and manage to do so. This proves the clique environment as HPSS students stick together.

I have to say this is an excellent thread and has highlighted some of the issues with HPSS and also the SU. The question is, does the low work ethic and short hours carry through to the SU jobs??

Burning Eclipse

NickDrake wrote: »

Regarding the SU. There is no doubt it is a huge clique in there and each year most of the HPSS class chance their hand at getting elected and manage to do so. This proves the clique environment as HPSS students stick together.

I have to say this is an excellent thread and has highlighted some of the issues with HPSS and also the SU. The question is, does the low work ethic and short hours carry through to the SU jobs??

Wow, where to start with that? :rolleyes: How about by not dignifying it with a response.

NickDrake

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Wow, where to start with that? :rolleyes: How about by not dignifying it with a response.

Ha ha! But I am right in what I am saying. You know it

cson

Hmmm, I've just taken the time to read this properly and I'll address the issues later on tonight. Providing it's still open. I have a suspicion that the op is looking for a reaction here - there are many provocative statements throughout. If not, it should make for an interesting discussion.

Gambra

OP, Do you even know what HPSS is made up of?

I'm a 4th year HPSS student and I do agree that there could be at least 50% extra modules added to the course without much more hassle. But why exactly is this course "useless"? If you class anything that doesn't teach you a specific science or trains you for the buisness world as useless then you really should shut up. There's hundreds of courses around the country in every college that have the same departments such as History, Politics, Sociology etc and are not considered to be as "useless".

And where the **** this stuff about the Student Union is coming from I have absolutely no idea..

NickDrake

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Wow, where to start with that? :rolleyes: How about by not dignifying it with a response.

Gambra wrote: »

OP, Do you even know what HPSS is made up of?

I'm a 4th year HPSS student and I do agree that there could be at least 50% extra modules added to the course without much more hassle. But why exactly is this course "useless"? If you class anything that doesn't teach you a specific science or trains you for the buisness world as useless then you really should shut up. There's hundreds of courses around the country in every college that have the same departments such as History, Politics, Sociology etc and are not considered to be as "useless".

And where the **** this stuff about the Student Union is coming from I have absolutely no idea..

Fair enough! So you don't agree with me that the SU isn't full of HPSS students/graduates over the years? What world are you living in?

It is and always will be a scape goat for them. Whether it is to further their career prospects or just a clique thing I don't know. Maybe we will find out on this thread.

Mossin

NickDrake wrote: »

Fair enough! So you don't agree with me that the SU isn't full of HPSS students/graduates over the years? What world are you living in?

It is and always will be a scape goat for them. Whether it is to further their career prospects or just a clique thing I am don't know. Maybe we will find out on this thread.

If you want to find out about the SU then start a new thread about it!

This thrread is about HPSS and is being brought off topic here.

mrmanire

In fairness now; this thread has become a bit of a 'slate the SU' one. There does seem to be a definite link between HPSS and the SU but that's not the point. As for the work ethic in HPSS and how this relates to SU performance; no comment.

As for the main point about HPSS; I can't believe those two guys you talked about got honours degrees. Ridiculous. My experience was of HPSS and it's grading was this:

1:1 - Put serious effort in, put many days work into assignments
2:1 - Turn up to odd lecture, two days per assignment
2:2 - No lectures past week one, assignment started day before exam
3: - Unable to speak English

To be honest I have a HPSS degree and completed two years of a UL engineering degree. An engineer could do the HPSS stuff in his/her spare time such as eating dinner at night or even down the stables having a few pints. Fact.

NickDrake

Mossin wrote: »

If you want to find out about the SU then start a new thread about it!

This thrread is about HPSS and is being brought off topic here.

How? I am referring to HPSS and its connection with the SU. Read again

P.S You are not a mod here

Gambra

NickDrake wrote: »

Fair enough! So you don't agree with me that the SU isn't full of HPSS students/graduates over the years? What world are you living in?

I don't agree because I don't care what ex-HPSS students are doing now. All I care about it what I'm going to do myself. The course is the same as any other course which is just as "useless" like English & History, New Media & English, Politics & International Relations, Irish Music & Dance or the other myriad of Humanities courses. Of course it has it's bad points but I honestly don't see the point of attacking it like this.

Christ, I'm just going to bow out of this thread before I bust a nut.

NickDrake

Gambra wrote: »

I don't agree because I don't care what ex-HPSS students are doing now. All I care about it what I'm going to do myself. The course is the same as any other course which is just as "useless" like English & History, New Media & English, Politics & International Relations, Irish Music & Dance or the other myriad of Humanities courses. Of course it has it's bad points but I honestly don't see the point of attacking it like this.

Christ, I'm just going to bow out of this thread before I bust a nut.

Ok I will take back the fact that it is useless. I have a lot of respect for humanities. But from my experience of HPSS, it is not a great course at all.

I lived with up the 4 past students over the years. In fairness two got jobs but they did a Masters. The other two went on the dole and are going back to college now I think.

mrmanire

Gambra wrote: »

I don't agree because I don't care what ex-HPSS students are doing now. All I care about it what I'm going to do myself. The course is the same as any other course which is just as "useless" like English & History, New Media & English, Politics & International Relations, Irish Music & Dance or the other myriad of Humanities courses. Of course it has it's bad points but I honestly don't see the point of attacking it like this.

Christ, I'm just going to bow out of this thread before I bust a nut.

Yeah Nickdrake has lost the run of himself a bit.

Those other courses do seem more practical. Like with English and History you have savage groundwork for teaching, New Media and English has a possible media career there and with Irish music and dance; well I suppose you can dance. It's just HPSS I'd have the beef with. Like Law and Euro was killed off; HPSS should go the same direction.

I am looking forward to BDs comments on all of this.

Mossin

NickDrake wrote: »

How? I am referring to HPSS and its connection with the SU. Read again

P.S You are not a mod here

I dont need to be a mod to comment that a thread is going off-topic!

But seeing as it already has...

You dont think this is referring to the SU then?

NickDrake wrote: »

Regarding the SU. There is no doubt it is a huge clique in there
I have to say this is an excellent thread and has highlighted some of the issues with HPSS and also the SU.

NickDrake wrote: »

Fair enough! So you don't agree with me that the SU isn't full of HPSS students/graduates? What world are you living in?

I can really see the clique with them coming to the fore this year!

Lets take a look:

SU President - Construction Management Graduate
SU Welfare - Business Graduate
SU Education - Law and Euro Graduate
SU Communications - Irish and New Media

What world are you living in that all the SU are HPSS graduates then? :rolleyes:

NickDrake

Mossin wrote: »

I dont need to be a mod to comment that a thread is going off-topic!

But seeing as it already has...

You dont think this is referring to the SU then?





I can really see the clique with them coming to the fore this year!

Lets take a look:

SU President - Construction Management Graduate
SU Welfare - Business Graduate
SU Education - Law and Euro Graduate
SU Communications - Irish and New Media

What world are you living in that all the SU are HPSS graduates then? :rolleyes:

Ok this year is a real exception.

Now come off it - the previous years have been full of them. You know well. And a load of HPSS students go for election every year.

mrmanire

Gone seriously off topic altogether.

Gambra

mrmanire wrote: »

Yeah Nickdrake has lost the run of himself a bit.

Those other courses do seem more practical. Like with English and History you have savage groundwork for teaching, New Media and English has a possible media career there and with Irish music and dance; well I suppose you can dance. It's just HPSS I'd have the beef with. Like Law and Euro was killed off; HPSS should go the same direction.

I am looking forward to BDs comments on all of this.

But why do you have a beef with it? HPSS is usually nothing more than a combination of history, politics, sociology and one or two others. I'm a History/Politics major myself which is offered as a regular course in pretty much every university in the country.

And it does look like HPSS will be killed off in the future. This year they brought in the Politics & International Relations course and I'm pretty sure there was another new one this year or next year which will fill the same kind of area. I got the feeling that HPSS was always a filler course where the departments couldn't fill a full course themselves but now they can (like the Politics & Intl. course)

Gambra

mrmanire wrote: »

I'm guessing St John may have been HPSS himself based on the hair

Hahahaha, oh wow.

NickDrake wrote: »

10 hours a week

:pac: I have 6hrs a week this semester with a whole extra hr every second week.

NickDrake

Gambra wrote: »

But why do you have a beef with it? HPSS is usually nothing more than a combination of history, politics, sociology and one or two others. I'm a History/Politics major myself which is offered as a regular course in pretty much every university in the country.

And it does look like HPSS will be killed off in the future. This year they brought in the Politics & International Relations course and I'm pretty sure there was another new one this year or next year which will fill the same kind of area. I got the feeling that HPSS was always a filler course where the departments couldn't fill a full course themselves but now they can (like the Politics & Intl. course)

You have a fair beef with it yourself there. I am just responding to the initial thread as started by Mrmanire.

It's just I have seen how easy it is the get a 2.2 and it really shouldn't be. Its a university for god sake not a holiday camp

mrmanire

Gambra wrote: »

But why do you have a beef with it? HPSS is usually nothing more than a combination of history, politics, sociology and one or two others. I'm a History/Politics major myself which is offered as a regular course in pretty much every university in the country.

And it does look like HPSS will be killed off in the future. This year they brought in the Politics & International Relations course and I'm pretty sure there was another new one this year or next year which will fill the same kind of area. I got the feeling that HPSS was always a filler course where the departments couldn't fill a full course themselves but now they can (like the Politics & Intl. course)

I suppose you have a good point there Gamba. I think the problem with HPSS is less the content of the course but more the general culture of slackness that seems to apply to it; much like Public Admin. English and History students always seemed to take the whole thing thing far seriously. If Politics and Intl was around in my time I'd definitely have done it.

There are just so many lads in it like the guys drake mentioned literally taking the piss. Even the name of the course is horrific. Try putting it on a CV!!!

Peteee

Is there a point to this or are you just lamenting the fact, publicly, that the course you did is useless?

mrmanire

Peteee wrote: »

the course you did is useless

I have to agree. Useless.

If this thread is useless we may need to bring back the SU element

Peteee

mrmanire wrote: »

If this thread is useless we may need to bring back the SU element

But the SU has nothing to do with HPSS (this year)