Any one doing applied physics and instrumentation?!

brigadoon

Hey guys, I'm new here and I'm looking for anyone doing applied physics and instrumentation in the hope that they could give me a bit of feedback on the course. Tried googling it but nothing around by anyone who's actually done it and i'm BRICKING it as I've applied to St. Johns for a year of applied science in september in order to go on to CIT.
Just looking for the basics like how difficult is it?
Everyone who asks what I'm planning on doing says something like "Oh my god..." Another one was "Why have you picked the hardest course going?"
I'll be going as a mature student so this is a really big deal for me and I'd appreciate it any info, thanks!

Koro

Hi Brigadoon
I graduated last year in App physics and Inst. I was like you and came in as a mature student. I think the course is beening changed a bit around this year but I dont think it will change that much. It's a tough one alright when I started in first year there were 38 in the year that dropped to 16 in the second year. If your willing to slog it out and put in the study you'll have no problem passing. The things most people found hard were were the maths (laplace & fourier) and programming (VB & C). But it's all thought from scratch as long as you turn up for class the lecturers are willing to give you all the help you need.
Bad new's is that theres very little work for Instrumentation in Ireland at the mo but by the time you get your degree it could have changed. Have you looked at Automation or Process Engineering there alot like the Instruments. There crying out for Engineers in them.
I heard Limerick has a good Automation course and I'm presumming CIT and UCC do Process Eng there alot like App Phy & Inst. Thats if it's engineering you looking to get into and not pure Physics

Paulie Walnuts

I'm also a mature student doing this course. You can look at the modules in detail if you follow this link..

http://courses.cit.ie/index.cfm/page/course/courseId/341

I'd agree with the previous post, it's tough enough getting into the swing of things if you don't have a previous physics or electronics background but it's do-able. You might be playing catch up for the first year. There's also one to one tutorial classes in the learning support centre if you have trouble with Maths, Physics or Electronics.


(semesters run from Sept to Dec and Feb to May)

brigadoon

Thanks guys! Just hearing that it's do-able is an encouragement Koro, it really is more the pure physics I'm interested in but I thought that doing it applied would be more useful as I'm a pretty practical person and I'd love to go into research. I've looked at the modules Paulie and they seem fascinating; I can't wait to get this coming year over and get to CIT and get stuck in.

Just saw this now so apologies to mods for resurrecting old threads and whatnot. I'm a graduate of the course in CIT, I finished the course in 2003. Wouldn't be too worried about no jobs in instrumentation as you won't be pigeon holed at all. Just to contradict what's above there is also f all work in automation at the moment. They go hand in hand, no big projects or extensions puts them both in demand. Anyway, the course is well do able if you are willing to put in the work, there is some of the wall Physics muck in third and fourth year but you will get through it. The programming cab be tough for those not that way inclined (me included) but again you will get through it no bother. You don't have to be a brain box at all for the course, traditionally the entry requirements were always quite low.

Since I left the following is what I got up to
- two and a half years working as a process tech in a bio pharma startup
- a year as a technical sales rep for a water treatment company
- year and a half as a validation engineer in a med device company
- year as a manufacturing engineer in an orthopaedic manufacturer
- year as a quality engineer in a med device company
- back in the orthopaedic place again now as a validation engineer for a product transfer.

If you want to work in industry the course is on a par with elec eng or similar and far better than any science course in a University.

Plenty of oppurtuinities to stay on and do research etc when you finish the degree too, wasn't my thing at the time though, wanted to get working.

Any other q's just ask