Why did you choose NUI Maynooth?

laoiserick

I think this thread would be useful for potential undergrads?
So why did you choose NUIM?

Seren_

I chose to go to NUIM because it had the course I wanted to do (Media Studies, although I didn't get the points so I did Arts ). I went to one of the open days in April, and I really loved the campus and atmosphere so I engineered my CAO so that I'd definitely end up coming here

It's also one of the handiest colleges to get to from where I'm from (Sligo) because there's a direct train line (which takes the same amount of time as the bus to Galway, even though Galway is far closer )

Tesco Massacre

I didn't get enough points to do medicine in Trinity.

Not bitter. Not. One. Bit.

CaoimH_in

Oh. Look what I found:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055619090
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055637976
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056471457
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056497429
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056527497
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056426056

SSS2012

DO NOT GO TO MAYNOOTH...you will not find a job after it..unless you have the right connections or work your ass off to compensate for studying in Maynooth. And to be honest, it's not worth it, as it is not a party college. The academia is poor and so is the partying! Choose ANYWHERE but NUIM. Do your research...and definitely do not do ARTS in Maynooth!

CaoimH_in

Arts in Maynooth is fantastic? Is it not, probably, its main selling point? English and Music are great departments anyway.

XxMCRxBabyxX

CaoimH_in wrote: »

Arts in Maynooth is fantastic? Is it not, probably, its main selling point? English and Music are great departments anyway.

History Department is well regarded too.

Plus Maynooth Arts offers quite a large range of subjects that you can't study in Arts elsewhere in Ireland.

rcaz

SSS2012 wrote: »

DO NOT GO TO MAYNOOTH...you will not find a job after it..unless you have the right connections or work your ass off to compensate for studying in Maynooth. And to be honest, it's not worth it, as it is not a party college. The academia is poor and so is the partying! Choose ANYWHERE but NUIM. Do your research...and definitely do not do ARTS in Maynooth!

Like the connections thing is different in any other college?

philologos

SSS2012 wrote: »

DO NOT GO TO MAYNOOTH...you will not find a job after it..unless you have the right connections or work your ass off to compensate for studying in Maynooth. And to be honest, it's not worth it, as it is not a party college. The academia is poor and so is the partying! Choose ANYWHERE but NUIM. Do your research...and definitely do not do ARTS in Maynooth!

I went there, graduated last year and I'm now working as a programmer in London. Don't worry guys :pac:

Oh yeah, I did a BA also - Philosophy & Computer Science.

CaoimH_in

Silly billy.

SSS2012

I know connections matter wherever you are, but if you go to Maynooth you need connections to compensate for the fact you went to Maynooth. Maynooth is not known by people outside of Ireland. And it does not have a great academic record. Now...I don't mean to be hating on Maynooth I am just here to give my experience! It is a wonderful town. And is good for Science and IT..but I just would not recommend it for Arts unless anyone wants to be a teacher or lecturer.

SSS2012

Computer science is good in Maynooth! It is also a practical subject. There are not enough practical subjects in Maynooth!

Norrdeth

Well it has the best music department in Irealand(and the best composition teachers),
but I agree in terms of connections.
Still it's getting better, with the new prez. and all.

Norrdeth

SSS2012 wrote: »

Computer science is good in Maynooth! It is also a practical subject. There are not enough practical subjects in Maynooth!

So you're suggesting it's too academic?

SSS2012

I have heard good and bad things about the Music department. Personally, I can say about the English department was there were not enough creative subjects. We had a small part of a module which was creative. The creative module option was taken away during my time and there was no creative writing in my three years, except a tiny part of a module, which asked us to write a modern Shakespearean play, which was the best part of my three years! I found some subjects overlapped and were repetitive.

We only had tutorials in first year and after that it was online. To be honest, I think it was a shame to take away tutorials all together. I liked the online tutorials, but the department needed both. Some people did not even bother to come to college at all. I would see so many faces at exams I never ever saw before!!! In Trinity you have to swipe in...in Maynooth....they don't care! Maynooth is too easy to pass and get a degree!

And the online tutorials took away any chance to be on a personal basis with lecturers or tutors. Also, in some colleges TEFL is part of the degree. I think this is such an important part of English. What is the point doing a degree in English if you come out with 0 skills after it, expect for knowing how to write an essay on comparative literature. The degree in English does not teach you about grammar, how to write in a creative or journalistic manner, and does not offer anything practical about English. Unless you want to teach or work in research/academia, what is the point of studying a subject if you can not use it for a practical purpose.

I have gained more experience from 3 month internships/ work experience and jobs than 3 years studying English in Maynooth. Maynooth is a beautiful college and has some great subjects but I think the English department desperately needs a revamp, however, I know after leaving a creative module is now in place. Can anyone tell me how they are finding it?

Has the English department improved? The best modules I studied were modern Shakespeare, the film modules, and also an optional module on theatre.

I would love to know how other people found/find the modules?! Also, what are people doing with their English degree since graduating? It is just good to know!

SSS2012

Yes, I think there are too many academic subjects. And I think the academia over all is pretty poor. This is just a personal opinion. My brother is in Trinity studying English and it is on a completely different level. When we are in college, it is great that is is not too difficult, so short-term it's great, but long-term they are not doing us any favours! There needs to be a certain level of academia for a college to have international recognition.

In order for Irish people to have jobs across the globe, Maynooth needs to improve the quality of academia in Maynooth. And of course, bring in more practical modules within subjects, which gives students skills when they graduate.

Irish people lack skills that are needed to improve our economic situation, so yes, I think the Irish economy does not need students of purely academic background, especially if it is not of extremely high quality! If you want academia study in Trinity, if you want practical..DIT, DCU and so on! Business and make connections..then UCD! And then I guess if you want to be a teacher or scientist or computer programmer then go to Maynooth! The science research team in Maynooth are brilliant and make the news all the time for their research!

philologos

SSS2012 wrote: »

I have heard good and bad things about the Music department. Personally, I can say about the English department was there were not enough creative subjects. We had a small part of a module which was creative. The creative module option was taken away during my time and there was no creative writing in my three years, except a tiny part of a module, which asked us to write a modern Shakespearean play, which was the best part of my three years! I found some subjects overlapped and were repetitive.

We only had tutorials in first year and after that it was online. To be honest, I think it was a shame to take away tutorials all together. I liked the online tutorials, but the department needed both. Some people did not even bother to come to college at all. I would see so many faces at exams I never ever saw before!!! In Trinity you have to swipe in...in Maynooth....they don't care! Maynooth is too easy to pass and get a degree!

And the online tutorials took away any chance to be on a personal basis with lecturers or tutors. Also, in some colleges TEFL is part of the degree. I think this is such an important part of English. What is the point doing a degree in English if you come out with 0 skills after it, expect for knowing how to write an essay on comparative literature. The degree in English does not teach you about grammar, how to write in a creative or journalistic manner, and does not offer anything practical about English. Unless you want to teach or work in research/academia, what is the point of studying a subject if you can not use it for a practical purpose.

I have gained more experience from 3 month internships/ work experience and jobs than 3 years studying English in Maynooth. Maynooth is a beautiful college and has some great subjects but I think the English department desperately needs a revamp, however, I know after leaving a creative module is now in place. Can anyone tell me how they are finding it?

Has the English department improved? The best modules I studied were modern Shakespeare, the film modules, and also an optional module on theatre.

I would love to know how other people found/find the modules?! Also, what are people doing with their English degree since graduating? It is just good to know!

SSS2012 your opinion is demonstrably false. On the basis of my NUIM BA I got a place on a graduate programme and a contract with a major multinational financial services provider.

What difference would Trinity or UCD have made?

I didn't use any connections other than the career magazines I got at NUIM.

Also a lot of companies just want a degree. Friends of mine here with History or English degrees have got jobs in business also.

SSS2012

philologos wrote: »

SSS2012 your opinion is demonstrably false. On the basis of my NUIM BA I got a place on a graduate programme and a contract with a major multinational financial services provider.

What difference would Trinity or UCD have made?

I didn't use any connections other than the career magazines I got at NUIM.

Also a lot of companies just want a degree. Friends of mine here with History or English degrees have got jobs in business also.

Sorry, but you can not say my experience and opinion is false. Everyone's experience and opinions differ..there is no true or false. And when exactly did you graduate??? That also makes a big difference!

The majority of people I know, did not get a job afterwards, unless they did a masters or something special, which differentiated them from the average NUIM ARTS grad. I actually know lots of ARTS grads who ended up in Dunnes Stores. And they were very depressed.

This is a debate, to offer opinions and experience, I will repeat there is no true or false opinion or experience.

philologos

I finished June 2011. Graduated in absentia in September 2011. All was sorted by early June started in August.

SSS2012

philologos wrote: »

SSS2012 your opinion is demonstrably false. On the basis of my NUIM BA I got a place on a graduate programme and a contract with a major multinational financial services provider.

What difference would Trinity or UCD have made?

I didn't use any connections other than the career magazines I got at NUIM.

Also a lot of companies just want a degree. Friends of mine here with History or English degrees have got jobs in business also.

Trinity does make a difference as it is recognized internationally, it makes the top global universities list. People across the globe know Trinity. Maynooth is not known internationally. It is like the difference between an ivy league and average college in the US. For example if you looked at a CV and read BA from Harvard or Columbia and then saw someone with a BA from Wheaton, Maine.....its like Trinity versus Maynooth. Wheaton is a small college like Maynooth..have you heard of it?????????????? My point proven..THANK YOU!
University reputation and academic achievement is very important.

SSS2012

Again you did something practical like computer science..what are the exact careers of your fellow arts buddies..what jobs did they get with just a plain NUIM BA?

Lamy5

I am a graduate with an arts degree and a masters from NUI Maynooth, and I can safely say that studying English and Geography at undergraduate level have not helped my career whatsoever. When I realised my degree was not helping my career I went back to NUIM and did a masters, which has not helped the situation either. I can see how studying computer science might give one a set of skills that would be useful in embarking on a graduate programme. I too have many friends that have graduated 3 years ago and other than the few I know are teaching, the rest are working regular minimum wage jobs like waitering, bar, shopkeeping etc.

philologos

Firstly from first hand experience employers and people in general in London know little about Irish universities. I have also heard of people who went to prestigious universities in the UK who have been rejected in favour of those from less prestigious universities.

Business cares more about what you can do than a piece of paper.

In my case Trinity or UCD would have no advantage.

XxMCRxBabyxX

SSS2012 wrote: »

philologos wrote: »

SSS2012 your opinion is demonstrably false. On the basis of my NUIM BA I got a place on a graduate programme and a contract with a major multinational financial services provider.

What difference would Trinity or UCD have made?

I didn't use any connections other than the career magazines I got at NUIM.

Also a lot of companies just want a degree. Friends of mine here with History or English degrees have got jobs in business also.

Sorry, but you can not say my experience and opinion is false. Everyone's experience and opinions differ..there is no true or false. And when exactly did you graduate??? That also makes a big difference!

The majority of people I know, did not get a job afterwards, unless they did a masters or something special, which differentiated them from the average NUIM ARTS grad. I actually know lots of ARTS grads who ended up in Dunnes Stores. And they were very depressed.

This is a debate, to offer opinions and experience, I will repeat there is no true or false opinion or experience.

You could say that and all your other points about any arts course in the country. None of those are limited to NUIM.

Maynooth's arts course is recognised as being one of the best on the country with a wide and diverse range of subjects.

Wendero

Reputation makes a difference, but mostly within academia and in certain hyper-competitive industries (think; investment banking). In academia, doing research at a university with boatloads of research money is of course better than studying at a university with a lower reputation that doesn't get as much funding. Having said that, Maynooth gets quite a bit of research money from what I know.

Once you get to the interview, your degree doesn't matter much anymore. A good university can open doors and make your CV stand out, but beyond that, it's not much of a difference.

Also, university rankings matter more on a graduate level than on an undergrad level. Most undergrad degrees are the same (except for the different subjects, of course). You learn the basics necessary to, in the case of a degree in economics, be an economist. It matters much more at a graduate level where programs in the same subject can be significantly different.

Those are my thoughts on the matter. Just my 2 cents.

Seren_

Just regarding the point on the English department - the course has been totally revamped since you finished in Maynooth. The online portion (which I agree was awful) has been totally gotten rid of, and there are tutorials/seminars for each semester throughout the three years. I would have had a similar view of the department as you for my first while here, but it really has come on enormously in the last two years.

SSS2012

Glad to hear that, thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, unfortunately it was not great when I was there but I am really glad they have changed it!

Norrdeth

I think this thread is derailing a bit we should try to get back on topic,
so why did people decide to go to Maynooth?

SSS2012

Sorry that is my probably my fault, but this has been quite an interesting debate...but back to the main topic. I only wanted to do one thing, so my parents filled out the rest of my CAO form. I did not get my first choice, so I took a year out. And I was kind or pressured to start college so I went with the second choice...Maynooth. The reason it was my second choice was because it's not too far from where I live. Also, I was interested anthropology, and Maynooth has a good anthropology department.

And I have found that department good, even if it tends to be very laid back, they have a good selection of lecturers from different countries with different areas of expertise.

To be honest I did not find people very friendly, but having said that I have made some good sincere friends there too.

Also, if anyone is thinking about going to Maynooth..they have two great chippers and a great selection of restaurants!

Absolute Zero

Hey, I would be very interested to know what people have done after college who studied geography??

Wendero

I think that just in general studying liberal arts (ie english, history etc) has never been a very good way of getting a job. The subjects may be interesting, but from a career perspective they don't measure up to engineering and computer science. That's nothing unique for Maynooth.

Of course, if you really really love a liberal arts subject, then go ahead and major in it. The problem is that many people choose a major after what they think is easy, not what they're interested in and not what may give them a job they're interested in having (a lot of people will find history interesting as a subject, but would still find the job of a historian to be boring).