Class sizes?

paul9mm

Hi
Hope anyone who is/was at AIT can answer a simple question?

-What are the usual first and second year class sizes?
In particular, science & Tech courses? I ask as trying to find out how big first year class sizes are (15, 25, 35?) and for second year, how many (for various reasons) don't make it through from year one.

Thanks.

skytop

I did first year electronic eng this year and there were only 16 in my class, but for nearly all the classes we were joined by other first years from similar courses and that number of 16 would have reached 50 to 60 if everyone came in, on second year numbers , come exam time we had already lost nearly half the original 16 , I was told by a lecturer this year the one group in the engineering dept only had 4 second years due to drop outs and failures ,( computer engineering ) I think It varies but maybe that might help you out a bit


Regards

x Purple Pawprints x

Hi,

I studied at AIT for 3 years (Veterinary Nursing) and our class was quite small. Started with 34 and when we finished we had 24.

paul9mm

Many thanks,exactly what I was looking for.
I got my offer last week and accepted,just wanted to find out what expected class sizes are.
btw,re class numbers,the "expected" dropout rate is 40-50% for some universities. Mainly due to students simply not being aware of course content or unwilling to put in the work required to get through.
One of my concerns about small class size is possibility of it being cancelled due to economic bottomline. Happened to a course at NUIG last year mid-term!
Again,many thanks for help.much appreciated.

skytop wrote: »

I did first year electronic eng this year and there were only 16 in my class, but for nearly all the classes we were joined by other first years from similar courses and that number of 16 would have reached 50 to 60 if everyone came in, on second year numbers , come exam time we had already lost nearly half the original 16 , I was told by a lecturer this year the one group in the engineering dept only had 4 second years due to drop outs and failures ,( computer engineering ) I think It varies but maybe that might help you out a bit


Regards

Flashpoint

I'm doing sport and recreation there and in first there was 68, second year there was 52, in third year its looking like no more then 40-45 people

SilverScreen

Jane_LS_88 wrote: »

Hi,

I studied at AIT for 3 years (Veterinary Nursing) and our class was quite small. Started with 34 and when we finished we had 24.

You think that's small? I studied Computer and Software Engineering for 4 years. At the start there were 15 and we finished with 6.

paul9mm

Many thanks to all who have posted replies, all helpful and great to hear from current students. I have accepted my place at AIT last week and looking forward to September.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my reason initially was to make sure that the course was not simply a boat-load of students, jammed into a room, fighting for attention. Having heard about some of the course's small sizes, my feelings are mixed.

Pro: Small class sizes = greater time for labs & access to resources. Also, smaller class = better tutor/student ratio.

Con: smaller class size = possibility of class being cancelled. (This has already happened in NUIG, one of the students got the bad news mid-term, second year and had to choose another major. Reason given was simply that class got too small to be economically viable.)

BTW, any guidelines about first year class/study hours?
ie: Can science/engineering first years can expect 25-30 in-class hours? More/less? I have the first year time tables from 2012 but confusing on specifics.

At a number of interviews I had, one of the big questions I was asked directly was on, "how much study I expected to have to take on?"
I asked why and was told that some students simply coast through the first few months, the first exams hit and, wham!, they fall apart and drop out.

Again, thanks to all. If anyone else has any help, gladly accepted.:)