Computer Science

DuckSmokeQuack

I'm planning on doing a computer science course or something or the sort next year in college. I need peoples opinions on which colleges have the best courses, which courses are taught the best and where has the best facilities. Is there anyone here who is currently doing their course or has done a computer science course recently that can help me? Can't seem to find the information anywhere...

Tom Dunne

First of all, you need to define "best".

All degrees at level 8 (honours degree level) are considered to be of comparable quality, as far as the National Qualification Framework is concerned.

And how would you quantify which are the best taught? How would you actually measure that? People's opinion? Student grades? Jobs students get?

You see my point?

MillField

I graduated with a degree in computer science from DIT. Facilities not the best, not terrible, just not great. The course is good though.

Pompous

Coláiste Dhúlaigh in Coolock has the worst facilities. I cycle 10km each way every day to get there and there are:

1. No showers
2. No changing rooms
3. No lockers or storage of any kind
4. Nowhere to dry your clothes (I was told today I am no longer allowed to use radiators anywhere in the college. Funny that they chose the wettest day of the year to make this senseless decision)
5. Three toilets to service the entire college (down from six, three are broken since I started last year with no sign of being fixed)

rosmoke

I was wondering, have you done any Ruby on Rails?
What was the passing rate?
Also, what do you think of ITT, it would be way closer to me and their course looks to have more Objected Orientated Programming, which i like.
Does employers would prefer graduates from Trinity or UCD before ITT graduates?

Thank you!

colmulhall wrote: »

I graduated with a degree in computer science from DIT. Facilities not the best, not terrible, just not great. The course is good though.

rosmoke

I was wondering, have you done any Ruby on Rails?
What was the passing rate?
Also, what do you think of ITT, it would be way closer to me and their course looks to have more Objected Orientated Programming, which i like.
Do you think employers would prefer graduates from Trinity or UCD instead before ITT graduates?

Thank you!

colmulhall wrote: »

I graduated with a degree in computer science from DIT. Facilities not the best, not terrible, just not great. The course is good though.

uberalex

The details for the TCD Computer Science course are here https://www.scss.tcd.ie/undergraduate/computer-science/
You could also consider the Engineering Computer Stream if you're into something more general https://www.tcd.ie/Engineering/

The thing about these courses is that while there is significant programming, there is also significant theoretical work, such as mathematics, design, and software engineering. A lot of students go in expecting a programming course, but degree courses try and give students a broader, more theoretical background.

I would suggest contacting the universities and colleges, they each have brochures, open days and information that might help.

Good luck finding the right course! It's probably fair to say that there's no 'best' course, there's only the 'best fit for you'.

rosmoke

I appreciate your answer uberalex, i've checked already on their websites (TCD , UCD, ITT) how is the course structured.
Also i was wondering, if i would choose ITT - Computer Science and i would decide after completion of first year that is not what i wanted, could it be a possibility to get transferred over to Trinity - Computer Science in second year ?

uberalex

rosmoke wrote: »

I appreciate your answer uberalex, i've checked already on their websites (TCD , UCD, ITT) how is the course structured.
Also i was wondering, if i would choose ITT - Computer Science and i would decide after completion of first year that is not what i wanted, could it be a possibility to get transferred over to Trinity - Computer Science in second year ?

Very unlikely, I'm not sure it would be possible at all.

If I were to give advice, I would say that if you have the mathematics and interest, that a university degree is often better regarded than an IT, by quite a margin. That's not to say IT students are all worse than University ones, it's a generalisation about the qualification.

To my knowledge the TCD degree is the one which is the most computer science focused, as UCD mixes in science.

Journeyman_1

On the above point. DIT will probably be the highest regarded IT, and has a very good reputation with industry (AFAIK). I also believe they are on the way to becoming a university with the newly opened Grangegorman site, and the addition of IT Blanchardstown and (ITT)?. They also have an excellent work placement module that gets a lot of people hired before the even start 4th year.

uberalex

Journeyman_1 wrote: »

On the above point. DIT will probably be the highest regarded IT, and has a very good reputation with industry (AFAIK). I also believe they are on the way to becoming a university with the newly opened Grangegorman site, and the addition of IT Blanchardstown and (ITT)?. They also have an excellent work placement module that gets a lot of people hired before the even start 4th year.

Certainly true. TCD also have an excellent internship programme (https://www.scss.tcd.ie/internships/opportunities.php)

As I said, there's no single best course, but the best thing would be to look at the whole programme and commit to it. I would strongly avoid the idea of trying for a year, and I would choose a longer-term view: what will give you a better set of enduring skills? Specific languages are easier to learn if you know the fundamentals.