Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Computer Science TCD

Options
  • 25-08-2016 2:31am
    #1
    JeSuisSeosamh
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭


    Hi, I'm considering choosing Computer Science in TCD on my CAO for next year
    I just have a few questions:

    1.) How are the hours?
    2.) What are the class sizes like?
    3.) Do many people have a knowledge of programming before they begin this course?
    4.) Do you learn SQL or any languages other than Java, Assembly, C, etc.
    5.) In general, what do you think of the course

    I appreciate any advice given. I'm between this course and the one in NUIG.

    Thank you


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    MWick94
    Registered Users Posts: 107 ✭✭MWick94


    JeSuisSeosamh wrote: »
    Hi, I'm considering choosing Computer Science in TCD on my CAO for next year
    I just have a few questions:

    1.) How are the hours?
    2.) What are the class sizes like?
    3.) Do many people have a knowledge of programming before they begin this course?
    4.) Do you learn SQL or any languages other than Java, Assembly, C, etc.
    5.) In general, what do you think of the course

    I appreciate any advice given. I'm between this course and the one in NUIG.

    Thank you

    (I did one year of CS before switching to CSB, so I can only speak for the first year of the course from my own experience.)

    1. The hours are roughly 20-25 hours a week, its not too bad at all. However, that is just the lectures, labs and tutorials. As the year goes on, you will have to spend more time outside of these hours working on assignments etc.

    2. Class sizes vary between modules. Some are shared with CS, CSB, CSL and MSISS, so there should be around 180-200 people in the lectures. However, after the first few weeks, this number drops considerably. Smaller lectures are about 80-100 people.

    3. There are always a few who have some experience programming, but many have never programmed before in their lives. The lecturers don't expect any prior knowledge so it's nothing to worry about.

    4. In first year, you only cover Java and ARM Assembly. As the years go on, you cover C etc like you said, but through group projects etc you end up learning about SQL and things like that.

    5. For me, I switched because I didn't like the hardware aspect of the course. But if you're into both hardware and software sides of CS and are capable of teaching yourself skills along the way, its not a bad course.


Advertisement