ARTS at DCU or Here??????

Moorsy

Hi I'm doing my leaving cert in 10 weeks or so and I still hav'nt decided what course I want to do. Its between Arts-Politics+Economics(UCD) and Economics,Plotics and Law-(dcu) . Can some1 tell me if this course is much different. Or if Arts is the better choice cause UCD is bigger ect ????
Please I'm in need of help!!!!

damnyanks

Not to belittle the UCD Arts degree...

But it seems to be joked about a lot. My sister is doing it and if she wishs to use it for a job she will have to do a masters. DCU was rated top university by the irish times this year.

However I've no idea what they used to determine their results

Also if you read the DCU board you may notice the place has a bad social life.

Mr.Nice Guy

Wow I can relate to this thread. I wanted Economics, Politics and Law at DCU but didn't get the points so ended up doing Economics, Politics and Philosophy in Arts here in UCD. I left economics as I found it too maths-oriented but it seems to be an enjoyable subject for some people. If you want to do economics in UCD you need to have at least a B on ordinary level which I did have but it still wasn't enough for me. Politics is an enjoyable subject although I haven't given it my all this year.

Ultimately you'll get out of it what you put into it and with regards to myself I didn't put much into it and I'll likely fail. If you want me to give you my views on Arts it would be the following:

- It is VERY big and can lead you to feel very lonely if you've no one in UCD you know. I made a couple of acquaintances but no real friends. It is a daunting place and if I could do the year over I would join a number of clubs and soiceties and this time make the effort to go!

- I also found that there is alot of freedom, perhaps too much, and that the onus is on YOU to show up for lectures and tutorials. I didn't show up as often as I should have and missed loads of lectures which was foolish.

- The lecturers are intelligent but the courses can still be understood if you take your notes and actually do some study. I did f**k all this year and will pay the price for my idiocy when I will likely repeat my exams in summer.

Also, I don't know where you live Moorsy but if you're a fellow northisder like me you must be prepared for a LONG journey to UCD every day.
That's about all I can say. I don't know if this is of any use to you but I wish you all the best anyway. Good luck with the LC mate.

Red Alert

ucd = concrete jungle, allegedly boring

dcu = concrete jungle, definitely boring

Moorsy

Thanks Mr.Nice Guy that help kinda. I live just outside town and the 17 drops me right into UCD but it still takes me about and hour r at least it did for the open day. I live on the south side along the grand canal. Still its just so hard thing I might just do accounting in DIT lol bit differnt but just down the road!

Mr.Nice Guy

Moorsy wrote:

Thanks Mr.Nice Guy that help kinda. I live just outside town and the 17 drops me right into UCD but it still takes me about and hour r at least it did for the open day. I live on the south side along the grand canal. Still its just so hard thing I might just do accounting in DIT lol bit differnt but just down the road!

I thought I'd be able to handle the travel but I underestimated just how much it would take out of me. When I get home at the end of the day I am worn out from the travelling alone which leaves me wanting to simply watch TV and rest. If it's taking you more than an hour to get there perhaps that alone is reason not to go. It's your decision though.

rainbow kirby

I just got used to the commutes... I live in Firhouse, so it's been at least 2.5 hours on a bus every day for 3 years now... It's a good time to play some Game Boy.

Mr.Nice Guy

rainbow kirby wrote:

I just got used to the commutes... I live in Firhouse, so it's been at least 2.5 hours on a bus every day for 3 years now... It's a good time to play some Game Boy.

Game Boy! Now why didn't I think of that! It would beat sitting in silence beside some stranger in today's anti-social Ireland.

m1ke

As a student of ucd and a former student of dcu............. I found the social scene in DCU much better than ucd.... but that's probably just the arts faculty in ucd is **** for social stuff outside of society life.

In terms of the relative value of the different courses in terms of employment: if you're going to train as a solicitor/barrister afterwards then the dcu course would give you a head start whereas there's no law subjects in arts in ucd. However, for entry purposes to postgrad law study, both degrees would be of the same value. imo, the lecturers in politics and economics in ucd are better than those in dcu so the quality would be higher in terms of content. All the other advice above is good too, stuff like travel etc... ends up being much more important than you'd think about.

Young Siward

Mr.Nice Guy wrote:

I thought I'd be able to handle the travel but I underestimated just how much it would take out of me. When I get home at the end of the day I am worn out from the travelling alone which leaves me wanting to simply watch TV and rest. If it's taking you more than an hour to get there perhaps that alone is reason not to go. It's your decision though.

I know exactly what you mean, as a fellow UCD northsider. I don't mind the daily commute on the DART but I'm pretty tired when I get home. You do get used to it though...

beanyb

rainbow kirby wrote:

I just got used to the commutes... I live in Firhouse, so it's been at least 2.5 hours on a bus every day for 3 years now... It's a good time to play some Game Boy.

I know this topic is really old but I just saw this....

How does it take you 2 and a half hours? I live in Knocklyon and it only takes me an hour to an hour and a half on the bus to get to college! That's crazy!!

And, I'm doing politics as part of arts and find it really interesting, it's quite hard though. Stress of the exams! Have a few friends doing economics and they all hate it. It's very different to L.C economics.

rainbow kirby

In total. ie. coming there and back.

kasintahan

It takes me 1 hour = half an hour cycle + half an hour to shower 'n shave in the gym

Sangre

It takes you a half hour to shower and shave in the gym? Jesus.
I cycle in aswell but only takes 10-15 minutes if for whatever reason I don't cycle I'll walk the 40 or so mintues listening to music...mmm relaxing
Unfortunately the gym is at the far end of campus from Roebuck.
My fecking bike hasn't had mudgaurds for 2 years, also get soaked up the back if there is puddles...and there is no where for my bags except my back...stupid bike.

padser

yeah on it the point about robuck being at the far end of campus wouldnt it be that much handier if ucd had everything actaully near each other. My lectures are spread from rocbuck as far as the arts block and the sheer travel involved means by the time i make it lectures...as well as being a half hour late....im only fit to sleep

oh and on the social life in UCD it really depends what kinda course your doing,,,,if your doing a course where u are actaully together with pppl al the time (ie not arts) then ul make loads of friends and have great craic

pretty*monster

I like that it takes me an hour to get in on the bus.
It's the only time I get any of my reading done.

And I've personally found the social life to be great, all you have to do is join a **** load of societies and clubs and your bound to find at least one that you like.

the jew

Moorsy wrote:

Hi I'm doing my leaving cert in 10 weeks or so and I still hav'nt decided what course I want to do. Its between Arts-Politics+Economics(UCD) and Economics,Plotics and Law-(dcu) . Can some1 tell me if this course is much different. Or if Arts is the better choice cause UCD is bigger ect ????
Please I'm in need of help!!!!

arts degrees aren't worth much, unless you want to be a teacher.

pretty*monster

^^^
that's only true if you thing that the only things worth anything are a career and money

padser

:cool: im going to agree wit the jew. if your going to go to college ya may as well do a decent degree

padser

im guessing all d arts heads must be hard at work studying cos i was really expecting to get a reaction for that one

Sangre

pretty*monster wrote:

^^^
that's only true if you thing that the only things worth anything are a career and money

I love talking geography and politics in the dole queue. They're always so knowledgable on the subject...wonder why...?

kasintahan

padser wrote:

:cool: im going to agree wit the jew. if your going to go to college ya may as well do a decent degree

That's what I used to think like.

But now I'm so glad I went back to do Arts.
It's just not worth spending 4 of the best years (or more) of your life doing something you hate.

Mr.Nice Guy

Sangre wrote:

I love talking geography and politics in the dole queue. They're always so knowledgable on the subject...wonder why...?

How can you knock Arts if you're on the dole?

Sangre

Who says I'm on the dole?

I just go there to talk about the important things in life...like glacial erosion and 18th century Middle Eastern history.

Mr.Nice Guy

Sangre wrote:

Who says I'm on the dole?

I just go there to talk about the important things in life...like glacial erosion and 18th century Middle Eastern history.

There must be some fascinating conversations.

ghostchant

Sangre wrote:

Who says I'm on the dole?

I just go there to talk about the important things in life...like glacial erosion and 18th century Middle Eastern history.

Well you could just go to the geology department and chat about glacial erosion - if science students are allowed to study it without criticism, why can't arts students

Moorsy

Well thats a help....... not!!!! Do ARTS /Dont do arts. Your all so annoying except one or two thanks. I think.

Mr.Nice Guy

Moorsy wrote:

Well thats a help....... not!!!! Do ARTS /Dont do arts. Your all so annoying except one or two thanks. I think.

OK, I'll put it like this - don't do Arts.

Jonny Arson

I'm really getting totally pissed off about this common bandwagon jumping perception people have about Arts degrees.

I'm an Arts student. I picked the course because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do as a career. It had Geography as an option which happened to be my favourite subject in school so I chose the course. I heard all of the perceptions about an Arts degree been useless but I ignored that crap because it was the course I wanted in my heart. Arts is not a perfect course. It doesn't set you up automatically for a career and it is more than likely you will have to do a postgrad of some sorts.

This perception of Arts being useless comes from alot of the students who have done the course. I know for a fact so many people only do Arts to please mummy and daddy, they put no effort at all into their studies and end up dropping out ending up scabbing of mumsie and dadsie for the next few years of their lives. No one ever talks about the Arts students who do make an effort. We need students to come out with Arts degrees. The obvious career is teaching but there are so many career options for Arts students to go into that I feel sets the degree apart from the rest. For example I want to become a town planner. I need to do Geography and then do a post grad. Doing Arts was pretty the only option for me if i want to achieve this. Doing an Arts degree gives its students so many options which I feel stakes a huge advantage over other courses. You are not tied into doing a certain career and this takes alot of weight of your shoulders.

Arts is not perfect though. It does require further studies which may take you longer to achieve a certain career. This Arts bashing is used by people in other so called ''better courses'' to make themselves somewhat superior to other students which is just plain sad. Arts is a good course if you are motivated to do well and to get something out of it.

Kevin_rc_ie

well said.

vector

Arts IMHO is just "a degree" it allows you to tick the box on a job application forms, but that is all. If you want to reach the interview stage you need something else

*masters
*work experience
*personality

So arts does have value, it is worth doing, but just remember to "top it up" with something else a bit.