UCD used to be a university. A real one.

padser

Did anyone know that years ago UCD used to be a university. I can honestly say that in the 2 and a half years I'v been here I'v learnt absolutely nothing. The standard of teaching is terrible. Exams are an absolute joke. Good grades can be achieved by attending 75% of lectures and putting in about 4 hours study a day about 10 days before the exam. Lecturers dont even expect you to read the stuff they tell you read. Tutors expect 10-20 people to come to tutorials and between 1 and 3 people to have read the cases (im in BnL). About 2/3 weeks before our exams our business lectures tend to tell us whats coming up; if there are MCQ's we will know at least 20-30% before we go into the exam, longer questions we will know what topic of at least half of the total number we need to answer are on. The motivation to work is non existant because no one needs to. Whats the point??

The pillars are plastered with posters for 'events' organised by societies. Societies idea of an event is to book a club, print up posters and sell tickets for €5 or '€7 on the door'. Qsoc, C+e, BnL, ents, Lawsoc (although they at least attempt the odd debate)...its all the same. Surely we are capable of simply heading out with our mates ourselves. We dont need someone to book the club and charge us for it. All the clubs are running student nights Wed and Thur anyway.

And finally just to prove my point that UCD is no more then a social club with 3/4 weeks of madness each year with people trying to pass exams i took a list of the threads on the front page of the 'UCD Discussion Forum'.

1)the Revs, THursday
2)amgosh quick i need a good excuse
3)SU positions
4)centre beats
5) Algorithmic problem solving ~ 0 replies, 1 view
6)What do you hate most about UCD
7)Alcohool Competition (incidently Alcohool is supposed to be a cross between achohol and pool. V Clever)
8)Scoring Classmates
9)Crist, Mass Holidays (im guessing this has something to do with the festive season although i must confess i havnt read it
10)Hottest faculty (another gem from Mr Nice Guy)
11) Q bar last sunday night

I really have nothing more to say. Except that i have a great time in UCD, just find it unbelievably boring and unproductive

besty

padser wrote:

Did anyone know that years ago UCD used to be a university. I can honestly say that in the 2 and a half years I'v been here I'v learnt absolutely nothing. The standard of teaching is terrible. Exams are an absolute joke. High 2'1's and even Firsts can be got by attending 75% of lectures and putting in about 4 hours study a day about 10 days before the exam. Lecturers dont even expect you to read the stuff they tell you read. Tutors expect 10-20 people to come to tutorials and between 1 and 3 people to have read the cases (im in BnL). About 2/3 weeks before our exams our business lectures tend to tell us whats coming up; if there are MCQ's we will know at least 20-30% before we go into the exam

shhhhhhhh, the lecturers might be reading!

Laguna

Not to shatter your illusion but all colleges are more or less the same. You're basically taking away the achievement of anyone who puts the work in and achieves a 2:1 or a first by saying

padser wrote:

High 2'1's and even Firsts can be got by attending 75% of lectures and putting in about 4 hours study a day about 10 days before the exam.

I got a first in my course because I worked like a mother****er all year and, to be pedantic, how else are good results achieved in any academic examination?

padser

I take it you too are studying hard so

BTW i read what u wrote about Fiat! ROFL

Mr.Nice Guy

padser wrote:

10)Hottest faculty (another gem from Mr Nice Guy)

Ouch. I was just trying to add a bit of fun to the board. Sorry I bothered.:rolleyes:

padser

Laguna wrote:

Not to shatter your illusion but all colleges are more or less the same.

Certainly in Ireland. Im not seeing how this affects what I said. Im talking about UCD as its the place I know best. Its certainly not the same at some of the top universities in other countries.

ozt9vdujny3srf

In fairness, you're course might be like that, but mine and several others aren't.

Try doing a professionally accredited qualification if you want something more useful and challenging then what you are at at the moment.

edit: in fact not even professionally accredited. I know of very few people who find science easy. Computer science is certainly no cake walk either. (which laguna beat me to below).

besty

padser wrote:

I take it you too are studying hard so

BTW i read what u wrote about Fiat! ROFL

oh, yea, I'm actually the proof of what youre talking about above. That Fiat thing is such a pisstake...

Laguna

Savannah Stocky Taffy wrote:

In fairness, you're course might be like that, but mine and several others aren't.

That's probably going to be the closest to an answer to the OP's question. I can vouch no Computer Science degree in any college in this country is easy.

humbert

Hate to admit it but I've thought the same thing, though I don't think what’s posted on boards is particularly relevant. Its like inflation, as universities want to attract more people in and pump more degree students out they increase the number of places, the points go lower and the exams get easier so people get lazier and do less work and do poorer in exams so in order to keep pumping out degree students they keep making the exams easier, vicious cycle! Having said all that, I’ve come to pretty much embody all this laziness, probably for this reason I’m repeating 3rd year and come May I’ll be thanking god I’m not facing one of the papers from 3 or 4 years ago…

padser

humbert wrote:

in order to keep pumping out degree students they keep making the exams easier, vicious cycle!
…

Exactly. Years ago getting an 'honours degree' used to be an achievement. I remember career guidance teacher a couple of years ago telling me that when he was in college the vast majority of people only got pass degrees. Now its actually got to the stage where if you get into a degree course it simply is an 'honours degree'. End of story.

White Rabbit

I do Comp Sci and Info Studies (BA Comp Sci).

Info Studies is as you describe, but we have projects that count for 25-50% and they have to be done.

Comp Sci is HARD, super German porno hard.
If you fall behind you can't do the labs, then you fail.

Ruskie4Rent

Example: Me!!

Font22

i'm trying to figure out who you are padser......i'm guessing ur in group 1.....hhhhhhhmmmmmmm. maybe ur just too intelligent!

padser

Font22 wrote:

i'm trying to figure out who you are padser......i'm guessing ur in group 1.....hhhhhhhmmmmmmm. maybe ur just too intelligent!

Ill give you a clue. Im not in group 1.

That wasnt the point i was trying to get across.
Maybe ill put it another way. We arnt expected to even understand stuff. All we have to do is remember what we have been told/or have read and then write it on the paper at the end. Maybe there is no other way to do it but surely there is more to university education then having a good memory?

Funky

This is a bad thing?

I'll enjoy myself for 3-5 years, thank you very much.

humbert

I think it’s because the focus has shifted form giving a person an education, knowledge of their chosen course, to qualifying them for a job. I hate that, it’s not why I chose my course, if it was I wouldn’t be in science.

esperanza

padser wrote:

Ill give you a clue. Im not in group 1.

That wasnt the point i was trying to get across.
Maybe ill put it another way. We arnt expected to even understand stuff. All we have to do is remember what we have been told/or have read and then write it on the paper at the end. Maybe there is no other way to do it but surely there is more to university education then having a good memory?

padser,

I don't think the standard of courses in irish universities is falling as much as you think. It really depends on the course. I did a course that required a lot of work, and certainly no learning off like in secondary school. I really had to understand everything to succeed in my exams.

I do agree with you about all the clubs and societies thing. It really is overrated. Depending on the course you do, involvement in these clubs can be a good thing, but the piss ups they organize and charging poor students 5 - 7 euro for entry is stupid. But nothing is forcing you to take part in these events, let some other poor suckers waste their money away. When they graduate, they'll realise that life isn't that easy as they hoped, depending on which country and which area they want to work in, and their time and money would have been better spent on studying.

Just my 2 cents.

Andore

padser wrote:

5) Algorithmic problem solving ~ 0 replies, 1 view

If you're coming to an internet messageboard while you're in the computer rooms or after getting home and relaxing after a day working the last thing most people want to do is read about algorithmic problem solving so I don't think you can somehow infer that that means anything, there's millions of other forums out there for that stuff anyway.

Personally I love the freedom to be able to do my own study in the library, I spend a lot of time in there working away overlooking the lake. I find the lectures engaging and the lecturers are mostly excellent. Don't think that just because some generic society is organising some ****ty piss up that everyone in the University is taking it easy. I like UCD but the constant whining on this board is really tiresome.

Font22

That wasnt the point i was trying to get across.
Maybe ill put it another way. We arnt expected to even understand stuff. All we have to do is remember what we have been told/or have read and then write it on the paper at the end. Maybe there is no other way to do it but surely there is more to university education then having a good memory?

ye i agree with you when it comes to our business courses but i dont think its a case of just writing down what we have been told in our law exams. law subjects are quite challenging and enjoyable. have to admit the business subjects get on my nerves though, it really is a memory test for those really. hope ur getting on ok though. no doubt you are

ghostchant

I wish it was as easy as you say it is to get a first in my course. And you have to be able to understand the stuff - for the most part just repeating notes verbatim will get you nowhere.

Waltons

White Rabbit wrote:

I do Comp Sci and Info Studies (BA Comp Sci).

Info Studies is as you describe, but we have projects that count for 25-50% and they have to be done.

Comp Sci is HARD, super German porno hard.
If you fall behind you can't do the labs, then you fail.

I'm doing the same Comp Sci as you and have taken Info Studies as one of the arts subjects. What year are you in?

As for the OP, I think, as others do, that a lot of it depends on the course that you're doing. The comp sci stuff so far has been easy, as I expected, but I seriously, seriously doubt it'll stay easy.
I'll obviously apologise if I come out with an amazing grade with no work done though

tribulus

humbert wrote:

I think it’s because the focus has shifted form giving a person an education, knowledge of their chosen course, to qualifying them for a job. I hate that, it’s not why I chose my course, if it was I wouldn’t be in science.

amen brother:cool:

i certainly don't find science easy and i'll have to do a lot more than the OP said to get a 2.1 or 1st.

I find most lecturers to be quite enthusiastic and very helpful.Exceptions being some in the conway:mad:

I doin't feel like i'm pi**ing about in college, in fact i rarely get time to piss about , if i don't have labs, i have reports, if i don't have those i have lectures etc

what i'm saying is i'm not here to laze around for 4 years i'm here so i can have a career, study something i'm interested in and enjoy my work. i hope and feel most other people in ucd are the same

Jonny Arson

If you want an deeply intensive education where you won't ever see any daylight try DCU. Poor fookers.

tribulus wrote:

i certainly don't find science easy and i'll have to do a lot more than the OP said to get a 2.1 or 1st.

Fantastic sarcasm Graham.... bravo bravo! :v:

LovelyHurling

padser wrote:

The standard of teaching is terrible. Exams are an absolute joke. Good grades can be achieved by attending 75% of lectures and putting in about 4 hours study a day about 10 days before the exam. Lecturers dont even expect you to read the stuff they tell you read.

That's a very subjective post, I can't speak of other faculties but it isn't indicative of mine, and I dare say many others. I find my course tough going and a major challenge requiring a lot of commitment, as do many people. In my own class, and I presume in most classes, the most intelligent person there wouldn't have a chance of passing by simple putting in the hours you have described above.

hullaballoo

LovelyHurling wrote:

Padser wrote:

The standard of teaching is terrible. Exams are an absolute joke. Good grades can be achieved by attending 75% of lectures and putting in about 4 hours study a day about 10 days before the exam. Lecturers dont even expect you to read the stuff they tell you read.

That's a very subjective post

It is a subjective quote, but this is a message board, and on message boards, oddly, opinion has a minor tendency to crop up from time-to-time. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm being susbjective.

Banterville

Good to see you are back using boards again....gives me a laugh on mondays!

By the way I agree. The university i am in now is a good example of how a college should be run.....i.e. if students want to go on a piss up there are ample oppurtunities but the courses are challenging and to do well you really have to work. Thats why ill be scraping out a pass!:cool:

See ya soon

staple

I studied here ten years ago. I don't think standards have dropped in UCD; they were always this bad. Speaking to people older than me, and they too say they didn't do a tap before April (Garrett Fitzgerald being the most famous one to say so publicly). It used to be a prestigious thing to have an honours degree because not many could afford to come here, not because they had to work harder.

Having said that, standards are pretty poor. The students who turn up for tutorials having done preparation assigned are in a minority. In UK unis I worked in, these people would be out on their ear. I've never seen evidence that other Irish unis are any better than this though.

You can indeed waste your time here for three years and call yourself a graduate. You can get a degree without actually developing your mind or your knowledge. At the same time, we still have a grading system. In Oxbridge, about 20 per cent get firsts; in UCD it's about 2 per cent: it's easy to pass, but harder to get a 2.1 or a first.

I agree with the poster who said it's all about numbers: there's no incentive to get in better students or to kick people out who are likely to get less than a 2.2: more numbers means more money, and nobody's checking whether your students are all scraping by or getting 2.1s and firsts.

padser

Banterville wrote:

Good to see you are back using boards again....gives me a laugh on mondays!

By the way I agree. The university i am in now is a good example of how a college should be run.....i.e. if students want to go on a piss up there are ample oppurtunities but the courses are challenging and to do well you really have to work. Thats why ill be scraping out a pass!:cool:

See ya soon

Banterville hows it hanging??

you would want to be careful agreeing with me......if Stark see's it we could get banned again for being 'the same person'.......mind you with IP addresses in Different countries now i think even stark would have problems maintaining we r the same person!

Glad to hear your fostering international relations between Ireland and Canada!