3rd level computer courses

Vincent

I've to get this cao form organised in the next 2 weeks, i'm not sure really what courses i want to do, i just know i want to do computers, or maybe computers with a ikkel bit of science or sumthing. nehoo can anybody recommend some of the best computer courses around? software or hardware based, but i'll probably be lookin at the software end.

Tnks

topgold

Tipperary Institute is a new third level on the Dublin-Cork rail line that has a CAO diploma in software development. It's got E1 connectivity to every desktop and the best lecturer-to-student ratio in Ireland.

El_Presidente

Comp Apps in DCU is alright.

Paladin

All the main universities and IT's have computer degree's these days.
Computer Science, or whatever name its under is the main "Computers course". The thing is, there are loads of courses that are basically all about programming of one sort.

If you want to go one direction, you can do electronic engineering. It has a lot of computers in it, and if you choose, afterwards you need never touch hardware and can go completely into computers (a choice lots of people are making).

There is BIS - Business Information Systems which is basically computing for businesss - making programmes for business companies obviously. This is in UCD and UCC afaink, and is among the better paid degrees (when u get a job with it that is). You dont have to have done business beforehand, but it probably helps.

There is multimedia, which basically is learning how to use software for hardware, and although it has plenty of jobs after, it really is a load of ****e and ud be better off doing pure computing.

In the end of the day, its down to what you want to do your computing for vince.
Do you want to programme for hardware - Electronic Engineering.
Do you want to programme for business - BIS
Internet programming - Computer Science or something similiar.

These are the main areas of computing, and if you get a degree in any of them, and are a capable programmer, then you should be able to adapt to the needs of the other areas if you think you made a bad choice. I.E. if you did elec. eng. then u could get a 1/2 year bis in Business and ure equiped almost as well as someone qualified from BIS to do business (although u might get a job in that area without the extra 1/2 years anyway, such is the demand).

As for courses:
Most courses in UCC, UL and UCD are pretty ok afaik, as long as you dont go into a no mans land course like multimedia (in the programming sense i mean). If you want you can even do arts in the uni's and do computers through that (although not advisable for a serious programmer). The IT's usually have pretty decent computing degrees also, and jobs are plentiful. Electronics (which like I say requires a lot of computing) is done pretty well in the uni's and IT's alike (CIT leads the IT's here since it was the first IT to offer such a degree, but DIT is probably pretty good too).

Phew. I hope this is some semblence of help. Im sure others would know way more details about the courses in Uni's than me tho.

It does sound to me tho that u really want to just do computer science. No matter where you go, once u can programme, you can programme. And then you can adapt pretty easily to learn new languages (well easier than starting from scratch), and you will have no trouble getting a job.


[This message has been edited by Paladin (edited 13-01-2001).]

K!LL!@N

There are two courses in Trinity.
Computer Science and
Information and Communications Technology.
Computer science would be more hardware orientated, but obviously there is a lot of programming etc.
Information and communications technology is more software based, though there is a high maths content and you'll need honours maths to get in. Oh you also have to do french or german as well. It's a right pain in the **** , trust me i'm on the course and i had to put up with it for 2 years. But you drop it after 2 years. The french isn't very hard, a minimal effort is required. It's a good course, well i think so anyway.

Kali

Computer Applications in DCU.

The new revised syallabus seems really quite promising, plus theres a 6 months work placement (Intra) which is great fun, thats the reason i done it anyway (in 4th year now) .. no point in coming out of college with with a piece of paper and absolutely no practical experience in the workplace.

Software-wise theres 6 Software Engineering modules throughout the 4 years.

Spunog UIE

Whats ya think of E-commerce?
Theres a 3year diploma course in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology.

And come on mulitmedia its funnnnnnnn!
heh heh.

Thats all,
Gideon2000

Robbo

I'm in my 1st year of a B.Sc. in IT at NUI,G

The course is decent, I expected it to be a little bit boring for me at first, since I have a bit of the old knowledge and suchlike, but theres some interesting stuff like Digital Electronics from the start.

It's a broad degree, you can chose your own areas of expertise later on, and half of 3rd year is spent in industrial placement so you get a dose of reality

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Rob.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">"There are Britney people and non-Britney people." - Britney Spears
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Vincent

Thnks for the replies. Ok now could someone give me a summary of what u do in the computer science courses and the comp applications in dcu. And whats computer science like in ucd and trinity or other colleges?

[This message has been edited by Vincent (edited 13-01-2001).]

Stephen

I'm doing my LC this year too... I'm interested in a course at Carlow IT: 4 yr degree in Computer Networking (CW046) ... It has a six-month work placement in third year. Has anyone heard anything good/bad about this course? I visited carlow's open day, and the place seemed alright... nice new LRC building with lots of new hardware and facilities

Spunog UIE

Mmmmmmm,
how heavyly based are these courses on maths, like is the maths livable. PLEASE SAY SO!
Ya always hear that there is a lot of maths involved, what it like?

Oh and ya id like to know more bout that course in Carlow. Be handy for travelling etc.

Gideon2000

El_Presidente

Im in 2nd year comp app.

1st year was handy. First couple of weeks are just hand holding the poeple who have never used a computer before. Then they give you a basics of java course and a basics of assembly language course (slightly harder)

You got a choice to do some business modules or languges or maths.

2nd semester is a bit harder. They do some proper data structures and the assembly gets reasonably difficult.

If you have any kind of past computer knowledge you will love 1st year. lots of free time etc.

2nd year it gets tougher. Networks and the Internet course requires a bit of head scrathing. Programming was a joke (due to internal problems which im sure will be sorted by the time you get there). I kept on assembly language but to be honest it gets fairly mental and most people drop it. If you dont do assembly you can do Visual Basic which is apparently quite good.

Other then that they made us do some probabiliy, logic etc. courses which are mind numbingly dull.

And thats where i am a the moment.

Hope i helped.

Draco

My advice is to try and get a course that has work placement.

And I wouldn't pigeon hole Computer Science as always leading to internet programming - there is alot more than just that. Do CS if you want to know more about the theoretical side.

Draco

Greenbean

I'm in 4th comp sci ucd. Its very theory based, won't limit your abilities later on, you should be very adaptable but you won't have any heavy experience initally like in dcu. Its also a long haul making it to 4th year. I did it via the general "science" option which lets you have 4 science subjects and then specialise in 3rd year. Look into it though I'm not sure if they still offer computer science in the "science" option, you might have to apply for pure computer science to get in.

Blitzkrieger

for gawd's sake don't do a degree you'll spend far too much time doing stuff you're not interested in and you could just look up in a book anyway. If you do a diploma you'll have a qualification sooner (for when college becomes a boring nightmare) and can choose to go on to a degree if you wish.

It's an extra year if you want a degree but you'll probably find out you don't, and all the people in my degree course who came from the diploma say it's much easier to go that way.

In fact - the points required for the diploma here (CIT) were higher than the degree when I did my LC.

Vincent

Anyone agree with Blitzkrieger? And what is computer science like in maynooth? is it as good as the dcu apps or other courses?

Excelsior

personally i strongly disagree with blitz. but his point is valid if you dont think college is ideal for you and you are just going so your job will be better.
i however think i will stay in college foe ever.


i am 2nd year CSSE at NUI maynooth, that is Comp Science, Software Engineering.
Maynooth is a great campus, a pretty small number of people so the experience is at 1st not too overbearing. The course that i do is stupidly wide ranging. you can honestly pursue anything you like with a good CSSE degree: all that has been mentioned to you above is open to you.
the facilities are pretty good, the library isnt 24 hours like dcu, and the web connection isnt nearly as good as UL but its a new course so this is all being developed.
we have a good computer society too, just like redbrick so you won't miss out there.
like every course we have good and bad lecturers. the good ones really are spectacular though. and the bad ones havent brought me down yet.
all in all it is valid, good course that will provide you with all that you need to pursue a career in computers. there is a 6-8 month placement in industry in 3rd year and if you end up doing it, as long as you are sure computers are for you it will be grand.
(5 months in i realised i should have been doing philosophy and history but i have stuck with it and am doing fine- sometimes i even enjoy it)

satchmo

I wouldn't agree with Blitz either, although he's right when he says anything you learn in college you could learn out of a book (and you end up doing that in college anyway).

The way I see it, college is about alot more than just getting a degree and learning computer stuff. I'm in final year in Information and Communication Technology in Trinity, it's a good course and I've enjoyed it alot. There's no placement, but that didn't stop me getting jobs every summer.

But whatever about the work, the last four years have been great fun. I've met loads of great people (and you can't forget all the lovely women), seen loads of great/funny/wierd/fukd-up things & drunk loads of really cheap beer. If it's purely knowledge you're after then perhaps college isn't the best choice, but given the choice now of doing college or going straight to work, I'd go for college every time.

In computer terms, college exposes you to stuff you'd never see or hear of normally. Sure, you'll end up doing stuff you're not interested in, but how do you know you're not interested in it if you don't try it first?

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THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES

Yossarian

I would actually agree with Blitz. Some colleges and coarses truely deserve the title
"Snake Oil Merchants". A lot of coarses seem to have lost the Education emphasis, instead opting for bland, shallowly thought subjects with no chance to specialise in an area you might actually be interested in.

Blitz's suggestion of opting for a Diploma with the chance of doing a degree afterwards does make a lot of sense and should be considered.

Regarding CA in DCU, last i heard they were dumbing the coarse down even more. Didnt think it was possible...

Stephen.

Spunog UIE

Come on,
be honest what are mulitmedia courses like?
can ya get a decent job out of them easily or are they just there for the laugh and get your money etc. :S

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GreenHell

nyomy Computer Science in UL or don't laff
Computer with enterprise study in tralee
or
Software development with networking in cork.
Or ummmm dunno
gwan the lm051 looks like an l33t course nice points too.

Draco

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Vincent:
Anyone agree with Blitzkrieger? And what is computer science like in maynooth? is it as good as the dcu apps or other courses?</font>

I wouldn't agree at all. Part of go to college is learning how to learn - the inital programing courses are designed to show you how to learn any language rather than learn the particular language they are using as an example.

I did CS in Maynooth. It's part of the Science course, so I had to take 3 science subjects in first year, 2 in Second and Maths in 3rd year. I've gone from a Software engineer to Sys Op so the fact that it was a CS degree did limit me.
As for being as good as Comp Apps in DCU, I really don't know.

satchmo

That's very true. Rather than teaching you specific languages in college they try more to give you an overall idea of the whole programming process, which makes it easier to learn new languages as they come along.

FreaK_BrutheR

well my route through college ending in multimedia work and play was this:
Uni of Ulster - HND Graphic and Product Design.
DIT - Cert. in Advertising.
Ballyfermot Sen. Tech. - HND Computer animation and modelling.
Uni of Ulster - MSc. Computing and Design

I never saw the point in doing a degree to learn about what some other bint thinks about colour theory and stuff. Just dosen't interest me, nor indeed did i feel i'd ever put it into practise anyway. HND's are very career orientated and are deffinitly hands on so to speak. They work alot like it does in the "real world" with less of the sh!te about Freud's influence on the user interface of windows etc.

The Msc in Ulster (Magee, Derry by the way) is amazing really. The animation in Ballyfermot was however the best thing i did... really brilliant.

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http://run.to/pile

Spunog UIE

Good stuff!
Any other courses bout anything in general that people like to recommend!?

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Kali

general college advice:

if you want fine women do a business degree.
so if your doing computers make sure to choose a college with lots of business/marketing/anything with languages type courses.

and for gods sake either do one of the following:
go to a college 5 minutes down the road so you always have somewhere to kip
OR
go to a college half way across the country so you have an excuse to move out of home.

dont spend 3 hours a day on buses commuting from the suburbs, cos thats a major pain in the nuts and you will quickly realise that college sucks.
that or get a car so when your on the **** you can just kip in that overnight (damn-handy) in the carpark.

thats my advice.
heed it

"theres a time and place for everything and its called college"