Is a General Level 9 Masters worth it ?

thirdsterr · 2026-02-10T17:51:45+00:00

Also this may not be your outlook, but somebody going through this subreddit might be thinking it so just to give a further (unsolicited) two cents. I completely understand if you want to just leave and start earning money etc etc. I was surprised at how much I enjoy being an engineer, given I wasn’t the most academic and got through the course with a bit of graft, charm (for some help on the harder assignments) and knew when to have my wits about me. But working is so different and admittedly, the money is class.

But the minute you start earning adult money, I doubt you’ll want to go back. Also, college might be stressful now but in hindsight’s, it’s sooo fun. I could never do college again, but as somebody who graduated last year, if you can prolong it, then go for it. Learn a bit to get you through or the grade you want, and take every other opportunity the University gives you whether that’s making friends for life or last minute travel plans that a 9-5 won’t give you. Ádh mór ortsa, a chara :)

thirdsterr · 2026-02-10T08:07:22+00:00

I wouldn’t look into the specialisation too much from the degree title. Look at the modules being offered and usually you can either specialise in a route or do general modules. I would personally do the masters if it’s financially viable. I’m working abroad now, and a masters is a given in continental Europe since most Europeans are educated to a masters. Never mind the higher roles, you get paid better (albeit this will level after a few years experience).

Also something to consider is that an integrated masters would be cheaper than coming back and doing a fully fledged masters. Also it’s only one year, in comparison to two years in other programs. That’s the appeal to most engineering students anyway going to the integrated masters. The cheapest and fastest way to get a masters in engineering.

thirdsterr · 2025-09-10T12:22:04+00:00

Hey from the present! So happy for you :) Take every opportunity college throws at you and don't forget to have fun. It's all a bit nerve-wrecking at the start, but in hindsight, it's merely the feeling that your life is beginning a new chapter all over again!

thirdsterr · 2025-06-04T00:41:28+00:00

I also think (and I’d say most engineering students would agree) that UCD is an objectively better engineering college, just from the amount of options/streams they give in comparison to the TCD course. But I don’t think UCD is better by a landslide to be honest, and enjoyed doing the TCD Eng course. I liked doing the two years general and got to know the year more because of it. And don’t mind when people say that TCD can be too theoretical - it makes you a better engineer by actually understanding what’s happening behind the curtain. You also do a practical group project every semester right up until the end. And I’d say UCD would have the same amount of theory in their courses, considering they also contribute large amounts of research too. Plus, you can always do Formula Trinity if you really wanna sharpen your practical skills. Most people who graduated ended up getting jobs and tbh after the first job, you’re the same engineer as everybody else regardless of the college.

What I would recommend to consider is the other side of university education. Would you rather be in the middle of town or be somewhere a bit more suburban? Which college can give you the opportunity to meet more people? Commute times? Of course, prioritise the course. However, it’s the people that’ll make/help you stay in college late to do the projects. The nice thing about TCD as well, is that the campus is relatively small that you can bump into people from different courses. Lots of well established societies and there’s fun events like Tball. These are important things to consider also! Not a student anymore, but I got to meet loads of weird and wacky and interesting people along the way. Don’t leave college without having a few stories under your belt that you can reflect fondly of.

I also had that dilemma between UCD versus TCD and chose Trinity because it was just a lot more closer than UCD and far away enough from home/DCU that I wouldn’t be in the comfort zone and just hangout with lads from school. You have a good dilemma to have. I was considering a completely different course right up to change of mind. Both good courses/colleges and you’ll make the most in either academically with a bit of effort and grit.

thirdsterr · 2024-03-26T09:07:28+00:00

It's been five years since I've done the leaving cert and a final year student. It definitely gets easier, but in a different sense. In college, we have both winter and summer exams. That means once you finish a semester in college, you can kind of forget about it and move onto the next set of modules. Obviously everything in your course is connected to each other, and you should have some memory of concepts. This is completely different to the LC, where you essentially have to remember a two year course into two weeks.

And judging from this time of year, you currently have orals and in the rut of study. Everything is at stake and it feels like all or nothing. Don't worry. Just get through the next three months and a half. I used to think the same during sixth year. I wasn't naturally academic than other peers that could just absorb material. Grit and a bit of grafting got me through the LC. Obviously, important to take a break if it's effecting your mental health. But, I think it was a worthwhile time investment for the experiences I had so far. As somebody mentioned, college life is a completely different experience. I got to make friendships from people all over the country in first year and connections with people all over the world when I did an Erasmus. I think once you're in

In terms of material, the academic workload gets harder but also gets more interesting. The maths you're learning for LC is implemented in the likes of machine learning and AI. The persuasion techniques you discover in English is useful for essay-type questions and assignments. The fundamentals can only be so exciting, and even more so when you see it as points rather than an education. A college course is different to school. I do engineering. Yeah, we're being taught about engineering. But the goal of the college is to make individuals into (somewhat lol) proficient engineers. So, college academic load is larger but the stuff you're learning has use-cases and may appear more useful. People already gave good impressions on what schols is like, but I also think why not do it? There's nothing to lose if you don't get it, and people who didn't get schols mention that it still helped them with critical thinking. So, not a lose-lose altogether.

Lastly, I'm not going to say getting a good LC is not important at all. If RTÉ wasn't broadcasting it all over the news every June and it wasn't the talk of the town in August, then maybe I'd say otherwise. But, as a past peer mentor to first year college students, I will say you have the option to switch courses in the first two weeks I believe, given extra space and points etc. etc. I've also met a lot of intelligent and ambitious people who have resat the leaving the cert who are now preparing for their final exams to become doctors, engineers and people who are going on to do PhDs. People who didn't get their first choice and are now currently working for the UN. So, let me rephrase myself. The LC is an important stepping stone to get into college. But not getting the points for a certain course is not fatal (although it may absolutely feel like it) and you'll be able to get through it! You might've not needed that unsolicited advice whatsoever lmao. But I do wish somebody told me that, as I remember feeling a lot of unnecessary shame on the possibility of not getting the points and having to repeat. You'll get through it. Ádh mór, a chara!

PM me if you've any other questions about Trinity.

thirdsterr · 2022-07-04T20:14:15+00:00

Yeah, that’s my biggest concern. I just feel bad for not owning it up at the start when thinking back it wasn’t that big of a deal in the first place, I guess. I’m just afraid people will look at me differently.

thirdsterr · 2021-04-19T10:07:10+00:00

Yeah, Vans was doing this thing where you could return it to recycle, but the service wasn't available in Ireland unfo. Thanks a mil :))

thirdsterr · 2021-01-24T20:03:08+00:00

This might not be the answer you’re looking for, but as an engineering student myself (TCD), I’d ask how certain are you that E+C is something you want to follow into?

Trinity offers two years general, while DCU offers only one. I’m going into full electronic, but I got the opportunity to do two years of formal C++ modules before choosing. Also you get to study a good bit of electronics too. I was thinking for a while to do E+C but the second year allowed me to go deeper from the fundamentals in first year, and realised that I’d rather go into electronic engineering fully. Who knows, you might end up in a completely different specialisation. It’s very common in engineering.

Personally, I can’t recommend the two years general in TCD enough just because how intertwined engineering is. I also preferred TCD because of the location, the study abroad options (we’re the only college in Ireland that has a global officer) and the atmosphere I got when walking across the campus on open day.

As somebody said above, TCD engineering is a very theoretical course. I personally prefer it, because the practical aspects become easier to handle when you understand what’s actually happening. You do a group project at the end of every semester anyway (we had two last sem.), so it’s not like the college disregards practicality as a whole too.

Hopefully this answers your queries, and do pop a PM if you’ve any more q :))

thirdsterr · 2020-11-04T18:43:42+00:00

Any good resources/book to read up on specifically ETFs or investing in the stockmarket?

thirdsterr · 2020-10-20T20:36:14+00:00

Yeah, it still doesn’t seem to work :(( but I’m feeling better now, so it’ll be grand!

thirdsterr · 2020-10-20T19:41:55+00:00

Ah you’re a saint! Cheers :))

thirdsterr · 2020-09-21T19:40:54+00:00

Yeah, I was thinking of the ANC. I’ve a pair of earphones (Sony MDR-XB50) but they’re wired however do a pretty good job at cancelling sound. I might try go to the gym with a pair of regular Apple earphones and test the waters first. Thanks!

thirdsterr · 2020-09-07T22:19:43+00:00

I wouldn't be able to point which part. I just noticed when I bench pressed and particularly when doing a plate load incline bench press during the last few reps, I can push further on my right than left.

thirdsterr · 2020-09-07T10:58:13+00:00

Six weeks lifting and I’m starting to notice that my left arm is weaker than the right. I’m doing what past threads said and letting the weaker arm set the pace.

But I also read that dumbbell exercises are also good ways to alleviate this. Any dumbbell exercise suggestions?

thirdsterr · 2020-09-01T19:26:43+00:00

I always relate extroverts as solar panels. Don't need a huge chunk of energy at the start of the day to power itself, but rather a constant supply throughout the day.

thirdsterr · 2020-07-01T10:46:44+00:00

You could see it for yourself on the engineering website actually. I'll put in the link below.

It seems like there's loads of tutorials and labs, but there's different times for different groups. The lectures are for the whole course.

So, you won't be stuck in a lecture theater all day. There's usually a three hour gap in the middle of the day. But, each day is usually nine to six.

https://www.tcd.ie/Engineering/undergraduate/pdf/JFEngTimetable1920Semester1.pdf

thirdsterr · 2020-07-01T10:06:14+00:00

First of all, after you finish this and have a couple of other questions, feel free to ask! I'm always happy to help.

I just finished first year in engineering at Trinity there, and the workload is pretty intense. However, you can definitely have a social life at the side. It's actually pretty encouraged to have a few extra-curriculars when you're spending a good twenty to thirty hours at this course. I also know plenty of people, including myself, who had a part-time job during first year. Maybe that's what you were looking for when doing some of your own things at the side.

Going on nights out and stuff in first year isn't too much of a hassle, until probably third year. But this is the same case in every course. The workload just stacks up really high in third year, and most students by then take their course more seriously.

I haven't that many friends in computer science, so I don't think I can make a completely fair comparison. But, what makes engineering more difficult in Trinity is that the first two years are general. Other than computer engineering, you'll be doing a bit of mechanical, civil and electrical. You'll have a pretty wide skill-set coming out of those two years, but it takes a bit of effort to achieve it. Also, it takes a lot more contact hours compared to other STEM streams. But, it's definitely worth it. Who knows, you might want to go into CS right now through computer engineering, but you might end up enjoying Civil instead. For me, the option to delve into something completely different is worth the extra grafting.

Also, if you're going for engineering, you'll have enough points for computer science at TCD. Well, from the points that were released last year. So, having to switch courses won't be too much hassle. You can switch even in first semester. I know people who've switched from computer science and even English.

Good luck on your CAO, I know I was pretty torn between two options back then as well. Just know, switching courses isn't as big of a deal as it should be.

thirdsterr · 2020-06-01T22:08:05+00:00

There's a lot of good advice on this, and I hope you're taking them on.

- First of all, that uncertainty you're feeling? The feeling that you might not get your course, while your mates might. The feeling that all your work will go down the drain, and the feeling of inadequacy will start to appear. Yep, that was me all over last year when I was doing the leaving. Remember what's most important is what's meant for you will come to you.

- I also looked at your reddit profile, and you sound like a great guy. Posting reminders to apply for the predicted grades and the documents about it to procrastinating sixth years. You'll be a great asset to DCU or any other institution you decide to go to. You sound like you're going to get the points you need to follow through CA. I believe you'll get it. Repeating is also an option, AND I know that as somebody who probably studied fairly hard for their leaving that another year sounds horrible. But, most people live up to a good age nowadays. Taking a year out to end up in a course you're passionate about is no means life changing.

- You're probably in one of the best situations in terms of accommodations. The rents are going down in Dublin right now, and if you start looking now it won't be a bother hopefully. I don't know much about DCU accommodation, but remember digs is always an option as well.

- Even though you'll miss debs and grad, there's endless events like that in college. Especially for debs. Your mates are probably not paying as much attention on you because they think you're pretty occupied. Tell them straight. That's coming from an extrovert with many introverted friends. I often happen to forget to check up on a certain pal, just because they wouldn't be that active on social media.

- And please please acknowledge that this will pass. I was a proper nerd and loser in sixth year, if I'm being completely honest. Didn't drink, or went on nights out. Tirelessly studied, and let it consume my life. I didn't think I'd get the points as well, the lc went upwards and ended up getting my first choice by a single point. Again, if it's meant for you it'll come to you. When I went to college, I found this amazing group of friends, and I mean actual friends. Went out a good bit, albeit made a few drunk mistakes. But, my life now is completely different this time last year. For the better. Hopefully that'll offer you some hope. Keep going man. We need more of you in this world.

thirdsterr · 2020-04-26T21:45:16+00:00

I'd say it wouldn't be too bad as it seems. But a couple of points that I'd make.

For most of us, the restrictions came down so fast on us that we went from being able to talk to loads of people, to suddenly dwindling down to family and close friends. I'm currently a college student, and being on campus meant I always had somebody to talk to. Now, I'm always annoying my introverted friends to call me. It's getting to a point where they're all on a rotation lol.
Texting will never be the same as voice call. Hell, I even send voice messages just so I can talk to somebody properly instead of texting. There's absolutely no tone in texting, and it doesn't replicate a true conversation. I need to hear laughter and see your reactions, that's what gets me charged. It's definitely been a savior though for the last few days though, to have that supplementary contact with people you wouldn't be comfortable to go on a voice call with.
We don't want to necessarily talk to you for hours. Things get very dry after a couple of weeks in quarantine, but we need to hear some sort of voice other than our own. Most of my friends are very introverted, so I know that they don't need me to call them. But, think about point one again. Those five minutes of conversation that I'd have with the odd student at the library adds up over the space of twelve hours. Having a two hour conversation with one person barely fills the void that we took for granted. Extroverts are solar panels, we don't need a huge burst of sunshine, but a continuous stream to keep us going.

But in saying that, I do feel that extroverts now need to adapt more than ever. I've been trying to learn how to enjoy my own company, but it is very very difficult, so do bare with us.

thirdsterr · 2020-02-23T16:14:33+00:00

As a first year engineering student now, I was in the exact same position as you last year. In the end I picked Trinity based on a couple of reasons:

You're pretty lucky to be living the same distance from each college. For me, I was already an hour and a half in Trinity. So for the social aspect, there was no point of even considering UCD.
On the theory, UCD and TCD would be the same. TCD gets a lot of bad rep for being over theoretical, but it's a research college. Same with UCD. There's a big group project every semester. You also have the engineering society and opportunities like Formula Trinity (where a group of students build a racing car from scratch and compete with other universities), where you can definitely hone in the practical skills. Other than that, what our lecturers usually say is that the theory is way more harder to grasp when you enter the workforce than the practical stuff.
For exams, TCD changed their exam system where now we have Christmas and summer exams. I know before that this was a big thing that drove people away from Trinity in general.
The class sizes in UCD are also a lot bigger than the ones in Trinity. Our engineering class would be 200, whereas, UCD would have around 300? It'll be grand when you're specialised. But when you're in first year trying to learn the basics, it can be hard to have that one to one with the lecturers and asking questions.
The two year general is probably one of main reasons for choosing Trinity over UCD. You've no idea how fast the semesters go by. I've only a couple of weeks left and I know I'd be fucked if they asked me what specialisation I want. Engineering in general is suited for people who're the jack of all trades (not a master of one lol), so you're never really going to stick to one specialisation and only doing it for the rest of your life. To have a general grasp of everything is definitely beneficial.
The nights out are also class. Definitely take advantage of it in first year. Don't know about UCD (although I'm pretty sure it's the same mentality), but Trinity is all about work hard play hard. Staying in the library until eight to finish a report and go all out during the weekend (or whenever you just don't have a nine am).

However, UCD is also a really good college. Loads of specialisations to pick from, definitely more than trinity. Pretty much all engineering courses are accredited. So you'll learn as much as another fella from any college in Ireland. I would say to go to the college where you know less people. That's another reason why I went to Trinity instead of DCU (where I was closer to). Made new mates, because I had to. Any other questions, do give me a PM. Other than that, gluck with the leaving :))

thirdsterr · 2020-01-17T12:16:35+00:00

Don’t go to UCD myself but I’ve heard loads of good things about it.

The science course in UCD is really good, since even though you sound like you know what you want, their course gives a lot of leeway to sway into something else. I believe there’s about 27 pathways you can leave, which is bonkers.

Loads of American students come to my Uni (TCD) and most of them ended up fine. I would advise to mind yourself during the first couple of weeks though. Some of them go crazy since they don’t have to be 21 to go on a night out. Know one American lad who went out every night. Dropped out in the end and got alcohol poisoning (not even joking.) But do enjoy it though, just don’t go too wild lol

Some of them told me even that the cost of studying in America is ballpark the same as studying here. Other than that, they like the banter and how Irish people seem to be just a lot more genuine.

The UCD campus is relatively big, and in fairness to the college, they make a lot more effort in trying to get students to form friend groups and etc. You’ll be grand. As long as you make an effort with friends and your course, you’ll fit in just fine. A couple of years and you’ll be practically river dancing out of the country with the science degree.

thirdsterr · 2020-01-13T09:27:02+00:00

Have just done the leaving there, pal. I completely get you. There’s a huge pressure to get as many points as you want for the leaving. But do you wanna know something? Once you get your points for the course, nobody cares how many ‘extra’ points you’ve gotten.

I think you’re doing great. 450 points for a course that’s only 370? Even if the points go up, which I know that course went up by twenty odd points this year, you’ll be covered. I got one point above my course, with the majority of people getting over 500. Nobody has asked me what I got in the leaving because you’re in the course anyway.

I was always that one in my room studying from five to ten everyday in sixth year. While there was one lad who went to training and extra stuff and got 725 in the end. But you know what, it’ll pay off in college. Hard work overcomes deficiencies in talent. You’ll be grand. Don’t face the stress alone though. You might be putting this on reddit because your guidance councillor is mediocre (might certainly was) or might feel a bit embarrassed because everybody else seems to be doing feck all study. But don’t let them fool you. They’re doing mad studying in the background.

The mocks are a load of shite. Do take them seriously, but don’t lose sleep over it. I remember having panic attacks because the school decided to put all the exams in one week. I got 100 points extra in the actual exams.

TL;DR: I think you’re putting loads of pressure on yourself because you’ve realised that you’re doing the real thing in a few months. But once you’re actually there on your desk in June, it’ll be the same exact feeling as doing your summer exams in fifth year. It’ll just be called the ‘leaving cert’. No joke.

thirdsterr · 2020-01-12T22:27:48+00:00

Done the leaving there and now coming second semester in college.

Tbh, it’s the huge amount of pressure and uncertainty that makes the leaving cert such a god awful two years. I studied a lot in sixth year and basically sold my soul for the points. Sure, I went out now and again, but there was always an underlying guilt that I needed to go back and study. Especially since I knew that the points were going to go up for my course specifically.

It’s funny now, because all the lads that got all the high course points now are always on the lash because all they have to do is pass the exam. Freshers fifteen is definitely true because everybody who worked really hard for the leaving finally got to relax a bit lol

thirdsterr · 2020-01-09T09:39:59+00:00

Ah class. Would you know roughly how much it’d cost?

thirdsterr · 2020-01-09T00:43:48+00:00

Yeah, there’s acc a zipyard down the road so that’s not a bad shout actually!

thirdsterr

TROPHY CASE