Trinity College, Dublin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

From my kid's perspective, the disadvantage isn't lack of core curriculum or basic requirements--I agree that's great--but rather inability to take many classes outside your selected course. Double majoring is not a thing. TCD is not the place if you want the ability to study across disciplines.

TCD has many dual major type options which they call “joint honours” programs. For example, computer science and business, business and a language, mathematics and economics, music, language, or philosophy. There are many interesting combinations available!

The inclusion of a second major is still exclusionary to 100s of classes that are otherwise available in most US colleges…. Drama, cinema, data science, kinesiology, sports marketing, informatics, literally everything and anything else… these types of classes cannot be accessed outside of a major in Ireland or the UK. It is the very difference between our two education systems. Their system teaches narrowly. Ours teaches broadly.

The US system is largely an extension of High School, like a boarding school where most kids share rooms. In Ireland and the UK it is actual advanced, intellectual study requiring maturity and independence. And most rooms are singles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

From my kid's perspective, the disadvantage isn't lack of core curriculum or basic requirements--I agree that's great--but rather inability to take many classes outside your selected course. Double majoring is not a thing. TCD is not the place if you want the ability to study across disciplines.

TCD has many dual major type options which they call “joint honours” programs. For example, computer science and business, business and a language, mathematics and economics, music, language, or philosophy. There are many interesting combinations available!

The inclusion of a second major is still exclusionary to 100s of classes that are otherwise available in most US colleges…. Drama, cinema, data science, kinesiology, sports marketing, informatics, literally everything and anything else… these types of classes cannot be accessed outside of a major in Ireland or the UK. It is the very difference between our two education systems. Their system teaches narrowly. Ours teaches broadly.

The US system is largely an extension of High School, like a boarding school where most kids share rooms. In Ireland and the UK it is actual advanced, intellectual study requiring maturity and independence. And most rooms are singles.

Huh I hired people from the likes of Loughborough Kent Bath and University of Reading. There was nothing intellectual about them.

[Anonymous]

Our friends daughter had it on her short list and ended up going elsewhere in the UK. She really loved it but her parents weren’t happy with the housing situation. It probably would have been fine but she was assigned housing in a different area away from the main group of first years and since the rooms are singles thought it might be lonely. So you may want to look into that.

Also you probably know this if you are looking at UK schools but be aware that the grading for most classes can be only one or two graded exams for a class that lasts an entire year. Not good for procrastinators like my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our friends daughter had it on her short list and ended up going elsewhere in the UK. She really loved it but her parents weren’t happy with the housing situation. It probably would have been fine but she was assigned housing in a different area away from the main group of first years and since the rooms are singles thought it might be lonely. So you may want to look into that.

Also you probably know this if you are looking at UK schools but be aware that the grading for most classes can be only one or two graded exams for a class that lasts an entire year. Not good for procrastinators like my kid.

Ireland is not in the UK.

But agree about the first-year housing situation at TCD; the options seemed to vary significantly—on campus or farther out, requiring a shuttle. And Dublin is quite expensive, so finding a place after first year for an international student also seemed daunting.

[Anonymous]

it's possible to buy an apartment in Dublin. It sounds crazy but not as crazy as 90k a year COA that we're looking at here

[Anonymous]

Not in UK but the methods are similar. Some people need literally everything spelled out. Sheesh! People don’t use parentheses and extra wording on internet posts. Assume you are smart enough to get the point. Guess you aren’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in UK but the methods are similar. Some people need literally everything spelled out. Sheesh! People don’t use parentheses and extra wording on internet posts. Assume you are smart enough to get the point. Guess you aren’t.

Referring to Ireland as part of the UK is inaccurate and ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not in UK but the methods are similar. Some people need literally everything spelled out. Sheesh! People don’t use parentheses and extra wording on internet posts. Assume you are smart enough to get the point. Guess you aren’t.

Referring to Ireland as part of the UK is inaccurate and ignorant.

Ok you guys have had your fun. Can we stay on topic now please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not in UK but the methods are similar. Some people need literally everything spelled out. Sheesh! People don’t use parentheses and extra wording on internet posts. Assume you are smart enough to get the point. Guess you aren’t.

Referring to Ireland as part of the UK is inaccurate and ignorant.

PP who first pointed it out and yup. Anyone who understands anything about Irish history would know this. If you are in a conversation about attending an Irish university, you should demonstrate the bare minimum of awareness.

[Anonymous]

I find the adult responsibility required at European universities very appealing. The US undergraduate experience has become an insanely expensive extension of high school. I am not paying 200-400k for my child to bounce around exploring basket weaving and kinesiology. A focused course of study with a good ROI at a price we can cash flow suits me fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

From my kid's perspective, the disadvantage isn't lack of core curriculum or basic requirements--I agree that's great--but rather inability to take many classes outside your selected course. Double majoring is not a thing. TCD is not the place if you want the ability to study across disciplines.

TCD has many dual major type options which they call “joint honours” programs. For example, computer science and business, business and a language, mathematics and economics, music, language, or philosophy. There are many interesting combinations available!

The inclusion of a second major is still exclusionary to 100s of classes that are otherwise available in most US colleges…. Drama, cinema, data science, kinesiology, sports marketing, informatics, literally everything and anything else… these types of classes cannot be accessed outside of a major in Ireland or the UK. It is the very difference between our two education systems. Their system teaches narrowly. Ours teaches broadly.

The US system is largely an extension of High School, like a boarding school where most kids share rooms. In Ireland and the UK it is actual advanced, intellectual study requiring maturity and independence. And most rooms are singles.

Huh I hired people from the likes of Loughborough Kent Bath and University of Reading. There was nothing intellectual about them.

Because those are largely crappy universities and have always been considered 3rd rung.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find the adult responsibility required at European universities very appealing. The US undergraduate experience has become an insanely expensive extension of high school. I am not paying 200-400k for my child to bounce around exploring basket weaving and kinesiology. A focused course of study with a good ROI at a price we can cash flow suits me fine.

You could also just send your kid to UVA in state and tell them not to change majors? Or whatever your flagship is… Wouldn’t that be cheaper than flying your kid to Europe? I’d think it would be difficult to land summer internships from across the pond too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the adult responsibility required at European universities very appealing. The US undergraduate experience has become an insanely expensive extension of high school. I am not paying 200-400k for my child to bounce around exploring basket weaving and kinesiology. A focused course of study with a good ROI at a price we can cash flow suits me fine.

You could also just send your kid to UVA in state and tell them not to change majors? Or whatever your flagship is… Wouldn’t that be cheaper than flying your kid to Europe? I’d think it would be difficult to land summer internships from across the pond too.

as a parent who had a kid who picked a UK school and who had summer opportunities at Google and then Airbnb (corp), this is inaccurate. But it's what I worried about too, so I'm not being snarky. Not to dox my kid with more details, but they ended up at a mega American corp in London for their first job with a path within company back to states when they want to, which is not yet. The visa issue with Americans with UK degrees (allowing them to work for a few years in UK) is appealing to companies. Doesn't get you hired, but clears one bothersome hurdle

[Anonymous]

+1. 30 years ago did same with American magazine’s London bureau….quite the opposite effect actually: it makes you stand out from the State U crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the adult responsibility required at European universities very appealing. The US undergraduate experience has become an insanely expensive extension of high school. I am not paying 200-400k for my child to bounce around exploring basket weaving and kinesiology. A focused course of study with a good ROI at a price we can cash flow suits me fine.

You could also just send your kid to UVA in state and tell them not to change majors? Or whatever your flagship is… Wouldn’t that be cheaper than flying your kid to Europe? I’d think it would be difficult to land summer internships from across the pond too.

I am not too worried about this. I think stepping off the conveyor belt and having a different life experience is no bad thing. I followed an unconventional path myself and would say that I benefited enormously from it. Not just that my career has been fine, but that I have had a very interesting life.