WIT Architecture Course

I heard rumour that the students in WIT architecture staged some kind of strike over the workload last year, not sure how much foundation there was to those claims, or how much hyperbola was added in the interim, but to quote one indirect source (of unknown reliability) they: “were expected to do all nighters some times”, of course anyone familiar with life in the more traditional architecture institution will have no doubt been saying “boo-bloody-hoo” in very sarcastic empathy.

I heard that the workload is pretty big. I was expecting to have to put in loads of hours to be honest. I was more wondering about the course contents. The website doesn’t give much away other than the module titles.

Apologies, the strike comment was intended more as a question than a statement, of course any architecture course worth it’s salt will have an enormous workload, as someone who has been through UCD it seemes strange to challenge the status quo of long hours and sleep deprevation, being a 1st year in UCD you hear all the scary stories and know that this is the way it is, the 3-all-nighters-in-a-row, the one the tutors made cry in the crits, the people who worked their asses off for the year and still failed, ect. Sorry, I know this dosen’t reallyt answer your questions “archiboy”, just reminiscing….
For what it’s worth, I know a couple of people who did the technician course in WIT a while back, they reconed the night life was pretty good. The architecture course is very new, however WIT have a tough and well respected technician course to build on in terms of experience and facilities, so I would imagine it can’t be too bad.

From a friend who is currently in WIT, he really likes WIT, standard of the course is good, lots of choice and co-ordination of modules with studio, great facilities

Another friend who did technology there loved it as a town and for the college life and has been mentioned their technology course is very highly thought of so I’d assume that that will rub off on the Architecture course

How many architecture course are there in Ireland now?
I wonder about the wisdom of having so many as it seems there are already too many architects in Ireland.

When I was a wee nibbler considering what to put on the CAO I went to the open day at richview where it was boasted that the previous year’s graduates had 100% employment… estimates for the class of 2008 put that at around 10% (I feel like George Lee), and how many cv’s begin with the line “I have recently been made redundant due to -companyX- response to the global economic cricis…”. And none of the new schools (UL, CIT/UCC, WIT) have produced any graduates yet…

Also consider, in any one year of graduates the proportion of “great”, “good” and “mediocre” architects produced? Maybe we’ll see some really great architects emerge over the next few years, possibly (and hopefully) with some different ideas to the UCD/DIT monopoly (and there is a very deffinite UCD style). But on the flip side, how any more trully mediocre architects will we have to suffer?

@spoil_sport wrote:

When I was a wee nibbler considering what to put on the CAO I went to the open day at richview where it was boasted that the previous year’s graduates had 100% employment… estimates for the class of 2008 put that at around 10% (I feel like George Lee), and how many cv’s begin with the line “I have recently been made redundant due to -companyX- response to the global economic cricis…”. And none of the new schools (UL, CIT/UCC, WIT) have produced any graduates yet…

Also consider, in any one year of graduates the proportion of “great”, “good” and “mediocre” architects produced? Maybe we’ll see some really great architects emerge over the next few years, possibly (and hopefully) with some different ideas to the UCD/DIT monopoly (and there is a very deffinite UCD style). But on the flip side, how any more trully mediocre architects will we have to suffer?

First of all, 10% of students have gained employment when the summer isn’t over yet? What a catastrophe, students travelling/on holiday haven’t found work as architects yet..

As a student in one of the new courses I am (from my experience) encouraged by the standard of work around me. Yes there will be mediocre graduates, but there will also be a swathe of new talent emerging over the next few years. Lets focus on and be encouraged by that rather than worrying about the potential negative influence of ‘mediocre’ talent that will have to be suffered…as if it will be any different than what is around now!

Which one Brian? I have heard great things about Limerick, it seems to be a really good set up, and the university itself actually seem to take pride in the fact that they have an architecture course (they brought last years venice exhibition there). I have heard CIT/UCC is a bit disorganised?? And not really a whole lot about WIT… It would be interesting to know more about them, who are the tutors etc?
Log onto to the UCD website and try to find a link to the website for the architecture school, -and not just the generic prospectus, there is a dedicated richview architecture website. UCD don’t seem to give a shit about anything other than the science research and business courses.
OK you called me on the 10%, (lies, damn lies and statistics, etc) however it is an unusually low proportion, even for the sumer, and there are even some from the year ahead of that who are still searching for jobs, this is not scare-mongering, this is a real problem.

How are candidates selected for new schools, CAO? This is the problem really- ridiculous system which results in a lot of boring studious types doing architecture for no other reason than some misplaced idea of prestige.

“as if it will be any different than what is around now!”
Yesterday 10:35 PM

this makes it ok? it will be exactly the same as it is now, but on a larger scale.

Candidates for the new UL school are selected using a portfolio and then the CAO. No points are awarded for the portfolio. You either pass or fail and those who pass on the portfolio are then assessed using CAO points.

In WIT it’s similar for undergraduates but for graduates and mature students other factors such as work experience and previous degrees will also be considered.

Hi hope im not straying too far of topic !!! . As a student of the UCC/CIT course that was refered to in a previous post , I can wholeheartedly say that the course is well run by experienced and competent staff from both UCC and the IT. It is fair to say that the first year was somewhat disorganised as students moved between both institutions for lectures , studio etc and UCC had no previous experience in architectural education . However we now have permanent facilities (UCC) which are spacious and well equipped . Students are very pleased with there studio spaces . As a student body we met our external examiner from a prominent Dublin school and he affirmed that as regards work ethic and standard that we were pretty much on par with other courses around the country . Theres a real enthusiasm amongst students which obviously makes for a vibrant student experience !!!! Anyways , my point is that the course from my point of view is well run and organised . Again , apologies if i have strayed from the topic of this post !!!! 🙂

Are there any students from WIT on this forum?

@mp wrote:

How are candidates selected for new schools, CAO? This is the problem really- ridiculous system which results in a lot of boring studious types doing architecture for no other reason than some misplaced idea of prestige.

“as if it will be any different than what is around now!”
Yesterday 10:35 PM

this makes it ok? it will be exactly the same as it is now, but on a larger scale.

I didn’t say it makes it OK, I don’t see how the increasing number of (well educated and not of the Richview/DIT mould) graduates in the coming years will lower the standard of architecture in our environment?

I’m in UL by the way, don’t really know much about the WIT course. About as much as I know is that they apparently have a more consistent timemetable, whereas our course changes from week to week somewhat (take that as a positive or negative whichever way you want)

@archiboy wrote:

Hi

I’ve been accepted into Architecture in WIT and I’m wondering what the course is like?

What are the facilities and hours like? Also what’s the night life in Waterford like? 🙂

I too have been accepted into Waterford to finally get my degree. I see you are two years ahead of me, so how has it been!? Im getting excited and nervous in equal measure… accommodation is my biggest concern, well that and getting the grant…