All Year 1 School of Computing programmes are delivered in full-time mode. As you will see from your timetable, you are expected to be in DCU pretty much 5 days a week from 9.00am to 6.00pm. In addition, you will need to spend time in the evenings and at the weekends, studying and preparing assignments. It is very important to make sure that you keep up with what is happening in lectures, tutorials and laboratory classes. If you can’t do the tutorial problems for a particular subject, then you aren’t doing enough work for that module! Remember, while the pace is fast, the student academic year is short and it is well worth clearly prioritising study from late September to May.

Some students have to work some hours every week just to pay rent and feed themselves. Others work to pay for their social life. Remember that a degree course typically lasts just 4 years, and that your summers are your own. If you do not have to sacrifice study time to work outside DCU, please do not! Research shows that work >10hr/week impacts significantly on grades. 

There are three main types of classes: lectures, tutorials, and practicals (labs). During a lecture, the lecturers present the most important material related to the subject. Academic performance is strongly correlated with attendance. Please feel free to ask questions either in lecture or after. You are advised to bring your module notes/text book with you to the lecture so that you can add comments to the text and do not have to write down too much. 

Tutorials allow you to work through problems and ask more detailed questions about the material. They are very important in helping clarify aspects of the material that you have not fully understood. During some of the tutorial sessions you will be solving exam-type questions so that you can appreciate what sort of questions you might get at the real exams. 

Practicals (Lab Sessions) are an important component of some modules, giving you an opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge to which you have been exposed, or teeing up problems for subsequent treatment in lectures. They are compulsory and are supervised by both Demonstrators and Technical Staff. Usually you have to complete exercises and write a report on the results before the end of each session, or within a certain timeframe. Some practicals are performed in a lab, others are studio sessions in a computer room. 

Your progress may be assessed in two ways: through exams and/or continuous assessment. Each module has a different combination of assessment with different weighting factors for each element and also some of your modules are 100% continuous assessment. In a module, the final mark will be calculated in accordance with the assessment breakdown outlined in the module descriptor and will be a combination of your continuous assessment and exam mark. The required pass mark for a module is 40% of the maximum marks available. Exams are organised after both Semester 1 and Semester 2 with the resit exams scheduled in August. You usually get a 2-week study period before the exams start. Most exams are written exams and the whole class answers the same set of questions. Where a module has an exam element it usually has a relatively high weighting factor (50% or above) of the final mark. Your exam timetable will be accessible through your Portal Page. In DCU, all exams are anonymous. This means that your identity is only revealed to the marker after they mark your exam.

Continuous assessment (CA) takes place during the semester. It can take the form of lab reports, class tests, presentations, assignments (exercises completed outside of scheduled class times) and others. The schedule of the CA elements is given to you by your lecturers

One issue to be very careful of when completing components of continuous assessment is plagiarism. As stated in the university plagiarism policy, plagiarism is “the act of taking and using another person’s thoughts or work and representing them as your own.” Some of the most common forms of plagiarism are:

 — Copying some or all of a friend’s work

 — Cutting and pasting from the internet

 — Paying others to do your assignments

You can find information on plagiarism here.

The DCU Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy is available here. Plagiarism is classified as a major offence in the University code of Discipline  and as such, the penalties for plagiarising any of your assignments can be severe. It is assumed that you understand the plagiarism policy fully and ignorance will not be considered as a defense! If you are having difficulties understanding the finer points of what is defined as plagiarism, and how to avoid it, the University Library offers a tutorial on plagiarism and citing correctly.

Discussing course material with your friends is an excellent way to improve your understanding. There is a great benefit in pooling resources either in having someone explain something that is confusing you, or in having to explain something so they also understand it. We strongly support the formation of these groups, and some projects and assignments will explicitly be group activities. But assignments are to assess your grasp of the material, not the group’s. Therefore, please do discuss the concepts pertaining to the assignments, but unless something is a group submission, try to avoid sitting around in a group doing the assignment at the same time, as this will potentially lead to worryingly similar-looking assignments.

YES! Since lab sessions may strongly contribute to the final mark of a module, it is strongly advised that all lab sessions are attended in order to ensure that the module is passed. We only make arrangements for students to catch up if they are absent for a valid/certified reason. Absence (or extreme lateness) means that you will get zero mark for that lab if you do not have a good certified reason for being absent! You may not be able to resit a failed or missed lab, as resits in this case are generally not possible. An opportunity to catch up on a missed lab session may be provided, if a genuine reason for the absence at the original session is provided and if it possible within resource constraints.

YES! CA is vitally important and a key part of learning at DCU. Therefore, it is strongly advised that all continuous assessment is undertaken. We do not make alternative arrangements for students if they fail to submit continuous assessments without a certified reason. 

There is automatic progression from Semester 1 to Semester 2 in any academic year. In order to proceed to the next academic year of study, a student must have passed all modules taken in that academic year, as prescribed by his/her programme of study. At the end of each academic year, a Progression and Awards Board, comprising the examiners of all modules and external examiner(s), reviews the results of each student on the degree programme. For each student, the Board considers the overall weighted average mark and approves the overall classification. Detailed regulations for assessments, progression and awards can be found in DCU’s Marks and Standards document.

It is not uncommon to hit a bump in the road. This can happen due to illness, personal circumstances, or not having put enough effort into your modules. It is important to address problems as quickly as possible and to realise that even in the worst case you can still get back on track. Contact a student advisor to talk things through. You'll find them in the Student Advice Centre.

If you see any signs that you are starting to fall behind in any of your modules take action immediately. If you have been attending regularly, start by reviewing the material. Go through the lecture notes and prepare a set of most significant questions. Go to the tutorials and ask those questions. Go to the library and borrow books recommended by the lecturers and read them. Write notes, as they will help you understand better in the first place and review principles later on. Discuss issues with demonstrators during practicals and with tutors during tutorials. Talk to your lecturers. Create your own set of notes derived from all the material presented to or located by you. Form study groups. It is equally beneficial to have difficult material explained to you and to go through the process of explaining material to someone who might not have as clear an understanding as yourself. A number of resources are available to help including the library, the DCU Maths Learning Centre.

Library: You will receive a list of recommended text books and reading material from each lecturer. Many of these books will be in the library. In general, only brief information on certain subjects is presented during the lectures, and textbooks need to be referred to for more detailed information. 

Please note, however, that for each module there is only a limited set of textbooks in the library and there will be a time limit within which you can keep the book at your possession. The Computing Subject Librarian is Lisa Callaghan. She can assist you in computing-specific library resources.

E:lisa.callaghan@dcu.ie T: (01) 700 8247

There may be times when you are not able to perform at your best due to illness or other circumstances. In all cases, it is best if you let us know as soon as possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be put in place. What happens will depend on the nature and extent of your difficulties.

First, talk to the lecturer. If you have missed only a small amount of work, they may be able make some arrangements with you. If for some reason, you miss a significant amount of work, see the following. 

Your academic performance may be adversely affected by illness (physical or psychological), accident, pregnancy, bereavement or other personal circumstances. This may negatively impact your academic performance in a number of ways:

 − Causes you to miss a substantial number of lectures, tutorials or labs 

− Significantly affects your ability to study over a long period

 − Prevents you from completing an assessment on time

 − Negatively impacts your performance in a continuous assessment exercise

 − Causes you to miss an examination

 − Causes you to perform badly in an examination

In these circumstances, you should take the following steps: 

Notify your First Year Programme Chair that you are experiencing significant difficulties. They will be able to best advise you on how to proceed and may be able to point you towards the appropriate support services. In order for the Progression and Awards Board to take your circumstances into account, you must fill in an R30 ‘Extenuating Circumstances’ form and submit it to Registry at least 7 days before the meeting of the Progression and Awards Board (usually held the week before the publication of May and August exam results). You must support your case with evidence (for example, medical cert). By filling in the R30 form (and providing supporting evidence) the Programme Chairperson and/or the Progression and Awards Board will decide how the extenuating circumstances has affected your progress and what action can be taken. The decision may be to grant you a deferral (to allow ‘first-sit’ of a module during the resit session). Further information on the extenuating circumstances process (including R30 form) can be found here.

This is the procedure when you cannot sit an exam. As for any other illness, you should officially inform the University about your situation by filling in an R30 ‘Extenuating Circumstances Form’.

As for any other illness, you should officially inform the University about your situation by filling in an R30 'Extenuating Circumstances Form'. Not all modules which are 100% Continuous Assessment will have resits available in August. The lecturer of the module will be able to inform you if a resit is available. You should contact the lecturer if you are unable to submit Continuous Assessment. 

Not necessarily. First, there is a consultation period after the results are made available. You should check to make sure no error has been made in marking, as that can happen in rare cases. If an error is made that significantly affects your results, the module coordinator will take steps to correct the record. If no error is found/change indicated, it is still possible to ultimately progress either by compensation or by resit opportunity (chance to redo some or all components of the module over the Summer). Unfortunately, if you still have even one module outstanding after the August exams, you must take that module afresh (participating in all elements of the module), and will not progress to Year 2. The programme regulations state that “Students will not be permitted to ‘carry’ modules except in exceptional circumstances and subject to the approval of the Progression and Award Board and mode of delivery permitting”.

In particular cases you may appeal failed marks and, if successful, may progress. If repeating a year, you do not have to take modules you have passed. Please note you have only two academic sessions (years) in which to pass any module. In other words, you have one chance to repeat a module in the academic session following the one in which you first attempt the module. In each attempt at a module, you have whatever resit  opportunities are available for that module in that session. (This may be none in the case of a project-based module!). After that you have to withdraw from the programme.

Students have the right to appeal the decisions of a Progression and Award Board. Such Appeals will be processed in accordance with the procedures detailed by Academic Council. You will need to file an appeals form within 10 days of the publication of results. Please note that there are only a limited number of reasons for an appeal to be upheld. When you submit your appeal form you will be required to pay a fee. However, if the appeal is upheld the fee is reimbursed.

If you have failed a module during the year and have not compensated you may be given a chance to resit in August. Some modules are 100% Continuous assessment, not all modules will be available to resit. Each module will differ and the module co-ordinator or lecturer will inform you at the start of the semester if a resit is available. We strive to ensure students are given a chance to resit, unfortunately, in some cases due to resource constraints or the nature of the work, it will not be possible to resit continuous assessments. Your lecturer will explain about the resit options for each module at the start of the Semester.

If you have a minimum overall average of 45% and it is your first attempt at all your modules, you can compensate a failed module or modules totalling up to 10 credits at 35%. For example, if you fail two 5-credit modules you can compensate if the mark in both modules is 35% or over. Simply put, if you do well in most of your subjects, but perform poorly in one or two subjects in a single examination sitting then we will take your good performance into account and allow you to progress. It is the role of the Progression and Award Board to decide whether compensation can be applied, provided that the decision will not adversely affect your performance at the next level. Be aware that compensation can only be applied to modules that have been attempted for the first time – not to modules that are being resat in August or being repeated in a subsequent academic session. Compensation is only considered once the full set of marks for the academic year is available. The full description of compensation can be found in the Marks and Standards document.

Are you sure? It might be helpful to have a chat with your First Year Head, one of the First Year Programme Chairs, or with students in later years of the course. In addition, the Student Advice Centre on the ground floor of the Henry Grattan building would be happy to talk to you about your concerns. 

If you are certain you want to do some other programme, you may request an internal transfer between programmes at DCU before the third Friday of Semester 1. In general, if you are beyond the point at which you may change programmes, we advise students who are thinking of leaving the course to complete (and pass!) the current year. It looks a lot better on a CV, and is required for transfer to many other courses.