NCI Blog

On the 17th December, teams of students from NCI will spend just 24 hours designing, developing and deploying websites for charities Today, the 17th of December, marks the second year of a twenty four hour charity appeal – Webmas – run under the auspices of Sam Cogan, a lecturer in NCI's School of Computing. In his running of the Certificate in Web Development course last year, Sam convinced fifteen students from his classes to take part in Webmas 2013; Webmas 2014 has now reached forty participants.

Studying in Europe is always a big decision to make, that's a given. However, for some, it is a wise decision to help their career. “My contact with a different language and culture”, comments Kelly Suenny Martins from Brazil, ”and the experience of studying in Europe will certainly improve my employability.” Studying in Europe certainly does help your employability and also your worldly skills. While studying in Europe, Kelly, a student of the BSc Honours in Computing in NCI, has taken full advantage of the variety of academic supports available to NCI international students. For example, Kelly has used academic writing support to improve her written English. NCI’s staff has also been there to aid her with any academic or personal problems while she is studying in Europe.

The Internet of Things is a vision in the minds of some and a growing reality in others From internet-connected coffee cups to cyber-servants, Cloud Computing is changing our lives. Which is why, more than ever, well-versed Cloud Computing professionals are in such demand. That demand can be easily understood – courses such as NCI's MSc in Cloud Computing provide graduates with technical, academic and professional expertise in this growing, ground-breaking field of work. An important concept in the field of Cloud Computing is the ‘Internet of Things’. You don't have to study Cloud Computing to find this interesting; this stuff isn't just for techies, it impacts on us all.

Vishwajeet moved from India to study in Ireland, and has earned an awesome job. “I wanted to get the most of my investment so this is why I chose National College of Ireland. I had researched studying in Europe along with America, Canada and Australia - but other options were far too expensive. I made a very informed decision coming to NCI and I am happy I made it – NCI and studying in Europe helped me build my career.”

Once Facebook projected contextual ads onto your newsfeed, now they're moving into the realm of third party apps and websites. Consumers in Ireland are developing a serious online shopping habit. New data reveals we are spending significantly more money – and significantly more time – on the web. Online consumer spending, for example, is up by a staggering 51% in Q2 2014 when compared with the same period last year. Digital Marketing, once little more than a buzz word in a niche market, has utterly changed business’ marketing landscape.

Last week, NCI’s SU voiced its support for NOH8 campaign as part of the college’s Equality Week. Our student’s welfare is at the heart of NCI's beliefs. The NOH8 Campaign is a charitable organisation in the United States whose mission is to promote marriage, gender and human equality. Unlike traditional charitable movements, NOH8 greatly relies on social media, visual protests, and, in particular, user-generated content to spread its simple message – gay rights are human rights, people are people.

SU President James Duffy and Clubs and Societies Officer Patrick Erhard give new or prospective students the lowdown on getting the most out of student life. Here, James and Paddy, NCI’s SU President and Clubs and Socs Officer, share their top ten tips for making the most of your student experience during a full-time undergraduate course.

Akshay from India has quickly settled into Irish life. In fact, he is now becoming a little bit Irish himself – “Personally, I much prefer Irish customs, music, and literature”. Akshay is embracing Irish life: rugby, for example, has caught his eye. “I loved having to learn its set of rules as it indirectly makes sport much more interesting”. Now an enthusiast of the Irish daily routine, Akshay believes he is already benefitting enormously by studying in Europe. Akshay is a student of the MSc in Cloud Computing at National College of Ireland. Thus far he has found NCI’s course content relevant and interesting as it mixes theory and practice. Akshay also chose this course as it suits his future professional goals.