Timetables
dcu timetable on the web tutorial
Before accessing the actual WEB Timetable please take a little time to understand the various codes which are used.
The WEB software we are using is relatively new and not as user friendly as we would like. (Hopefully in the future it will be easier to use). To obtain information on any aspect of the timetable it is necessary to enter the item you are enquiring about exactly as recorded in the database.
"Program of Studies"
A program of studies represents the combination of modules that make up a year of a typical course. The program of studies CODE is made up of an alpha code followed by a number, for example AF2 is Second Year of the Accounting and Finance degree, EE4 is Fourth Year of Electronic Engineering.
Click here for a full list of Program of Study Codes
"Modules"
A module is now the basic unit of each course. Module Code consist of 2 letter and a 3 digit number. The letters represent the broad subject category. The first digit of the number usually represents the "year of a course" while the last 2 digits are simply a sequential number.
Examples: MS102 Maths (Mathenatical Science), year 1 module
Click here for a full list of Modules .
"Student Sets"
Within each "program of study" it is usually necessary to breakdown students into groups for tutorial and practical sessions. In particular, students studying a language have most of their classes in relatively small groups. Also, where there are options available to students in a program of study, students doing the same set of options are also grouped together. For all these reasons, students have to be allocated to student groups for timetable purposes.
The code for any student set is the "Program of Study" followed by a two digit number with a "/" between the code and the number. For example: AF1/03
The Timetable "Home Page".
If you enter the Timetable System Home page you will have the option to use "Find Fast" which is intended for queries about the current day or "Reporting" which is the way to access an actual timetable. For most practical purposes click on the "Reporting" option.
Within the "Reporting" page generally only the "Individual" report is of interest. By all means experiment with other formats but generally on "Individual" will be of use.
You will then see this screen:
At window 1 select the item you want to extract. Unusually you be looking for a Program of Study, a Module or a Student Set.
At window 2 you can select either "Name" or "ID Number". For a program of study or a student set the Name and the ID number are the same. For a module we recommend using the ID Number (Module Code).
For staff it is best to use your ID number as it is otherwise necessary to enter your name exactly as recorded in the timetable database and it requires an exact match in or to give you a result.
Now click on "Next >"
At this point the system will either have rejected your request because it cannot match the data you have entered or it will come up with a pages asking you to refine exactly what you wish to see.
Window 1: There is normally only one option available here so you can go directly to window 2.
Window 2: The weeks of the academic year you wish to see. 1-12 should be entered to display semester one. There is no data at present for Semester 2.
Window 3: The days you wish to see. 1-5 for Monday to Friday. 1-6 would include Saturday but generally those who have activities on Saturday have evening activities during the week. It is probably best if this is the case to do 1-5 (Monday to Friday) first. The go back to this page (right click the mouse) and do 6 (Saturday) separately as the hours on Saturday you will want to see on Saturday will be different.
Window 4: The range of times you want to see.
Time slot 1 is 8.00am. Thus 3-20 will give you 9.00am to 6.00pm. and 21-30 will give you 6.00pm up to 11.00pm.
We do not currently timetable between 11.00pm and 8.00am or Sundays although some students and staff may be in laboratories at almost any hour.
Window 5: You can experiment if you wish with these parameters but usually they are best left unchanged.
You can now click on the "Finish" button. Don't forget you can use the right mouse and "Back" to alternate between the report specification page and the results.
Try the HELP and HINTS buttons on each page. They provide some useful tips.
Printing the Timetable
Due to the width of the timetable, a full sheet cannot be printed out. It is advisable that you print the full timetable in two sections, one for morning and one for afternoon. However, it is possible to change the default format and font of the table in order to print a usable section (from 9.00 to 18.00) in one go.
In Netscape, choose General Preferences from the Options menu. Click on the tab for fonts. Press the button Choose Font and change the font to Arial and the point size to 8.
When printing you have to change the print properties to an A4 landscape page each time you open the browser.
Programme timetables will still be a few pages long but should be only one landscape page wide.
If you do change the default settings, do remember to change the settings back when you are finished. Otherwise all web pages subsequently viewed will be presented in this reduced font size.
