UCD Accomodation Thread - All Queries Here

Stepherunie

Pythia, get real, you're just annoyed that not everyone bowed down and said go do it when you tried to circumvent the bloody rules. You were going to ring them this week not when places were opened up to all!

Res is there for those who need it, not for those who want to move out when the live so close to experience a change, you want to move out fine, go ahead but don't take up places that other people could use far more than you, why don't you offer to take up someones lease instead so they can move onto res????

Pythia

Stepherunie wrote:

Pythia, get real, you're just annoyed that not everyone bowed down and said go do it when you tried to circumvent the bloody rules. You were going to ring them this week not when places were opened up to all!

Excuse me. You don't know me so don't go making statements like that.
I'm not going to circumvent any rules. If they have problems filling rooms I will take one. I rang them to enquire what the story was with the rooms, when would they fill them, how etc. It's called forward planning.

And yes, that'd be brilliant. If someone wants to move from let's say Roebuck Road onto res, I'll gladly take their room.

Stepherunie

Well maybe you should not give the impression that that is your plan when you post here. I only spoke of the facts as you presented them, I never said i knew you.

If your words were misunderstood then very well, however I could not be blamed for such an occurance.

Sangre

A giant :rolleyes: for this thread.

irlrobins

Sangre wrote:

A giant :rolleyes: for this thread.

Ah Sangre! That's a very poor effort from you! Where's your usual poor fuel on fire flame post??? :rolleyes:

Het-Field

If they have problems filling rooms I will take one.

Highly unlikely. Last year there was something like 1,200 people left disapointed, and id say the figures will reflect last years numbers. Mabye in September or November. Its unlikely any room will open up until then

Sangre

Bottom line is living on campus is a luxury for everyone excluding the physically disabled. Nobody needs to live on campus. You haven't sentenced somebody to doom by taking the place of someone more needy.

Pythia

Stepherunie wrote:

Well maybe you should not give the impression that that is your plan when you post here. I only spoke of the facts as you presented them, I never said i knew you.

If your words were misunderstood then very well, however I could not be blamed for such an occurance.

I said I planned to ring the office and see what my chances were if I waited til October. There would, of course, be a hugely decreased demand at this time, so Dublin people may be allowed in.
I also said that if I applied normally and happened to get it, I would take it as it was the accommodation office's decision, not mine. They would be the ones 'circumventing the rules'. Or do you deem me to be circumventing the rules by simplying applying in the first place?

And you generally don't make statements about someone's personality unless you know them. I don't expect anyone to bow down to me, least of all you lot, people I don't know.

Het-Field

Sangre wrote:

Bottom line is living on campus is a luxury for everyone excluding the physically disabled. Nobody needs to live on campus. You haven't sentenced somebody to doom by taking the place of someone more needy.

Mabye, but its still a pain in the ass. I have spoken to more than enough people in UCD who are ticked off by locals and i mean locals (stillorgan etc) taking rooms which they really dont need. unless their parents are forcing them out of the house, there is no reason to take rooms except to facilitate a social life

Sangre

You're delusional if you think people in Dublin leave home only for social reaasons. We're all happy families in Dublin!

irlrobins

Sangre wrote:

You're delusional if you think people in Dublin leave home only for social reaasons. We're all happy families in Dublin!

I left mine to enhance my sex life.

Pythia

Sangre wrote:

You're delusional if you think people in Dublin leave home only for social reaasons. We're all happy families in Dublin!

Exactly. What if, for example, your parents were splitting up? Things aren't good at home.

Het-Field

Pythia wrote:

Exactly. What if, for example, your parents were splitting up? Things aren't good at home.

Point taken. But not every local in res is coming from a troubled background, and i know plenty of people who have faced the same problems and remained at home. Just saying is all

Stepherunie

Don't have a problem with people moving out, I never entered that argument, I just don't believe that any dubs should live on res unless they have specific needs, i.e. they are disabled, it should be reserved at all times for those whose need is greater.

Sangre

Het-Field wrote:

Point taken. But not every local in res is coming from a troubled background, and i know plenty of people who have faced the same problems and remained at home. Just saying is all

And I know several people from the country who could live in an apartment very near UCD that their parents own but live on campus. I'm just saying...

singingstranger

panda100 wrote:

there is priority for those who speak Irish () and those on sport scholarship.There are at least two galetach houses in merville

Actually, there isn't technically a priority for Irish students - UCD Bord na Gaeilge just have an agreement to take four apartments - that's 16 people - every year, and give them to people who apply on the basis that they'll speak Irish while in the house (number 5, apartments 3-6). In return they get a reduction in the rent. I think calling it a 'priority' would be overstreching it just a tad - that's like saying that RAs get priority in accommodation.

Chakar

Blush_01 wrote:

Do you have a problem with this? Surely that's something to be lauded - someone with a greater need to be close to college (lets face it, transport systems in Ireland aren't the most disability friendly, are they) will definitely get it.

Your post implies incredulity at this fact. If I've misread it, I'm sorry. If not, are you actually serious?

Nah I was just emphasing thats its a good thing anyway, I agree with it unconditionally.

Chakar wrote:

Oh yeah, disabled students get campus accomodation straightway if they want to even if they live in Dublin or down the road from UCD.They get priority over everyone.

Can I just say this also includes physical, mental and sensory disabilities.

antSionnach

Blush_01 wrote:

What you want is a luxury. What many of us have is called a need.

Can you please explain why country people need to live in UCD as opposed to Ranelagh/ Clonskeagh/ Donnybrook/ Sandymount/ Ballsbridge/ Stillorgan/ Mount Merrion/ Goatstown/ Dundrum/ Kilmacud, not to mention "etcetera"!

In the case of Steph and I, we were both lucky enough to be in the position to have relatives who could put us up short-term at the beginning of first year, but it wouldn't have been a year-long possibility.

And thats what the Dubs say too!

While I accept that antSionnach's assessment that we could, if we wanted to, find somewhere to live off-campus (I have done for my three years in UCD) the purpose of res. is to provide somewhere to live to students on a need basis, is it not?

No because then youd only have disabled students living there... its for students who want to live somewhere that is not their own home. No I dont "need" to live on campus, but neither do most people - from anywhere. We all "want" to live there, its not a need at all.

And antSionnach, if trying to find an affordable place to live within a fairly manageable commute is so easy, then why do so many people spend months trying to find somewhere before ending up in overpriced dumps? One place I was looking at last year had...

Thats one side of the story. Equally I (and no doubt you do too) know people who manage to get reasonable accom close to campus. Some girls in my class who lived the canal side of Ranelagh a few doors from me last year, and they were from Limerick/ Tipp area. They got a nice basement apartment for 85 euros per wk each, found it in the paper one morning, and got it in a day. Theyve mived out and no doubt some other country students will be replacing if not already. But by your account these girls 'needed' campus...

Why should one person's luxury take precedence over another's need? Anyone able to explain that logically to me?

Easily, campus is not a need for healthy students with working limbs that God gave you, get a bike like everyone else!

Samos

On-campus accomodation is a greater benefit to those who do not hail from Dublin and its environs, because they will not have a prior knowledge of the areas surrounding UCD and so will have a difficult time finding a suitable location. However, Dubliners who wish to leave the family home have this benefit of familiarity with the such areas and are thus in a better position to avail of off-campus accommodation. And should they fail to find somewhere suitable, they can remain at home without too much difficulty; non-Dubliners would have to return whence they came should they be unlucky to find something.

So, priority should go to those who live farthest from Dublin. Should the case arise that not all on-campus places are aviled of by the former, then Dubliners ought to be facilitated, beginning with those who have the longest commute, or lack sufficient direct transport links.

I very much doubt that there would remain any places for students who live as close as Dundrum, Ranelagh, Dun Laoghaire etc. Even as late as October/November, there are students who commute from beyond the pale, who would gladly accept on-campus positions. (I currently live with a couple of students who spent the first six weeks commuting from Louth before finding a place. Not only did they lose 4 hours of their days, but they had to spend their spare time frantically searching while places were snapped up.)

I would assume that places are allocated based solely on proximity but should you apply, and be successful, Pythia, it would probably be the case that you fulfill the necessary criteria and no rules need be circumvented. However, I would disagree with your attitude that if you apply for, and get something, then it is not your fault if others, who have a greater need, go without. I could go to a homeless shelter and accept the food that the less fortunate need, but that would be selfish and thoughless on my behalf. It would be my fault for taking what I don't need, not the doner's fault for giving in good faith. Our society would not progress far if people only looked out for themselves, and gave the proverbial two-fingers to everone else. If you really want to move out, start looking now for rented accommodation nearby, and don't expect the college to grant you a place without any effort on your own part. It'll probably be cheaper too!

Pythia

I see it like this.
If I win the lottery, yes there would be people who would benefit from that money more than me, but I won it, so it's mine and I'm keeping it. Same with campus accommodation. If I happened to get it, which is unlikely tbh, I'd take it with no feelings of guilt.

Dave!

Pythia for Taoiseach!

irlrobins

DaveMcG wrote:

Pythia for Taoiseach!

Scary thought!

Jonny Arson

Pythia wrote:

I see it like this.
If I win the lottery, yes there would be people who would benefit from that money more than me, but I won it, so it's mine and I'm keeping it. Same with campus accommodation. If I happened to get it, which is unlikely tbh, I'd take it with no feelings of guilt.

The difference between the lottery and campus accomodation is that the lottery is fair game and no one is handicapped by a disadvantage when they play it whereas there's specific rules for campus res for perfectly acceptable reasons to help students settle into college life.

In your case you know the rules, you know the reasons why they're there....I'd feel guilty as fuck to abuse that.

Chinafoot

Pythia wrote:

I see it like this.
If I win the lottery, yes there would be people who would benefit from that money more than me, but I won it, so it's mine and I'm keeping it. Same with campus accommodation. If I happened to get it, which is unlikely tbh, I'd take it with no feelings of guilt.

Spoken like a true accountant. :rolleyes:

samos wrote:

On-campus accomodation is a greater benefit to those who do not hail from Dublin and its environs, because they will not have a prior knowledge of the areas surrounding UCD and so will have a difficult time finding a suitable location. However, Dubliners who wish to leave the family home have this benefit of familiarity with the such areas and are thus in a better position to avail of off-campus accommodation. And should they fail to find somewhere suitable, they can remain at home without too much difficulty; non-Dubliners would have to return whence they came should they be unlucky to find something.

So, priority should go to those who live farthest from Dublin. Should the case arise that not all on-campus places are aviled of by the former, then Dubliners ought to be facilitated, beginning with those who have the longest commute, or lack sufficient direct transport links.

Nail....head....etc.

panda100

singingstranger wrote:

Actually, there isn't technically a priority for Irish students - UCD Bord na Gaeilge just have an agreement to take four apartments - that's 16 people - every year, and give them to people who apply on the basis that they'll speak Irish while in the house (number 5, apartments 3-6). In return they get a reduction in the rent. I think calling it a 'priority' would be overstreching it just a tad - that's like saying that RAs get priority in accommodation.

Yep your right priority tis the wrong word.More like if you speak Irish fluently it is more favourable to your application.Its the same people who get the Irish residences year after year.seamus O'Maonigh and eamon O'Cuiv got it two years in a row so while they arent given priority as such its still likely you'll get a place if you apply for the galetach house.
Damn now just to learn Irish in a month!!!!

singingstranger

panda100 wrote:

Yep your right priority tis the wrong word.More like if you speak Irish fluently it is more favourable to your application.Its the same people who get the Irish residences year after year.

[pedantism]
It's actually a complete seperate application and interview process, it's not as if they take the sixteen best Irish-speaking applicants and shop them together! Granted, there'll always be the same old Gaelgóirí who will of course outshine any other well-meaning native English speakers. C'est la vie.
[/pedantism]

/me rolls eyes at self

Sangre

Samos wrote:

So, priority should go to those who live farthest from Dublin. Should the case arise that not all on-campus places are aviled of by the former, then Dubliners ought to be facilitated, beginning with those who have the longest commute, or lack sufficient direct transport links.

So someone living in Cork City all their life should have priority over some who has lived on a farm in the middle of their whole life just because they live 1.5 hours closer to Dublin?

Stepherunie

Well in all fairness to ucd they do say that they do it based on how long it takes to access ucd via public transport, so even if a person did live closer if they live in teh back of beyond and it takes them longer that they're in which as good a shot - don't know how effective it is but i see how it could help

humbert

Pythia wrote:

I see it like this.
If I win the lottery, yes there would be people who would benefit from that money more than me, but I won it, so it's mine and I'm keeping it. Same with campus accommodation. If I happened to get it, which is unlikely tbh, I'd take it with no feelings of guilt.

I really don't understand why you wont just admit that you would be happy to get on campus accommodation by whatever means possible at the expense of someone who deserves it more. In truth it wouldn't be very nice but it's not like you'd be stealing from old ladies or dealing drugs, it's the need to make feeble excuses that irks me.

Scraggs

Its open to everyone who has a decent fluency in Irish and is active in promoting the Irish language on-campus

www.ucd./bnag wrote:

Bord na Gaeilge UCD
2006-2007
Irish Language Student Residence Scheme
Are you a fluent Irish speaker?
Do you have the ability to
encourage and assist others
in the use of the language?
Would you like to make
friends with students from a
range of university courses
and enjoy life on campus?
If so, you could be eligible for a scholarship on the Bord
na Gaeilge UCD Irish Language Student Residence
Scheme.
Bord na Gaeilge UCD provides scholarships for 16
students to live in the Student Residences in Belfield. The
purpose of this scheme, is to strengthen the Irish
language speaking community on campus. Scholarships
which equal half of each students’ accommodation costs
are available to students currently attending the University
as well as those who succeed in obtaining a place in UCD in
the first round of CAO offers. Candidates are chosen on the
basis of an application form and interview. Candidates should
speak fluent Irish and have a strong commitment to the active
promotion of the the language. This scheme is open to
students pursuing all UCD courses.
The Bord na Gaeilge UCD Irish Language Student Residence Scheme
is funded by the Higher Education Authority.
Further details and application forms are available from:
www.ucd.ie/bnag
Clár Ní Bhuachalla
Irish Language Officer
Bord na Gaeilge UCD
D213, Newman Building
University College Dublin
Belfield, Dublin 4
Tel: 01-716-8208
Email: oifigeach.gaeilge@ucd.ie

Anyway OT, I've been told that the chances of me getting on-campus accom this year are slim to none despite having a 2hr+ commute from Carlow... I even suggested [similar to Pythia] that I could move in October should a place become available as I'll only be in college for the first week in Sept. due to medical reasons anyway but they said its not guaranteed and I'd be better off finding a place elsewhere.