Why Should I Go To UCD?

Collisionman

irish-anabel wrote: »

I'm kind of like freebee in this decision too! Except that I know I'll be puttin down Trinners as 1st choice (no offence) but am debating whether to put UCD at all. I'm worried about all the stuff I hear about how lonely UCD is in your first year and although I'm a social person, I'll probably be in Dublin pretty much on my own. Is this true or all scaremongering? What do 1st years think, is it lonely and hard to fit in and make friends because it's so massive?

I'm half way through my first semester and this is so true. First year is kinda lonely and like you I'm not a social person but I don't know if that is the same in TCD, DCU or where ever or is it just UCD. It's very true that a big universiy like UCD can be intimidating when it comes to making friends. All the people I'm friends with are switched around in different modules, etc., and it's basically awkward when trying to meet up with people sometimes. Plus, I live in Swords in the Northside and it's kinda hard (harder than school anyways) to arange a night out because most of my friends are scattered all around Dublin, mostly on the Southside plus the travelling to and from town is a bitch at night. Also none of my school friends went to UCD (most to DCU actually and now there calling me a D4 snob). No nightlink goes next to near where I live, except the mainstreet in Swords, and taxis from town to where I live ... eh ... let's just say it's the recession. I'm really jealous of the UCD residence, they must have a hell of a social life.

Michaelrsh

RandomName2 wrote: »

Trinity Vs UCD?

It's a debate that is sort of impossible to solve.

It is unfortunate to see how large a hang-up so many in UCD have about Trinity. Surely if you are good enough you can just march to your own beat and not define yourself entirely through opposition to your perceived better?

What I would say though, is that UCD is more flexible and Trinity more solid. And I mean this on every single level.

Buildings: UCD can expand and grow. Trinity has great old architecture but little maneuverability.

Transport: UCD has greater capacity for cars and living on campus. Trinity has city-centre transport.

Social life: UCD has more options. Trinity has more stability and easier connections.

Education: UCD is open ended, flexible and diverse. Trinity has good reputation and solid experience.

UCD is what you make of it - but it isn't necessarily easy. It is huge. It has tons of people. It has hundreds of courses. I will never have time to totally explore the campus! (Tunnels, that hidden ag-sci area, the library basement and film studies building are still on my sightseeing list).

But can anything really match the pick n' mix UCD Arts? High quality courses from Maths to Philosophy. Rigorous, and yet diverse. And don't forget Horizons.

Or you can do a solid, middle of the road 4 year course in Trinity. If you know exactly what you want to do, and it is based in the arts, that might be a safer option. UCD isn't a safe option - and hopefully it wont ever be.

You haven't lived until you see the Photo-soc's room that is actually in the Gents tolits on the first floor of the Physics building.

insert-gear

Arts is very awkward to make friends in any sort of stable nature, as someone else said, changing modules, massive lecture halls etc etc.

I went to DCU and hated it. No atmosphere in the place, and their way of doing things was just damn awkward.

Doing Commerce in UCD now and its great, socialising isnt an issue because we're broken into batches of around 50 and you get very close with your batch, and people in other batches too.

UCD is good because of horizons. (Basically you can pick another subject from any other school of study every semester. I've done things like classical studies and social policy)

I would look at how youre getting to college for one. You actually dont think about how important it is, but when youre going from being forced into school for 9 o clock to a flexible timetable that youre in control of... if youre going to college miles away, it definitely affects your decision to get out of bed for that 9 o clock lecture.

Friend of mine was doing psychology in Trinity and couldn't speak highly enough of it. But he was a bit of a Trinners till I die kinda guy.

English wise, I would think that Trinity is more respected, and that UCD is ahead in Science. UCD really promotes itself in terms of scientific research. Its all over their homepage

jamser89

1st year psychology is just arts. depends whether youd like to study 2 other arts subjects aswell. If not then head TCD although you'll have do 4 years and with postgraduate study required in nearly all areas of Psych, UCD's 3 year BA might be the better place!:)

Larianne

Better library in UCD than TCD.

In UCD libraries -

You can take out books for longer.

You can use self check-out machines.

The opening hours are longer.

The library is open both Saturday AND Sunday for reasonable hours.

The library has extended opening hours near to exams.

The library has plenty of group study rooms.

Toilets on every floor.

and.... UCD library has librocop... so there's less talking, less eating, less general play acting going on.

You may think it's silly but believe me when you have exams coming up and want to study in peace or take out a book with little hassle or cramm for the last few hours on a Sunday, all this stuff above becomes very important.

Also, the librarians in UCD seemed to me, from my own experience a nicer bunch. I said "have a nice Christmas" to a librarian in TCD yesterday and she nearly choked on the chocolate she was chewing. And no, she didn't say it back to me. B!tch.


Edit: Just to add - I got offered a place in both TCD and UCD last year (mature student place). The main reason I picked TCD was it is easier for me to get to as I'm from the north side of the city and also for socials. The second reason was the course I am doing has a smaller number in TCD then UCD which I thought would be better. And the third reason, any time I contacted the school, they NEVER replied to me, not ONCE! Except when they offered me a place on the course. SO I think you need to weigh up all your options. At the end of the day, it's how hard you work for your degree that matters.

finnharps09

TCD all the way!

Conor108

finnharps09 wrote: »

TCD all the way!

Dam good arguement! Bravo sir!

Riamfada

Conor108 wrote: »

Dam good arguement! Bravo sir!

I guess it shows that its not just UCD thats full of tossers

Grass / Greener ect

Michaelrsh

finnharps09 wrote: »

TCD all the way!

You are trespassing. Get back to the TCD forum.

Freakin4Leavin

Agh my head is spinning from all these conflicting opinions I'm in 6th year and since I live near UCD have always presumed I would go there.
Now though, a bit late in the day I'm sure, I thought hmmmm maybe Trinity... and now I'm so confused as to which college UCD/Trinity you have noooo idea!!
Also I'm constantly hearing different opinions about the campus/ how important the "reputation" of Trinity is compared to UCD/ concrete jungle/ historical... etc etc!
So yeah ah stress its so difficult to decide and sift through the bragging/slagging that exists between the colleges!!
Also I've never been very affected by the "historical" nature of TCD's buildings so thats not much an influential factor.

muboop1

Should prob start your own thread...
But what is your chosen discipline? maybe go for the one which has a higher recognized degree? (not that its actually a higher valued degree, but the colleges do have different reputations in various faculty's. ie, arts in UCD has a bad one, whilst the trinity equivalent in general is better. But smurfit in UCD is usually considered better then the Trinity equivalent)

Freakin4Leavin

I'm thinking of doing Science: I heard UCD has better science facilities but then the whole "reputation" of Trinity etc! Plus since I would have a bit of spare time with Science it's trying to decide which is better just for the general student atmosphere:
One camp says ucd is a concrete jungle and its hard to meet people ... then the other says trinity its in town so everyone leaves inbetween lectures and that makes it harder to meet people so i dunno they're both right in a way both have advantages and disadvantages!