On campus/Off campus?

cxh20y

Hi all,
Hoping to go to UCD next year to do veterinary.Just wondering which would ye advise, off or on campus for the first year, I really can't decide. I know that off campus tends to be cheaper, but with bills etc its close enough to on campus? Many people that I have talked to mentioned that on campus is much better to meet friends etc, but can be small, overcrowded and noisy. I wouldn't be too worried about struggling to make friends, I'm a friendly type! Where did ye stay for ye're first year and would ye recommend it?
Thanks a million!

cozzie55

cxh20y wrote: »

Hi all,
Hoping to go to UCD next year to do veterinary.Just wondering which would ye advise, off or on campus for the first year, I really can't decide. I know that off campus tends to be cheaper, but with bills etc its close enough to on campus? Many people that I have talked to mentioned that on campus is much better to meet friends etc, but can be small, overcrowded and noisy. I wouldn't be too worried about struggling to make friends, I'm a friendly type! Where did ye stay for ye're first year and would ye recommend it?
Thanks a million!

I would definitely recommend campus for a first year but not so much for the rest of your years in college. Its really the best place to ease yourself into college life because everyone is in the same boat so to speak, it is the best place to meet new people which is important if like me you only know a handful of people coming to college in Dublin. I wouldn't be too worried about noise as a first year you won't be having many all night study sessions after all. Also I wouldn't recommend living with people you know if you can help it. Some people I know, who lived with friends from school/home in college tended to stick together and not get too know as many new people.

In my first year I lived on campus and made three of the best friends I have while there. The three of us went on to live together off campus for 3 more years after it. I do think we had far better fun living together off campus but I put that down to being good friends as apposed to where we lived.

legaleagle1

i'd totally agree. I'm currently finishing up my fourth year in UCD and I'm living back on campus for this year with the girl i was randomly put in a house with in first year. We didnt know each other when we were put living together in first year but have lived together now for four years. I really dont know if I would have made the fantastic group of friends I have now if I hadn't lived on campus in first year. For first year it really is the best way to meet new people and make friends that you'll have forever.
however, for subsequent years i would recommend going off campus and getting a house as you have much more freedom in what you can do and dont have to deal with some of the ridiculous campus accommodation rules which now exist. If I could choose again I would not have come back on campus this year after living off campus for two years... But first year.. yes.. definitely choose campus..:)

Sefirah

If you don't manage to get on-campus accommodation (happened to me ) I'd highly recommend Muckross Park Halls in Donnybrook- it's fully catered, but most importantly for a first year, you're never really on your own because it has lots of shared living space and you meet really great people. It's also 25 minutes walk from UCD and it's possible to walk to and from town (especially important when you drink all your taxi money...!)

Also, limitless tea. LIMITLESS! :eek:

brokenhinge

Definitely recommend campus for making friends/getting your bearings etc. While campus may look dearer, remember that that's the end of the bills.

It's extremely difficult to get a 9 month lease, so you'll be stuck with an extra three months rent. Not only that, but all the bills are included (apart from power). Internet bills etc. often need 12 month leases too-our eircom bill will have to be paid for 2 months we won't be here etc.

It's a lot less stress in general.

_ariadne

I'm gonna take the other approach!
I really wouldn't recommend living on campus. its crazy expensive compared to renting nearby. even taking into account bills/transport etc its still a joke how expensive UCD is. but the main reason is the complete lack of freedom you get if you live on campus. No parties without hassle from the RAs, can't bring people back to your place after a certain time, without a car it's far enough away from lidl/tesco and no flipping oven! it's basically boarding school.
It's not that hard to get a nine month lease, you just have to look around. and theres loads of better locations ( like near a tesco, near the luas/dart) that are still convenient to get to UCD from. and you get an oven!
Obviously if you are very shy and think you will won't talk to anyone then it might be worth living on campus from purely a social perspective. but if, like you said, you're a friendly person and not afraid of a little independence than definitely look at renting off campus.

TimeToShine

_ariadne wrote: »

I'm gonna take the other approach!
I really wouldn't recommend living on campus. its crazy expensive compared to renting nearby. even taking into account bills/transport etc its still a joke how expensive UCD is. but the main reason is the complete lack of freedom you get if you live on campus. No parties without hassle from the RAs, can't bring people back to your place after a certain time, without a car it's far enough away from lidl/tesco and no flipping oven! it's basically boarding school.
It's not that hard to get a nine month lease, you just have to look around. and theres loads of better locations ( like near a tesco, near the luas/dart) that are still convenient to get to UCD from. and you get an oven!
Obviously if you are very shy and think you will won't talk to anyone then it might be worth living on campus from purely a social perspective. but if, like you said, you're a friendly person and not afraid of a little independence than definitely look at renting off campus.

That's bullshít. Clearly you've never lived on campus because those guidelines are never EVER followed. I know people who've brought back upwards of 5 people to the same apartment and had them sleep on the floor, and RA's only intervene if it's 2AM and you're playing music full blast. Also, on the money side of things, you can expect to save about 300-500 euros by going off campus, which would probably be squandered in transport costs anyway. Also, unless you already have people lined up to live with you living off campus can be pretty rough, so go with campus for first year then make your mind up for the rest.

Fad

_ariadne wrote: »

It's not that hard to get a nine month lease, you just have to look around. and theres loads of better locations ( like near a tesco, near the luas/dart) that are still convenient to get to UCD from. and you get an oven!

Everyone I know living off campus just broke their lease/will break their lease so they dont have to pay for the summer.

Rothmans

TimeToShine wrote: »

That's bullshít. Clearly you've never lived on campus because those guidelines are never EVER followed. I know people who've brought back upwards of 5 people to the same apartment and had them sleep on the floor, and RA's only intervene if it's 2AM and you're playing music full blast. Also, on the money side of things, you can expect to save about 300-500 euros by going off campus, which would probably be squandered in transport costs anyway. Also, unless you already have people lined up to live with you living off campus can be pretty rough, so go with campus for first year then make your mind up for the rest.

Whilst I do recommend living on campus for first year, what ariadne said is not bullshít. They've become very strict now. Security tend to check everyone's cards who come in after 10 o'clock, and they are, in general, quite a bit stricter even compared to last year.

eimsbgl

Heya, i'm in the same situation as you, I dunno what to do.. I'm thinking campus would be easier to make friends for first year, i'm hoping so anyway because I don't know anyone going there

_ariadne

TimeToShine wrote: »

That's bullshít. Clearly you've never lived on campus because those guidelines are never EVER followed. I know people who've brought back upwards of 5 people to the same apartment and had them sleep on the floor, and RA's only intervene if it's 2AM and you're playing music full blast.

as someone else said, i think you may be referring to the situation in UCD a few years ago. ask someone who lived there this year how strict the RAs and security are. You're right, I've never lived on campus, I have plenty of friends who do though. and without fail EVERY time Ive tried to go back with them on a night out there has been hassle, I did eventually get in but that was probably because there was only one of me and we were sober, you wouldn't stand a chance is it was more ppl or if you were all a bit drunk.
Also one of my friends was just called to a disiplinary hearing this week because her roommate had a small party on the last day of term, there were no noise complaints but the roommate is still likley to be fined.
now tell me that sort of thing isnt like a boarding school
I mean some people arn't bothered by that kind of thing, but if you like a bit of independence it's a complete nightmare.

TimeToShine wrote: »

Also, on the money side of things, you can expect to save about 300-500 euros by going off campus, which would probably be squandered in transport costs anyway. Also, unless you already have people lined up to live with you living off campus can be pretty rough, so go with campus for first year then make your mind up for the rest.

the funny thing about being off campus is that you might actually SAVE on transport costs. If you get a bike and use that to get to UCD you might also be within walking distance of somewhere to do big shops (unlike if you were on campus), also you might be closer to town so it would mean cheaper taxis.

also why is it rough if you don't already know who you will live with? again this is only a problem if you let it be. come august and daft will be full of ppl advertising one room available, if its close to ucd and accepts students then its a safe bet that it will be other UCD students. just because they don't happen to be first years or you dont already know them dosnt mean that living with them will be 'rough'.

supernutrino

If your a first year to ease yourself in as above poster said, on campus.

After that your gonna be a bit more grown up and you'll start to resent being treated like a kid with gates locked at 12 and guest and party restrictions.

Theres the rules and "the rules".


Guests: You will have a hard time getting them through the gate after 12 (just get them to climb over one of the others, but not if they're drunk people have split themselves open doing that) , and beforehand you wont be caught having an non signed in guest unless a room mate ratted you out which they wont. If you know in advance your gonna have people over just sign them in.

That mixed gender thing needing permission is NEVER, EVER, EVER enforced, because its a ridiculous joke, ignore it.
Guests gotta be over 17 , cos of age of consent :cool: (but say they're 18 on form)

Parties: Everyone has predrinks before going out usually if you have windows closed don't play loud music and have less than 10 people, and head into town before 12 you will be ok. Later, loads of people and being OTT loud and you'll be hit with a fine of €100.


I gotta say the "hassle from RAs"...RAs dont snoop around lookin to kill your buzz, they only respond to complaints. If an RA has knocked on your door your being too loud and disturbing people in the apts beside above and below you, they don't just randomly turn up.

Theres two types of people living on campus that annoy the crap out of me, overly hyper 1st years who dont realize how loud and annoying they're being, and cranky postgrads who don't accept you have to expect some noise living on campus. You can have fun and still be considerate, use common sense, close your blinds, windows and dont play loud music, or have a huge number of people over, I'm stunned sometimes at how obvious people are calling attention to themselves they may as well hang a sign out the window saying "IM HAVING A PARTY LOOK AT ME IM REALLY LOUD"



It is getting over the top in terms of restrictions lately though, so for anyone 2nd year on I'd say stay away from campus, but be aware that with private landlords you can have hassle too.

ladymillybay

Where's the best place to live for veterinary? Like where do most vet wanna-bes live? :P

supernutrino

Glenomena