Campus Accommodation Info Thread

Mokuba

Okay, so with Campus Accommodation offers going out over the next couple of weeks, I'd like to get some insight from people who have experience of the various accommodations, to help people in their decision making.

Disclaimer Alert = Some people may have different experiences of these places. Please don't take the opinion parts as pure fact.

Roebuck Castle

Most expensive, but best facilities. Refurbished building with great en-suite bathrooms, good spacious bedrooms.

TV room is fine, study room is fine too. The kitchen area doesn't have an oven, saying that everything else is pretty new (does anywhere?) but the catering is great.

Atmosphere is basically work hard and play hard. Some apartments seem to get some foreign students which might make things a bit quieter, and there are scholars on the higher floors, but by and large there were a good few parties etc, and plenty of study too. I think RA's were particularly strict here, but honestly you'd want to be completely taking the piss to warrant a disciplinary.

Breakfast is basically whatever you'd like - yogurts, croissants, toast, cereal selection, fruit, juices, and some hot food such as sausages, rashers, eggs, beans. Dinner ranges from Bangers and Mash, Burgers, Chicken a la King, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Fish and Chips, Enchiladas, Minute/Rump steak. Sunday is a roast if you are there for it. Desert provided after if you want it, and always a ton of salad. The chef and other catering staff are great.

Laundry room is very accessible and basic gym is right beside it. At €9000 it certainly isn't for everyone - I know I helped subsidise it through working through college, but you could easily not buy one item of food and survive the year - so taking that into account it's a little bit better. Because it's the newest it's got the best quality in most things.

Blackrock Halls

Notably aged, cheapest accommodation and it's obvious why. Rooms are dated, old wooden creaky floors, old beds, sink in the corner and desk too. Radiators sometimes make a lot of noise when they come on and off, which can last a while. Doors do not keep out much noise.

Similar story with toilets to be honest, won't be guaranteed hot water, some bathrooms have floods etc.

Kitchen area is basically a mass communal area with about 12-13 mini kitchens. Place can get filthy enough, and is dated.

Community is good though - generally people in Blackrock tend to stick together and form a decent community. There was a good bit of noise though, study is difficult - and RA influence is non existant. No security of note, anybody can come and go as they please. Communal TV area where people often get together and watch movies.

45 minute walk to the main campus gets old fast, bike is strongly advised. Blackrock does have a shopping district - supermarkets, fast food, bookies, shops of all kinds, whereas the main UCD campus only has a Centra as it's only independent shop. Luas link is also handy - more reliable and faster than the bus IMO.

If you are low on funds, and this is your only choice, or if you are lower on the selection order, then don't be too sad - it's possible to have a great year here. And I'm sure somebody else will be along with a different opinion than mine - but ultimately I'd take any of the main campus options before I'd take this place.



Anyway, I'd love some insight into the likes of Merville and Glenomena. Love to hear more opinions. And please refrain from bringing up Licences to Reside and rights etc - that's best kept in a different thread.

bryanthen

Hi mate, mind to share out Belgrove and Merville too? Thanks!

calzini

Merville - Definitely the best of the "mid-range" accommodation. Most of the apartments were renovated around 08/09/10 so they're fairly decent (tip: higher house numbers - think those from 12/13 up were renovated most recently (2010), so they'll be the nicest - I could be wrong though, so check). The bedrooms are small (and there's no bedside locker, what's that about?) but it has large desk and a fair bit of "wardrobe" space (I use the term wardrobe loosely). Pretty much what you'd expect from a room on campus. There's 2 bathrooms in each apartment so you usually end up sharing with one other person, which is grand. There's one bathroom bigger than the other, and depending on whether your apartment is beside an arch or not, one bathroom may not have a window. Kitchen and living room are nice and spacious. Nice granite worktops, tiled floors, etc. The leather couches aren't terribly comfortable (especially for sleeping on) and there's no oven but you get used to that - most people bring up some sort of a counter-top oven anyway. One-pot wonders and centra pizzas will become your best friends.

When I was in first year, Merville was crazy - much crazier than Belgrove was (at the time), there were parties every night, a fair bit of noise in the squares, etc. It's calmed down big time since then, especially since the gate closure time changed from midnight to 10pm and they ramped up security. There's still parties most nights but you'd be lucky not to have it shut down by an RA/security come half 10/11.

Proximity to centra is obviously a bit plus. Centra can be a bit of trek if you live in Belgrove when all you want is some €3 Ben and Jerrys.

Belgrove - The unrenovated houses in Belgrove are... rough enough, to be honest. I don't know how many houses they've still to renovate (if any), but they're old, dirty, etc. and compared to Merville just seem like an absolute kip. There's 3 to an apartment and there's one bathroom (with a bath - funnily enough I never sampled it). Living room and kitchen are, again, fairly spacious, and there's an oven, which is a big plus. New Belgrove - obviously much newer, nicely decorated, etc. but they've squeezed in an extra bedroom (and a 2nd bathroom) into each apartment so the living room and kitchen are TINY. If you have a choice over new Belgrove and new Merville, take Merville.

hdowney

I like the cooker thing in Belgrove, but not crappy apts. Gah. So which place overall is the best of the UCD Campus Accom?

makemecrazy

Whats Glenomena like? Also does Glenomena and Merville both have freezers and fridges in them? Do neither have ovens?

conroyxoxo

I think at this point none of the on-campus residences have ovens but you quickly get used to it/opt for a counter-top oven instead! They all have fridges/freezers though the freezers in Glenomena are pretty small compared to Merville! I lived in Glenomena last year and found it to be great - you have your own toilet in your room, the bedroom itself has more space than say Belgrove or Merville and in the apartment there's 6 roomates altogether so you get the chance to know more people! The kitchen/living room is pretty big too but the only thing I would say is that Glenomena hasn't been as recently refurbished as say Merville or Belgrove so you're looking at it being a little older/used looking but that doesn't make a big difference. I'm living in Merville myself this year and if I were to recommend anywhere it would be either Merville or Glenomena, mainly because a) it's where most of the craic is and b) the two residences are inside the one gate so you'll have no problem going back in with your friends (note: they can be very strict at the gate at night, they won't let anyone who doesnt live in that residence inside the gate). Saying that, Belgrove is definitely the next best option (I haven't lived there but a friend of mine found it great) and then after that I would say Roebuck Halls which is similar to glenomena (ensuite, spacious enough room, 6 to an apartment).

Kadiv

I was placed in 3080 on the waiting list and I was wondering if there was any way that I could get a accommodation in the nice places like roebuck castle or the mid ranges?

haro124

Kadiv wrote: »

I was placed in 3080 on the waiting list and I was wondering if there was any way that I could get a accommodation in the nice places like roebuck castle or the mid ranges?

Probably just blackrock or catered

conroyxoxo

Kadiv wrote: »

I was placed in 3080 on the waiting list and I was wondering if there was any way that I could get a accommodation in the nice places like roebuck castle or the mid ranges?

There's a possibility of you getting offered roebuck castle but I'd be very doubtful about any of the others - merville (for first years) was gone within five minutes of offers being given out last year and belgrove and the others would have went similarly fast.