Quick Question

*marie*

OK I just realised that today is the last day to change my CAO, and I'm caught between arts in DCU or arts in Maynooth. Always wanted to go to Dublin but DCU seems a bit daunting, what with all the horror stories about it being almost impossible to make new friends, people dropping out and D4 cliques etc. Anyone have any advice and is it really this bad?

beanyb

eh... you mean UCD, not DCU?

Economaniac!

well it depends where you are from and what you make of it yourself. If you are form dublin and went to a dublin school even the institute you can branch from the friends you already have. If you are not from dublin (which i`m guessing your not) then there are so many societies and sports to get people involved. Really if you mess up in UCD and end up with no friends after a year and posting suicidal messages on these boards then the problem really isnt with UCD, its with you.

I think UCD is great, i went to a smaller dublin school in the city and simply branched out from the friends i already have. Also made a whole new bunch of friends through tutorials etc, if your in any way friendly chatty or not shy to talk to new people then it can be one of the best years of your life - that and the fact you can easily forget about academics until about 2 weeks before exams. You might get a better degree for less points somwhere else but the social skills and the networks you build from standing on your own two feet in a place like arts in UCD will do you for life!

Economaniac!

oh and also my friend dropped out of maynooth and is starting in UCD arts in september. so there ya go

Jonny Arson

*marie* wrote:

all the horror stories about it being almost impossible to make new friends, people dropping out and D4 cliques etc. Anyone have any advice and is it really this bad?

Here's a horror story and three quarters for you click here (I hate having to bring this thread up again)

Economaniac! wrote:

well it depends where you are from and what you make of it yourself. If you are form dublin and went to a dublin school even the institute you can branch from the friends you already have. If you are not from dublin (which i`m guessing your not) then there are so many societies and sports to get people involved. Really if you mess up in UCD and end up with no friends after a year and posting suicidal messages on these boards then the problem really isnt with UCD, its with you.

I think UCD is great, i went to a smaller dublin school in the city and simply branched out from the friends i already have. Also made a whole new bunch of friends through tutorials etc, if your in any way friendly chatty or not shy to talk to new people then it can be one of the best years of your life - that and the fact you can easily forget about academics until about 2 weeks before exams. You might get a better degree for less points somwhere else but the social skills and the networks you build from standing on your own two feet in a place like arts in UCD will do you for life!

My opinion of Arts in UCD is completely different than Economaniac's opinion.

I have just finished my 1st year in UCD studying Arts. I have literally hated every single minute of it. It has been close to hell. Why? Not because of the actual course or academic side of things but because of the people in Arts. Sorry to put you off but Arts is FULL OF C*NTS - FACT. :mad:

In Arts there is on average 1,300 people in the course. It is ridiculously big. For both academic and social purposes it is a dreadful environment for people to go to college in. The bottom line is I felt extremely left out and lonely in my first year. I came from an average sized school so I knew quite a few people out there. A couple of school mates of mine were doing the same course and some of the same subjects so I felt comfortable and that it would be easy to settle in, have a laugh, meet new people and make great friends...... how could I be so wrong.

I made no friends during my first year, absolutely zero. I made a few aquaintances but they in the end screwed me around for their own personal satisfaction. I spent the majority of my time sitting on my own in lectures, hanging around the campus doing fcuk all. Some days I wouldn't talk to anyone. Even though I did have a couple of mates doing my course, they were hardly in at all and neither of them will be back next year due to academic reasons.

So why did I end up being totally isolated? If you happen know me in real life everyone would tell you they would shocked as to why I had this problem. I'm happy, friendly, sociable and cool. There were 4 problems:

1. The people in my course
2. The size of the college
3. Lack of interaction with people in the course
4. My inertia on entering UCD

1. There is a terrible atmosphere amongst the people in Arts. From what I have encountered and seen, the majority of people in the course are in cliques. Very few people have an interest in getting to know or talk to new people let alone making new friends. The majority of ''D4'' or students from a private school or affluent background will not talk to anyone or try to get to know anyone outside of their social groups. Even the ones who kinda made an effort were not serious about buliding anything. The groups of students who come up from the country also tend to be very cliquey. For example I know a group of 5 girls, all friends, all from the same town in Donegal, same school, all happen to choose UCD, all do Arts and miraculously all do the same subjects. IMO country people are alot more friendly and have alot more personality than D4 kids but they see the kind of atmosphere around them and keep to their own. I tried till kingdom come to make mates in my course. I did everything, talked to people, had banter..... nothing worked. I maybe was unlucky with who I met but what I have stated is the truth.

2. UCD is f**king huge. Over 20,000 students. It is so informal. In Arts you are more likely to feel isolated and unsettled than any course. Lectures with 500 people, zillions of people strolling around you..... anyone can feel lost no matter how confident you are. The whole size of the campus scared the crap out of me and I think it always will.

3. In Arts you have 1,300 fellow students. Ridiculous. You will hardly get to know even 5% of them. In most of the subject choices you will be educated along with anywhere from 100-550 fellow students. Tutorials you will have once a week or in a subject like Sociology one every fortnight. It easier to get to know people in these but you will hardly ever see these people. Unlike Secondary school, Arts is so informal and you will hardly interact with your fellow students.

4. I did F ALL research coming into UCD. I heard about this arrogant culture in this college but I had no idea it would be on this scale. I entered thinking these would be the best years of my life. Wrong. I knew very little about the college environment and I paid the price. I did join clubs and socs... mainly for the freebees. I didn't get involved in any societies. The one society I had an interest in appears to have folded. I got involved in 2 clubs. One was rubbish, the other enjoyable but I was the only fresher with any interest and I gave up. Big mistake.

So I think it is kinda conclusive I am not exactly a big fan of this college and Arts. Everything I stated is negative. Why? I've got nothing positive to say about it apart form the fact there are a few hot females to look at. I'm sorry if I have maybe put you off but that is my version of this course. Many people will have may varying stories of the course but I know my version comes from the heart and is no bullsh!t. I don't want to come back to this place next year but I may be forced as there is no other course I want to do.

My advice and the best advice you will ever get is to REALLY GET INVOLVED IN COLLEGE LIFE. Throw yourself out there. Get involed in clubs and societies that you have a great interest in. Don't rely on the majority of stuck up Arts students for a social life. Make the most of college life and enjoy it. It is your decision as to whether you want to come here and do Arts but look at my post and story as advice more than anything and don't jump to the conclusion that you will experience this. All it takes is to meet a few decent people to have a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I didn't but that isn't to say it will happen to you.

Best of luck in your decision and maybe I might even see you out here next year


Counting down the time now till Sangre and Blut post here....... breath in, breath out......

Economaniac! wrote:

Really if you mess up in UCD and end up with no friends after a year and posting suicidal messages on these boards then the problem really isnt with UCD, its with you

Wrong

Economaniac!

OK, i dont know you so i`m not gunna come on here slagging you. But i've been dropping in on these message boards since christmas and some of the stuff you say is completely ridiculous. I`m gunna tackle your points but dont say my opinion is wrong, even if arts produces 1200 happy people and 100 loners i'd reckon thats pretty good goin.

1. "The people in UCD" - If you never spoke to any of them how do you know what they are like? It's crazy to think that out of 1200-1500 ppl in arts and you failed to make one, hell, i made a friend at a vending machine one day for gods sake! D4 heads are a breed of their own, and so are culchees, but if u leave them be, you`ll probably find the majority of the course is normal people just like you probably scared just like you about the same stuff. If you come into UCD arts and dont get active in the societies like Dramsoc, Lawsoc or L&H if u have debating experience, Sailing club and other sports things, Trampoline club, jesus there is about 5 societies for every type of person!

2. "Size of the college" - Totally irrelevant. I cycle in the Clonskeagh gate, park my bike at the lake, and stroll into the arts block. Seating areas around Arts are small, cosy and probably designed to promote "sociall-ness"! My point is that the other faculties like Ag and Science and Comm are kinda irrelevant to my day to day college life, similar to the bank out of the clonskeagh road.

3. LACK OF INTERACTION?? Are you joking? 10-15 people in both of my tutorials (Psych + Politics) and i would have no problems having dinner or a drink with any of them! I went to most of my 9am Economics lectures and its hard not to interact with people cuz about 80 people turn up into a 600 person lecture hall. I didnt even actively partake in a society but the people in my tutorials got really into them and jesus u could walk around the arts block saying hi to every 2nd person (artistic license, exaggeration - dont tell me zane doesnt do it)

4. Your intertia entering UCD. Well cant really comment too much on this seen as though i dont know you. I did no research what so ever aswell. I saw UCD as a logical progression from my school. School in D2, live in D6, College in D4, although it should probably have its own postal code. I had so little clue that i had to change from arts into mode 1 cuz i realised i was heading for the wrong degree!

My main point is that i`m completely sick of people slating UCD and in particular Arts. I've got friends from the country and friends from dublin schools and yes there is such a thing as an umpa lumpa and yes they wear Polo Sport and Dubes. But, honestly, me and my friends pretty much laugh at them. Arts is completely what you make it. If you come in with a bad attitude you will probably get isolated and be lonely but this will probably happen to you in Maynooth, Galway etc too.

And Zane, you posted that "drop out dilemma" thread in January, i've been reading this board for a while and surely the people you post with here online have become freinds? if not, then your probably pushing your friends away! I'ms sure a nice guy and i'd call your first year dilemma unfortunate but like lighten up and have a more positive outlook and good stuff (and ppl) will come to you!

Mr.Nice Guy

Ecomaniac,

I too found Arts hard going. It's hardly just me and Zane that found it tough. The fact is, the course has one of the highest drop out rates in UCD (maybe THE highest, I can't be sure).

I had a close circle of friends in school, people who are my friends to this day, so I'm not anti-social but it's very hard to make friends in such a large place when you're on your own and you're out of your element. I've spoken to lots of people in Arts and they have told me about the feeling of isolation.

For my part, I feel I should have attended societies more and in my view, the tutorials are the best shot at making friends. I didn't make friends in 1st year but I made acquaintances from the tutorials and I'd like to think I could talk to these people again in 2nd year and perhaps from friendships with them.

You say you're sick of people slating Arts, but the fact is it can be a miserable experience for many! It seems you enjoyed your 1st year at UCD and I am glad that you did but it's unfair to just dismiss those who have not had an enjoyable year.

You said that if you mess up in UCD and have no friends that the problem isn't UCD, it's with yourself, I think that's bullsh*t. The figures don't lie. MANY people have a horrible time and more needs to be done to sort this out.

m1ke

my 0.02 euros... cause I can't shut my trap

Zane/MrNG's experience of UCD is very common, it happens to hundreds of people but there are lots of reasons.

It is unfair to tar all the people in arts with the same brush, they're not all unfriendly snobs. Every single type of person from every possible sort of background in life can be found studying. Yes some of them are total spa's in cliques but who gives a fcuk it's just like real life then isn't it?

It's representative of the wider world really. What happens in smaller courses doesn't happen in UCD. For example, you're not dropped into a group of 50 people from which you get to know everyone at the acquaintance level and then more lasting friendships form between certain individuals through familiarity. You're dropped bang in the middle of a few thousand people with roughly no structure - so it's all on you to join socs, clubs, etc... Also you don't necessarily have to hang out with people in your class or in your year... most of my friends are in computer sciencey/media/artsy type stuff rather then arts... it's a big freaking college.

What is calling out to be formed is a boards.ie UCD society imo... might be a good idea? Someone should set that up it'd easily get 20+ members as this board gets a lot of traffic these days. Yes, creating your own clique is the answer you've all been looking for

Jonny Arson

Economaniac!

On point 1. Obviously I haven't spoken and got to know all 1,300 people. I'm going from the people who I have encountered. I have encountered some nice people but I have encountered more cold people than warm people sadly. Even the few people with a bit of warmth and personality I've met have made no effort towards getting to know anyone. From what I have encountered, I have not met even one genuine sound person willing to bulid a friendship in my course. I've encountered lots of people may I add so what other conclusion can I come to about people in Arts. I will stand by what I say Arts people are cold and I stand by that fact. Also on the point about societies. I'm referring my experience to Arts. I do have many regrets over not getting invloved more which I will put right if there is a next year.

2. I honestly don't have a notion of what you are trying to say. The Arts buliding trying to promote social-ness? It does the opposite IMO. That is the most large depressing building ever, it deters social interaction.

3. Tutorials? In 2 of my tutorials no one communicated to anyone. I was the only one who made any effort to start a group conversation, people weren't arsed with anyone. My other tutorial I did have a sound bunch of people but sadly with a number of them they would blank you outside tutorial time. Its impossible to make mates in tutorials when people are generally not arsed and boring. Lectures? Start of year I did the small talk with neighbour trick...... polite f**k off every time. Gave up on that after a few weeks. Me exagerate? No.... the harsh truth, that's what you get from me.

4. Eh all said on done. Just really trying ot promote awareness for the freshers.

I don't have a bad attitude, I do not exaggerate and every single little word I say is the harsh truth that some people do not want to hear. I will proclaim to this day that Arts is the worst course ever full of the coldest, most stuck up, boring people on earth. I absolutely bet you that there are many others will say the same. So what if I'm in a minority? I'm not full of myself, don't have my head up my backside and I don't just stick around in a clique. I'm happy the way I am and I'm a better person than the cnuts that generally exist in Arts. My plan for next year is to not communicate with anyone, be Billy no mates if I have to because I'll gain more satisfaction for stying true to myself than becoming a typical Arts c*nt.

Truth hurts.

''some of the stuff you say is completely ridiculous'' - you're havin' a laugh

arbeitsscheuer

m1ke wrote:

What is calling out to be formed is a boards.ie UCD society imo... might be a good idea? Someone should set that up it'd easily get 20+ members as this board gets a lot of traffic these days. Yes, creating your own clique is the answer you've all been looking for

I think this is an inspired idea.

Granted it won't solve these isolation problems for the literally hundreds of students who find it hard to get used to UCD who aren't on boards, but meh.

Next yr we gotta set up a BoardsSoc, I think it's a brilliant idea...

tribulus

sound like a good idea but isn't netsoc kinda the same thing???

rainbow kirby

Economaniac! wrote:

I did no research what so ever aswell. I saw UCD as a logical progression from my school. School in D2, live in D6, College in D4, although it should probably have its own postal code. I had so little clue that i had to change from arts into mode 1 cuz i realised i was heading for the wrong degree!

Ya see, this is the thing. A huge proportion of UCD Arts is from your kind of background. And if you're not from that, it can be very isolating.

m1ke

Next yr we gotta set up a BoardsSoc, I think it's a brilliant idea...

Yes it's an excellent way of requisitioning and re-directing college funds toward the bar, for a worthy cause of course The way to get the ball rolling is er, someone should volunteer to be auditor, then they should run a poll to see how many people would be interested in being members/committee members. At the next pissup - pick the final team and committee, and then in September just pop into the society office and get it registered.

arbeitsscheuer

tribulus wrote:

sound like a good idea but isn't netsoc kinda the same thing???

Eh, hardly. In fact, aside from the fact that both derive the birth of their existence from the Internet, the two societies would have v little in common.

BoardsSoc would be for gettin to know ppl via Boards and meetin up every so often, in order to overcome the insecurities and anxieties of meetin total strangers in UCD (which has apparently been a problem for a good few ppl)

I've been a member of NetSoc for 2 years, and trust me - they don't offer this.


Plus I'm sure BoardsSoc could offer some other sh*t as well, but it's late and I'm too unimaginative to think of them.

Mr.Nice Guy

I would also like to throw my support behind the idea of a BoardsSoc.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

3. In Arts you have 1,300 fellow students. Ridiculous. You will hardly get to know even 5% of them.

Zane you are aware that's 65 people!

I think UCD is great, that said there was only 180 people on my course and I'm an over-confident fu<k

Something about arts there reminds me of school an AWFUL lot of school(I'm doing food science), but you being from outside dublin it might take away some of that boredom

And my friend is doing Arts in maynooth is having a ball, though she moved outta home and throws numerous parties, I have no idea what she thinks of the course.


Teehee, my post count is now 1234! never posting again!

ergo

to OP

I see you live in Laois, well if you do pick UCD try your best to live on campus, I presume it's still a lottery with places allocated after CAO offers etc

anyway living there you'd be guaranteed to meet lots of people, it's a great place for first years

I did always wonder how
easy it would be to meet people when doing Arts,
and the D4 heads could be a factor but that could take (and has done)an entire other thread to argue about the whole D4 thing

a lot of the Arts people that I got to know
either lived on campus or hung around with their campus friends,

it was easier for me in a smaller class of 170 or so, different for Arts obviously

and just so you know, I changed my CAO from Trinity to UCD at about this stage, way back when and was very glad I did (nothing against TCD or anything but undergrad in UCD worked out really well for me, friends etc and also sport was a factor)

(except am in TCD now doing a Masters) *shrugs*

but UCD can be fantastic, and there's always all the societys and sports clubs and facilities etc

beanyb

I think I kinda lie half way between Zane and Economaniac on the whole arts being totally isolating or whatever.

I came into arts coming from a southside private school in d6 so I did know a lot of people, but I didnt really like most of them so wanted to do my best to get away from them! It was easy to get away from the ones doing subjects that I wasnt as I'd rarely see them due to the sheer number of people in the arts block. But the rest, I still pretty much sat in lectures with, had lunch with and all the rest. I intended making loads of new friends to get away from the total fakeness of the people from my school but it was impossible!

Tutorials: I made a few aquaintances (sp?) but nobody I would actually call a friend. i might occassionally text one of them to ask something about an essay or something equally as boring, but that was the extent of that interaction really and possibly sitting with them in a lecture if I could actually find them amongst the 500 or so other people.

So yeah, arts isnt the greatest place for social interaction, I cant say it isnt, but I really dont think that everyone in the course is in a clique and totally unprepared to talk to anyone that's outside of that clique. I think most people are in the same boat as me, they'd have liked to make new friends but found it difficult and were almost forced to stick with the people they already know.

To the OP: if you decide on UCD, listen to the advice that you're given so many times during your induction thingy (or whatever they call it) and JOIN SOCIETIES. Make sure to get involved. I totally regret not following it, as the people that I know that have had the best experiences in arts have been heavily involved in a soc.

*marie*

OK, thanks a million to everyone for the replies and all the differing opinions!! I ended up putting Maynooth first and UCD 2nd, so we'll see what happens come August!

The main piece of advice I've gotten from everyone is to join clubs and societies (lol) so one thing I'll be sure to do is to have my name down on every list! Thanks again

Jonny Arson

A UCD Boards Soc? It kinda exists already doesn't it. Its all about really stumbling across the website, joining it, post on the UCD forum and bobs your uncle you're a member. Asking people for a membership fee would be totally ridiculous and the scoieties commitee would almost certainly tell you to fcuk off. Leave things the way they are.

Now speaking of societies, PatSoc.................

Economaniac!

any correllation between 892 posts (some of them as long as essays) and a lack of friends?

Mr.Nice Guy

Economaniac! wrote:

any correllation between 892 posts (some of them as long as essays) and a lack of friends?

You've let yourself down with that comment to be honest.^

blondie83

Economaniac! wrote:

any correllation between 892 posts (some of them as long as essays) and a lack of friends?

You don't post much on message boards, do you?

Jonny Arson

Economaniac! wrote:

any correllation between 892 posts (some of them as long as essays) and a lack of friends?

If I ever get my hands on you I'll smash your head in you ****ing prick

Your post sums up everything I've said all along about people like you in Arts

Well me BANNED so talk to y'all in a week or two

Kevin_rc_ie

If I ever get my hands on you I'll smash your head in you ****ing prick

well said

Blut

Zane are you sure you wouldnt just sit in a corner looking angrily at him from a distance? raging about all those damned NORMAL people?

To the OP - Economaniac has it right. Despite his nerdtastic nick hes managed to come across as normalish which is all good. If you go into arts and you dress decently and have some personality youll make loads of random friends. I sort of agree with how you can get pigeon holed into your group of schoolmates but that eases up after a few months after new friends from various places are introduced (fashion show, tutorials, whatever).

I heartily recommend the course anyway, I didnt wake up before 9am all year, I went to about 5 hours a week of lectures (all after midday) for 6 months and I didnt do any essays/reading all year and still managed to get 2 honours in my exams. Its great

Economaniac!

Blut wrote:

Zane are you sure you wouldnt just sit in a corner looking angrily at him from a distance? raging about all those damned NORMAL people?

To the OP - Economaniac has it right. Despite his nerdtastic nick hes managed to come across as normalish which is all good

Just leave arts if you dont like it, free country and all that - everyone shud be doing something they like in life and you sound as if you've been forced to do arts.

Funnily enough I am a normal guy and anything but your typical Orts student. I'm not the one with the problem though, cuz smashing people's head's in will really make you friends, not to mention barring orders. And going back to my 892 post thing, which funnily enough is 896 now. So UCD arts started on the 13 of September 2004 i think, which makes it like 300 days ago, which is nearly 3 posts a day, more if you count in when your out of the country or away from a computer for a week or more. I'm just thinking why not go to a society meeting, make a football team and something constructive instead of aimlessly posting your ramblings on here like some sort of electronic shoulder to cry on.

I really dont like talking in such a negative or wateveryoucallit manner, but jesus you cant be do bitter for much longer, do something about it, find friends, somewhere.

Jonny Arson

Economaniac! wrote:

Funnily enough I am a normal guy and anything but your typical Orts student. I'm not the one with the problem though, cuz smashing people's head's in will really make you friends, not to mention barring orders. And going back to my 892 post thing, which funnily enough is 896 now. So UCD arts started on the 13 of September 2004 i think, which makes it like 300 days ago, which is nearly 3 posts a day, more if you count in when your out of the country or away from a computer for a week or more. I'm just thinking why not go to a society meeting, make a football team and something constructive instead of aimlessly posting your ramblings on here like some sort of electronic shoulder to cry on.

I really dont like talking in such a negative or wateveryoucallit manner, but jesus you cant be do bitter for much longer, do something about it, find friends, somewhere.

Trickle, Uberwolf, Gandalf. I thought you guys were meant to be mods. You're job as a mod is meant to patrol these websites and all of you are failing. Truckle was online at around 3pm today and has failed to do nothing about the personal abuse I have been been recieving. Shame on you guys.

So Economaniac! you ****ing ****, so my post count is really bothering is it? **** off and get a life. So ****ing what my post count is or how many posts per day I have. You're just using that as an excuse to bully people because you are ****ing prick who gets a kick of taking the piss out of people who are brave enough to speak their mind. If anyone recieved that nasty, bullying comment you posted towards me they would say the exact same thing.

So do me and everyone else a favour and **** off and die prick.

Kevin_rc_ie

chill dude.

Jonny Arson

Sorry I don't put up ****.

Kevin_rc_ie

I think you're over reacting a bit. But what's done is done.