[Badgingarra]

Hey Guys,

Corkman here, who's just been offered a place as a mature student in ITB from September. It wasn't my first choice so I'm just wondering what the college is like? How many students, does it have a lively atmosphere, whats the town like etc.. would it be worth my while waiting for the august offers to see if my first choice here in cork comes through or should I just go for it?

Would also appreciate if any exiles living in dublin could tell me if they find it expensive studying up there. Obviously funds will be a major factor in any decision and wondering if anyone could give me a ball park figure as to the cost of living per week.

As for Sports teams, I play senior hurling and football here in Cork and will need to keep the training up so wondering if the GAA or even soccer teams are any good with the college? What competitions do they enter and is the standard any good. Failing that who would be the best GAA club teams in the area?

Thanks in advance for any help, it will be much appreciated

[Block G Raptor]

Originally Posted by Badgingarra

Hey Guys,

Corkman here, who's just been offered a place as a mature student in ITB from September. It wasn't my first choice so I'm just wondering what the college is like? How many students, does it have a lively atmosphere, whats the town like etc.. would it be worth my while waiting for the august offers to see if my first choice here in cork comes through or should I just go for it?

Would also appreciate if any exiles living in dublin could tell me if they find it expensive studying up there. Obviously funds will be a major factor in any decision and wondering if anyone could give me a ball park figure as to the cost of living per week.

As for Sports teams, I play senior hurling and football here in Cork and will need to keep the training up so wondering if the GAA or even soccer teams are any good with the college? What competitions do they enter and is the standard any good. Failing that who would be the best GAA club teams in the area?

Thanks in advance for any help, it will be much appreciated

Wen't back to ITB as a mature student and can honestly say I've just come to the end of the BEST 3 yrs of my life. IT's fantastic for mature students and really great craic. loads of clubs n societies , loads going on on campus and with only 2,000 students it feels like everyone knows everyone . totally great atmosphere. I recommend getting involved with clubs n societies and the student union from the outset. also the sports facilities and teams are second to none !! we're all Ireland GAA football champions too!!!

[Badgingarra]

Thanks for the reply BGR,

I've accepted the place anyway. Was a bit apprehensive at first but really after warming to the idea now!

Looking forward to getting started and stuck in now.

If any outsiders have a ballpark figure as the the cost of living I'd really appreciate it, even by PM.

Thanks

[Richard Hillman]

On the subject of "ITB -Whats it like", what are they like in terms of the student contribution charge? At the current rate i will not have €2250 by the 1st week of September, i shall be about €3-400 short and a few weeks late. Will they hound me for it? Not let me register? chuck me out? tar and feather me for wasting their time?

[haribos]

Originally Posted by Richard Hillman

On the subject of "ITB -Whats it like", what are they like in terms of the student contribution charge? At the current rate i will not have €2250 by the 1st week of September, i shall be about €3-400 short and a few weeks late. Will they hound me for it? Not let me register? chuck me out? tar and feather me for wasting their time?

Know a lot of guys who pay half sept and then half after christmas, they wont hound you, they just wont release end of year exam results until you are paid up in full

[brendanL]

yeah they give you some more time if you don't have it, but you won't be marked as a registered student / can't receive exam results. Won't really affect your start, but you'd want to get it sorted asap after first registration day.


Also interms of whats it like? well 4 years there and I loved it.

Downsides:
20min walk to blanch center....(there is an awesome shuttle bus that started this year every hour or quicker) but your still far out from the well serviced shopping center so it is a downside.

Pretty much the same point as above, depending on where your coming from it's poorly serviced by transport, this has been seriously helped with the shuttle bus but it's still extra hassle you have to deal with day in day out if your getting public transport

Parking, you have to get a permit for last year I think 50e or 80e for the year, and it doesn't guarantee you a parking spot... and the clamper's are very quick at spotting someone incorrectly parked.

In first year, they gave my year atleast, a really awful timetable on one day we had a 4 hour break then classes till 6. Half the class went home, and just missed that class, so skipping classes is an easy trap to fall into made easier by poor timetables. The gap I endured was entirely based on what group I got randomly placed in, so you can be lucky or very unlucky for the first semester.

Good stuff:
There's a good feeling about the place, you'll see almost the same people around during your entire time there.

The further you progress in years the better your timetable gets... and oh yes it gets much kinder ;D

Societies, ...remember those big breaks in timetables... yeah.. join a society, helps pass time when you need to do that and they also give you new friend circles outside of your class + you meet people who are interested in the same stuff.. so it's win win ;D

Lecturers... most lecturing staff will go out of their way to help you with lab times being difficult for you even just a simple question about some random topic in the class.


Advice:
Ask all the questions, stick the hand up and get help as soon as you need it in a lab, don't go home without saying anything, lecturers can't help you if you don't look for help.

Get all your work done as it comes to you, if you build up a good system of doing that you'll make it the entire way through 1st year without once doing work on a weekend or when you get home. In later years the work does pile up, so weekends will suffer but not until your in 3rd or 4th year.

Attend everything....and I mean everything.. do not miss labs.. work builds up in stages.. miss one lab then attend the next one and your suddenly behind everyone, lecturers will help you but you'll have your work cut out if you keep up missing labs.

Plenty of mature students in my class.. so age difference shouldn't worry you if your a mature student.

Oh just noticed your into GAA, if you do go to itb talk to Ronan, he's a red haired chap whose a cool guy behind everything sporting at itb (gym/teams/socs) he should be your first port of call to get involved in anything sporty in the college. Pretty sure there was some emails about a new pitch opening a few weeks back.

Other then that... enjoy

[toc2012]

Badgingarra,
I have just accepted a place at itb too, Sport Management and Coaching, im currently living in roscommon but im originally from the area, there is plenty of sports clubs in the area, i used to play underage football and hurling for St Brigets, whom im sure you have heard of, and Corduff FC are the local soccer club,

Have you decided what you are planning to do regarding accomodation?

[Badgingarra]

Thanks for that brendanL, that's great.

Not sure yet toc2012, was looking into renting a room in a quietish house as I've done the student lifestyle once already and at this stage I wouldn't be able for the mania that goes with living with 18-21 year olds.. Thats not to say I won't be joining in on the mania from time to time but at least I'll be able to leave it for the peace and quiet of my own bed at the end of the night.

[BornToRun88]

I was there but dropped out after Christmas a few years ago. It's a very modern college, great design around the place. The lecture rooms are great and the lecturers I experienced in my course were great people too. It's a decent college just a pity it is in the middle of nowhere. Took me an hour and a half to get there from where I live and that took a bus and train. I occasionally got a lift from a guy in my course in the same area but he was so boring that the extra hour on the bus and train was my usual travel to ITB.

It's far away from the town centre of Blanchardstown. You'd need a car on your break to go places. So if you have a 2 or 3 hour break, time can really drag by. Nearest pub is about 10 minutes outside the college by the 38/39 bus stop.

[haribos]

Look the main thing i always say is, college is what you make of it yourself. If you go and just focus on your academics your probably going to be pretty miserably and bored a lot of time, not to say that you wont have a lot of college work to do. Just join societies, play Rugby, Football or Soccer.
Interact, Participate, again college like so many things is only as good as you choose to make it for yourself.

Whatever happens, where ever you go, best of luck and study hard

[haribos]

Originally Posted by Richard Hillman

On the subject of "ITB -Whats it like", what are they like in terms of the student contribution charge? At the current rate i will not have €2250 by the 1st week of September, i shall be about €3-400 short and a few weeks late. Will they hound me for it? Not let me register? chuck me out? tar and feather me for wasting their time?

Oh and i forgot about this, Ring the college NOW, the student information desk or the admissions office, there is a fund that ITB have from the dept of education I believe to aid students who have difficulty paying there fees, its limited and goes fast, not a clue if you are eligible or not but considering the amounts of money involved a phone call would and could be well worth it !

[MrStuffins]

Just for those asking about money. They are flexible!

When I went to ITB, I couldn't get the money up straight away and they gave me extra time.

My brother, who just finished 3rd year, couldn't pay his fees. He saw the Student President who set him up a meeting with those in charge and he was able to set up a payment scheme which allowed him to split the money into 10 installments and pay 1/10 of the money each month. Very handy!

[Richard Hillman]

Originally Posted by haribos

Oh and i forgot about this, Ring the college NOW, the student information desk or the admissions office, there is a fund that ITB have from the dept of education I believe to aid students who have difficulty paying there fees, its limited and goes fast, not a clue if you are eligible or not but considering the amounts of money involved a phone call would and could be well worth it !

In fairness i will be able to pay it, just a few weeks late. I'd rather that fund go to somebody who genuinely cant pay. I will inform the college about my situation before my arrival though.