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Is trinity really snobby?

  • 16-06-2015 9:14pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 108 ✭✭idek1


    hi guys, don't mean to sound ignorant but i have applied for both dental nursing and general nursing in tcd however, my dad said i would be treated badly if i went here because i'm far from wealthy? is this true or is it a load of bull?
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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,478 ✭✭✭eeguy


    Total bull. People from all walks of life go to Trinity.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,761 ✭✭✭Lawliet


    This question comes up every year, and the answer is no. Its a really old stereotype that Trinity students are rich and posh but Trinity is the same as every other university. Anyone can apply though the CAO and the majority of students are just your average non wealthy commoners; no one is going to shun you for not having a grand piano!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    Whilst there are some people who fit the typical 'trinners w*nker' stereotype to a tee, the vast majority of people come from various backgrounds and all waks of life. Nobody gives a toss where you come from, what your parents do etc. You'll find some arseholes around the place but it's the same as UCD, DCU, NUIM etc.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭gsi300024v


    I think it depends on your course a bit, mine I get no snobby stuff at all but have heard stories from friends doing other courses. But that really is the minority. You'll see people who stand out as rich D4 types, but they're friendly too.
    Check out Lynn Ruane next years students union top dog, she's from Tallaght, left school at 15 pregnant, far from what you'd expect for this role and she won by quite some margin.
    That being said, you won't hear too many strong Dublin working class accents, but don't let that put you off.
    What is your dad basing his thinking on?


  • Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭Gadfly Girl


    Not true and it's highly lightly that you'll find even those you may think are 'posh' are just as lovely as everyone else. Stereotypes are just that.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭RedemptionZ


    I have to say of the major universities it definitely has the highest percentage of people from the better off backrounds. Compare the amount of people coming from council estates from BESS to BAM in DIT and you'd see this is fairly clear. With that said that doesn't at all signify snobbery, people who are 'posh' aren't a different breed, most are sound, some are dicks. Same way some in your secondary school were dicks but the majority(I would guess) were sound.

    So basically no it's not actually snobby, at least no more than anywhere else. However if you're coming from a worse off backround you'll probably be more likely to be the victim of snobbery. But if you are just rise above it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 78,209 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    I'm not sure what your father's motivations are. Maybe he is trying to be protective, but I think it is misplaced. Snobbery and other types of bigotry wouldn't go down well in many colleges and I would say especially Trinity.
    I have to say of the major universities it definitely has the highest percentage of people from the better off backrounds.
    Actually, I suspect that would be UCD, although some smaller colleges like RCSI would have very high percentages of people from better off backgrounds, as all it's courses are medicine related.

    Trinity has things like TAP: https://www.tcd.ie/Trinity_Access/


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭RedemptionZ


    Victor wrote: »
    I'm not sure what your father's motivations are. Maybe he is trying to be protective, but I think it is misplaced. Snobbery and other types of bigotry wouldn't go down well in many colleges and I would say especially Trinity.

    Actually, I suspect that would be UCD, although some smaller colleges like RCSI would have very high percentages of people from better off backgrounds, as all it's courses are medicine related.

    Trinity has things like TAP: https://www.tcd.ie/Trinity_Access/

    Just my experience with both colleges, having studied in both. Far less financial and ethnic diversity in the TCD campus compared to DIT, DCU and UCD. When I said major colleges, I meant UCD, TCD, DIT and DCU, should've specified I meant in Dublin, I don't know anything about UCC or the likes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 22,192 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Whilst there are some people who fit the typical 'trinners w*nker' stereotype to a tee, the vast majority of people come from various backgrounds and all waks of life. Nobody gives a toss where you come from, what your parents do etc. You'll find some arseholes around the place but it's the same as UCD, DCU, NUIM etc.
    I studied in Trinity, UCD, Maynooth, and Tallaght RTC (now IT). There were 'trinners ****' in all those institutions. Lots of every kind of person. You'll be grand op. Standard rules apply.

    1. Don't be a dick.
    2. Ignore those who ignore Rule 1.


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  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,448 Mod ✭✭✭✭dub45


    Just to give a different perspective maybe---- I went back to TCD a few years ago as a very mature student and really enjoyed the experience - I managed to get a part time job (not teaching) where I get to meet and chat to a lot of students on an almost daily basis.

    The vast majority are really really nice people and very friendly. Most people are concerned with the same things - studying and having a good time with their friends. The nursing students I have met seem particularly down to earth.

    From chatting to students I would make a few suggestions:

    Join a society or two (there's loads!) they are a great way of making friends especially ones outside your course - foreign students especially are amazed at the friendliness of the students they meet this way - surprisingly societies are not that common in Europe apparently. Don't stay in your comfort zone push yourself a bit to meet people - remember they want to meet you as well.

    Get yourself organised early - there are lots of things to learn apart from the studies - learn how to use the library - don't let the studies drift - the term goes very quickly.

    And as a demonstration of the generosity of spirit of Trinity students have a look here.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,166 ✭✭✭enda1


    You'll probably find that Trinity is even more laid back and less snobby than UCD because you get a much more varied college body there than in UCD where it can be a touch D4ish at times in certain courses.


  • Posts: 25,611 ✭✭✭✭ Kathryn Yellow Rig


    enda1 wrote: »
    You'll probably find that Trinity is even more laid back and less snobby than UCD because you get a much more varied college body there than in UCD where it can be a touch D4ish at times in certain courses.
    Along with Much Savages who wish they were D4ish.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭RedemptionZ


    enda1 wrote: »
    You'll probably find that Trinity is even more laid back and less snobby than UCD because you get a much more varied college body there than in UCD where it can be a touch D4ish at times in certain courses.

    Is that not snobbery on your part? Because there's more people from D4 in ucd(which I don't know is true) it's automatically less laid back and more snobby?

    Would also have to disagree with 'much more varied college body', there's more country folk in ucd, and more non whites too I would wager. I actually don't think trinity has very much diversity at all, in college terms.


  • Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭feardeas


    A decade and a half since I started out a fresh faced country lad in UCD. Plenty of cliquish snobs there whose primary concern was what school in South Dublin they had attended. Plenty of sound people from those schools as well mind you and elsewhere.

    IMO it is the course that may dictate the people you are in most contact with as much as the institution. I did Arts [killed out I was, God be with the days] and the difference in the groups in both subjects was amazing. One was smaller and had far more from the country and beyond the pale. The other was bigger and had far more from Dublin with the 'dort' accent. Mind you Ag would have a far different make up and I'd imagine nursing or dental nursing would have as well.

    Enjoy the course and all that goes with it. Do all you can to mix with people and good luck with it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,166 ✭✭✭enda1


    Is that not snobbery on your part? Because there's more people from D4 in ucd(which I don't know is true) it's automatically less laid back and more snobby?

    Would also have to disagree with 'much more varied college body', there's more country folk in ucd, and more non whites too I would wager. I actually don't think trinity has very much diversity at all, in college terms.

    D4 was meant more as a state of mind and attitude than locality.

    Also to show what I mean, I came from a Dublin school where out of about 70 6th year finishers, something like 45 went to university and I was the only one to go to TCD, about 20 went to UCD. For the rest it was a combination of valid reasons of course, including sport, course etc. but amongst them was snobbery against the TCD as a university.

    In my course there was a huge variety of student body including as you say non whites. Many for the North, England, US, Canada and France as far as I recall. Amongst the Irish it was probably about 70% non Dublin. With a broad mix of where in and not in Dublin.

    University ultimately is what you make of it


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 367 ✭✭qweerty


    enda1 wrote: »
    D4 was meant more as a state of mind and attitude than locality.

    Also to show what I mean, I came from a Dublin school where out of about 70 6th year finishers, something like 45 went to university and I was the only one to go to TCD, about 20 went to UCD. For the rest it was a combination of valid reasons of course, including sport, course etc. but amongst them was snobbery against the TCD as a university.

    In my course there was a huge variety of student body including as you say non whites. Many for the North, England, US, Canada and France as far as I recall. Amongst the Irish it was probably about 70% non Dublin. With a broad mix of where in and not in Dublin.

    University ultimately is what you make of it

    Across the Irish undergraduate population at TCD as a whole, a third went to private school, a little over half are from Dublin and three-quarters from Leinster.

    But, OP, I echo what everyone else says: there's nothing uniquely snobbish about Trinity.


  • Registered Users Posts: 774 ✭✭✭stealinhorses


    Depends what you mean by "snobby" really. If you mean rich people who went to private schools, then I'd say no. However, there is definitely much less diversity in the student population in Trinity than in places like DIT, etc.

    Your dad might be confusing "privileged" with "intelligent"


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭gsi300024v


    I suppose again it depends what course you do if there is diversity, some have lots like social work, others like law possibly less.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭peckerhead


    Just remembered the old gag about how many Trinity students it takes to change a light bulb.

    A: Just one, to hold the light bulb steady while the rest of the world revolves around them... :pac:


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  • Registered Users Posts: 660 ✭✭✭Moomat


    gsi300024v wrote: »
    I suppose again it depends what course you do if there is diversity, some have lots like social work, others like law possibly less.


    Law is pretty diverse and overwhelmingly sound too!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭gsi300024v


    Actually I know a few people who are doing Law, they're quite a mixed group and all good people.
    IF you are doing Dental Nurse course, you'll probably not even be on campus that much. 24 D'Olier Street or if you are on campus down with the science type aka mostly lads down by the far end, who said nerds?


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    idek1 wrote: »
    hi guys, don't mean to sound ignorant but i have applied for both dental nursing and general nursing in tcd however, my dad said i would be treated badly if i went here because i'm far from wealthy? is this true or is it a load of bull?

    Trinners for winners
    Boozers for losers


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭gsi300024v


    I have heard the Triniers for winners once, but in fairness it was before a match for the college.
    I have used it though to wind up my brother in law/ slag, but then he told me my mam said he was the son she wished she had had, so it's a special kinda relationship that lets us have that kind of mockery.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 306 ✭✭innad


    qweerty wrote: »
    Across the Irish undergraduate population at TCD as a whole, a third went to private school, a little over half are from Dublin and three-quarters from Leinster.

    Do you have a link for those stats? I'd be really interested to see how things have changed over the years. Thanks!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 367 ✭✭qweerty


    innad wrote: »
    Do you have a link for those stats? I'd be really interested to see how things have changed over the years. Thanks!

    I took the private school figure from a Trinity News article and the stats on geography from the most recent of these reports.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭234


    qweerty wrote: »
    I took the private school figure from a Trinity News article and the stats on geography from the most recent of these reports.

    The Leinster figure is just for Irish entrants. One third of new entrants in the latest report weren't from Ireland. I just had a look at UCD and their figure is 20%.

    So Trinity is generally more diverse is nationality terms, which I think is the impression everybody gets if you study there. It's hardly surprising considering that in reputational terms it's still streets ahead of the other Irish universities internationally. Even if that reputational gap may not be reflected in the quality of the education or research output.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 367 ✭✭qweerty


    234 wrote: »
    The Leinster figure is just for Irish entrants. One third of new entrants in the latest report weren't from Ireland. I just had a look at UCD and their figure is 20%.

    So Trinity is generally more diverse is nationality terms, which I think is the impression everybody gets if you study there. It's hardly surprising considering that in reputational terms it's still streets ahead of the other Irish universities internationally. Even if that reputational gap may not be reflected in the quality of the education or research output.

    Yeah, I think I made that qualification in my initial post.

    I would guess UCD is more equally diverse at graduate level.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,201 ✭✭✭languagenerd


    People expect TCD to be snobby because it used to be for rich Protestants (about three hundred years ago). That hasn't been the case for a long time and if anything, you see more reverse snobbery (people who don't go there saying it's full of snobs, that "Trinners for winners hurrhurr" nonsense etc).. Nowadays all colleges have the same entry system and cost the same so that doesn't make a difference at all.

    In my time there, I never really met anyone being snobby. No-one ever talked about money. And no-one really talked about other colleges except for when it came to society or club competitions. You hear about this rivalry between TCD and UCD but I honestly think Trinity students don't care about it half as much as others make out they do. We'd sometimes go to sports competitions and teams from the other colleges would joke "Oh, you're the Trinity crowd, better not talk to you haha" whereas we weren't even thinking like that. It's an old stereotype that's almost entirely out of date. You'll meet "posh" eejits everywhere, it's not limited to Trinity.

    Join a few societies or clubs (that's where the real social life is) and go in open-minded, you'll find most people are down-to-earth and there for the same reasons as you :)

    (P.S. I grew up near Tallaght, as did several of my friends from college. Not D4s by any means :P)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 108 ✭✭idek1


    does anyone know how to delete this thread? thanks


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