Would you choose differently?

Mr.Nice Guy

I was just wondering if any of you had any regrets about ending up in UCD. If you could go back in time and you had to jot down your CAO choices, would you still choose UCD? Do you regret the choice you made?

Personally, as much as I bemoan the place from time to time, I don't regret the choice I made and I hope to end up with a degree from this place.

What about yourselves?

tintinr35

no im glad i ended up here corney and all as it sounds i wouldnt be the person i am today if i hadnt come to college in ucd and met the people i did

Tiriel

I did my undergrad in Cork, didn't even consider coming up to Dublin.. but now I'm kind of sorry I didn't, as I would have known the college so much better and of course people too! I did love my time in UCC though.. loved the campus.. and made a few brilliant friends. It's kind of annoying not knowing where anything is in UCD.. people expect you to be an expert when you're doing a post-grad here!!

tribulus

course wise - thinking about it now i would have really liked medicinal chem in trinity but can basically do the same thing here, so its all good

college wise - taking much more of a shine to campus this year, tooka while to grow on me though

Vic Mackey

I dont live on ucd campus, but i know basically nobody in ucd. another mate of mine is doing arts, but wer not doin da same subjects so i see him damn all. another few mates are doin enginering and i never see them on campus, only in da city.

from what i see, people in ucd dont mix with each other. in my tutorial classes people come in, sit down, waith for the tutor, all in basically absolute silance!

in semester 1, iv got to know nobody. im living on camus in griffith college so i have a good few mates their, but ucds a joke!

tintinr35

sounds like u are not really making an effort:rolleyes:

Vic Mackey

in all fairness, im ok cos at least i have mates in college, usually i meet up wit em after lectures to get a bus into town or whatever, but if you knew nobody, youd be pretty bad

pretty*monster

Course wise, I'm not all that interested in English, but I know I'd regret it if I didn't study it.
I've never regretted coming to UCD(D) for a second.

There is such a sense of community here if you're at all bothered to get involved. Even last week when we were supposed to be on holidays I was stuck writing an essay in the library and there were tons of people I knew around the place. There's always someone to go for a smoke with.

Vic, in all honesty if you're going into "town or whatever" after lectures you're not going to integrate into ucd as well as you could. Everything I love about college comes from hanging around the arts block and the bars and (broken record) getting involved in societies and (nobody shoot me) the SU.

penguincakes

Vic Mackey wrote:

in all fairness, im ok cos at least i have mates in college, usually i meet up wit em after lectures to get a bus into town or whatever, but if you knew nobody, youd be pretty bad

That's crap. I knew 3 of my current friends before college, and that's out of (and I don't mean to sound like "look at me I know lots of people") about 30+ people I hang around with variously, all from ucd.

If you don't make an effort, other people won't make one with you. That's the way it works in my experience.

muffin_man

My advice on getting to know people you ask? Get out there and talk to every single person you sit beside in a lecture/tutorial! Most of them will prob turn out to be jerks but you'd be surprised how many good and friendly people there are out there. I know it's difficult going up to randomers but it's the only way! And once you make 1 or 2 friends they'll prob introduce you to more so it's really like branches of a tree!

Having said all that I recognise that arts probably is the hardest place to meet new people because:
a) Lectures are so big it may be a while before you see the same person twice.
b) Arts is a very 'cleeky' world with lots of people starting the course with friends from school or neighbours etc.

pretty*monster

Arts is only cliquey to an extent, there are people there who have groups that they know from school of course, but it really isn't a closed shop. People tend to see cliques where there are no cliques, various people have told me that the philsoc group are a clique (one guy even said we seemd like something of a cult) but we're always looking for new people, we'd get bored of each other otherwise.

And yes, lectures are big, but they're not that big. I had no problem scanning theatre L for HappyCrackHead last year. And once you've made one new mate everything's easier cos you can drag them with you to events and meet more people.

Dave!

My experience of UCD has been that it's not particularly cliquey (well, there are a few groups who know each other from school, but there's still tonnes more that don't), and everyone I've encountered by talking to them, etc., has been really nice and friendly (especially country folk! I know more cultchies than anything else in this place, lol) -- I just haven't been making as much of an effort as I probably should have. I've been talking to the odd person, especially at the start of the year when everyone was doing the same, but after the first month or so, I stopped making the effort for some reason, and kept sitting with the 3 or 4 people I know in different lectures.

Next semester I'll make more of an effort though, cos we'll be starting again with different people in lectures, etc.



I dunno if I woulda went to a different college or if I woulda taken a year out or what... a bit early to tell.

Font22

no regrets at all. knew i wanted to come to ucd when i went to the open days. went to all the other colleges to have a look but none had the same atmosphere. my sister is exactly the same. shes dying to come to UCD.
course wise- i love what i chose. i was one of the lucky ones, i hear so many people saying they hate their course etc. glaway had a similiar course (coporate law) but so glad i decided to saty in dublin despite all my relatives etc living down there.
college is what you make of it!

Blush_01

I chose UCD at random. Just slapped it down on the CAO and forgot about it. Had never even been to UCD before I got my offer. Now I love the place, because I got involved from day one. It's rare that I walk around campus and don't meet someone I know. Then again, I like to talk... that helps. I still remember the first person I talked to in UCD. I don't see her that often, but I still say hi to her. You get what you give where UCD is concerned.

Scraggs

DaveMcG wrote:

....everyone I've encountered by talking to them, etc., has been really nice and friendly (especially country folk! I know more cultchies than anything else in this place, lol)

go country folk!!:v: yeah everyone has been pretty friendly etc. good laugh havent encountered that many d!ckheads...well no more than usual like!!

I just haven't been making as much of an effort as I probably should have.

yeah me too, after the second week i pretty much stopped all the hi i'm dani whats ur name where you from crap...

Next semester I'll make more of an effort though, cos we'll be starting again......

o yeah totally gonna make more of an effort! i'll be the really friendly person chattin to everybody [for friendly read desperate:p ]
O and i actually plan to go to one of the boards meet ups!

Anyway back on topic.... UCD wasnt my first choice, I loved the place at the open day but unfortunately there were no courses i was remotely interested in. I put speech therapy in trinners [the one i wanted] and teaching [the one i thought i'd get] down on CAO...Missed that by only 5 feckin points ended up with arts the course mammy picked [why am i admitting that!]
Anyway i really like ucd and the course i'm doin i love, i can go into both teaching and speech therapy with the BA so the world is my oyster [providing of course i actually graduate!!]

Sangre

Font22 wrote:

my sister is exactly the same. shes dying to come to UCD.

pic?

College is crap, i hate my life.

Pythia

I live very near as my parents both work in UCD. I used to play here in the summer. My dad used to take us around the Arts Block on Saturdays too, 'exploring'. It was so exciting when I was 8!
Anyway my point is I've kinda grown up here so I wouldn't have gone anywhere else.
I wasn't liking my course so much last year, but I've done a class this year I particulary enjoy and at this point hope to study after college and I wouldn't have done it in any other course I would've picked, so yes I'm happy with my choice.
My lower down choices were Comp Sci through Science or Maths Science, but I'm really glad I didn't do them now!

Scraggs

Sangre wrote:

College is crap, i hate my life.

there there *pats shoulder

Waltons

Pythia wrote:

My lower down choices were Comp Sci through Science or Maths Science, but I'm really glad I didn't do them now!

Everyone knows Comp Sci through Arts is the way to go

I must say that I'm happy in UCD. I live right beside the place so it's dead handy to get to. I'm enjoying the course so far too!
Gotta admit that, like other people, I hadn't bothered enough to get out and meet new people (an awful lot of people I know are here anyway so that made me lazy). Always next semester though!

Dave!

Waltons wrote:

(an awful lot of people I know are here anyway so that made me lazy)

Lucky! :mad:

BKtje

Went to DIT first and didnt like it so am fairly happy in UCD (besides can have a longer lie in than when iw as in dit with it being clsoer)

Cannibal Ox

Went for Trinity, ended up here. I hated it at the start and was hoping I'd get a mark notched up on my LC, didn't and ended up staying instead. But I've gotten used to it at this stage, and I was starting to enjoy myself until these bloomin' exams reared their head.

Sangre

DaveMcG wrote:

Lucky! :mad:

Stop making excuses.

larryone

I dont regret coming here - but I cant wait to get the hell out.

Dave!

Sangre wrote:

Stop making excuses.

Oh f*ck off, I'm not making any excuses. I was having a little 'joke' -- a 'gibe' if you like! -- with my friend Cillian. I've already said that I didn't make an effort.

That alright with you?

humbert

DaveMcG wrote:

Lucky! :mad:

I've given a lot of excuses in my time and that doesn't sound a lot like an excuse to me:rolleyes:

Sangre

Reported for personal abuse.

Chinafoot

Any chance of keeping it on topic gents?

Anyway, I chose Arts in UCD as it was the one course that I knew I'd be able to defer for a year so I could go to Australia.

In terms of my subjects, I kind of wish I had chosen differently in first year. I would have liked to have done archaeology. Ah well.

ghostchant

I'm glad I chose ucd.
I totally wasted last year and didn't get to know anyone really but this year has been great so far (well my course has been a pain at times but im happy with it now)

Dave!

peachypants wrote:

Any chance of keeping it on topic gents?

Anyway, I chose Arts in UCD as it was the one course that I knew I'd be able to defer for a year so I could go to Australia.

In terms of my subjects, I kind of wish I had chosen differently in first year. I would have liked to have done archaeology. Ah well.

Did you go to Australia? :eek: Are you planning to?

Font22

no sangre u cant have a pic and do u honestly think i wud let you near her!!!!!

Sangre

You fool, now shes forbidden fruit!
My looks and charm will draw her to me like moths to a flame.
If shes hot I might overlook the fact shes a northsider.

Chinafoot

DaveMcG wrote:

Did you go to Australia? :eek: Are you planning to?

I went to Australia in the September after I sat my Leaving Cert. I was still clueless as to what I wanted to do in college so I chose Arts. I was able to defer for a year and I started about 2 weeks after I came back.

Dont regret chosing Arts for a second but like I say, I wish I chose archaeology....also wish that we had the option to do just Medieval History.

Ruskie4Rent

UCD is grand. It took a while to get used to all the travelling and i probably should have made an effort to get to know more people but I like the people i have met and the course aint bad(gonna fail though!) so all in all it's not a bad place to be.

Vic Mackey

the problem with ucd, especially arts, is the classes are huge. a mate of mine in dit only has 30 in his class and knows everyone. iv got 300 in mine and know 1..........nice.

all in all thiugh, its a nice place

pretty*monster

Vic Mackey wrote:

the problem with ucd, especially arts, is the classes are huge. a mate of mine in dit only has 30 in his class and knows everyone. iv got 300 in mine and know 1..........nice.

Well, your classes will be significantly smaller next year, so there's that anyway.

Ruskie4Rent

I think i need to do more with the societies. I thought i joined loads at first but i've rarely done much with them.

Dave!

^
Yeah me too... I joined a tonne of them, but haven't done much with them!

Vic Mackey

yea same here, joined aload of em but havent gone to any!

why will their be less people next semester?

Mr.Nice Guy

Isn't there a chance to join clubs/socs next semester?

Refreshers week or something?

larryone

You can joina club or society at any point during the year, just a matter of finding out who to email, which really isnt that difficult now what with nearly every society having a website.
Have a look at what societies there are, and if there's one that does stuff you are or might be interested in then go have a chat with them - you'll probably get to meet a few people (not thousands...) who have something in common with you.

Ron DMC

Mr.Nice Guy wrote:

Refreshers week or something?

Can I come?
Will there be free sweets?

Mr.Nice Guy

Ronny Mitchell wrote:

Can I come?
Will there be free sweets?

There will indeed. All the colours of the rainbow...and other sweets besides Skittles.

pretty*monster

Vic Mackey wrote:

why will their be less people next semester?

I meant next year as in second year, when everybodt drops a subject and class sizes go down.


AFAIK it hasn't been decided for defiate if there'll be a re-fresher's day this year but with most societies, especially the small ones, you don't really have to be a member to show up at events. (But join up anyway cos they need the money).

I know at philsoc we're over the moonif someone new comes to one of our talks or coffee mornings or whatever.

humbert

I spent a wee while in Queens before coming down here and at first I thought I should have stayed in queens because UCD can feel a bit cold and hostile at first, an impression probably exacerbated by my being more than a little antisocial in first year, but now that I’ve settled in and made some friends I really like the place, and this is only my forth year!:o

philsoc, interesting, think I might attend one of those coffee mornings next semester:)

rainbow kirby

I've no regrets at all about coming to UCD... however I kinda regret some of the course decisions I made along the way. Because of that, I'm paying a fortune for my degree! 3300 euro for this year, and probably 6k next year!
And btw... CS-science pwns CS-arts

ferdi

wish i hadnt done arts.

wish i'd gone out of dublin.

Waltons

rainbow kirby wrote:

And btw... CS-science pwns CS-arts

That's just harsh :v:

Julesie

Im glad im in UCD, wasnt my first choice at the time *shakes fist at those damn DCU Actuaries* but now that im coming to the end of my college life there is no other college i would rather have gone to.

The only regret i have is not moving closer to campus (guess i like my home comforts too much)

pretty*monster

humbert wrote:

philsoc, interesting, think I might attend one of those coffee mornings next semester:)

Mondays at one, all welcome.
We have a coffee machine so noone has to make do with instant.
Yes, we do have cookies

rainbow kirby

Waltons wrote:

That's just harsh :v:

Harsh but true