What is the best University in Ireland?

Pride Fighter

Posting this on the UCD section it might be obvious but maybe some of you out there hate this place. I have not included the Northern Irish institutions such as Queens and the others refers to ITs in Ireland. What do you think?

Pride Fighter

I wonder if anyone will vote for Trinity?

funky penguin

Thought you were banned?

delta_bravo

How can one judge unless you have properly studied them all and visited the campuses?

Michael Collins

delta_bravo wrote:

How can one judge unless you have properly studied them all and visited the campuses?

Not to mention having to study the same courses to give an accurate comparison. I think the best thing the OP can do is go to each of your potential colleges and suss out the facilities for yourself.

Or if you post specific information about what course you're interested up here I'm there's somebody who'll be able to give you advice on how good/bad it is in UCD...

Chakar

The question is quite subjective. I think the OP should be more specific as it depends on what aspects, would make a university just so. The students would have differing opinions and emphases on the varying aspects, that would make any university, the best university in Ireland.

Pride Fighter

Who voted for Trinity and why?

delta_bravo

Pride Fighter wrote:

Who voted for Trinity and why?

So thats all you care about?

Pride Fighter

Its not all I care about. Just trying to gauge what makes a University great and what Trinity has to offer in terms of being a great university.

imp

So far I've enjoyed UCD more than I did TCD...

Schlemm

Used to go to TCD before UCD and the administration is a hell of a lot better in TCD I can tell ya!

hullaballoo

I don't think that anyone who hasn't studied in all of those colleges could properly answer that poll. I've heard great things about UL, UCC and UCG, but I don't think I could vote for them off the back of that.

I also note that you neglected to include Queen's University in Belfast.

RuggieBear

Schlemm wrote:

Used to go to TCD before UCD and the administration is a hell of a lot better in TCD I can tell ya!

Now that's scary.:eek:

elmyra

As an aside, I think Galway like to be known as NUIG.

I definitely wouldn't vote for UCD, I've enjoyed my time here as an undergrad in spite of rather than because of the college.

Academically and administratively, I'd probably give it to Trinity. I have friends who aren't starting their exams for at least a week after me and have had timetables confirmed since March and April.

Galway and Cork have great atmospheres about them and actually 'look' like universities.

Having never been to UL I can't say for sure...but it's probably better than here too.

gubbie

UCC... cos its in Cork

Red Alert

TCD do have a better website than us, which is probably because it was done intelligently and not by some marketing gurus who didn't realise people in UCD might need to use it too.

stolenwine

Move this post to an open forum. Different universities are good for different subjects U.C.D- Law, Business, Medicine apparently. T.C.D English - humanities subjects, Science, Law

In the U.k there is a list published that has the top universities ranked and a list of the top universtities for different subjects. They are assessed by inspectors. We should have this here it would force universities to up there game. Ucd is the only Irish university that offers my course, the department is utterly shambolic but it's either ucd or move to the uk and currently I like living in Ireland.

stolenwine

Red Alert wrote:

TCD do have a better website than us, which is probably because it was done intelligently and not by some marketing gurus who didn't realise people in UCD might need to use it too.

You're right I went to a talk given by one of the ucd website maintainers and he kept on going on about maintaining a "corporate feel". You have to also remember that one of the main pull factors for individuals accessing the TCD site is their library online catalogue that is a major selling point as they have a world class library that is a legal depository meaning it gets a copy of every book published in Ireland and the u.k as far as I know.

Ha ha ha just looked up their Wikipedia page

"Trinity College, Dublin TCD, or Thick ***** of Dublin, corporately designated as the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin etc........"

hullaballoo

The inspectors presumably study for at least three years in each University as undergraduates in order to be able to pass judgement, no?

stolenwine

These tables are published in national newspapers:

Here's an example of how the Guardian formulates its league table-

http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/universityguide/story/0,,959140,00.html

While I was studying in the U.K my department was inspected and subsequently gained a substantial amount of funding. Why can't Irish universities be regulated in a similar fashion?

humbert

There is some disagreement over league tables isn't there though?

Spectator#1

League tables for colleges are the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Top Trumps would be a much better idea, at least we could have some fun with them.

stolenwine

humbert wrote:

There is some disagreement over league tables isn't there though?

There has been yes, I'm not saying it's a perfect system but you can cross refernce all the differents league tables and get a good enough guideline. What I'm saying is we need more transparency in this country with regard to third level statistics.

Spectator#1

Personally I'd say a better way to find out about how good or bad a college is would be to talk to the departments you're interested in attending; students or staff, and get an idea that way. It doesn't matter how many league tables you look at. It's like sorting out league tables of human beings in order to decide who you want to be friends with.

Stabshauptmann

The best? Depends what you want really.

For social scene UCD has the most and most active clubs and societies, TCD has the Pav, but Ive really enjoyed any trips Ive made to NUIG or CIT and I think they are two great party colleges (and Im not just talking about RAG week). It is really really hard to say which campus accomadtion I liked the most (and Ive been to most in Ireland) but I think belgrove pips it.

Academically, then it depends on what you're studying, for example arts is the whipping boy of UCD and the Quinn is Irelands best business schools, where as in TCD Bess is a joke and points for arts can be in the high 500s. But tbh, I think its always UCD/TCD in the top 2 spots (just my own 2c).

And atmosphere, I personally dont like what I preceive to be stuffy in TCD.

I like UCD, I filled out my CAO more by university than course and Im happy with how it turned out.

griffdaddy

Spectator#1 wrote:

Top Trumps would be a much better idea, at least we could have some fun with them.

Spectator- 'Administration.....7?'
Griffdaddy- 'Cúnt! Administration 3, i had poxy UCD again!'

stolenwine

Spectator#1 wrote:

Personally I'd say a better way to find out about how good or bad a college is would be to talk to the departments you're interested in attending; students or staff, and get an idea that way. It doesn't matter how many league tables you look at. It's like sorting out league tables of human beings in order to decide who you want to be friends with.

I was impressed by books I had read written by lecturers at the university that I ended up going to for my undergrad, I looked at the tables as an afterthought, so I see what you're saying.

Still I think that statistics should be available to prospective students, not everyone is going to have the wit to sit down with lecturers and have a chat that is if you can manage to get a meeting with one.

Spectator#1

griffdaddy wrote:

Spectator- 'Administration.....7?'
Griffdaddy- 'Cúnt! Administration 3, i had poxy UCD again!'

Winner!

Blut

Which 14 people voted for UCD? Have these 11 people not sat a single exam in their time here? Or tried to register for courses or have any dealings with admin? Surely any experience with the exams office or the administration would leave you with no doubt that UCD is not the best college in Ireland by a longshot.

themole

stolenwine wrote:

Still I think that statistics should be available to prospective students, not everyone is going to have the wit to sit down with lecturers and have a chat that is if you can manage to get a meeting with one.

This is particularly true for foreign students who often have to pick the college and get accepted without ever having been to the country. I use orkut, a social networking type site similar to bebo, which has a lot of international users. I have gotten more than a few enquiries about colleges in ireland and where they rank within ireland and the world. Its important when you are looking outside your own country.

themole

elmyra wrote:

As an aside, I think Galway like to be known as NUIG.

Indeed, it has been known as NUIG since around 1997.

Stabshauptmann

Blut wrote:

Which 14 people voted for UCD? Have these 11 people not sat a single exam in their time here? Or tried to register for courses or have any dealings with admin? Surely any experience with the exams office or the administration would leave you with no doubt that UCD is not the best college in Ireland by a longshot.

It might if you had nothing to compare against...

Or if thats not a priority

humbert

It could be the "I didn't get the points for Trinity but I didn't want to go anyway because they're stuck up snobs" brigade.

snickerpuss

I wouldn't vote since i couldn't possibly know. I know nothing about any college outside Dublin since I didn't consider applying to any of them. UCD was the only place i could take my subject choice in Dublin. Thats why I went.

I think UCD admin is a mess but its unfair to say that the college is a disaster because I loved my two subjects and the staff were always fab and I know they get messed around by admin so it would be unfair to say its a rubbish college cos of admin, when most of the staff (that i know anyway) are brilliant.

Donald-Duck

Blut wrote:

Which 14 people voted for UCD? Have these 11 people not sat a single exam in their time here? Or tried to register for courses or have any dealings with admin? Surely any experience with the exams office or the administration would leave you with no doubt that UCD is not the best college in Ireland by a longshot.

I didnt vote but:
No problems with exams at christmas for me, and my timetable for exams is 2-3 days between every exam for this semesters exams.
Never had any problems with registering for a course
Never had to deal with admin

Granted I'm only in first year, but not everyone ends up having loads of problems.

Stepherunie

I haven't voted for any college because I'm not qualified to decide on this.

All I know is this: I chose UCD because I had no other choice in Ireland (UUJ wasn't an option for me) and I've never regretted my decision to come here. For all it's faults and failings I've enjoyed my time here thus far. There's a good atmosphere here and the lecturers I've studied under have been great with the exception of one. I've had a far share of problems since I've been here, luckily exams haven't been one of them but admin has been fairly useless - in saying that we lucky enough to have a good staff and programme manager who generally dealt with them for us.

Maybe I've just been lucky but that's my experience thus far.

Bartronilic

Academically, then it depends on what you're studying, for example arts is the whipping boy of UCD and the Quinn is Irelands best business schools, where as in TCD Bess is a joke and points for arts can be in the high 500s. But tbh, I think its always UCD/TCD in the top 2 spots (just my own 2c).

And you know "bess is a joke" how? Tons of degree options, subject choices, year abroads to Australia, Canada and Japan, good lecturers and being a 4 year degree is a joke is it? Bess and commerce are completely different aswell by the way.

Raphael

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

It is really really hard to say which campus accomadtion I liked the most (and Ive been to most in Ireland) but I think belgrove pips it.

Really? I'd have put the quality of UL accomodation way above that of Belgrove.

Anyways, I didn't vote because all I've got is 1 year in UCD to base my vote on. But I like UCD. My exam timetable's a bit shite, but at least I have study time for my hard subjects. It could be that every other college in the country is a million times better, but I don't know that. And UCD is grand for me.

Stepherunie

Raphael wrote:

Really? I'd have put the quality of UL accomodation way above that of Belgrove.

TBH I think a lot of colleges have as good if not better accomodation than UCD. UCCs oldest campus accomodation is of the same standard as Merville, if not nicer as all the bedrooms have there own sinks. LIT from what I hear from friends has absolutely gorgeous accomodation and well kitted out, TCDs isn't so shabby either. Now I don't know anyone in NUIG so can't comment on there i'm afraid.

Blush_01

The new accommodation in NUIM is lovely too. It's a bit like Roebuck crossed with Glen.

Stabshauptmann

Three posts in a row missing the point. Impressive. The context of my post was in relation to a universities social life, belgrove is one of may fav residences in Ireland.

Stabshauptmann

Bartronilic wrote:

And you know "bess is a joke" how? Tons of degree options, subject choices, year abroads to Australia, Canada and Japan, good lecturers and being a 4 year degree is a joke is it? Bess and commerce are completely different aswell by the way.

In ucd, rightly or wrongly arts gets a lot of stick, in TCD its been my experience that BESS bears the brunt of most of the jokes.

I know bess and commerce are completely different. Having compared the Bcomm in UCD to Bess there is no reasonable comparison; the course sucks. But if you are looking for a business course in TCD or UCD those are the two most comparable

Business in TCD is ****e.. simple as..

**** all maths taught, no real finance courses apart from one module in 3rd and one again in 5th.

If you want to learn business - do an undergrad in economics / maths / or something quantative and then do a postgrad in business.

Though from what I've heard, Quinn School aint much better.

Stabshauptmann

original_psycho wrote:

Though from what I've heard, Quinn School aint much better.

Then you've been given poor information

Anyway business isnt just quantitive stuff.

yevveh

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

It is really really hard to say which campus accomadtion I liked the most (and Ive been to most in Ireland) but I think belgrove pips it.

Roebuck accommodation is pretty damn nice, I'd prefer that to Belgrove. Belgrove ain't bad though imo (having never actually lived in on-campus accommodation)

I didn't vote as plenty of other colleges offer degrees in Economics so I could have gone to any of them. However I haven't had much of a problem, the worst is my exams this semester when I have 3 on one day and one the next. That's it. I haven't had to deal with admin much atall and I love the social life here so I can't say I'm not happy with it, and having never been to another uni that sets UCD as the best from what I know. I've heard good things about UCC and NUIG though.

singingstranger

I'd suggest that there's a thread on the TCD board telling people to vote here, but I'm far too lazy to check.

Sangre

Of course, they all have lovely bottoms!

humbert

na don't see one though they do have a sexy rant/bitch/moan thread. just one more way they're better than us

hullaballoo

singingstranger wrote:

I'd suggest that there's a thread on the TCD board telling people to vote here, but I'm far too lazy to check.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054984837&page=135#5368

This could well mean war.

Stepherunie

Or it could further propagate the myth that Trinity students are insular and unaware that there are other places outside TCD.

Ha - vote and don't leave comments.... brilliant, like we'd never think of that.

By the by Hulla, you're link brings you to page 135 for some odd reason.... well it did for me. The comment is actually on page 269 for those who want to view it....

EDIT: Myth?? What was i thinking?

Stabshauptmann

135 is in the link, hulla displays 40 posts per thread (as do I). Funny though, I did check the TCD board earler and was surprised there was no thread