accom or commute

pedroj

just got offered post grad place in dcu (Msc in finance and cap)..now just gotta decide whether to commute or get accom out dr? i live on dublin south side but would need 2 buses to get out dr (approx 2 hrs travelling each way considering dub traffic ) wat u guys think is better? heard on campus residency pretty strict?

Ishmael

I think you should be ok, you'd be getting into the Post Grad Res which isn't as strict as the undergrad res. AFAIK you can do most of the things that you would be allowed to do in a normal flat or such.

markpb

If you can at all, don't commute. LKike Ishmael said, when it comes to post grad res, they're not as strict as they are in undergrad res. Just like working, commuting will take a lot out of you (energy, time and money) as well as making it harder to be in at a certain time.

cocoa

Don't dis the commute that much, it's not that bad really once you know the buses... Where on the south side would you be commuting from? I've been working in DCU for the past two weeks now and the commute from cabinteely isn't that bad at all. It only takes me about an hour, maybe an hour and twenty minutes to get in. Depending on where you are, there's actually quite a few buses that go all the way, eg 746, 46X, 58X, 4. But switching bus doesn't even take that much time anyway...

That said, an hour or more is still a fairly hefty commute, if you reckon it would really wreck your head, I wouldn't bother.

cmoney

from south side also... i bused it for a half the year then drove out the rest of the year. the buses aren't that bad but ya cant beat driving but it does effect the social part of college.

johnny_ultimate

I commute from Bray, takes an average of an hour fifteen - hour and a half a day. You do get used to it, but those 9 am starts are not fun - have to leave the house just before seven.

I havent moved out because all my friends on campus seem to profoundly dislike the accomodation. All I can say is it depends on you.

pedroj

live in templeogue..so would prob have 2 head into town and then get bus out to Dcu

Alanthroneus

well you can get out of bed for a lecture at ten at 6 in the morning or you can get out of bed for your ten o clock lecture at 9.30...

i commuted for most of first year and found that by the time you get home you are wrecked and dont have the energy to work. you have the added trouble of getting through town at rush hour ( your timetable depending )

wereas you apt is two mins away

MonaghanPenguin

yeah I've lived in the city centre, then I moved to Coolock, then I moved on-res. I have to say I would never go back to having to commute. Buses are unreliable so you have to factor that in, so you're always going to be leaving at the upper end of your estimated time, maybe earlier, just to make sure you're on time. Next year I'm living in Shanowan, if you don't like the idea of on-res maybe look for a house nearby. but the on-res for postgrads is a lot better, no security checks or anything to go through

ArcadeFred

Why has nobody mentioned that the chances of even getting campus at this stage are slim to none? I'm presuming all places are gone since I applied months ago and haven't heard word back even though I've had my postgrad place since mid June and a friend of mine (same postgrad course, also applied for campus months ago) called the accommodation office today only to be told that all places had been filled. It would be nice to be notified if your accommodation application was unsuccessful so that you could start looking elsewhere sooner :-/

gizmo

You should also consider alternative accomodation in the area, don't hang all your non-commuting hopes on Res. There are plenty of places to rent close by to DCU and even if it means a 10 min walk or a 15min bus journey as the previous posters have already pointed out the commute will really take it out of you.

While I know both Shanowens are completely full at this point you can always try the ever useful Daft.ie. I also believe there is a new student accomodation block in Dun an Oir and while I haven't heard anything about it directly the website makes it look rather nice. Site is here.

Outside of that there is private accomodation in the area but I suggest you get your skates on as undergrad students will be coming up shortly to scope out their own places and they'll be snapped up fairly quickly.

cmoney

pedroj wrote:

live in templeogue..so would prob have 2 head into town and then get bus out to Dcu

Alanthroneus wrote:

well you can get out of bed for a lecture at ten at 6 in the morning or you can get out of bed for your ten o clock lecture at 9.30...

not necessary.... also from the templeogue to get in for ten i had to be on a bus at 8.20 and take bus into town and 2nd bus out (before i decided to get a car)

it's still means ya have to get up earlier then if you got accomadation but it shouldn't take much longer then an hour and a half on the bus

or if your hungover just get the 19A from the kcr and sleep for an hour and a half

LegacyUser

ArcadeFred am in exactly same situation as you - place in postgrad confirmed in June and applied for accommodation immediately. I can't believe they are all full! Have people who have gotten accommodation been told yet? Maybe there is still a chance?
Really don't want to have to commute, M50 twice a day, what a nightmare.

pedroj

well actually got email off residency office...told me if you applied now ud b on waiting list. But dr only allocatting accomm at the moment and should have confirmation in post over next 2 weeks . so id say ul only hear from them in comin day or two. also have 1 or 2 off campus places in mind...not 2 fond of idea of commute n if can get cheap place ill b happy enough

Vokes

pedroj, you say you're doing a Finance MSc?

Have you checked the timetable for this yet?

You're likely to find that you have only two or three 9am starts with the rest being 10, 11am. Plus in all likelihood you could be only in 4 days a week in one of the semesters. Also, one of your 4 days might even be a half day! I say this because that's the way it was for me doing my DCU MSc and also for a friend doing a different DCU MSc.

Basically I think accomadation will be a waste of your money because you re doing an MSc (if you were an undergrad, id say otherwise), which usually means less classes.

So i recommend you commute althought Im not really familiar with Templeogue, but does the 19A not go near you?

pedroj

have looked at indicative/last years timetable which doesnt look 2 bad, also emailed course secretary to see could she give me any more info on this years possible timetable but waitin to hear back from her.

19A stops around 15 min walk away but ur stil talkin 2-3 hrs commute each day with leaves no time 2 get part time job (mainly just for exper not for money so can put somethin on cv).

Dropped outa NUI Maynooth finance course wen was 18 after 2 months cause couldnt handle d commute ( altho i think ive grown up bit now, n not as lazy )

Plus 2nd main reason to get accomm is know no1 in DCU so b handier to get 2 know people etc . But as u say could be waste of money and who will iron my stuff if mammy aint dr :O:O lol

ArcadeFred

waspy wrote:

ArcadeFred am in exactly same situation as you - place in postgrad confirmed in June and applied for accommodation immediately. I can't believe they are all full! Have people who have gotten accommodation been told yet? Maybe there is still a chance?
Really don't want to have to commute, M50 twice a day, what a nightmare.

I applied at the beginning of April! I know they had to wait until it was confirmed in June that I had a postgrad place but afaik my course was one of the earlier ones to be confirmed so I'm wondering exactly how 'first' do you have to be to get first come first served!? I was ringing all day on Friday listening to the answering machine message telling me that she'd be back on Friday August 3rd, I just want an answer, yes or no, agh! :rolleyes:

LegacyUser

pedroj, I want acccomm for the same reasons -can't handle the thought of travelling from Tallaght to DCU every day (even if it isn't every day) but also I will know absolutely no one and figured this would be a good way to meet people. Not cheap, but I believe it will be worth it.

ArcadeFred I actually heard over the weekend that I've been allocated a room in postgrad residences - I'd say you'll be ok, seems the whole process is just taking a bit longer than expected. I got very prompt, helpful replies to my emails so perhaps you could try that. Good luck!

ArcadeFred

Yep, same happened to me over the weekend! Delighted now

LegacyUser

just reading the letter they sent me and am a abit worried as it says apt I am in is in undergrad residences but subject to postgrad terms and conditions...does this mean I'll be living with undergrads, isolated from other postgrads? Don't like the sound of that! Does anyone know what this means?

csm

i was a postgrad in DCU and decided to live in postgrad res rather than commute from terenure.

really didn't like it. completely different from undergrad in that there is no real socialising done within the res. the common room is generally always empty (although when i was there there was a snooker table which was nice) and it's pot luck whether you get on with your flatmates (i got on really well with one but barely got 2 words out of the other all year). it was also much more expensive than comparable rental places in the area.

my recommendation would be to either
1) get a moped or something and commute. did this from terenure for 3 years during my undergrad. was fine. took 20/25 mins.

2) get accom out there but don't go near postgrad res. sure it's nice to be on campus but it's not very sociable, you don't get a choice of who to live with and it's very expensive. there are a lot of new flats built out in ballymun/santry that would be much better.

i would flatly refuse to commute 4/6 hours per day. especially during an MSc when work is more intense than a BSc. that's just me though.

best of luck!

micromegas

Campus residency is kind of strict. You're not allowed to put up posters and they come through once a month for "inspections" to make sure there aren't any blatant violations.

I had some friends who lived off campus and they didn't seem to mind it. Though they were in Shanowen, not south Dublin.

Though they are a bit strict, the on campus housing is pretty nice. College Park, anyhow.

csm

postgrad res wasn't as strict. i think there was one inspection during the year. i had a couple of posters up and nothing was said. although obviously if you leave the wall in a state then you'd lose some of your deposit

micromegas

csm wrote:

postgrad res wasn't as strict. i think there was one inspection during the year. i had a couple of posters up and nothing was said. although obviously if you leave the wall in a state then you'd lose some of your deposit

One inspection? Wow, you had it good. I had three inspections and they were really intense about it. No posters, had to have the kitchen floors mopped, etc. Kind of strange they're so strict about that, but when I got to my room at College Park, it was overflowing in trash and reeked of month old food. Oh well. Just found it a bit odd. Here in America, if you mess up the room you pay or it at the end. No inspections or anything like that.