At weekends UL is a ghost town

Dani Adelante

I know there's probably nothing that the Education officer can do about this, but why does everyone go home at the weekend? That's what Chistmas, Easter and the bank holiday at October are for. Serious lack of college atmosphere because of the mass exodus at the weekends.

VivGrise

Dani Adelante wrote: »

Also (not really an education issue), I know there's probably nothing that the Education officer can do about this, but why does everyone go home at the weekend? That's what Chistmas, Easter and the bank holiday at October are for. Serious lack of college atmosphere because of the mass exodus at the weekends.

Its called having a part time job, i.e. not mooching off of parents, people need an income some how and jobs at home is the only way to get it for most people.

i'd love to have rich parents, or even a job!

ninty9er

VivGrise wrote: »

Its called having a part time job, i.e. not mooching off of parents, people need an income some how and jobs at home is the only way to get it for most people.

i'd love to have rich parents, or even a job!

We also have part-time jobs in Limerick. In fact Castletroy employers have agood record for employing UL students. There's mutual benefit. It's a pity more people don't see this.

Rineanna

Dani Adelante wrote: »

Also (not really an education issue), I know there's probably nothing that the Education officer can do about this, but why does everyone go home at the weekend? That's what Chistmas, Easter and the bank holiday at October are for. Serious lack of college atmosphere because of the mass exodus at the weekends.

Hold on, let's get this straight; you want students to stay on campus at the weekends for no other reason than to create atmosphere?

Have you considered that students might possibly, God forbid, have a life outside of U.L? :eek: You know, family and friends who they might want to see on more regular intervals than Christmas and Easter? Seeming that most students (especially those from Cork, Kerry, Tipp etc) are only an hour or two away from home, they may as well go home as stay on campus.

As VivGrise rightly pointed out, I'd imagine quite a few students have jobs back home that they've had for a few years and are happy to travel back up on a Friday, work the days and possibly go out the Friday/Saturday nights with their friends from home.

I can only speak for myself, but I know that I'd get sick of the place fair fast if I was there week-in, week-out with no change in scenery. And if I started to get sick of the place and resent it, my propensity to work there would tumble. But that's just me.

Dani, I know where you're coming from; of course it would be great if there was a good ambiance around the place seven days a week, and I agree that it's ultra dead at weekends, but there are more reasons, as far as I can see, for students to go home at weekends.

Anyway, there are always the Erasmus and the Chinese students to go mental with at the w/e. And we all know the Chinese are Par-tay animals.

ninty9er wrote:

We also have part-time jobs in Limerick. In fact Castletroy employers have agood record for employing UL students. There's mutual benefit. It's a pity more people don't see this.

I hate to point out the obvious, but regardless if the students are working in Limerick or back where they're from, they're not going to be on campus to create the much sought after atmosphere.

ninty9er

Rineanna wrote: »

Anyway, there are always the Erasmus and the Chinese students to go mental with at the w/e. And we all know the Chinese are Par-tay animals.

They don't come to Ireland to spend their weekends with each other :rolleyes: International students in particular, amongst others, are extremely puzzled by the "going home for the weekend" epidemic that grips UL.

Rineanna wrote: »

I hate to point out the obvious, but regardless if the students are working in Limerick or back where they're from, they're not going to be on campus to create the much sought after atmosphere.

Why do you say that. If I work in Fine Wines until 10 on a Friday and Saturday, what's stopping me going to the Stables after, or doing something during the day before I start work, or if I work in Chawkes 3 nights a week and I'm free all weekend. There's simply no argument to be had there. The atmosphere in UL is certainly better than when I was in 2nd year, but the weekend is a dead loss.

Rineanna

ninty9er wrote: »

They don't come to Ireland to spend their weekends with each other :rolleyes: International students in particular, amongst others, are extremely puzzled by the "going home for the weekend" epidemic that grips UL.

I was joking :rolleyes:, but so what if the international students are puzzled by it? I've friends studying in Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Galway and they too come home most weekends, bar the weekend(s) prior and during exams, so it's not an exclusively UL epidemic. Some people just like going home at the weekend, but each to their own, I guess.

ninty9er wrote:

Why do you say that. If I work in Fine Wines until 10 on a Friday and Saturday, what's stopping me going to the Stables after, or doing something during the day before I start work, or if I work in Chawkes 3 nights a week and I'm free all weekend. There's simply no argument to be had there. The atmosphere in UL is certainly better than when I was in 2nd year, but the weekend is a dead loss.

There's nothing at all stopping you, but a lot of weekend work generally involves working 9-5 kind of hours, for example in the likes of O2 and Dunnes around the area, which rules out being on campus during the day. As for going out Fri/Sat nights, well, why would that take priority over going out back where they're from? Especially when they've probably been out in Limerick mid-week and have the chance to go out with other friends from home at weekends.

There's just no reason to stay around U.L for atmosphere purposes. I'm just speaking for people I know, but they nearly always went home at weekends to meet up with friends coming home from other colleges and work. There's no incentive to stay in U.L at the weekend, yet there's plenty of incentive to go home. No contest really.

ninty9er

I suppose I don;t see the difference being from Limerick, but I have friends who live in Castletroy for college and only go home once a month or every 6 weeks and there's really nothing to do. Campus dies at 4 on a Friday, but there's no reason that a lot of people who go home just for the sake of it couldn't stick around, you never know, maybe even go to the library...or join a club or society. Most have weekend activities of some sort, particularly the bigger non field sports clubs.

I know money is getting tighter, but that should be a reason to save on the bus/train/petrol and get involved in the campus community. I suppose it's the whole community thing that is lacking as opposed to a buzz.

Rineanna

ninty9er wrote: »

I suppose I don;t see the difference being from Limerick, but I have friends who live in Castletroy for college and only go home once a month or every 6 weeks and there's really nothing to do. Campus dies at 4 on a Friday, but there's no reason that a lot of people who go home just for the sake of it couldn't stick around, you never know, maybe even go to the library...or join a club or society. Most have weekend activities of some sort, particularly the bigger non field sports clubs.

I know money is getting tighter, but that should be a reason to save on the bus/train/petrol and get involved in the campus community. I suppose it's the whole community thing that is lacking as opposed to a buzz.

That's the problem; there's nothing to do at the weekends in U.L. Any studying/projects they want to do can just as easily be done from home with the appropriate books brought home with them, and not everyone is joined a society. I'm also from Limerick, and I lived on campus in Brookfield last semester for the first time having spent two years living at home, and I can remember the rare weekends I stayed in BF for whatever reason, I'd more often than not either stay in the apartment if I had any study to do, or head into town, but never really went into U.L itself as I'd no reason to.

If there were events on, I might have, but there weren't. So the moral of the story is, give a reason for students en mass to stay and have a laugh all weekend and they will, otherwise the place will be a ghost town for a few weekends more.

ninty9er

Rineanna wrote: »

That's the problem; there's nothing to do at the weekends in U.L. Any studying/projects they want to do can just as easily be done from home with the appropriate books brought home with them, and not everyone is joined a society. I'm also from Limerick, and I lived on campus in Brookfield last semester for the first time having spent two years living at home, and I can remember the rare weekends I stayed in BF for whatever reason, I'd more often than not either stay in the apartment if I had any study to do, or head into town, but never really went into U.L itself as I'd no reason to.

If there were events on, I might have, but there weren't. So the moral of the story is, give a reason for students en mass to stay and have a laugh all weekend and they will, otherwise the place will be a ghost town for a few weekends more.

I've pm'd peteee and sceptre to create a separate thread on this as we're gone completely off topic, but that's exactly what I was getting at. There should be stuff on in UL at the weekends. Then the Stables, Sports Bar, Scholars would have part time jobs for people, giving the bit of drinking money and the shop and Union might open too.

It's part of the long term Union strategic plan to provide weekend services (so I'm told) and the pool room would certainly make a bit of money on a Saturday afternoon as far as I'm concerned.

The whole ghost town thing is mainly due to nothing on, but nothing on is due to the ghost town...ach fáinne fí is ea é.

sceptre

ninty9er wrote: »

I've pm'd peteee and sceptre to create a separate thread on this as we're gone completely off topic

Done, cheers.

HeLlDoItHeCrAzY

why would anyody stay?? nobody in the country stays in UL, or UCD or UCC, or NUIG, or any other college at weekends.... we're Irish, and it's how we operate! people go home to go out with friends who they were seperated from, to get a nice home cooked meal, see the parents, stock up on clean clothes and food, get a break from college, HURL! amongst other things.. 5 days is long enuf for any one to spend in college, get used to it, it's a trend thats not going to change ever.. except maybe with the losers who hate their parents, have no friends, smell, and have no hobbies

Mossin

HeLlDoItHeCrAzY wrote: »

why would anyody stay?? nobody in the country stays in UL, or UCD or UCC, or NUIG, or any other college at weekends.... we're Irish, and it's how we operate! people go home to go out with friends who they were seperated from, to get a nice home cooked meal, see the parents, stock up on clean clothes and food, get a break from college, HURL! amongst other things.. 5 days is long enuf for any one to spend in college, get used to it, it's a trend thats not going to change ever.. except maybe with the losers who hate their parents, have no friends, smell, and have no hobbies

Are you for real?
Thats nonsense!!
I have friends at home, but I dont need to see them every week, and I sure as hell dont hate my parents! They are one of the main reasons I am still in college, and about to do a masters!!!!
I have plenty of hobbies, [drinking excluded] and I dont need to return home to do them, so I stay around Castletroy and UL to do them!

It's all well and good seeing the parents and family now and again, I used to go home weekly, but soon you will grow up [hopefully] and realise that u have to stand on ur own two feet, and grow some balls ffs!!
If u rely on ur parents for 4 years, then u [imo] wont get far in life!
Get out and do stuff on ur own, and if that involves staying around UL [or other colleges] at weekends, then so be it!

Btw. I smell just fine too!

BostonB

Rineanna wrote: »

Hold on, let's get this straight; you want students to stay on campus at the weekends for no other reason than to create atmosphere?

Have you considered that students might possibly, God forbid, have a life outside of U.L? :eek: You know, family and friends who they might want to see on more regular intervals than Christmas and Easter? Seeming that most students (especially those from Cork, Kerry, Tipp etc) are only an hour or two away from home, they may as well go home as stay on campus. .....

You've only got 4 years in College. You'll be seeing family and working for the rest of your life. Social part of college is a very important part of it. IMO.

I think because Ireland is so small a lot 3rd level places have the same problem.

CatFromHue

i'm a ul alumni, i graduated a 2 years ago.
I actually liked it that alot of people went home at the weekends.
If i had study or projects to do the library and computer labs were quiet.
I stayed down alot and i found that even the lodge was better on a friday night than any other night during the week.
just my 2cents

Rineanna

BostonB wrote: »

You've only got 4 years in College. You'll be seeing family and working for the rest of your life. Social part of college is a very important part of it. IMO.

Eh? So you suggest everyone just stays in U.L week-in, week-out for four years, and you think this will lead to an effective social life? A rather narrow minded one if you ask me, and a recipe for disaster, ultimately leading to everyone getting sick of the place because they're stuck there all week..

I think you're ignoring the fact that some people might have lives outside of University, and are able to balance an effective Uni social life mid-week with seeing family and outside friends at weekends, thus not needing to spend every minute within the confines of the U.L environment. Obviously the social life part is important, but that doesn't mean you've to stay in U.L all week to achieve one; most people manage to have one without staying up every weekend.

And, what makes you think that once you've graduated you're going to see family more often than when you're in College? You'll be working Mon-Fri probably, possibly in a different county than where you're from. Four years is an awful long time to just drink the U.L kool-aid and ignore the outside world.

Mossin wrote:

It's all well and good seeing the parents and family now and again, I used to go home weekly, but soon you will grow up [hopefully] and realise that u have to stand on ur own two feet, and grow some balls ffs!!
If u rely on ur parents for 4 years, then u [imo] wont get far in life!

Mossin, I usually agree with you on most topics, but I have to take issue with the above.

Since when does going home weekly mean you're leaching from your parents and not standing on your own too feet? There are, of course, those who will take advantage and grab every cent going, but, as has been mentioned several times, a lot of people go home to work in part-time jobs, the money from which they're using to fund themselves in college. Doesn't earning your own money not inherently imply you're achieving some standard of independence?

And, why does visiting your family and friends at home mean you haven't grown up and 'grown some balls'? I'm not sure I comprehend your logic there. Perhaps students just want to visit family and friends for a day or two, because, you know, they're their family and friends for a reason and want to see them more often than the rare opportunities some are suggesting students should do for a whole four years.

If visiting family and friends once in a blue moon is your thing, then fine - no problem. But I think the numbers who stay in U.L at weekends speak volumes: An emphatic majority of students have lives outside of U.L and don't buy into this whole U.L kool-aid school of thought, staying down weekends and cutting out a second significant part of their social lives just to create an atmosphere. People have said that Uni's only four years and you should dedicate yourself to its social scene for that period, but there's a flip side to that argument: it's only four years and if you let it consume your social life in its entirety, you'll get a severe shock to the system when it's cut cold turkey after graduating. Hence people cast the net wider and balance separate social lives, some of which have continuity post our short spell in 3rd level education.

PeakOutput

if it wasnt so expensive and time consuming for me to get to dublin from limerick i would go home alot more

ul is all about the weekdays way more than other colleges in my experience. it sucks for the people who stay but there is no reason everyone accept the international students cant go home if they really want to so if you hate ul so much at the weekends leave

i use it to chill out and sometimes god forbid get some work done

ninty9er

Most places in Ireland have a church, a GAA club and 25 pubs.

UL has 60+ clubs and societies a city on the doorstep, the Lodge and plenty of stuff to do. Fair enough if people need to go home to work, but there is no need to go home EVERY weekend. When you graduate and get a job are you going to go home to mammy every weekend for a home cooked meal and a night out with friends (who if they have grown up might actually be elsewhere on a Saturday night).

My whole point is that UL need not close down for the weekend, students don't need to go home for the weekend and truth be told could probably get the play/study mix down a bit better. It works in the States...people see their friends from home at Spring break and Thanksgiving. I just think its not conducive to a campus community for everyone to abandon ship at the weekend for no good reason, to so stuff that they could just as easily do up here.

Rineanna

ninty9er wrote: »

UL has 60+ clubs and societies a city on the doorstep, the Lodge and plenty of stuff to do. Fair enough if people need to go home to work, but there is no need to go home EVERY weekend

I take issue with the word 'need'. True, if you're not working, you don't technically need to go home. But why is it so hard to understand that people may want to go home? It's irrelevant what facilities are available in and around U.L; if, at the end of the day, people just want to go home because it's their home, and U.L is just the place they've chosen to study for four years, then they won't care what facilities are around.

I come from the heart of the countryside that barely has those facilities you stated most places in the country have, yet facilities alone won't keep me in U.L every weekend. I couldn't give a toss about them for the sake of missing them for two whole days at the weekend. The benefits of seeing family and friends, if for nothing other than taking a break from the place, significantly outweighs the positives in my eyes, but that's just my case.

When you graduate and get a job are you going to go home to mammy every weekend for a home cooked meal and a night out with friends

I'm surmising most people won't, but that's their prerogative and not for you or I to dictate what's the right and wrong thing to do with your weekend. In fact, it's a little arrogant for any of us here to be pontificating what is the correct thing for people to do. Everybody is different; everyone's going to have different ideas of what's best to do at weekends. If you want them to just stay up at weekends for no other purpose than to make a better 'atmosphere' (whatever the hell that means) for the rest of the student body who stay up...well...that's just selfish. I still haven't been convinced as to why U.L is obviously the place everyone should be rather than where they come from.

ninty9er wrote:

(who if they have grown up might actually be elsewhere on a Saturday night).

Oh come on ninty9er, that's just a tad petulant. Thousands upon thousands of people from all age profiles, granted predominantly younger persons, go out week-in, week-out. That's their choice how they socialise and just because it's not your cup of tea doesn't make the masses incorrect in their choices, and certainly doesn't make any of us immature or in need of 'growing up'. Christ almighty, you'd swear everyone over twenty is tucked up in bed by 9pm every Saturday night; since when is socialising of a saturday night an immature action? (Note: I see a difference between Socialising and getting wasted drunk, and I'm referring to the former in my post; obviously the latter has a degree of immaturity to it, but each to their own)

ninty9er wrote:

My whole point is that UL need not close down for the weekend, students don't need to go home for the weekend and truth be told could probably get the play/study mix down a bit better.

Are you not tarring everyone with the same brush there? I'm sure the vast majority's play/study mix is just fine as it is as most have some degree of self control and discipline towards their studies. Yes, there may be a few who would benefit from your proposal, but I'm sure not everyone needs this weekends initiative to obtain good results.

ninty9er wrote:

It works in the States...people see their friends from home at Spring break and Thanksgiving.

Well good for them, but we have a completely different college system, and while Ireland and the U.S share significant cultural similarities, there are differences too, and not everything that works there will work here.

ninty9er wrote:

I just think its not conducive to a campus community for everyone to abandon ship

True, can't argue there.

ninty9er wrote:

at the weekend for no good reason, to so stuff that they could just as easily do up here.

How do you know? I'm sure if people didn't have sufficient motivation to go home, and ample incentive to stay in U.L, they wouldn't. But the fact of the matter is that, as it stands, students are returning home in their thousands: what does that tell you? That they're mis-guided? :rolleyes:

If the incentive is there to stay, then I'd imagine the weekend catmosphere would be a lot different than it is presently. But it's not and thus going home outweighs the benefits of staying around.

BostonB

Well there you have it. The only alternative to going home is to spend 4 yrs none stop in UL. That's not being narrow minded.

So they go home a lot, every weekend in fact. Because being at home every week will prepare them better for the "severe" shock of leaving college.

In an era of mobile phones and the Internet email etc. You have to go home to maintain relationships with people you've known all your life. Because they might forget you since you can't spend one weekend in UL it has to be 4 yrs none stop.

BostonB

Everyone goes home because there's nothing on. Who do they expect to organize things? Santa and his elves?

Realistically it's a small country and it's easy to go home.

Rineanna

BostonB wrote: »

Well there you have it. The only alternative to going home is to spend 4 yrs none stop in UL. That's not being narrow minded.

Point taken, but next time you might try contributing to the arument in hand rather than nit-picking on an admittedly unnecessary exaggeration.

So they go home a lot, every weekend in fact. Because being at home every week will prepare them better for the "severe" shock of leaving college.

Sorry, you interpreted incorrectly, but I'll explain again. If you base your whole social life in U.L for four years, you're obviously going to see an alteration in your social scene once you and your friends graduate. Some people will move away, others won't, but one way or another things will be a lot different post graduation. I'm just speaking for myself but I'm sure greatful to have my home friends rather than just relying on Uni all the time. Each to their own.
And, never said every weekend, but feel free to put your own slant on it.

In an era of mobile phones and the Internet email etc. You have to go home to maintain relationships with people you've known all your life. Because they might forget you since you can't spend one weekend in UL it has to be 4 yrs none stop.

What nonsense. Texting, calling, etc is fine for certain periods of time, but do you actually believe people don't go home at weekends because they specifically want to see friends and family? Of course they do, and fine if texting and calling suits you for several weeks at a time, but apparently a lot of people disagree. One of the main reasons friends of mine go home is to see friends from school/other colleges. Apparently texting isn't enough.

DJCR

*yawn*

the word "Circles" comes to mind.

BostonB

Rineanna wrote: »

Point taken, but next time you might try contributing to the arument in hand rather than nit-picking on an admittedly unnecessary exaggeration.

I don't think the point is taken. you're still doing it. "If you base your whole social life in U.L for four years". etc.

Rineanna wrote: »

And, never said every weekend, but feel free to put your own slant on it.

So we're not going with the no nick picking then?

Funny you don't seem to have a problem with a slant, if its one you create from thin air. No one said spend every day and night for 4 yrs in UL, or have your whole social life down there, or spend every minute within the "confines of the U.L environment".

Rineanna wrote: »

Sorry, you interpreted incorrectly, but I'll explain again. If you base your whole social life in U.L for four years, you're obviously going to see an alteration in your social scene once you and your friends graduate. Some people will move away, others won't, but one way or another things will be a lot different post graduation. I'm just speaking for myself but I'm sure greatful to have my home friends rather than just relying on Uni all the time. Each to their own.

Its called life. It changes. Thats how it works. Its traditional.

Mind you once you graduate and get a job, you can do what you do in college. spend the weekends at home, and with your schoolfriends. Theres nothing stopping you.

Rineanna wrote: »

What nonsense. Texting, calling, etc is fine for certain periods of time, but do you actually believe people don't go home at weekends because they specifically want to see friends and family? Of course they do, and fine if texting and calling suits you for several weeks at a time, but apparently a lot of people disagree. One of the main reasons friends of mine go home is to see friends from school/other colleges. Apparently texting isn't enough.

If you need to physically see everyone every 5 days I wish you well. 2 week holidays are going to be a problem though.

sceptre

It'd be nice if neither of you nit-picked. It'd be "being nicer" if neither of you argued by extremes, which is what you're doing, maybe without noticing:)

It's a vicious circle of sorts. Nothing happens in UL at weekends because many people go home. Many people go home because nothing happens in UL at weekends. UL tends to run off a four-evening week and arguably a four-day week (there are more people that either arrive back on Monday morning or go home early on Friday morning than you'd think).

I was out around UL last Sunday week and calling it a ghost town would be pretty accurate. I was waiting for the tumbleweed to dance by but maybe it had gone home for the weekend. Thing is, there are plenty of people around, or at least people who haven't darted home. Hundreds of international students and probably hundreds more non-international students who just don't go home. Some of them have jobs at the weekend, some don't. But very few of them wander around the campus at the weekends. They'll go into the library in smaller numbers, sure, but why would they hang around in a social way - apart from the Stables being open there's almost nothing else going on to put them in a place where they'd want to.

There are two workable part-solutions as I see it - have more going on at the weekends and let people know what's going on. Clubs sometimes run things at the weekend - for example the softball club had the last leg of their intervarsity in UL about two weeks ago. That's something to watch and have a laugh at but then there's presumably premiership soccer or curling or whatever the jilted generation are into on the telly as well so it's not exactly an easy sell. With regard to letting people know what's going on, there are still the traditional solutions for letting people know but lots of them are targetted badly - there are plenty of events run during the week that aren't even noticeboard-advertised as campus organisations rely heavily on their membership emailing lists, which isn't going to attract any spectators other than those on those mailing lists. The campus information screens could be useful for that when they arrive if they're managed well, though they're more a useful tool than a panacea.

The key thing is that there's generally sod-all on. Many of the more traditional clubs don't run things at the weekends because their players are committed elsewhere (and honestly, is there anyone out there interested in watching a GAA or soccer training session rather than an actual game?). Clubs like the OPC run an event every weekend but all of those involve travel away from the campus because that's what they do when they're not doing the climbing wall three nights a week so that's not something that is likely to get events on campus or life/atmosphere/whatever on campus.

You'll notice I've avoided reference to whether students should stay around at weekends. That's because I don't personally care whether any of you want to go home at weekends, if you do, grand, why would it bother me or anyone else. When i first arrived at UL I went home for weekends during the first year and then slashed the umbilical cord. But that's just me. If you hang around, cool. If you go home, cool. One could argue that you're part of the problem but you're not part of the solution as you're going to go home anyway and there are hundreds who don't. They're part of the solution. They're also the people for whom the solution should be designed. I've personally always found it odd that most UL students head home for the weekend, regardless of distance, compared with people in the US and the UK (and other places) but that's mostly irrelevant to the discussion as it just results in an attack-defence form of arguing that we've seen.

So here's the relevant question. People who want to hang around and bemoan the lack of things on campus when you are around in the weekend ghost town, what kind of things would you like to see on at the weekends? What would encourage you to leave your TV in your house and "come on down" as they say on one of those crappy telly shows? Bear in mind when answering that drinking and library books are already provided for. Go nuts, ignore realities like finance, required organisation and practicalities. But while ignoring those things, if you suggest bungee-jumping in the car park every weekend, know that that's unlikely to happen so try to keep what you'd like to see and experience vaguely within the bounds of possibility. And this is a question that's relevant to those who want to go home too - whether there anything that might be on at weekends that might cause you to want to stay around, even if you couldn't.

BostonB

Using the mirror approach obviously isn't working. Lol.

Not going home doesn't mean being chained to UL. A few of you might head off surfing, or into town. etc. Dunno why the tunnel vision of being confined to the campus. The point is your not at home. Where really isn't important.

Nockz

Yeah I would tend to say that the whole "join a club" idea is a bit exaggerated for the same reason that sceptre stated. Simply, they often don't run events because *drum roll* people will have gone home.

I just want to point out that everyone needs a break sometime. You seem to forget that we are not all dying for a buzz 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You also forget the older people living nearby that enjoy the relaxed weekends.

BostonB

kaji wrote: »

I...College is like school.....

Well it is if you treat it like that.

Each to their own. I wonder if the college was in Dublin, or London, would so many go home every weekend.

Zeouterlimits

BostonB wrote: »

Well it is if you treat it like that.

Each to their own. I wonder if the college was in Dublin, or London, would so many go home every weekend.

Of course not, for obvious reasons.
It would be a much longer journey (considering most students come from the surrounding counties).

Odd pondering, when you already know the answer.

BostonB

Might not seems to odd if you read this

If its the distance, in my experience most of the Dublin students also go home. I was more thinking there more going on in those places, outside of the college. That would encourage people to stay in Dublin for example rather than going home.

If most of the students are local, it begs the question did they pick the college because of the course, or because it was local. Assuming the latter plays a big part. The type of people who pick a college near home, are probably looking for a certain comfort zone, rather than going out on a limb somewhere completely different.

Some students deliberately pick a college away from home, so they can be independent from the parents etc. Enjoying living on their own etc.

CatFromHue

hi all
ive posted here already,
im a former ul student, graduated 2 years ago, from dublin.
the thing is i liked when most of the student body went home at weekends, and frankly hope it stays that way
i struggled in my course, aero eng, and so i used to get valuable study time in the library on the weekends, when it was quiet.
i lived in college court mostly and most of my housemates went home, obviously that made the house quiet, but they had good reasons and some of them where from places quite local
there is nothing wrong with going home on the weekend, most who do make up for it during the week, andi liked the vibe on the weekends on campus.
i did meet alot of my class mates on the weekends who also struggled, and there was usuallya party to go to

Nockz

Isn't that exactly what you posted earlier?

bogshepherd

im goin to UL next year an il defo be stayin at the weekends, but thats cuz id hav to get a train to dublin and a bus to monaghan which costs like 70 euro return... hopefully more people stick around or im gonna be a rite loner!