Trinity or Galway ?

CallMeDoctor

Id like to study medicine next year but im torn between these two universities! I know people who seem equally happy in both which would you recommend? (i live in munster)

biko

Where would you prefer to live? Galway or Dublin? In Galway you can probably walk to the uni etc.

Carsinian Thau

If you live in munster wouldn't UCC make more sense?

CallMeDoctor

Carsinian Thau wrote: »

If you live in munster wouldn't UCC make more sense?

Good point but im not stayin at home (i hope ) by munster i mean clare:pac:

Bummer

Would galway not be better for you,Its not to far away from home if u had 2 go home for a eve...Also take into consideration prices in Dublin city center and Prices around Galway city center.....for myself,between Dublin and Galway id go For galway....Sounder people in my op:)

fifomania

OP, really good post. I'm in the same dilemma. Hard to know which is better. Dublin is so pricey but easier to get to (for me). I've only been once to Galway and found it more personal than Dublin.
If I was you I'd prob go to Galway, just for convenience sake.

qwytre

Galway isn't that much cheaper than Dublin.

But Galway would be my choice having been there for 5 years in college and now working in Dublin for the last 8.

kevmy

qwytre wrote: »

Galway isn't that much cheaper than Dublin.

But Galway would be my choice having been there for 5 years in college and now working in Dublin for the last 8.

Ah it is. You save a euro a pint. Say average of 6 pints a week for 30 weeks and thats 180 just on drink.

Plus rent is cheaper.


I reckon you could easily save a grand a year living in galway.

TheInvisibleFie

Pick Galway.

I'm from the general area and I just don't think it's worth going to college in Dublin.

People I know who were nice normal kids became so insular in Trinity. Dublin city can be great craic but even the last day when I went out girls were saying how they really didn't know the city because they thought everything was so far away they barely left the Trinity campus. That's something you won't have in Galway. Yeah there will be people who have a triangle of College-Corrib Village-CPs but they get over it. The Trinity crowd just seem to get worse.

And some of them will go on (and on and on) about how much world class lecturers they have and about how old their college is but I don't know how important that really is to your time at college.Loads of people from my year have gone to Trinity and dropped out because they really hated it there.

Galway isn't perfect. The year is a bit short (medicine possibly goes on longer than others if it does it means you can enjoy the year and have time to study when the arts students are gone home and not causing hassle) and plenty of people go home at the weekend (once again, this means you can study at the weekend or get involved in stuff going on in town).

Also, on the money aspect. If you're going out in Galway some lovely people standing on the streets give you free stamps into places but no one seems to do that in Dublin.

And yes all this is very objective and scientific!:)

leninbenjamin

i did my under grad in Galway and am doing a masters in Trinity.

in terms of organisation and personnel I found little difference tbh. I can't really comment on standards as there's a jump in masters level anyway, but i found myself a bit disappointed with Trinity. Thought the organisation and personnel would be better on the whole, but it's not really. Just more an emphasis on money making through research tbh.

As for the insular thing, yeah I can see how easy it is to happen. Dublin city centre just isn't a nice place to hang around, too much hustle and bustle imo. I tend to stay out of it unless I have to.

also, some Trinity students can become a breed unto themselves. I do know some people who I would have hung out with in secondary school, who wouldn't even be bothered to stop in the street to greet me now. But, it's a relatively small subset tbh, which can mainly be found wearing overgrown sunglasses and sipping coffee in the arts block.

the "Trinnerisation" process is weird though. After a few months of going to Trinity I've seen people go from wearing jeans and and trainers to pressed slacks and shoes. Find it really really odd seeing guys my own age wearing formal clothes into college everyday...

xp90

Galway, Hands down

Having been to trinity last year and not being able to stand the rubbish that goes on.

Im now after finishin 1st year at NUIG and couldnt have had a better year, made a tonne of sound friends, plus the academic staff are very helpful and friendly

i'm a smiler

I'm living in Waterford but really want to do medicine next september. I have Galway down on the cao but it will be a 6 year bus journey from home. Having said that it seems like a nice college with friendly, "normal" people. Should I put it ahead of rcsi in my list of preference? dublin is closer but....

Boxtyeater

It's in the mindset of the people that you'r dealing with in the post student life.
Trinity........wealth/placement and status.
Galway......hurlers, footballers and farmers....

But fair play....good to be in that position.

pmg58

i'm a smiler wrote: »

I have Galway down on the cao but it will be a 6 year bus journey from home.

Thats a hell of a bus journey.

i'm a smiler

pmg58 wrote: »

Thats a hell of a bus journey.

Oh god yeah 6 years lol! what I mean, obviously, is 6 hours!!:p
But that is still a long journey. ..

Would there be many who come a good distance like that to galway for college??

pmg58

Not that many to be honest. I had to travel 3 or 4 hours myself, and I found it was a fair journey. I suppose it depends on how much it would bother you to not get home every weekend. I can tell you that some of the best craic is had at the weekends, but if you get easily homesick, then it might be a bit much.

i'm a smiler

tbh I don't plan on coming home every weekend, wherever I go. Although my mum doesn't know this yet, so maybe she will the homesick one! lolI never even went to the open day and I have only been in galway once before.But I do want to do medicine. Maybe I'll take the plunge and out it down on the cao...Would it be hard to fit in if everyone is from the same general region??

pmg58

No there'll be people from all over. As far as I know, in medicine theres also a lot of international students, for example a high proportion of Malaysian students, so I don't think being from the South East will make you stick out that much :pac:

i'm a smiler

Thanks for all your advice! okay, will put galway down! Is it tough to get accomodation, I would like to be with other first years if possible? Any recommendations?

pmg58

Up to you! Just don't hold me responsible if you don't like it!

Accommodation: official student accommodation is gonna be pretty hard to get at this late stage, probably impossible. Your best bet would be to look on daft.ie I'd say but it'll probably still be too early at this stage of the year to find anything.

TheInvisibleFie

Most student accomodation would be difficult to get at this stage but you should call them up and get your name down on backup lists because by the time the CAO somes out people who have got accommodation might decide to go to another college, might not have gotten into NUIG, or might have decided against college at all.

NUIG doesn't run any of the student residences. They're all run by seperate companies. Corrib Village is one loads of first years go to. It's ten minutes from college, basic, and where you can meet loads of new people. Gort na Corribe and Cuirt na Corribe are over the bridge - so a bit further from college but close to town (as well as the cinema, dunnes, tescos, and lidl). They're the ones most likely to be booked out.

Past them again is Centrepoint. It'slovely accommodation but is a serious walk (especially over that bridge). Seriously want to get a bike if you're thinking about living there. Menlo I don't know about except it's meant to be

If you want more information check out some of the accommodation threads or contact the Accommodation Office.

eimsnic

go to galway! its way friendlier than dublin (thats coming from a dub) and just an easier place to live.
i think the points are a little lower as well, if thats a problem i'm sure you know that already though!!

plus everyone is so serious in trinity, went visiting my friend up there we all went out got home at 5, they got up the next morning for a 9 o clock lecture! a lot of them had never missed a lecture and this was march.
everyone knows any lecture before 11 is optional.
now while you do need to go to lectures, its not school. you won't fail the year by missing the odd lecture.

oh and relatively few d4s in galway! a better mix of people i think.

Cathal Kelly

It's gotta be Galway for noting

i'm a smiler wrote:

Would there be many who come a good distance like that to galway for college??

I went to galway from kerry (hate cork city)
The journey is sereously long, takes me 2 days to get home
But its not as if u'll be goin home every weekend
i only went home for christmas and 3 days at easter

galway people are really sound and if you join a few clubs
theres always loads 2 do at the weekend

Cathal Kelly

regarding accomodation
if ur doing med avoid corrib village
i would say cuirt na coirbe (probably full), gort na coirbe, dunaras or atlantis appartments

Zeping

Gort na coiribe is amazing... currently i staied there, and it is very close to the GYM.... only need to pass a bridge... but,maybe it is full now...

I think , Trinity is more famous, 'cause the media said it is same as Cambridge university or oxford...Is that true?...

Cathal Kelly

Zeping wrote:

Is that true?...

no, triniy isnt at all famous apart 4rm da museum

NickCarraway

qwytre wrote: »

Galway isn't that much cheaper than Dublin.

But Galway would be my choice having been there for 5 years in college and now working in Dublin for the last 8.

Rent is about half as much in Galway as it is in Dublin. It may not seem like a big deal now but it will in 5 or 6 years time.

laoiserick

Hi guys Just updating this thread

I'm in more or less the same dilemma here.
I'm in 6th year at the moment and I'm absolutely torn between Galway and Trinity.

It's between doing English and French in Trinity and Arts with Creative Writing in NUIG.

My head is saying Trinity... the usual reasons (the pretty buildings... the reputation.... prospects, etc.) and the facilities (the library) are class.

But my heart is telling me to go to Galway... smaller, friendlier, GREAT CRAIC.

Although is the craic too mighty at times? The problem - a friend of mine pointed out - about doing Arts in Galway is that a lot of the students doing Arts didn't actually want to do it in the first place... it was just a back up plan. So basically there wouldn't be as much emphasis on study as there is in Trinity?

Could someone please help me out here? Any insights would be very much appreciated!

Reillyman

laoiserick wrote: »

The problem - a friend of mine pointed out - about doing Arts in Galway is that a lot of the students doing Arts didn't actually want to do it in the first place... it was just a back up plan. So basically there wouldn't be as much emphasis on study as there is in Trinity?

You'd be hard pressed to find an Arts student who actually enjoys the work, if your the type of person who would enjoy talking about your course and want to do well then I wouldn't reccomend galway. It may be different in specific strands such as creative writing, I'm not sure. All I know is that I've yet to meet and Arts student who is there for the right reasons. I'm sure they exist but I haven't met one yet.

laoiserick

Yeah... I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to studying... One of the things drawing me to Galway is the fact that it's so laid back. However, it might be too laid back for me...

ethernet

laoiserick wrote: »

Hi guys Just updating this thread

I'm in more or less the same dilemma here.
I'm in 6th year at the moment and I'm absolutely torn between Galway and Trinity.

It's between doing English and French in Trinity and Arts with Creative Writing in NUIG.

My head is saying Trinity... the usual reasons (the pretty buildings... the reputation.... prospects, etc.) and the facilities (the library) are class.

But my heart is telling me to go to Galway... smaller, friendlier, GREAT CRAIC.

Although is the craic too mighty at times? The problem - a friend of mine pointed out - about doing Arts in Galway is that a lot of the students doing Arts didn't actually want to do it in the first place... it was just a back up plan. So basically there wouldn't be as much emphasis on study as there is in Trinity?

Could someone please help me out here? Any insights would be very much appreciated!

Can't speak for Arts specifically but, as a current Trinity student and NUIG graduate, I'd honestly say NUIG. BTW, the buildings in Trinity aren't so pretty once you get past front gate and the library is a joke if you want to take out books outside of hours - still waiting for automation in this regard! Much greater attention given to clubs and societies in NUIG IMHO. But the admin in TCD shows up that shower of useless and narky biddies in Áras Uí Chathaill so badly. NUIG is so relaxed though in comparison - no random security checks, no cameras in PC suites or restrictive access at weekends when you need to get something done. Anywho, that's only me babbling so follow your heart!