Halls or other accomodation

Quirkyduck

Hi everyone...
I have been accepted to halls as part of the Sceim conaithe and was delighted but... my friends aunt has moved out of her old house in phibsborough for the year and has offered it to the two of us for only €50 a week. I'd have my own Double bed, massive storage, house is alarmed, a dish washer, dryer washing machine etc, parking, own bathroom, music room to practice, sitting room, study, its a really nice house!!
My parents have said money wise, I'm happier with halls they'll pay but I'm conscious I would save them a fortune lving in the other house.
Basically wwhat I'm asking is am I missing out not living in halls? My house mate is going to DCU and there will be only 10 in my class. I plan on joining loads of societies anyway and I'm very out going so making friends is ok for me, oppertunity wise am I mad turning down halls?

Advise please!!

Ron DMC

Massive house would be good for sessions.

A Neurotic

^Ná éist leis, the Scéimers are going to be where it's at :cool:

You'd be mad not to go for that house.

Ron DMC

A Neurotic has a good point too actually, bheadh na seisiúin sa Scéim thar cinn chomh maith.

t0mm

Personally, I'd go for Halls. All those things you've listed are convinient, but you'll get by easily without them. The appartments in halls are big enough and there is a music room in oldham when you can practise music if you want. Also all rooms in Halls are ensuite (except Cunningham but no one cares about them).

Aoibheann

Ok, pros and cons of both:

House:

Pros: You have your own space, with a good friend of yours, convenient location for the city centre and for college, sounds like a huge place with pretty much everything you need, you could have major sessions as has been pointed out (presuming the aunt is fine once the place is returned to her at the end of the year the way she left it), freedom to come and go as you please and have whoever you want staying over, and I haven't even got started on the price yet. 50 quid a week? If you don't want it I'll take it (although sadly I have my own more expensive and slightly less amazing place sorted, though I love it).

Cons: you don't get the same atmosphere as you would in Halls (though having never lived there I can't say if this is a pro or a con tbh!) and so won't automatically meet as many people as you would in Halls. I can't see any other con.

Halls:

Pros: You get to live with a load of people in basically the same situation as you - first time living away from home, etc. It could turn out to be one never ending session, you'll meet loads of people etc.. Decent location I guess too, not too far from the city centre.

Cons: You get to live with a load of people you may end up disliking (although people have fallen out with best friends when they start living together so that could well also apply to any situation), noise, wardens.. I think you have to sign people in to stay overnight, basically less freedom. Not to mention the price which is well more than you'd pay in the house.

I think it's fairly obvious that I'd pick the house. You'll meet your classmates, you'll meet a load of people come freshers week and especially from joining various clubs and societies. These things would all happen whether you live in the house or in Halls once you get out there really! I honestly don't think you're missing out if you choose not to live in Halls. Halls never even crossed my mind (expense was a huge thing for me though considering I'm paying full tuition fees for this year having done a year of a different degree), but I'm really happy with where I'll be living and I don't see it being a problem with regards meeting people. I've dozens of clubs/socs to join and I imagine I might just meet a few people there!

Basically it all comes down to what *you* want considering your parents seem to be ok with your decision no matter what, and seem to be ok with paying for halls if it comes to that. My advice - think about where you'd be happier living and go with it.

*phew* That took up far more space than expected, apologies!

PrinceMax

Well, this is a pretty easy one. Halls is not all it is cracked up to be. In fact, it is a complete waste of money. If it was a choice between your own gaff and campus, then maybe, I'd go with Trinity accommodation.
Halls is expensive. I reckon Miltown is a longer walk than Phibsborough.
You'll have a great time in your own gaff. When you have your own gaff:
1 You can have parties when you want.
2 You don't have to go ask permission to have someone stay.
3 Nobody will come in to make sure your room is tidy, three times a year, and fine you if it isn't.
4 Nobody will tell you to take your posters down.
5 You will presumably have hot water when you want it, and not be at the mercy of whoever in Trinity controls the hot water.
6 You will not have to get up at 7am for a firedrill after only getting in at 6am.
7 You will not have to pay 100 euro for failing to attend a fire safety lecture where they tell you interesting facts about various fire extinguishers.
8 You won't have to live with people you don't like.
9 You will be a tenant, and not a guest

Quirkyduck

wow ok thank you guys!!! I really appreciate all the advice there!! I think I'm going to go with the house....

t0mm

Not that I want to make assumtions, but I'm guessing that anyone who said take the house hasn't lived in halls.

1) The appartments in Halls aren't tiny like people are assuming. There is plenty of room for everyone to live without getting under eachother's toes.

2) Though you are supposed to sign people into Halls, I have never had a problem bringing people back after a night out. On the rare occasion that there was a security guard on the front gate, we walked around and went in the side one.

3) Out of all the people I knew in Halls, only one had a problem with one of their house mates, and that was only because their house mate complained a lot. Plenty of other people around to talk to.

4)The less freedom thing. Yeah, you have less freedom, in that you may have to be quiet late at night, and have to put up with house-keeping checks. Oh no, I have to tidy my room like 3 times a year, and can't play music full volume at 3 in the morning. Disaster.

5)I have never heard of anyone being told to take their posters down.

6)You can have parties. Well, more pre-drink sessions than parties, but the wardens will generally turn a blind eye until about 10.30ish, which is when you'd want to start thinking about heading into town anyway.

7)In Halls you have 800+ other first years of the same age from all over the world all going through the exact same experience as you, making new friends, getting used to college, getting used to a new city. This alone makes making friends in Halls far far easier than making friends in any society or even several societies alone. And with Halls there is nothing wrong with making friends with people in societies as well. The fact that everyone in Halls in new to eachother makes making friends easier as people in societies have known each other for a year at least already, making it slightly harder to get in there.

8) Ever single person I know who didn't live in Halls in first year wished they did. Without exception. The JCR run nights for Halls residents weekly, Casino nights in Lily's, paint balling trips, sleepovers, silent discos, pub crawls, anything. Name a night out run by a society in college, Halls had their own.

9) In halls, there was some kind of session going on every night of the week, year round. How many parties could you have in your gaff? 2? Maybe 3? Don't kid yoursef, Philsborough is pretty far out, not only from the CC but also from where most other students live, which is around Rathmines/D2.

10) Yeah, halls was more expensive. Coming from someone who paid for it all themself out of their own hard earned cash, it was worth every penny.

At the end of the day the choice is your's, but I ask you to listen to someone who actually lived there, not people who are going off hear-say.:rolleyes:

SligoBrewer

Quirkyduck wrote: »

wow ok thank you guys!!! I really appreciate all the advice there!! I think I'm going to go with the house....

Freeing up space for SligoBrewer on the Sceim..;)