When do I book accomodation?

**Timbuk2**

I'm in 6th year, and thinking of going to DCU (juggling between DCU and UCD for Actuarial Studies).

Do I put my name down for campus now, or do I wait until I get my CAO offer in August? Is it ok to put my name down, but if I decide not to go to DCU (or don't get the points), to cancel it without fee?

Sorry about the stupid question but our career guidance teacher isn't great, and told us to research it all ourselves.

Nekro Man

yeah i'm prety sure you can cancel it without paying anything

time to apply is now without a doubt, sooner the better honestly, you'l hear about getting it or not not long after your CAO comes in

Josef Fritzl

I wouldnt advise anyone to live on DCU campus.
Its like Guantanamo bay with security. It ensures they minimise enjoyment and banter as much as possible. Eddie Hamilton the head of residents security is one of the toughests mo-fos around !!

stainluss

Josef Fritzl wrote: »

I wouldnt advise anyone to live on DCU campus.
Its like Guantanamo bay with security. It ensures they minimise enjoyment and banter as much as possible. Eddie Hamilton the head of residents security is one of the toughests mo-fos around !!

Maybe you were just upto no good, Mr Fritzl?:p

I heard security is tight..
Is it not the only place that you'll meet other first years, though?

Nekro Man

Mr.S wrote: »

Your course:p?

the first night on campus is always good craic tho, ther's been a DJ and shedloads of free pizza the last two years

MightyMighty737

I find the positives of staying on capmus in 1st year far outweigh the negatives tbh. Just remember the phrase 'don't be a knob' and ya shouldn't have any problems re: security.

Nekro Man

MightyMighty737 wrote: »

I find the positives of staying on capmus in 1st year far outweigh the negatives tbh. Just remember the phrase 'don't be a knob' and ya shouldn't have any problems re: security.

then look for off campus from 2nd year on

Nanaki

All I can say, to any students applying to dcu, apply for campus res too.
Campus is the perfect place to live for your first year in college.
I got to know so many people, made some very close friends.
If you hear someone saying "oh dcu has no social life, it sucks" - ignore them.
If you're going to stay in your apartment/house/whatever and make no effort to get to know people, then you have no social life. There's always something going on around dcu.
Get involved in clubs and societies too.

If you live on campus in your first year, you'll find it alot easier to get to know people. You're all in the same boat. And don't discount larkfield cause it's pokey. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and I'm enjoying the other accommodation campus has to offer too.

People go on about nobody being able to stay over etc.
As per the lease you sign, you're allowed guests up until midnight.
It is not feasible for security to check at midnight are guests gone.
It is pointless before midnight to check it's just residents coming in.
I'm sure you can work out for yourselves it's not difficult having someone,
reading the above 3 lines.

Josef Fritzl wrote: »

I wouldnt advise anyone to live on DCU campus.

This is crap. Anyone reading this thread looking for advice for accommodation, ignore this post.

Josef Fritzl wrote: »

Its like Guantanamo bay with security.

For the security of the students. Nobody can wander in after about eleven o'clock. How is this a bad thing?

Josef Fritzl wrote: »

It ensures they minimise enjoyment and banter as much as possible.

Bull****. I've enjoyed almost 2 years on campus immensely.
If anything, they overlook things for students.

Josef Fritzl wrote: »

Eddie Hamilton the head of residents security is one of the toughests mo-fos around !!

Untrue. Tbh unless you're acting the mick and locked out yer head, or causing damage to the place, you'll likely not encounter him.
He's tough but not a horrible person. He does his job.

@Josef Fritzl - have you lived on campus?

Cy_Revenant

I lived on Campus Res for three years in a row, and it was great.

Good apartments (ignoring Larkfield) within a two minutes walk of your lectures.

Only inconvenient if you're fond of taking randomers home.

Benny Lava

Cy_Revenant wrote: »

Only inconvenient if you're fond of taking randomers home.

Maybe that's why Mr.Fritzl doesn't like it...

Noodleworm

I'm ok with the security,
yeah its a annoying if your friend suddenly needs a place to crash but it can't be helped.
The way the apartments are built in Larkfield noise travels very clearly, you can hear everything that goes on outside as well as in most the apartments around you.
If there was a ton of people around and parties going on you'd never sleep.
The other rules are fairly easy to understand. no ridiculously loud music past 12, don't leave the common rooms in a mess etc...

Daysha

Noodleworm wrote: »

I'm ok with the security,
yeah its a annoying if your friend suddenly needs a place to crash but it can't be helped.
The way the apartments are built in Larkfield noise travels very clearly, you can hear everything that goes on outside as well as in most the apartments around you.
If there was a ton of people around and parties going on you'd never sleep.
The other rules are fairly easy to understand. no ridiculously loud music past 12, don't leave the common rooms in a mess etc...

Unless they decide to close the common rooms for everyone because of the stupid antics of a few idiots, that pissed me off big time. I think our common room was open for about a month the second semester I was there.

snowcrazie

Definitely live on campus in first year, its great, you'll meet loads of people.

And Eddie is grand, very fair! The guys here in shanowen are way worse about parties! on campus they wait for a complaint to come kick people out!

You should have applied in February, the places are already allocated....
However some great news for you is that your going for actuary so if you hit the 500 point mark you automatically get on campus, not free or anything your just entitled to a spot so mail them asap to reserve. As far as i remember you pay nothing until the results come out.

And most of the actuaries live there so you have a good chance ending up with someone in your class as a room mate!

Noodleworm

first years don't get their places till July or something so they still have time to apply, current students are waiting for places any time now.

snowcrazie

Noodleworm wrote: »

first years don't get their places till July or something so they still have time to apply, current students are waiting for places any time now.

True but applications for them still started in February and its first come first served.... unless u get over 500 points of course!

I know people in my year who applied on the date applications opened in Feb who didn't get it and people who didn't even think of accom. till they got their results months later but did get accepted.

unfair? yes.... in this persons case its great tho.

Pygmalion

snowcrazie wrote: »

True but applications for them still started in February and its first come first served.... unless u get over 500 points of course!

Not true.
It's a lottery system.

I've heard that they might give preference to students who qualified for subsidised accomodation and/or those with disabilities, but I'm not even sure if that's true.

snowcrazie

Pygmalion wrote: »

Not true.
It's a lottery system.

I've heard that they might give preference to students who qualified for subsidised accomodation and/or those with disabilities, but I'm not even sure if that's true.

It isn't a lottery because they give preference to those with over 500 points, disabilities, possibly other people and then go on to distance from your front door to DCU.

I'm sure the details are all online somewhere as they were when i was applying.

Daysha

snowcrazie wrote: »

It isn't a lottery because they give preference to those with over 500 points, disabilities, possibly other people and then go on to distance from your front door to DCU.

Spot on. For 2nd-4th year students its a lottery, and a very tough one to win at that. Once you take out allocations for 1st years, disability students, scholarship students etc there ends up only being 400-500 places iirc, and last year they had up to 900 applicants.

I've just had a browse through my emails and last years allocation for 2nd-4th years was sent out on the Thursday of week 11, so if they're sticking to the same schedule it could very well be tomorrow.

Pygmalion

snowcrazie wrote: »

It isn't a lottery because they give preference to those with over 500 points, disabilities, possibly other people and then go on to distance from your front door to DCU.

I'm sure the details are all online somewhere as they were when i was applying.

Well, when I say it's a lottery I meant for those who don't qualify for it due to those circumstances, at least i don't believe that when you applied has anything to do with it.
Could be wrong though, and please provide a link if you find one about this, people have mentioned the 500 points thing and the distance thing before but I've never been able to find any info about it online, and a few people here said it's BS in previous threads on the subject.

Also, since it's been mentioned and might be relevant to those reading, the info on rooms being held aside for students with disabilities is here, and DOES state that rooms are set aside for those with disabilities.
I have no idea whether the subsidised accommodation is also set aside in advance, but last year I was called up a few days before the rest of the first years got their room offers with mine, so I assumed it was.

snowcrazie

School Leavers:

• To students who have applied before the deadline and have received 500 points.
• All other rooms are allocated on a lottery system.
• Offers are made subject to acceptance of a DCU course.
• Rent is payable in two instalments as outlined in August 2010 and January 2011.

http://www.dcu.ie/accommodation/school_apply.shtml

Thats where i found that but i'm fairly sure the second point is not true as people from further away are very unlikely to get turned away.

Current Students:

Rooms are allocated by random selection and will be offered in April 2010 and successful applicants must officially accept their offer within one week (i.e. pay the booking deposit and return the signed occupancy licence). Unsuccessful applicants are included in any further lotteries for any cancellations.

taken from: http://www.dcu.ie/accommodation/current_apply.shtml

Note the difference in wording not lottery "random selection",
when i applied in second year myself and my four friends were the first submission and got the first apartment in the first house.... coincidence?

... also they told us we'd get it since we applied early

And one of the five of us didn't get the offer first time around "unsuccessful" candidate due to previously getting a lot of fines (hundreds) , but we asked eddie nicely and he put him into our house.... nice guy.

Also ,

Q. I have a medical condition and therefore require on campus accommodation. Do I get preference?
A number of rooms are specially designed for wheelchair users and students with disabilities do get preference in the allocation of other rooms. However, you must specify this when applying online and we will require your Consultant/Specialist to complete an “ Evidence of Disability Form”.
Q. Financially, university life sounds too expensive. Can anybody help me?
The Access Service at DCU administrator a Subsidised On Campus Accommodation Scheme which is aimed at students planning to take up places at DCU, but for whom the cost of accommodation would prove prohibitive. The scheme is means tested. You can contact our colleague Cathy McLoughlin at cathy.mcloughlin@dcu.ie


all that took me all of five seconds to find.

snowcrazie

Q. Is there anything else I should know?
Bed Bugs - Due to the widespread bed bug problem in Ireland and following advice from our Pest Control Company, Campus Residences Limited will treat each apartment every three months. Campus Residences Limited is committed to making every effort to ensure your living environment is maintained to the highest standards.


haha thought I'd stick that up too, always found that amusing... and gross.