What Accomodation?

JohnnyBravo99

Hey, so I am currently in first year at DCU, and I am commuting everyday, which sucks

I put this up here to see what is the best accomadation around?

I am leaning towards applying for Shannowen, for the 2011/2012 year.
Just want to see what people think! Thanks!

Benny Lava

Shanowen is roughly the same price as Hampstead but has numerous advantages such as sounder security, lack of ridiculous fines and nicer/bigger bedrooms. Other than that there is Gateway but that's not all that near DCU.

Shanowen is a good call.

Daysha

Benny Lava wrote: »

Shanowen is roughly the same price as Hampstead but has numerous advantages such as sounder security, lack of ridiculous fines and nicer/bigger bedrooms. Other than that there is Gateway but that's not all that near DCU.

Shanowen is a good call.

Yeah, the only thing Hampstead has got going for itself over Square is the better internet and the lower cost. Shanowen is better in pretty much every other way.

DCUlad

Daysha wrote: »

Yeah, the only thing Hampstead has got going for itself over Square is the better internet and the lower cost. Shanowen is better in pretty much every other way.

I thought Shanowen was 100 euro per week including all expenses ?
Can someone in the know confirm this ?
If so, it's way cheaper than Campus.

Benny, would you have any experience of these fines ?

I must say, Guantanamo Bay (aka Larkfield) seems to be buzzing this year.
Common Rooms packed, people pissing down stairs, corridors full of people drinking, it's the place to be if you don't mind living in Jail Cell conditions and not sleeping.

Also be aware if going for campus, Special Agent Hamilton will be on your case shall you put a foot wrong !!!

phantom_lord

Would sharing a house not be the best option?

Benny Lava

DCUlad wrote: »

Benny, would you have any experience of these fines ?

Yes. The last inspection left me with a few fines, even though my place was in a reasonable state (no worse than before when I had escaped fines).

Some of the things you get fined for are ridiculous. I know a guy who was fined a lock of money for gently kicking doors, having done absolutely NO damage to them. Then again this hardly comes a surprise considering Campus Residence made a €1.5 Million profit last year. Quite the attainable target with enough ridiculous fines!

Daysha

DCUlad wrote: »

I thought Shanowen was 100 euro per week including all expenses ?
Can someone in the know confirm this ?
If so, it's way cheaper than Campus.

Gateway - €3960 (plus €16 p/week for utilities)
Larkfield - €4048
Hampstead - €4165
Shanowen Hall - €4320
College Park - €4421/€4681 (standard/deluxe)
Shanowen Square - €4540

Campus accommodation have a booking deposit of €300 and an energy deposit of €330. Square have a once-off deposit of €350 and for Hall its €400. So even though you're paying more up-front to Campus Res at the start of the year with the bigger deposit it still works out cheaper.

DCUlad

Benny Lava wrote: »

Yes. The last inspection left me with a few fines, even though my place was in a reasonable state (no worse than before when I had escaped fines).

Some of the things you get fined for are ridiculous. I know a guy who was fined a lock of money for gently kicking doors, having done absolutely NO damage to them. Then again this hardly comes a surprise considering Campus Residence made a €1.5 Million profit last year. Quite the attainable target with enough ridiculous fines!

Who are these campus residents KONTS ?
It says "campus residences Ltd" so am guessing its a company, out to fleece students for the material benefit of a few.
If so, what are they giving the college for these facilities? Or why do the college not run the company themselves, at lower more affordable rates ?

Charging in excess of 4,000 for Guantanamo Bay is a disgrace. It's no wonder they show the set up to as little amount of students as possible.
Am guessing, the vast majority of people living in Larkfield (i did myself) have never seen it's 18th centuary confines before paying the money upfront !

Benny is right about the fines. Surely it's not fair that these fines go towards the profits of the company?
Why isn't money raised from fines, used for the benefit of the residence/gave to the university/charity/etc ?
They throw out fines like confetti at a wedding, with Agent Hamilton told to clamp down on them peskey kids and take as much money as "he" can.

ldxo15wus6fpgm

DCUlad wrote: »

Who are these campus residents KONTS ?
It says "campus residences Ltd" so am guessing its a company, out to fleece students for the material benefit of a few.
If so, what are they giving the college for these facilities? Or why do the college not run the company themselves, at lower more affordable rates ?

My guess is: it is the college running it, they have a company set up so that if they make a profit (which they do, a hefty one) they can walk away with it instead of putting it into the college treasury.

Charging in excess of 4,000 for Guantanamo Bay is a disgrace. It's no wonder they show the set up to as little amount of students as possible.
Am guessing, the vast majority of people living in Larkfield (i did myself) have never seen it's 18th centuary confines before paying the money upfront !

While that is true, pretty much anyone with a bit of cop on knew it wouldn't exactly be a palace. I like to see it as a rite of passage

Benny is right about the fines. Surely it's not fair that these fines go towards the profits of the company?
Why isn't money raised from fines, used for the benefit of the residence/gave to the university/charity/etc ?
They throw out fines like confetti at a wedding, with Agent Hamilton told to clamp down on them peskey kids and take as much money as "he" can.

I agree that the fines should be used for the benefit of students/the college etc., but as you pointed out, as it's a ltd. company and so they don't have to. Seeing as they make such a huge profit every year they should reduce prices across the board too.

In fairness, most people seem to think Ed is a sound enough guy once you don't act the bollox and get on his bad side. That being said, neither me or my roomie (and most of my friends) haven't been fined once all year and we're no angels :pac: I think a certain Ukrainian man is much worse for giving out on the spot fines.

The room inspection fines seemed a lot more unfair though. They should cop on a bit if they expect us to have the standards they seem to demand. Fella across from me got fined 10 euro because there was a white bit of fluff on his carpet.

Also the craic with closing the common rooms because there were a few beer bottles left on the table is ridiculous. Next time they all get closed at the same time I'm going to go and have myself a good ****ing whinge at them.

irish_boy90

I would recommend Shanowen, living there this year and it has been grand.

Daysha

I should say my only problem with Shanowen (apart from the internet) is the electricity usage. They emailed me just before Christmas saying I overused my heating and are going to charge me 27c for every day I go over it. This after the coldest December on record!

johnmcdnl

Daysha wrote: »

I should say my only problem with Shanowen (apart from the internet) is the electricity usage.

I got a letter about the electricity but I hadn't gone over the limit afaik - dunno what the problem with the internet is as it's been pretty much flawless for me and very fast too

Daysha

johnmcdnl wrote: »

I got a letter about the electricity but I hadn't gone over the limit afaik - dunno what the problem with the internet is as it's been pretty much flawless for me and very fast too

Well I'd average about 1-1.2MBs, compared to the 6-8 you'd get on campus. It never cuts out or anything, its just painfully slow on peak times like late in the evening, but during the afternoon it's grand.

MrPirate

Whatever you do, avoid Hazelwood. Sure, they have a number of privately owned places which are cheaper (otherwise 450 a month if I remember correctly.). The place is horribly insulated (Mold grows EVERYWHERE.), it's too far away, the electricity is a b!tch, and it's cold. Really cold.

nuggetclv

Are you assigned random roommates in Hampstead, just like in Larkfield?

Noodleworm

Same system as larkfield, pretty random unless you put down specific other people in your application.

sob1467

I don't think that my question is worth a new thread because it is closely linked with the topic in this thread. Anyway the question is what is the chances that you will get into on campus accommodation in the lottery. ( I doubt ill receive 500 points so if you don't you have to enter a draw foot campus) I am definitely going to dcu and need accommodation I will apply when they start taking applications but I am not sure whether or not I'll get campus. What in anytime opinion is there chances of getting campus through the lottery method 10% 50% or something like that?

ldxo15wus6fpgm

This is a complete guess, keep that in mind, but it seemed like whoever accepted their CAO offer first got the places on campus res? Nearly everyone I know here accepted the offer very early or immediately as they came out. I've only spoken to 1 person that applied for larkfield and didn't get it, and as it happened he didn't accept his offer till late in the evening. Might help your chances if you accept it early, might not!

andyman

Location comes into play as well. For example. A student from Tralee would have a better chance than a student from Drogheda or Wicklow.

johnmcdnl

i'm from cavan and applied for larkfield.. accepted my course as soon as i got the chance but i didn't get larkfield...

living in shanowen square now anyways and delighted i didn't get offered larkfield when i see the difference in them