Accommodation

caitdebhail

Hey i'm a 6th year student, pretty sure i'm going to UCD next year but i'm still confused on the accommodation front. Gonna be doing Engineering and coming from Kerry i'll need decent accommodation cos i won't be going home every weekend.. i know the basics but the truth i want is answers to questions like the following:
-noise levels? (i like a party as much as everyone else but will i never get a wink of sleep?)
-craic? total opposite to the above question but we all want some fun haha
-oven?
-ensuite?
-relative distance to main buildings, shop etc?
-general opinions of the different residences

any comments are welcome i'm kinda set on student accommodation so i've been looking at Belgrove, Merveille, Glenomena, & Roebuck Hall.

Thanks:)

LiamOSullivan

caitdebhail wrote: »

Hey i'm a 6th year student, pretty sure i'm going to UCD next year but i'm still confused on the accommodation front. Gonna be doing Engineering and coming from Kerry i'll need decent accommodation cos i won't be going home every weekend.. i know the basics but the truth i want is answers to questions like the following:
-noise levels? (i like a party as much as everyone else but will i never get a wink of sleep?)
-craic? total opposite to the above question but we all want some fun haha
-oven?
-ensuite?
-relative distance to main buildings, shop etc?
-general opinions of the different residences

any comments are welcome i'm kinda set on student accommodation so i've been looking at Belgrove, Merveille, Glenomena, & Roebuck Hall.

Thanks:)

I can only really comment on Belgrove, but I should definitely point out that Gloenomena and Roebuck have no ovens. :eek:

Belgrove:
-Noise Levels? - Can get fairly bad if you're unlucky. That said, it's usually the case that you'll be involved in any noise making that would otherwise bother you. The lot coming in from the Student Bar can be pretty loud sometimes, but this is only a problem depending on where you live.
-Craic? - Lots.
-Oven? - Yes. Mine's pretty dodgy, but it'll manage to cook a pizza.
-En-suite? - Only if a wardrobe counts.
-Relative distance to main buildings, shop etc? - Door to door the Engineering building would be about five minutes, but you'll be in the Science Hub a lot which is just a little over five minutes. Centra, in Merville, is also a little over five minutes.

**Timbuk2**

A very quick summary of them.

Belgrove
-3 to a house, 1 bathroom. Ovens. Tends to be where a lot of parties are, but shouldn't be too much of a problem. Very good location in terms of getting to lectures.

Merville
-Same price as Belgrove as far as I know, but nicer. 4 to a house, but there's 2 bathrooms. Some of them are renovated, but I'm not sure which ones (maybe somebody else here does?). A bit further from lectures (not by much though), but Centra is situated in Merville, which is handy. Security at the gate is a bit like North Korea, but you shouldn't have much problems if you have your student card with you. No ovens that I know of.

Glenomena and Roebuck Halls
Very similar, similarly priced. Each has 6 to a house, but the rooms have ensuites. Glenomena is situated at the back of Merville, and Roebuck Halls is beside the Owenstown/Foster Avenue gate. Roebuck has a new building, which includes a catered option - you get breakfast and dinner made for you and you eat it in a cafeteria setting. It's very nice, but expensive, and 12 people share a house (but with ensuites) - again, no oven, no freezer (!).

There's a list where you apply online, it opens around June or so. Make sure you put your name down fairly soon when it opens - I was number 1700 on the list last year because I didn't know about the list system (it was new last year) so I got a very limited choice of accomodation when they got around to me.

SarcasticFairy

Pretty sure Merville has ovens (I know some are renovated so I'm not sure about them, but the vast majority seem to)

caitdebhail

thank you very much lads, comments are really helpful

GoldFour4

Just wondering when you can book a place for first year ? , nothing came up when i clicked the link on the website .

caitdebhail

i don't think you can book a place until June? i dunno its a really confusing system :S

GoldFour4

Yeah tis pretty confusing like i just wanna get it booked . The system ucc seems much easier , some of my mates have rooms booked on campus already I think ! I wanna make sure im on campus like im coming up from munster aswell !

Digits

malachyscott wrote: »

Yeah tis pretty confusing like i just wanna get it booked . The system ucc seems much easier , some of my mates have rooms booked on campus already I think ! I wanna make sure im on campus like im coming up from munster aswell !

What ya lookin to do?

chair

best thing to do is come up for a day and check all of them out, you'll be able to look in windows and look around the estates, that way you can gauge distances locations etc, Belgrove I think is perfect, can't beat 3 per house, and the massive kitchen, just go top floor (apts 5 and 6) to avoid the real noise!

J77

I'm originally from Kerry too!

I'd highly recommend you avoid belgrove at all costs. It's often referred to as Calcutta. I don't think I would have been able to last 2 weeks there without suffering at least one slump of depression. Roebuck catered is great i'd imagine but I've heard it's quite expensive. I'm not sure if regular roebuck takes first years anymore but if so I'd recommend that as number 1. It's ensuite, plenty of craic and noise shouldn't be too bad there. no oven.

Glenomena is pretty much the same set up as roebuck but a little less craic and not quite as new and nice. Still grand though.

If you choose merville make sure you get into one of the renovated houses as they have prepaid electricity and are much much nicer than the older houses. 2 bathrooms to 4. no oven.

Every residence is close to shops and campus and are all in the same general area so not much of a difference with location..

GoldFour4

Digits wrote: »

What ya lookin to do?

Commerce international - why ?

SemiMental

Im currently living in Belgrove, and I lived in Merville 2 years ago.
Both are about the same standard, they aren't fancy, but they do the job.
Im on the top floor in a belgove apartment and I rarely hear any noise. Rooms are a grand size for a student.
There is an oven in belgrove and in Merville (not sure about the renovated ones though). I rarely use it for anything but pizzas though.
Im about 3 mins walk away from most of my lectures, which is one of the main benefits of belgrove
I wouldn't bother getting Glenomena or Roebuck, as you are paying 1,000 euro extra or even more, for an ensuite.
.

caitdebhail

so basically if i'm trying to decide between Belgrove/Merveille or Roebuck (uncatered.. don't think i'd wanna share with 12 people) i have to make the decision between having to share the bathroom with 1 or 2 people or else having no oven? this is gonna be difficult..

Marthaa

Does anybody currently in UCD know when places can be booked? Have read on the website about dates in May and June but there is also something about a waiting list on the website that you can sign onto? Any clarity on this would really be appreciated

SirDelboy18

Which has the least security/ less strict about parties and bringing people back late?

LiamOSullivan

Belgrove.

That's not up for debate.

niamheng

caitdebhail wrote: »

Hey i'm a 6th year student, pretty sure i'm going to UCD next year but i'm still confused on the accommodation front. Gonna be doing Engineering and coming from Kerry i'll need decent accommodation cos i won't be going home every weekend.. i know the basics but the truth i want is answers to questions like the following:
-noise levels? (i like a party as much as everyone else but will i never get a wink of sleep?)
-craic? total opposite to the above question but we all want some fun haha
-oven?
-ensuite?
-relative distance to main buildings, shop etc?
-general opinions of the different residences

any comments are welcome i'm kinda set on student accommodation so i've been looking at Belgrove, Merveille, Glenomena, & Roebuck Hall.

Thanks:)

Hey, just thought I'd drop in my two cents as well.
I'm still in my first year and I also decided that I was definitely going to live in student accommodation. I also knew that I wanted an en suite so that narrowed down where I could live anyway haha.
I'm in Glenomena now, originally wanted roebuck but the booking process is v.v confusing. Just keep checking the website and get on the list if ye can, I didn't do the list thing but just applied the first day that it opened which was in like August I think?
Anyway, I'd recommend Glenomena or roebuck, you don't have an oven but you can buy them for e30 in Argos, and between 6 people that's not a lot each, well that's what we did, well sort of, I didn't actually pay anything since I never use the cooker and I brought the TV so there was no need for me to pay for it haha.
The way I thought of it was that you could go to the parties and then you get to go home after to a nice warm (my apartment is always warm) room and it'l be quiet, whereas if you live in the places that have the parties you have the threat of having a load of noise around you. I'd say this year roebuck had more first years than Glenomena but you'll always find someone your age that youl be living with.
Glenomena is also right beside Engineering, I should know since it's what I'm doing too, but as they said you don't be in it that often, mostly in the science hub which is a 15 minute walk for most.
I seem to have rambled on here quite enough, if you want anymore info about accommodation or Engineering just give me a shout!

000chris000

Just came across this thread....3 months later so ur probably on the waiting list but said id reply anyway! Im in the exact same situation, im hoping to study engineering next year, and trying to decide on accomodation. Im on thewaiting list, number 1791 so i should be sorted. Im almost full sure on glenomena for next year. The ensuite advantage is huge, and also they are meant to be much nicer apartements. Just be careful who you pick to share with. If you want the party side, share with more first years, if u wantto work hard, share with postgrads. Im hoping for all first years anyway best of luck in the leaving

niamheng

000chris000 wrote: »

If you want the party side, share with more first years, if u wantto work hard, share with postgrads. Im hoping for all first years anyway best of luck in the leaving

You don't get to choose who you live with though? Well I suppose if you wanted to be with your friends you could try and arrange to pick the same apartment but apart from that I don't think you can, unless it's different this year of course!

000chris000

Ya apparently its all after changing, from what ive read on here - ur free to pick whichever room you want when your booking, and u can look at the rooms and see whos allready booked into it - it tells u what year theyre in, and what course theyre studying. So the whole thing about roebuck being all postgrads, meriville all first years is pretty irrelevant now, seeing as u choose who u want to share with

Smeefa

I was in Merville this year, I know for definite apartments 12-15 are new and really nice. No ovens though

himynameisbob

hi all
i'm coming for a semester on exchange to UCD, and so far the gist i've gotten about the accom is

* glenomena = ensuite, possibly no oven, not much craic ( )

* merville = only good if you manage to get the renovated apts, but close to Centra and more craic than glenomena

So my question is, which apts in Merville are renovated, for sure? Also, if I'm basically coming to have a good time, but want a decent/warm/clean place to stay, would you recommend merville or glenomena?

Cheers! xo

swatch

Stay in glenomena and go to merville for the house parties, that way you can come back to a nice quiet warm apartment!

frser32

what time does it go online on the 8th does anyone know?

supernutrino

SirDelboy18 wrote: »

Which has the least security/ less strict about parties and bringing people back late?

No such place.

Depends on the RAs you get, some are moderate some are drunk on power.

They won't say what time its going online because they don't want everyone going on at the same moment and crashing the servers. Some time in the morning before 12.

supernutrino

Just to say having lived here since first year, in final year now...the security and restrictions are not as strict in practice as it is on paper, it will be in the start of the semester cos people go a bit mental in first few weeks, but after that it will realx a bit.
..and a tip, if you do what the RAs ask you won't get in trouble, if you start hurling abuse at them and saying ridiculous things like "i know my rights" you will end up digging your own grave. If they're in your apt its because your too loud and someone has complained, so if you avoid shooting the messenger you will have a much easier year, they don't make the policy they just enforce it.

They're all under the same system of security, though I wish Belgrove had more!

moppethead

himynameisbob wrote: »

hi all
i'm coming for a semester on exchange to UCD, and so far the gist i've gotten about the accom is

* glenomena = ensuite, possibly no oven, not much craic ( )

* merville = only good if you manage to get the renovated apts, but close to Centra and more craic than glenomena

So my question is, which apts in Merville are renovated, for sure? Also, if I'm basically coming to have a good time, but want a decent/warm/clean place to stay, would you recommend merville or glenomena?

Cheers! xo

Hi, I emailed the res people and they said 11 - 21 Merville are renovated:) But I hear heaps of different things. I've heard houses up to 25 are renovated but I'm not 100% sure! I'm in House 18 yay:)

Emzer92

caitdebhail wrote: »

make the decision between having to share the bathroom with 1 or 2 people or else having no oven?

I'd take the shared bathroom and oven any day!

I'm thinking of going to UCD in September too (Science omnibus or Radiography, if the points go well!), and I really want to live on campus too. I'm not a party animal, I value my sleep and I'd be delighted to get a place w/ a fully functional kitchen! Any recommmendations?

Also, since I'm from the bottom end of Kildare, will this affect my getting a place on campus?

frser32

Emzer92 wrote: »

I'd take the shared bathroom and oven any day!

I'm thinking of going to UCD in September too (Science omnibus or Radiography, if the points go well!), and I really want to live on campus too. I'm not a party animal, I value my sleep and I'd be delighted to get a place w/ a fully functional kitchen! Any recommmendations?

Also, since I'm from the bottom end of Kildare, will this affect my getting a place on campus?

New Mervillle would be best I think, you have to share a bathroom with 1 other though. If you want an ensuite go for Roebuck Hall its a thousand extra though compared to merville, room is larger than Merville but the couches suck and theres no oven. Security is really lack coming home from a night out as well In Roebuck compared to the Merville gates. It dosen't matter that your from Kildare, you have the same chance as anyone else applying from all over in gaining accomodation, they don't take distance into account anymore.