Campus Accommodation 2011/2012

gamma23

5989 wrote: »

how do you get yourself on the waiting list? did you get an email saying you didnt get campus?

Last years rejection email said you got on the waiting list following the instructions on your accomodation/studentboookings account

Dear Student,

Round 1 undergraduate allocations have now been completed. We regret that you have not been successful at this time.

...

If you wish to have your name placed on the list, you must log into your online acount and follow the instructions.

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL TO PLACE YOUR NAME ON THE WAITING LIST.

5989

gamma23 wrote: »

Last years rejection email said you got on the waiting list following the instructions on your accomodation/studentboookings account

haven't got any email and my account says my application hasnt been reviewed yet. Have emailed residences.

gaeilgeboy

Liquorice wrote: »

Got offered GMB; haven't even finished applying for my masters yet so I'm gonna hang on to make sure they don't tell me to eff off before putting a deposit down.

I don't think they're letting my apply until my postgrad's been accepted. How'd you get allocated a place?

Crania

Everyone I've spoken to has got a place on campus, including several people from Dublin. I find it hard to understand how I didn't get a place. I'm from well outside Dublin, will be a 4th year and applied with someone. Does anyone know if they use particular methods to select people apart from complete randomness and the application form? Perhaps they pick people based on how early you applied? I applied very late so I was just thinking that perhaps that was an issue.

gamma23

If anyone does have any idea how they decide I would also love to know, it would take one thing of my list of things to find out for next year.

cookiemonst3r

They put our faces on a dartboard and whoever gets a hit gets a room!!

gutenberg

The only people guaranteed rooms are scholars, and some club captains/society heads.

As far as selection goes, I was led to believe that there is a lottery process, with 'weightings' for factors like whether you're from outside Dublin etc., which determines a lot of the places.

Whatever method they use, it's patently ridiculous. Two of my best friends applied for campus together- one from the North, one from Dublin, and the friend from Dublin got it, but not the girl from the North!
Equally, I have friends who lived on campus this year, and they live in Dun Laoghaire, one of the best-served areas for public transport in Dublin! It boggles the mind.

Pet

Think that's bad? There was a guy living downstairs from me last year who was from Ranelagh. The town side. Wasn't a sports club captain or a scholar or nothin' either, but a class rep. Great guy and all, but like...Ranelagh? That's closer than most non-Dublin students ever get to live, and even if they do, they don't get the benefit of a full fridge and mammy doing the laundry and cooking.

Sometimes he went home for lunch. Ranelagh home.


*boggle*

ApeXaviour

gutenberg wrote: »

As far as selection goes, I was led to believe that there is a lottery process, with 'weightings' for factors like whether you're from outside Dublin etc., which determines a lot of the places.

I think you might not be giving the accommodation office's organisational ability the right amount of credit. It's much more likely each student is statistically weighted based upon an eeny meeny miny moe distribution.

goingnowhere

The insiders guide

1. Is final year student (+)
2. Have they lived on campus/halls before (-)
3. Lives outside Dublin (+)
4. Demonstrated engagement in community activity in TCD (sports, societies etc) (+)
5. Personal statement

So if you have never lived in Halls/Campus have a non Dublin address, are an active member in a CSC or DUCAC club/society and are a final year you are likely to get in

No secret its published online

Students with entitlements, e.g. Scholars, are allocated rooms according to the regulations governing their entitlement.
All remaining rooms will be allocated so as to meet the objectives of creating a vibrant academic community in line with the vision of College outlined in the Strategic Plan.
In order to give as many students as possible the experience of living in college residences, the expectation is that students would be allocated a place on campus for no more than one year (unless students have an entitlement to rooms).
Applicants will be distributed according to the proposed distribution given below.
Evidence of significant contribution to college life will be taken into account.
While preference will be given to applicants from outside Dublin, all applications will be considered.
Where other criteria are equal, rooms will be allocated by random selection.

PurpleFistMixer

Pet wrote: »

Think that's bad? There was a guy living downstairs from me last year who was from Ranelagh. The town side. Wasn't a sports club captain or a scholar or nothin' either, but a class rep. Great guy and all, but like...Ranelagh? That's closer than most non-Dublin students ever get to live, and even if they do, they don't get the benefit of a full fridge and mammy doing the laundry and cooking.

Sometimes he went home for lunch. Ranelagh home.


*boggle*

Maybe they put down some other address when they were applying? Totally ridiculous, regardless.

In other accommodation news, one of my intended future flatmates hasn't been offered a place, despite being a scholar. The office are saying it's because he's a postgrad and their offers go out later, but this makes no sense given one of my other future flatmates has received an offer, while also being a postgrad. (And neither of them are first year postgrads either...)

Crania

goingnowhere wrote: »

The insiders guide

1. Is final year student (+)
2. Have they lived on campus/halls before (-)
3. Lives outside Dublin (+)
4. Demonstrated engagement in community activity in TCD (sports, societies etc) (+)
5. Personal statement

So if you have never lived in Halls/Campus have a non Dublin address, are an active member in a CSC or DUCAC club/society and are a final year you are likely to get in

No secret its published online

1. I will be a final year student (+)
2. I have lived in Halls for one year, so perhaps that went against me, but I know lots of people who got campus offers who have lived in Halls for two years whereas I've only been there one year. (+)
3. I'm from south Co. Wexford, c. 160km south of Dublin city centre. I think that counts as being 'outside Dublin'. (+)
4. I have previously been on a college society committee, been involved with various different societies, am on the committee of a society next year and, in fact, I'm also the Chair of another (albeit small) society next year! Surely that's a demonstration of 'engagement in community activity in TCD'. (+)
5. I wrote a personal statement outlining all these things. (+)

Therefore, the only thing going against me is that I lived in Halls for a year two years ago. I didn't cause one single bit of trouble there so it's not as if I could've been 'blacklisted' or something.

Why is so much of the bureaucracy is Trinity so very inept? They better not leave it another two months before letting us know about offers for people on the waiting list.

goingnowhere

You lived in Halls for a year, thats a serious negative against you and therefore you were refused in line with the published guidelines.

Bear in mind "I am a member of society x" = 0, "I'm an active member of society x" = 0, "I am on the committee of society x" = something

There is a weighting attached to each element, they are not equal, thats the big secret. The policy is agreed with the SU welfare/education officer

estfos

Campus accomodation is overrated. I've had it twice, and it was worth it when city centre rents were hitting 700, but now that they've dropped so much, campus is more expensive for some added positives, but also some negatives.

Not being able to bring people home on a whim, whether its someone you've scored or a friend that needs somewhere to stay, is a big inconvenience. You're very limited in what you can do with your room, in terms of decoration, which can be annoying, as what trinity provides is often quite cheap looking. Basically Trinity is the nosiest/strictest/most irritating landlord you could possibly have, and it never really feels like "your place".

I'd recommend keeping your eye on daft over the summer and finding a really nice, very central place, for less than Trinity charges you. You'll have much more freedom.

dusac

Dingle Ranger wrote: »

I didn't say they get free accommodation. They just get guarantees of an offer.

And sorry I got it wrong about the club captain thing. It is only the bigger clubs that get a room. I know swimming club captain gets one aswell. Sub-aqua too.

Club rooms and accommodation are not quite the same thing! What DUSAC has is an underground, unheated, windowless dive gear lockup full of damp neoprene suits. We still love it, though.

Dingle Ranger

Hey,

I've been offered accomodation on Pearse St.(48.2.)

I've heard Pearse St. isnt great. No Internet or something.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Jegger

Dingle Ranger wrote: »

Hey,

I've been offered accomodation on Pearse St.(48.2.)

I've heard Pearse St. isnt great. No Internet or something.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

That must mean round 2 offers are out. I have yet to receive an offer despite the fact that I`m 4th year, was rejected from halls in first year and originally from Ulster. The society involvement is BS in my mind, some of us are too busy working every evening after college to bother with societies and/or are simply not interested in what's on offer, because of this we aren't allowed to live on campus.

Dingle Ranger

JonGaffer wrote: »

That must mean round 2 offers are out. I have yet to receive an offer despite the fact that I`m 4th year, was rejected from halls in first year and originally from Ulster. The society involvement is BS in my mind, some of us are too busy working every evening after college to bother with societies and/or are simply not interested in what's on offer, because of this we aren't allowed to live on campus.

Thats completely ridiculous. The tiny fraction of non-4th years that do get campus are there because they do contribute to various aspects of college life. Just because you don't gain from their being there doesn't mean others dont.

gutenberg

Dingle Ranger wrote: »

Hey,

I've been offered accomodation on Pearse St.(48.2.)

I've heard Pearse St. isnt great. No Internet or something.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Pearse Street is fine.

There is internet (not wireless, you'll need an ethernet cable), and most (if not all?) of the rooms have their own bathrooms. The kitchen facilities are a bit poor, especially if you would like to cater for yourself; I'm a scholar, so I was only using the kitchen for breakfast/lunch most of the time, but for my needs it was adequate.

The rooms are smaller than the GMB for example, but they're not tiny, and there's tons of storage space. It's a quiet area of campus, near the health centre. Overall I really enjoyed living there.

Jegger

Dingle Ranger wrote: »

Thats completely ridiculous. The tiny fraction of non-4th years that do get campus are there because they do contribute to various aspects of college life. Just because you don't gain from their being there doesn't mean others dont.

That's an opinion. I`d just like to point out I never mentioned anything about how I have never benefited from societies. What I did say however was that I believe society involvement should not effect ones chance of securing campus accommodation. Surly exam results are more important that society involvement, why then do they not take results into account? What does society involvement have to do with apartments? What do results have to do with apartments? Nothing really. The entire system of accommodation allocation used by TCD is ridiculous. Accommodation should be given to final year students living the greatest distance from the college (of course not effecting accommodation for students with special needs).

Ahoyhoy

Pearse street is an absolute kip. It's a dark, dank depressing hole, my friend lived there for final year and absolutely hated it. Only took it because they're from North County Dublin and wanted to be closer to the library (their commute was nearly two hours with traffic). By the end of the year they said it wasn't worth it at all, it costs ridiculous money for the amount of space.

gutenberg

Ahoyhoy wrote: »

... it costs ridiculous money for the amount of space.

The same could be said for a lot of campus accommodation in general, to be fair. Especially with how rents have fallen in the city in the past few years.

Personally, I would take a Pearse Street room over, say, Goldsmith, any day. THOSE rooms are depressing and dark, as well as being separated from the rest of campus, and noisy, between the roads, railway and building site out the back. They look and feel like a prison facility- one that you have to pay for!!

d93c2inhxfok4y

Anyone know what house 40 is like, and where it is? Just been offered a single room there. Better/worse than Goldsmith?

Dingle Ranger

JonGaffer wrote: »

That's an opinion. I`d just like to point out I never mentioned anything about how I have never benefited from societies. What I did say however was that I believe society involvement should not effect ones chance of securing campus accommodation. Surly exam results are more important that society involvement, why then do they not take results into account? What does society involvement have to do with apartments? What do results have to do with apartments? Nothing really. The entire system of accommodation allocation used by TCD is ridiculous. Accommodation should be given to final year students living the greatest distance from the college (of course not effecting accommodation for students with special needs).

So you would like to see accommodation in Trinity prioritised to those from Kerry, Cork, Donegal and increasingly few from counties closer to Dublin. Society involvement shows an active participation in 'campus life'.

nicola09

Has anyone here ever lived in Goldsmith House 61?

Kwekubo

Pablo Wet Catamaran wrote: »

Anyone know what house 40 is like, and where it is? Just been offered a single room there. Better/worse than Goldsmith?

Better. Nice and quiet, and central. The decor is a bit 1970s but it's perfectly serviceable and nicer than Goldsmith. Gas cookers. Downside is, apart from your bedroom, you have no common sitting area (unless you're in one of the two-bed flats).

nicola09 wrote: »

Has anyone here ever lived in Goldsmith House 61?

It's next to the railway bridge into Pearse Station, road noise can be annoying if your window looks out onto Westland Row, rooms are a little on the small side, and the electric cookers are poor. Decor is a bit dreary, but the paint/carpets etc have been done up recently. Kitchen/sitting areas are decent-sized.

Dingle Ranger

Kwekubo wrote: »

Better. Nice and quiet, and central. The decor is a bit 1970s but it's perfectly serviceable and nicer than Goldsmith. Gas cookers. Downside is, apart from your bedroom, you have no common sitting area (unless you're in one of the two-bed flats).


It's next to the railway bridge into Pearse Station, road noise can be annoying if your window looks out onto Westland Row, rooms are a little on the small side, and the electric cookers are poor. Decor is a bit dreary, but the paint/carpets etc have been done up recently. Kitchen/sitting areas are decent-sized.

You don't know what the ups and down of 48.2 are do you?

Sir Ophiuchus

I'll jump on this bandwagon and ask if anyone knows about House 38?

d93c2inhxfok4y

Kwekubo wrote: »

Better. Nice and quiet, and central. The decor is a bit 1970s but it's perfectly serviceable and nicer than Goldsmith. Gas cookers. Downside is, apart from your bedroom, you have no common sitting area (unless you're in one of the two-bed flats).

Awesome, thanks a million for your help. Just re: the two-bed flats. I applied with another person who also got the same accom, and our offer says it's a "twin room 40.2.05 in New Square." I presume that's the two-bed flats? Are they the same as above, just with a common area? Because that would be great.

Pet

Dingle Ranger wrote: »

You don't know what the ups and down of 48.2 are do you?

Three friends have lived in 48 over the years (and I *may* have crashed there while 2 of them spent periods away...), and I also did a stint as a cleaner for a few weeks one summer, so I'm somewhat qualified to answer this question...

Advantages:

-48-52 are sort of out of the way, and are thus pretty quiet, generally. You can overhear the hum from the Pav around exam time, but it's not distracting. HOWEVER...if your room faces towards the Beckett, woe betide you, because you will be awoken on weekday mornings by the gleeful (and sometimes just plain tantrum-y) shrieks of the children in the creche, playing right outside your window. On the plus side, you will never again take a laissez-faire approach towards contraception, and may develop new and interestingly-militant views on the mandatory gagging of children.

-Ensuite bathrooms! Never underestimate the power of ensuite bathrooms. I miss my ensuite bathrooms. The showers are no Botany Bay, but they're pretty damn good all the same. The lighting and decor of said ensuites make you feel like you're in a David Lynch movie, for super-extra bonus points.

-Lots and lots of storage space, for you hoarder-types.

-You're a spitting distance from the Health Centre. May be of use to you hypochondriacs. (??)

Disadvantages:

-the Accommodation Office call it a "kitchen"; it is, in reality, a shoebox. If you want to host your own campus version of Come Dine With Me, you are shít outta luck, honey. In fact, if you like cooking in general, it may be a bit of a struggle, but it's doable. Just. There is literally not enough space for more than one person to use the kitchen at a time, though. Seriously. It's tiny.

-Following on from the above, you have to eat your food in your room, unless you have a highly developed eating-whilst-standing-squished-in-a-corner-with-no-horizontal-surfaces skillset. This may be fine for the socially-phobic, but would probably be my biggest gripe (speaking as someone who never lived there for more than a week, anyway).

-The rooms are a little on the small side (but in a cosy way. At least I thought so, anyway.).

-the berth-style beds can make *ahem* Sexy Tiemz a little difficult. See this picture and you'll begin to understand what I mean.