Driving to UCD from Laois everyday...

squeek squeek

Does anyone do it?

I am considering doing it for the coming year because I think I would study more if I lived at home. I live around Abbeyleix and have made it to UCD on a good day in an hour and 20 minutes.

Obviously theres the whole cost thing. I have a car and its paid for but I dont think I can afford rent and car upkeep as I lost my job :mad:

It would probably cost me 100 odd quid in diesel if even per week. Which is the price of rent but I would have free food at home and and virtually no other expenses other than insurance and tax for the car.

I love driving. I really do but as my father pointed out, I'm an inexperienced driver (do have a full licence) and if we have a winter like last, I'll be up **** creek so far as making it to class is concerned for the month of December.

What are people's experiences of the commute?

brownlad

ye may swing by kildare and pick me up :P

**Timbuk2**

Also another thing to bear in mind is that it's difficult to get parked in UCD if you arrive after 9.30am. Some of the pay car parks might have spaces, but the free ones usually don't have spaces unless you're willing to circle around for about 30minutes! As it's unlikely that you'll have lectures everyday starting at 9, this may be a pain at times!

And if you do have lectures at 9, you may find that traffic on the Naas Road, Red Cow Interchange and M50 to be bad, so you'll have to allow extra time for that!

martineatworld

I know it's not the same, but I've commuted for a year from Mullingar, a bit closer I think. However I did it with two lads, we took turns driving during the week, and went in for whoever was earliest and left after the last lecture of the three of us.

Upsides
- saved money, a good bit.
- didn't drink as much, got a bit healthier.
- eh....

Downsides
- very tiring. would be too cream crackered to do anything most nights.
- missed out a lot on a social aspect, particularly important if you're a first year, getting to know your class and that.
- the days I did drive up by myself, got bored senseless. Won't apply to you as you enjoy driving.

It's definitely possible, but stay in Dublin if you can (if you enjoy it). Just my own two cents!

el cule

I know a chap who used to do it everyday from Portlaoise for two years, he got up in the mornings and back in evenings around an hour and 15 to an hour and a half..

It definitely worked out a lot cheaper than renting and he got a lot more study done, but you sacrifice a lot of the social side of college for it, he only went out in dublin twice in the year while we were going out twice a week!

If you do end up doing it though, you might find some other lads in college around Abbeyleix/Portlaoise who will chip in for diesel for lifts up on mondays and back home on fridays or for training or whatever..

Mycroft H

I drive from kilcock/broadford and its definitely cheaper then renting in college.

It took me 35-45 minutes depending on traffic and on the days I went out I kipped with friends

ironclaw

Suppose its a flip of coin, save money on rent and don't socialise, or rent and maybe have a greater social life. As has been said before, if you commute you won't be as inclined to go out. Now, you could stay up the odd night as well, just find somewhere to stay which shouldn't be too hard.

If we have a winter like last winter, you'd be screwed anyway. I live about 30 mins from UCD and even I found it impossible to get in (Considering I have a national road and motorway all the way there) so I wouldn't let that put you off.

Personally, if at all possible I'd suggest trying to rent in or closer to Dublin. If you forecast €100 on diesel per week, which is realistic, thats €400 a month you could spend on rent. You could live on that if you were clever. Swing a part time job and your laughing really. All for the benefit of not having to drive home, the stress of Dublin traffic (Trust me, its woeful on a damp November Friday) and the ability to get out and socialise.

You could always pop home on weekends. Personally I study better at home but given the library and other spaces in UCD for study, it wouldn't justify a 90 min drive home in my eyes.

The biggest stake against a 90 min drive for me, would be knowing that if you had lectures at 9am every day (Quite possible) you'd be leaving home at 7.30 every day (If not earlier to avoid traffic). By Friday you'd be knackered and I'd almost be concern driving at that level of fatigue. At a conservative estimate, if you left UCD at 5pm, you'd be two hours getting home. It takes me 50 mins for what is normally a 20min drive in no traffic.

bnt

I knew some people who drove in from Longford to Dublin every day for work: the trick was to leave and depart early. Really early - they would arrive before 7am - and were out of Dublin by 4pm.

Early starts are not hard to get used to; you just need to do it every day, including weekends, and your whole sleep cycle changes. If that means you're in bed before 10PM, that means you save on drink too. If a bunch of you do it, you socialise at breakfast. :cool:

Wisco

I'll be doing it from Kilkenny this year and reckon it'll be an hour and 20 mins as it's all motorway for me, although I have to be in for 8am so will be in before the traffic gets too terrible (or so I hope). I'll definitely be looking for commuting buddies to help with diesel costs, even if it's just some days each week. As I'm a little older than some students, and have lived the student lifestyle a few years ago, I'm not interested in the social aspect of UCD life, but I do hope this winter isn't as bad as last.

J77

When I was in first year I had a 40 minute commute but that could quickly turn into 1hr+ depending on traffic. I missed out on alot of the social events and missed alot of class too. I cannot stress how bad the parking situation was. If you're in before 9 its usually no problem. After 10/11 and you could be waiting 30 mins for a space! It's pretty soul destroying if you've just driven for 1hr30mins or possibly more if you got caught in traffic.

And I love driving too! But 30mins in traffic is not driving - it's just boring!

You also have to consider that if you are left without your car then you wont be able to go to college (e.g. issues with car, big freeze 2011/12)

I would recommend you find somewhere to rent near UCD if it's at all possible!

Fluorescence

You'll need to leave really early in the mornings if you'll have any chance of finding parking in the college. That'll just be another reason you won't feel like hauling ass out of bed on a cold winter morning and trekking up to Dublin for class. If you can deal with the fairly long drive, the early hours and the inability to go out as much as your mates who are living in Dublin then yeah, by all means go for it. If I were you though, I'd strongly consider ditching the car and renting close to UCD. It would be a better way to spend your money (you'll be spending your rent money on petrol going from Laois to Dublin and back every day anyway, so it'd work out similar enough). Have a good think about it anyway. You may find the commute doesn't bother you a whit

CG328

Would you consider bussing it everyday from Portlaoise? Saves a lotta stress and would work out a lot cheaper, theres a bus that goes from Portlaoise into campus