Is UCD too big?

Cornetto

I'm looking at having UCD Commerce International first choice on my CAO, but have heard from some people it's too big and you never get too know a lot of people as opposed to DCU which I'm looking at aswell. I'm not shy or anything, just worried I won't be able to make a lot of new friends and all, cause I don't think anyone has UCD first choice in my year. Will the size be a big problem or will it make it better?

beardedmaster

If you make the effort, you make friends. LOTS of them.
Making the effort doesn't involve very much either. Just chat to the random person who you sit beside in lectures. Join a society, go to events - and when you'll be in 1st year, there'll be a bar back on campus too - you'll be grand.

haro124

First few days it seems massive but really quickly it seems far more compact . I'm a first year BCIT so I know what you can expect, the language classes are quite small so you get to know a lot of the people well ( especially in Chinese ) some lectures only have our course in it so circa 100 people, again you get to know people better! If you have any questions about the course itself please PM me !

themont85

Cornetto wrote: »

I'm looking at having UCD Commerce International first choice on my CAO, but have heard from some people it's too big and you never get too know a lot of people as opposed to DCU which I'm looking at aswell. I'm not shy or anything, just worried I won't be able to make a lot of new friends and all, cause I don't think anyone has UCD first choice in my year. Will the size be a big problem or will it make it better?

Won't be bad at all. Think of it as just a giant school. If you're in Arts I can understand the feeling but Commerce and the likes are broken into different classes with 40-50 in them.

ironclaw

themont85 wrote: »

Won't be bad at all. Think of it as just a giant school. If you're in Arts I can understand the feeling but Commerce and the likes are broken into different classes with 40-50 in them.

In a denominated course (i.e. Not Arts that has loads of options) your probably never going to see anyone else in lectures bar your classmates. So I wouldn't worry. I know people in Arts who didn't see their entire class until graduation.

The most important advice I'd give is to go out on every single event that your class is going to i.e. Nights out (First year is not the year to be living in the books) and join Societies / Sports Clubs etc. Some people don't like Societies / Clubs I tried it and wasn't too keen. But you'll find your way no problem. The biggest mistake made by many is not going out (Even if you hate clubs, just go!) and not getting involved on campus (Be that soc's, clubs, class reps etc)

I believe UCD is actually a very small campus. Its big but has a lot of green space which means your walking further between things. Having seen NUIG for example its massive. It has far more buildings and less green space in my opinion thus seeming 'bigger' as a result.

edgal

Your divided into smaller class sections, so you'll have tutorials and other small lectures with only 30 or so people. So it won't be as dauntingly big in that sense. Also bigger courses' class reps tend to organize more events so it may be a good thing.

Quinn school of business is regarded very highly internationally.

[Jackass]

You wont have any problem making friends OP, lots of events at start of the course to get to know people, and you'll have a class rep who will be easy to get to know and will be organising events. Even if you go completely on your own, bring a friend to one or two class events at the start if it makes it easier on you, and just chat to people from your course, as they will all be there.

Trust me, many many people will be in the same situation as you.

It's a point I've thought about though, it's a lot harder on students when there's no campus bar, as there can't be in promtue pints organised after a lecture or something, but hopefully that'll be sorted before you get here (it's supposed to be anyway).

Commerce is a particularly good course for socialising as it's pretty big too.

Other than nights out, you'll find chatting in lectures is easy enough, just sit amongst people.

You'll also have lots of tutorials and stuff in first year (probably) and that's a room of about 10 people meeting up once a week, so you get to know those people too.

Then you've got societies, which everyone suggests, but it's a good idea as usually you'll get the greatest number of people who don't know each other at those, and they have events also, I'd suggest joining some smaller societies as well as main ones, maybe like film society or something, as a smaller group its more likely to get to know more people quicker imo.

Also, if you're not from Dublin or are planning on moving somewhere near UCD, make sure you either stay on campus or get accomodation sharing with other UCD people outside of campus (lots of ads and stuff around the first few weeks looking for housemates) - if you do that you'll get to know millions of people, whether you like it or not!!

Anyway, I don't think people should ever be nervous about making friends in college, it's scary stuff going, especially if you don't know many people, but as with most things in life, it's never as bad as you think, and you'll settle in after a few weeks.

Ruski

It's really not hard getting to know people around here. Just talk to people and you'll be fine. I never really went into club or society things, and I was too young to go on nights out. If you have labs, those are probably the best time to get chatting.

jimmymcg

Spent 4.5 years here..its a perfect place to learn and make alot of friends you will have for life.. its near the city centre, but yet far enough away to have a safe sprawling campus. loved my time there..Pick it!:)

thisisadamh

Only 4 people from my year including me went to UCD. And I think it is better than less people go to the same university because I have made loads of new friends. I would describe myself as a shy person, I would not be one to say hello to a random person in a lecture. But even still I have made loads of new friends. Put UCD first, it is class!

jimmymcg

well said!

Cornetto

What about it compared to DCU though? I've never heard anyone say they didn't enjoy going to DCU but I have heard 1 or 2 people say that about UCD?

Maldesu

Cornetto wrote: »

What about it compared to DCU though? I've never heard anyone say they didn't enjoy going to DCU but I have heard 1 or 2 people say that about UCD?

UCD students can't really do a comparison to DCU since we aren't in DCU.

As for it being too big to make friends... I do arts, including English which has about 400-500 students in the lectures. I'm lazy when it comes to socialising and never really bother with Socs or Clubs. Still, I've made a number of friends both in my subjects and out of it.

Mix_Tape

As someone who is just going into second semester in first year, I must say that I don't believe UCD is too big. That though doesn't mean it's an easy place to make friends either. I'm not sure whether it's just a sign of the times we're living in, with everyone connected to social media and thinking their online friends are 'real' friends, or if it's just a case of the kind of middle to upper class socio economic classes and wealthy rural people that predominantly still attend UCD in particular.

Coming from a working class urban background I have found it quite difficult to integrate into life at UCD. Without being disparaging to the entire student body, my own experience has been that in the main those that attend the university stick to the same classmates they've had from school, who have inevitably followed the same route to UCD as themselves. If they do sway outside of that group it will rarely be to 'fraternise' with anyone who they believe to be outside their own social class per say. Whilst many may argue with that assertion and point out exceptions, of which of course there are, they are the exception as opposed to the rule. I'm sure there is many a reason for this but if I were advising someone from a working class urban background where to choose as the number one choice on their CAO, I would advise them to consider their options carefully before choosing UCD.

In the words of Samuel Beckett, Dublin Universities contain the cream of Irish society. . rich and thick.

jimmymcg

there is defo a slightly upper class feel to UCD these days..but there are a lot of normal people from outside of South dublin also.a good healthy mix!:D