On or Off Campus

Chrussell2

Hi,

I'm coming to UL to do a Masters in September and I'd like to gauge some opinions on accommodation. Basically I'd like to know whether I should stay on or off campus. I'm obviously thinking that on campus would make going to classes and the gym a lot easier, but just to get some opinions would be great.

Thanks

Jester252

On campus is expensive compaired to off campus.
On campus is safer.
Distance from both can be the same. Milford grange is closer to the gym than Thomond.
Do you know anyone around UL? On campus you'll be placed with post grads in a mostly post grad block. Off campus its a crap shoot.

Gael23

Much the same as what the last poster said. On campus is safer, generally better quality and closer to college. Also theres no issues with splitting bils or anything because its all done upfront. If there are any maintenance issues, you just tell the village manager and its sorted very quickly
Personally, I find its worth the extra money for those reasons. In my 3 years in UL I have only seen one or 2 houses that are maintained to a nice standard that I wouldn't mind living in.

Chris Martin

I live off campus and am at the moment paying 40 per week for house minus bills.
Bills on top of that would be internet (in a house of 6) 5 a month, esb is around 120 every 3 months and bins which was one payment of 25 each.
Depending where you live may have to pay TV on top of that, but we don't use it and not connected.
Granted I struck lucky and got a very cheap house, small basic room, but really it's all I need.
So bill wise, I pay 205 a month, was paying 300 last year for a house without heating just up the road.
Personally I don't get this safe business, never feel threatened in my house, live in a student dominant area, very close to some useful amenities. Superquinn, Lidl, Centra, several fast food places, cinema, post office, off license and a few other shops in shopping center, night club, pub and bus stop.
15 minute walk to college,
Granted, not a fan of walking back at night with laptop,
But could wait for bus which drops me off stones throw from where I live.
If you're on a budget, I'd definitely recommend off campus,
However if you've a nice sum of money set towards accommodation, on campus will be much handier for college, and if you've a car, believe there's parking for on campus accom, all amenities are less than 5 minute drive.

unknowngirl!!

I'd say on campus if you're coming to UL for the first time as a postgrad student. You'll be housed with other postgrads and to be honest you just can't beat the extra bit of comfort. The extra expense is generally worth it!

Chrussell2

Some really in depth answers there, I really appreciate it.

I don't know anyone in UL, as I've done my undergrad in Scotland, but I think On Campus definitely sounds the most appealing from what you guys have said. I've looked at the different on campus accomodations and the ones set aside for postgrads are;

The Quigley Residence
Brennan Court - Kilmurry Village
Kingfisher House - Thomond Village
Iris House - Cappavilla Village
Dromroe Village

Can anyone recommend which of these is best for locality and comfort?

unknowngirl!!

I lived in Thomond during my final year and I asked to be housed with French Erasmus students as I was studying the language. The village management were very accommodating and sorted me out with what I wanted. If you go there and ask to be with other postgrads you'd meet other people in a similar position to you and you'd avoid being with undergrads going out all the time.

If you want postgrads only I'd go for The Quigley Residence. However, I do think Thomond has a better location!

Gael23

What's your masters in? That will tell what building you'll be spending most of your time in. Quigley is the nicest village but is furthest from most buildings. Cappavilla is near there but there will be undergrads there too, I lived there this year before I went on work placement and liked everything apart from the distance.
If you want postgrads only I would go for quigley a or Brennan court. Next choice. After that it would be dromroe or Cappavilla because I personally don't like where thomond is, I just don't feel safe walking over there is the main reason but that's just my own feeling about it.

GalwayGirl00

Chris Martin wrote: »

I live off campus and am at the moment paying 40 per week for house minus bills.
Bills on top of that would be internet (in a house of 6) 5 a month, esb is around 120 every 3 months and bins which was one payment of 25 each.
Depending where you live may have to pay TV on top of that, but we don't use it and not connected.
Granted I struck lucky and got a very cheap house, small basic room, but really it's all I need.
So bill wise, I pay 205 a month, was paying 300 last year for a house without heating just up the road.
Personally I don't get this safe business, never feel threatened in my house, live in a student dominant area, very close to some useful amenities. Superquinn, Lidl, Centra, several fast food places, cinema, post office, off license and a few other shops in shopping center, night club, pub and bus stop.
15 minute walk to college,
Granted, not a fan of walking back at night with laptop,
But could wait for bus which drops me off stones throw from where I live.
If you're on a budget, I'd definitely recommend off campus,
However if you've a nice sum of money set towards accommodation, on campus will be much handier for college, and if you've a car, believe there's parking for on campus accom, all amenities are less than 5 minute drive.

hey there. would you mind me asking where you are renting?My son is hoping to get UL this year and off campus seems to be a good option financially.

wnolan1992

Chrussell2 wrote: »

The Quigley Residence
Very nice accommodation, PG only so you'll be with people closer to your own age, bit far from everywhere really.

Brennan Court - Kilmurry Village
Not too sure about accommodation, undergrads are in Kilmurry to, close to the gym.

Kingfisher House - Thomond Village
I personally don't like the accommodation in Thomond, it feels like a cheap Dromroe. It's far from everything and the walk over the bridge to get there is dodgy at night or when it's raining.

Iris House - Cappavilla Village
Nice houses, close to the Health Science building and Irish World Academy, walk over the Living Bridge to the rest of the campus is fine but it adds about five minutes to your journey home.

Dromroe Village
Close to everything on campus really. Really nice accommodation, undergrads can be noisy.

Can anyone recommend which of these is best for locality and comfort?

My 2 cents for what it's worth would be Dromroe if you want to be near to most buildings, Cappavilla if you want to be near to Health Science, Quigley if you want to be exclusively surrounded by Postgrads. I'd stay away from Kilmurry and Thomond if it were me, but that's just my opinion.

Polar Ice

wnolan1992 wrote: »

I personally don't like the accommodation in Thomond, it feels like a cheap Dromroe. It's far from everything and the walk over the bridge to get there is dodgy at night or when it's raining.

I'd completely disagree. What's wrong with that bridge? How does it become dodgy when it's raining?

wnolan1992

Polar Ice wrote: »

I'd completely disagree. What's wrong with that bridge? How does it become dodgy when it's raining?

Well, firstly it's a long walk. Secondly it's an exposed route and being over a river seems to catch a lot of wind+rain which, unlike the Living Bridge for example, there is no shelter from.

It's a personal preference more than anything.

highlydebased

Polar Ice wrote: »

I'd completely disagree. What's wrong with that bridge? How does it become dodgy when it's raining?

The trolls hide under it.

wnolan1992

highlydebased wrote: »

The trolls hide under it.

I was wondering where the "I AM THE GREAT WHITE KNIGHT!" graffiti came from...

Polar Ice

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Well, firstly it's a long walk. Secondly it's an exposed route and being over a river seems to catch a lot of wind+rain which, unlike the Living Bridge for example, there is no shelter from.

So the bridge is dodgy because you just don't like walking? :pac:

wnolan1992

Polar Ice wrote: »

So the bridge is dodgy because you just don't like walking? :pac:

Exactly.

Chris Martin

GalwayGirl00 wrote: »

hey there. would you mind me asking where you are renting?My son is hoping to get UL this year and off campus seems to be a good option financially.

Anywhere in Briarfield,
If you have a look on daft.ie and other rent sites you'll find quite a few in there...
There for two years, nice enough spot, close to amenities and 10/15 min walk from UL...


On the other hand, if anyone has stayed in Groody, would they be able to tell me anything about it?
Heard decent things and been there once and house seemed alright, dno about rooms though. Cheers.

freeze4real

I will be doing my masters in UL and will be going in early and come last as in 10/11.


Off campus is what I'm going for as it'll cheaper. Kemmy business school is where I'll spend majority of time time.

I'm also a first timer going to UL.

Any ideas on what accommodation to go for ?

J_E

freeze4real wrote: »

I will be doing my masters in UL and will be going in early and come last as in 10/11.


Off campus is what I'm going for as it'll cheaper. Kemmy business school is where I'll spend majority of time time.

I'm also a first timer going to UL.

Any ideas on what accommodation to go for ?

College Green is the closest to KBS, there's a way into the back part of the building directly from the estate. Just be careful of which house you go for though, there are some nice ones and there are some not so nice.

freeze4real

Paying about 205 per month suits my needs.

Is the issue of safety when living off campus over exaggerated ?

Gael23

freeze4real wrote: »

Paying about 205 per month suits my needs.

Is the issue of safety when living off campus over exaggerated ?

You won't get a nice house for than much. About 65 a week is more realistic.
I never lived off campus but it is not as secure as living on campus. There isn't the same security patrols and the houses in general are not as secure. In terms of personal safety, the way into the back of College Green is fairly so I wouldn't advise going that way alone at night, though having said that I've never heard anything bad happen there.

Chris Martin

Other side of the fence myself, never stayed on campus. I always thought the issue of safety was exaggerated when it came to choosing between on and off campus.
Never had an issue with living off campus security wise really, and never felt in danger...
To be cost effective its best to go off campus though, but staying on campus can be a decent way to make friends I hear...

iLaura

Chris Martin wrote: »

Anywhere in Briarfield,
If you have a look on daft.ie and other rent sites you'll find quite a few in there...
There for two years, nice enough spot, close to amenities and 10/15 min walk from UL...


On the other hand, if anyone has stayed in Groody, would they be able to tell me anything about it?
Heard decent things and been there once and house seemed alright, dno about rooms though. Cheers.

I lived in Groody last year, and will gladly be living there again. There's the option of the three bed/one bathroom, or six bed with ensuite's apartments. Personally I went for the three bed, mainly cause it's cheaper and I have no problem in sharing a bathroom with two other people.

The rooms are proper sized bedrooms that come with a double bed, desk and there's an ethernet port too. I had the smallest room in my apartment and it was still pretty big, while the biggest room in the house was about three-four times the size of a bedroom in Plassey.

There's always security around and the only way into the complex at night is with a fob for the gate as the main gates are closed. Bins are collected once/twice weekly and that's included in the fee you pay per semester, as are all the bills for electricity, heating etc.

Then of course across the road there's a Subway, Chinese restaurant/take away, off-license, bookies and pizza place. The bus stop and Supermacs are within a five minute walk and the Aldi would be a roughly a seven minute walk, depending on how fast you're going.

J_E

ryanf1 wrote: »

You won't get a nice house for than much. About 65 a week is more realistic. ...

I never lived off campus

Probably best not to pass off info so surely unless you've rented before.

Here are my two cents, as someone who has lived off-campus. Castletroy in general is a very reasonable and safe area to live in. I have walked home many, many times (Parkview Hall and Briarfield) without any incident, and indeed feel safer doing so than at home. In the case you do need to get home a little faster, there are night buses from the university linking to the surrounding estates. Had a nice place with all the amenities and near shops, etc. Never paid over 250 a month, that's bills inclusive. I would be wary of some advice being given out in the forum, especially to those who may have heard stories about Limerick before - in short, you don't have an awful lot to worry about. The only real benefit of on-campus that I see is the more social aspect - that is not to say you don't make friends off campus however. Keep an open mind, have a look around on various property websites, and make up your own opinion, not someone else's.

To the pro on-campus crowd - just remember that not everyone can afford to pay a large chunk of money upfront, and it is a large chunk no matter what way you look at it. The on-campus accomodations are great, but they have their cons too (one, notably, being the distance from a decent shop, and I'm not talking about Spar here)

freeze4real

I've looked at daft.ie and u e seen houses in the range if 50 - 65 weekly but I've no idea how far off from UL.

My mate who has a car might also do the same masters with me so its might not be a problem.




Some are 1bed apartments or shared accommodation but availability starts in July/August and I'll need them from September.

Polar Ice

freeze4real wrote: »

I've no idea how far off from UL.

The google maps walking feature will give you a relatively accurate estimate as to how long it would take you to walk.

freeze4real

Polar Ice wrote: »

The google maps walking feature will give you a relatively accurate estimate as to how long it would take you to walk.

Actually forgot about this. Will check the distance tomorrow.

Polar Ice

It isn't perfect though. All of the footpaths and shortcuts haven't been plotted on google maps both in and near the university. (The footpath outside the library is a prime example!)

Just as an example, it used to take me 20 minutes to walk from where I lived to the students' union. Google says it would take me 31mins because one of the footpaths isn't plotted.

J_E

Polar Ice wrote: »

It isn't perfect though. All of the footpaths and shortcuts haven't been plotted on google maps both in and near the university. (The footpath outside the library is a prime example!)

Just as an example, it used to take me 20 minutes to walk from where I lived to the students' union. Google says it would take me 31mins because one of the footpaths is missing.

I think if you're living out towards Superquinn it'll also disregard shortcuts like walking through Elm Park. Most people here will tell you the distance from a particular estate though.

Chris Martin

Cheers, all I needed to know really
Room size, what house was like and stuff...
Any problems with noise and stuff?
Get on well with housemates?

Can handle most to be fair though,
Housemates for the latter half of this year were diabolical...

Might even opt for 3 bedroom over 6 due to that,
Cut down risk...
Like idea of own shower too...
Will prob end up going with whatever's available.. :P

iLaura

Chris Martin wrote: »

Cheers, all I needed to know really
Room size, what house was like and stuff...
Any problems with noise and stuff?
Get on well with housemates?

Can handle most to be fair though,
Housemates for the latter half of this year were diabolical...

Might even opt for 3 bedroom over 6 due to that,
Cut down risk...
Like idea of own shower too...
Will prob end up going with whatever's available.. :P

The only time noise was an issue was during orientation/freshers week, RAG week and then after exams, and that was mainly because our apartment was only a couple of houses up from the side gate and main gates in. Other than that, no problems at all. You would of course have the drunken eejits who decide singing at the top of their lungs on a Tuesday/Thursday night, but security deal with them if they're being too loud :P If you're in a three bed apartment you can sometimes hear the people above you, but only if they decide that they want to pull the couch around the floor -.-

I got on fantastically well with my two housemates, so much so that we're gonna live together again next year. It was the one thing that we were really blessed with. We never had a falling out or anything, but I'm just gonna put that down to them just generally being nice people.

Chris Martin

iLaura wrote: »

The only time noise was an issue was during orientation/freshers week, RAG week and then after exams, and that was mainly because our apartment was only a couple of houses up from the side gate and main gates in. Other than that, no problems at all. You would of course have the drunken eejits who decide singing at the top of their lungs on a Tuesday/Thursday night, but security deal with them if they're being too loud :P If you're in a three bed apartment you can sometimes hear the people above you, but only if they decide that they want to pull the couch around the floor -.-
'
I got on fantastically well with my two housemates, so much so that we're gonna live together again next year. It was the one thing that we were really blessed with. We never had a falling out or anything, but I'm just gonna put that down to them just generally being nice people.

Sounds fantastic, will apply tonight and see what they have, will go for 3 bedroom I'd say... Was in a 6 bed one and very loud, singing all day and night... Can deal with a bit of noise like...

Got on well with room mates in my first year, 4th Year, Mature student high 20's, non student mid 20's & Cydoniac off this, last year spent first half living with a mate who dropped out at Christmas, then house turned into noisy bastards

Fingers crossed I'll get some alright folk :P

J_E

Chris Martin wrote: »

Got on well with room mates in my first year, 4th Year, Mature student high 20's, non student mid 20's & Cydoniac off this, last year spent first half living with a mate who dropped out at Christmas, then house turned into noisy bastards

Can still remember the night one of the flatmates went psycho and started smashing plates against the wall... :eek:

Chris Martin

Happened twice...
First with bottles, phones, remotes and stuff,
Second with plates..
Emotional girl that Cathy... :P
Temperamental... :P

Imperial_Ldn

should have reported her to campus life services and have them engage counselling as needed.

Chris Martin

I guess that's a point in favour of on campus accom.
This was in Briarfield :P

Imperial_Ldn

landlord and gardai so.:|

Chris Martin

She cleaned it up and never came out of deposit so didn't bother me too much.
Landlord was hopeless anyway, wouldn't have done anything I don't think,
Just a girl after too much drink, asked someone out via phone and got turned down and flipped..

Imperial_Ldn

anger management issues, was she a munter?

Chris Martin

Weird really, spent first semester just herself and myself in house,
Relatively quiet bar the first night, got on great.

Second semester, 3 more people came in, latter half of the year, seemed to lose the plot.
Lovely girl majority of the time, but had a streak of madness in her. :P