NO ONCUMPUS ACCOMODATION !HELP!

Ginger unknown

i rang the main accomodation number in UL and there is no more oncampus availabkle and the waiting list is full.
i didnt think that there would be a long waiting list because i thought there was loads of accomodation.
does anyone know any off campus accomodation that is near the collage?
im going into first year there.

onethreefive

There's Groody, Brookfield, Troy & courtyard.. I might be forgetting some place but they are all off campus student accommodation

Chris Martin

Make sure you're calling right too..
I hear all things 'Oncumpus' are high in demand,
Might be loads of UL accommodation left ;P

Seriously though, the ones mentioned above should be a safe bet, just get in asap.
Groody, Brookfield and another one across from Groody are all situated a 15 min walk tops from heart on UL, 10 mins from gate.
If you're willing to walk or have a bike, you may have hit jackpot as you'll be saving a deal of money than if you were staying on campus.

ricimaki

I stayed in Courtyard Village for 2 years, and loved it there. Its cheaper than any on-campus accomadation, and you get much bigger rooms. Each room has its own bathroom, and there are either 4 or 5 rooms in each house. It is roughly the same distance from UL as Brookfield(15-20 minute walk to main building), and shares the bus with Brookfield too.

I've friends who live in Troy and Groody, and they both recommend them as well.

VanishingActs

I'm in Troy and it's absolutely grand. Spacious, warm houses, gated, and there's a reliable bus in and out to college every hour. I definitely wish I'd just gone for Troy in first and second year and saved myself the money (and sleepless nights from the noise). I'm sure Groody and Brookfield are fine too but can't personally comment on them!

iamyourending

OP - no need to panic just yet. As everyone mentioned, there are loads of off-campus options. Groody is one of the most popular off-campus complexes. Apartments are quite good, and it's not too far a walk really. Brookfield is popular too, but I know people that stayed there who absolutely hated it and had issues with management, etc. If you end up in Groody or Brookfield and you're worried about being too far away, just get a bike. You definitely won't feel the trip then!

Aside from the complexes, there's loads of off-campus housing too. College Court, Elm Park, Briarfield, etc. However, in my experience, you're better off living in an 'all-inclusive' place for first year, just to avoid any hassle with landlords and all that until you settle in.

It's likely that you'll get a call from Campus Life at some stage to say that on-campus accommodation has become available, but it's safer to not rely on it. Plus, if you don't mind the walk, off-campus can save loads of money.

Best of luck with it - you'll love UL!

bredacq

I know on campus accommodation is currently full and there is a waiting but apparently another waiting list will open up again on Aug 16th. Any idea why accommodation filled up so quickly this year (it was closed within 2 weeks) ? Did people just panic or what? And I wonder will there be a lot of these places that are booked cancelled when the CAO offers come out?

I will book off campus in the meantime but just in case I get lucky with on campus accommodation in Aug can people tell me a little about it? I.e. which is more suited to first years? Which is the 'party' city? What are the advantages and disadvantages of on campus vs off campus - distance aside?

iamyourending

bredacq wrote: »

I know on campus accommodation is currently full and there is a waiting but apparently another waiting list will open up again on Aug 16th. Any idea why accommodation filled up so quickly this year (it was closed within 2 weeks) ? Did people just panic or what? And I wonder will there be a lot of these places that are booked cancelled when the CAO offers come out?

I will book off campus in the meantime but just in case I get lucky with on campus accommodation in Aug can people tell me a little about it? I.e. which is more suited to first years? Which is the 'party' city? What are the advantages and disadvantages of on campus vs off campus - distance aside?

It always fills up pretty fast, but two weeks sounds very fast in fairness! Current residents get priority booking a few weeks before it opens for everyone else, so maybe a lot of places were taken up with that. Usually, loads of places become available with people changing their minds before the CAO deadline in July, along with the CAO offers in August. You're right to book other accommodation in the meantime though, just in case. Nothing worse than not having accommodation sorted by the time you start college!

There are other threads about the accommodation pros and cons, but basically Plassey and Kilmurry are most suited to first years as they're known as the best spots for parties. They're also a bit cheaper than Thomond, Cappa and Dromroe as the rooms aren't ensuite.

In terms of on campus vs off campus, distance and price are the biggest things really. Groody and Brookfield are similar to the on-campus apartment complexes (some ensuite rooms, security, management team on-site, price includes everything so there are no monthly bills) and they're much cheaper, except they're a bit of a distance away from campus. If you're talking about off-campus houses, they're hit or miss. You've got loads of options (College Court, Elm Park, Milford, Briarfield, etc), but it's different to on-campus in that you're paying rent on a weekly basis as well as paying for internet/refuse/electricity and so on. Some houses are lovely but more aren't, so it's advisable to do your research before signing anything.

Hope this helps and feel free to message me if you've got any more questions!

bredacq

Thanks for the info. They are still taking bookings for returning students and post grads etc. It's just closed to first years. The girl in the office said that it is usually open to first years until April but that they were booked out 2 weeks after opening in Feb this year, and they already have a full waiting list. She doesn't know what the panic was this year but thinks it might have something to do with the accommodation shortage in Cork and Dublin this past year, she said that maybe people just panicked when they heard that there was a shortage and thought it was countrywide.
I know of a few people that unexpectedly ended up going to UL last Sept though and had to book off campus which they weren't too happy about, I dunno if it's houses or Brookfield, Groody, or somewhere similar that they are though. I must find out. They mentioned that they had to get a bus. I suppose people like the convenience of being close to college and with other first years for the social aspect.

onethreefive

bredacq wrote: »

Thanks for the info. They are still taking bookings for returning students and post grads etc. It's just closed to first years. The girl in the office said that it is usually open to first years until April but that they were booked out 2 weeks after opening in Feb this year, and they already have a full waiting list. She doesn't know what the panic was this year but thinks it might have something to do with the accommodation shortage in Cork and Dublin this past year, she said that maybe people just panicked when they heard that there was a shortage and thought it was countrywide.
I know of a few people that unexpectedly ended up going to UL last Sept though and had to book off campus which they weren't too happy about, I dunno if it's houses or Brookfield, Groody, or somewhere similar that they are though. I must find out. They mentioned that they had to get a bus. I suppose people like the convenience of being close to college and with other first years for the social aspect.

I'm a first year who lives off campus and I am really happy where I am. The whole area around Groody/ Troy/ Brook field is really close to Aldi and there's an off the road cycle lane the whole way to college. I live in that area and I Can cycle to college in 7 mins

bredacq

That's good to know. I've been researching and Groody seems the closest and cheaper than Troy even though they are supposed to be the same complex more or less? Groody seems to be getting better reviews on other threads, although they are older threads.
Courtyard is the cheapest but a little further away and not as secure?

Brookfield is mentioned a lot on here but it isn't linked as an off campus choice on the UL accomodation website.
Troy, Groody, and Courtyard and a place called Parkview hall are all linked on that UL website . Is Brookfield still there or has it changed it's name I wonder? Or do the college just not recommend it for some reason?

onethreefive

bredacq wrote: »

That's good to know. I've been researching and Groody seems the closest and cheaper than Troy even though they are supposed to be the same complex more or less? Groody seems to be getting better reviews on other threads, although they are older threads.
Courtyard is the cheapest but a little further away and not as secure?

Brookfield is mentioned a lot on here but it isn't linked as an off campus choice on the UL accomodation website.
Troy, Groody, and Courtyard and a place called Parkview hall are all linked on that UL website . Is Brookfield still there or has it changed it's name I wonder? Or do the college just not recommend it for some reason?

Broofield is still there, I've never been in it. I would recommend groody to people, You would want a car or a bike though,But Loads of people do walk to college from groody though!

By the way Troy is literally just across the road from Groody

bredacq

I just saw that Brookfield has free Sky Sports. Is that just in a common area or is it in each room? They aren't very clear about it. Does Groody or Troy or Courtyard has Sky Sports either in the rooms or a common area?

jasonthelad

well! just wondering what month will on campus housing like kilmurry and dromroe open for applications for next year (SEP 2016)
Thanks!