What's WIT like?

Lollipop95

I'm thinking of going to WIT in Septemeber. I'm 20 and did a plc in Galway this year. Galway is where I'm originally from and Waterford is over 2 hours away so I'm quite apprehensive about going there seeing as I wouldn't know anybody and I've never even been to Waterford. But I also think this could a good thing and might mature me.

The courses I have down are childcare,business(marketing with French), digital media and marketing.

If anyone could give me any advice (like accommodation) or share with me their experiences of WIT I'd really appreciate it

a fat guy

Lecturer quality varies a lot, but the average lecturer will do their job well. Worst one never actually came in for the classes (This one was EXCEPTIONALLY bad, bear in mind), while the best ones will either try to teach you something you'll need to know once you're out of college (Like self-learning/reliance) or go the extra mile in making sure you get high marks. All lecturers are exceptionally helpful.

There are occasional annoyances, like the internet going out or being difficult to connect to. The library is massive, although not much of the computing material is up-to-date. To be fair, if it was up-to-date it'd cost the college thousands every few years. They have the most relevant of the older material however. The library itself is brilliant, with loads of study space and a group study area on the highest floor. This area gets full very quickly come exam time, but is usually empty enough at all other times.

There's a very active club scene on in WIT, and although I've never attended any of them (I commuted), I can tell you that there' over fifty of them and they all have meetups every week. Between that and your fellow students, you should be fine for socialising.

Regarding accommodation, steer clear of Ballybeg. I'm not going to get into a discussion about the area, but I think that as you are young enough and have likely not lived on your own so far, you could do without living there. It can be rough in places and although I'm sure there are plenty of good people there, the bad eggs ruin it. I've never lived there myself, but would avoid it if I had to live in Waterford. Ballybeg is located pretty much directly across from WIT by the way.

As for on-campus fun, there's the dome bar where you can drink yourself silly in first year. It includes a snooker table and TV's. The bar goes silent at 1/2 for emmerdale, so be prepared to eat in silence or be booed out. I am not joking when I say this!

I think the games room is still active too. It has about four snooker tables and plenty of videogame machines (Think Time Crisis, racing games, the kind you'd see at a bowling alley). It's a nice way to kill an hour in first year.

To be honest, I'd just take the bus down and check out the campus myself if I were you. Find a map online and check the place out. You can also check out Waterford City while you're at it, and this'll easily take up your whole day. You're not just going to be studying for first/second year, so you might as well get to know the area. Also, you'll need a laptop. Probably not a high-end machine, but I can definitely see it helping with any degree, even outside of computing. Enjoy your time at WIT!

Also, I don't think you qualify as a mature student, so get your application in sooner rather than later.

callaway92

a fat guy wrote: »

I think the games room is still active too. It has about four snooker tables and plenty of videogame machines (Think Time Crisis, racing games, the kind you'd see at a bowling alley). It's a nice way to kill an hour in first year.

Games room is closed down for good as of May this year sadly. Pity

taytobreath

do u no why, i enjoy a game of pool in there while waiting for lectures

callaway92

taytobreath wrote: »

do u no why, i enjoy a game of pool in there while waiting for lectures

The owner said he is not making any money whatsoever there. I'd believe him too.

The gaming machines don't get used at all, so it's just the pool tables in use.

10 tables in the room which are only all being used at lunch hours. Before 11am and after 3pm the room is dead.

Electricity etc can't be too cheap either with all of the machines on the whole time.

taytobreath

callaway92 wrote: »

The owner said he is not making any money whatsoever there. I'd believe him too.

The gaming machines don't get used at all, so it's just the pool tables in use.

10 tables in the room which are only all being used at lunch hours. Before 11am and after 3pm the room is dead.

Electricity etc can't be too cheap either with all of the machines on the whole time.

seriously wow, anytime i went in there its always busy and at 1 euro per game of pool i always thought he was cleaning up, gillane isnt it. very shocked to here this tbh

callaway92

taytobreath wrote: »

seriously wow, anytime i went in there its always busy and at 1 euro per game of pool i always thought he was cleaning up, gillane isnt it. very shocked to here this tbh

He's never there though so he has wages to pay on top of the other costs.

It's very disappointing as you say though. It's not like the pool table in The Dome is any way good enough for a relaxing game.

imacman

callaway92 wrote: »

He's never there though so he has wages to pay on top of the other costs.

It's very disappointing as you say though. It's not like the pool table in The Dome is any way good enough for a relaxing game.

The level of student services in WIT are terrible, someone should ask the students union why the now disgraced campus services built that white elephant events centre in carrignore rather that the new students centre on the main campus

My actual one thing that annoys me about WIT is the price of the food in the Bistro. They charge near restaurant prices for food and then insist you clean up after yourself like its a canteen. They need to make up their minds, either A. it's a canteen that is not made for profit and subsidizes food (then I'll happily clean up after myself) or B. If you are going to charge seven euro for some dry chips and chicken, you best believe you are going to be cleaning up when I'm done.

callaway92

Deleted User wrote: »

My actual one thing that annoys me about WIT is the price of the food in the Bistro. They charge near restaurant prices for food and then insist you clean up after yourself like its a canteen. They need to make up their minds, either A. it's a canteen that is not made for profit and subsidizes food (then I'll happily clean up after myself) or B. If you are going to charge seven euro for some dry chips and chicken, you best believe you are going to be cleaning up when I'm done.

Odd

Massive dinner about €6.60 before 4pm and €5 after. Usually can't finish mine because they give you so much.

Hardly expensive. . .

The canteen is there for profit by the way since it's run by CampuServices which are not anything to do with WIT. They also run the gallery and provide the WITCard services etc. That's why problems are never really solved because WIT don't give a shíte because it's nothing to do with them.

callaway92

callaway92 wrote: »

Odd

Massive dinner about €6.60 before 4pm and €5 after. Usually can't finish mine because they give you so much.

Hardly expensive. . .

The canteen is there for profit by the way since it's run by CampuServices which are not anything to do with WIT. They also run the gallery and provide the WITCard services etc. That's why problems are never really solved because WIT don't give a shíte because it's nothing to do with them.

I have no problem with them running a for profit service, but I don't like how they force you to clean up after yourself. I have no problem cleaning up after myself if there is a place that is ran for the students, but if a place is ran for €€ then don't expect me to clean up the over expensive slop I bought.

Surely WIT could provide a service where food is subsidized for students so we can get a meal at a decent price. I think the food in the Bistro is in about 7 euro for a cheap processed meal and 1.10 for a can of coke, that is 8.10 for a meal with a drink.
I don't mind paying that but the fact that the staff then expect to treat the place as if its a canteen where they aren't getting paid to be there and expect us to clean up after ourselves is a bit ridiculous. The food is the same price as any cafe around town, they can't have it both ways, they can't charge high prices and also expect us to clean up after ourselves.


It's a little thing in the grande scheme of things but it really annoys me :pac:

Whatsisname

Canteen is expensive I do admit, but its really not that hard to put a plate back onto a shelf, it's common courtesy.

Atleast ye have a few options to eat at in the main campus, us college street folk get shag all :P

Whatsisname

Whatsisname wrote: »

Canteen is expensive I do admit, but its really not that hard to put a plate back onto a shelf, it's common courtesy.

Atleast ye have a few options to eat at in the main campus, us college street folk get shag all :P

Nah its not common courtesy to be honest. If you run a business where people buy food off you then its part of your business to clean up after them. Clean up after myself? Whats next go into Mcdonalds and cook the food myself? I have to clean up when at home, so if they want to charge high prices for food then they best believe they are going to clean up after me when I am done.

Whatsisname

Deleted User wrote: »

Nah its not common courtesy to be honest. If you run a business where people buy food off you then its part of your business to clean up after them. Clean up after myself? Whats next go into Mcdonalds and cook the food myself? I have to clean up when at home, so if they want to charge high prices for food then they best believe they are going to clean up after me when I am done.

Bit of an exaggeration there. You're not being asked to clean the plates, cutlery and then wipe down the table after it, merely place a plate onto a shelf where they can be all moved in one go. Just makes things easier for the staff. Don't see the big issue here at all really.

Whatsisname

Whatsisname wrote: »

Bit of an exaggeration there. You're not being asked to clean the plates, cutlery and then wipe down the table after it, merely place a plate onto a shelf where they can be all moved in one go. Just makes things easier for the staff. Don't see the big issue here at all really.

It was more the way I was asked to clean up after I had paid 8 euro for some dry chips/chicken/can of coke. My main issue is that the students get ripped off in the food places on campus and then also get snapped at when we don't put our plates back after ourselves. It's as if they want to treat the Hot Bistro as a Restaurant where it makes profit for the owner but as a canteen where students clean up after themselves, my issue is they can't have it both ways.

The college is brilliant, top class. Only issue is with the campus services ripping off the students a lot.

Whatsisname

Deleted User wrote: »

It was more the way I was asked to clean up after I had paid 8 euro for some dry chips/chicken/can of coke. My main issue is that the students get ripped off in the food places on campus and then also get snapped at when we don't put our plates back after ourselves. It's as if they want to treat the Hot Bistro as a Restaurant where it makes profit for the owner but as a canteen where students clean up after themselves, my issue is they can't have it both ways.

The college is brilliant, top class. Only issue is with the campus services ripping off the students a lot.

Each to their own I guess. Completely agree on prices though, they're ridiculous, for all cooked food anyhow (snacks and that are the usual), €1.25 for 1 sausage roll for example, even held one of my mates to ransom over ketchup last semester, of all things.

Isn't the dome meant to be cheap enough? I've only ever stepped foot in there once so I'm only going by what I've heard.

Whatsisname

Whatsisname wrote: »

Each to their own I guess. Completely agree on prices though, they're ridiculous, for all cooked food anyhow (snacks and that are the usual), €1.25 for 1 sausage roll for example, even held one of my mates to ransom over ketchup last semester, of all things.

Isn't the dome meant to be cheap enough? I've only ever stepped foot in there once so I'm only going by what I've heard.

Not to sure to be honest. My first time in the Dome after two years in WIT was on the last day of the year this year and I was pretty drunk by the time I got food

callaway92

Deleted User wrote: »

It was more the way I was asked to clean up after I had paid 8 euro for some dry chips/chicken/can of coke. My main issue is that the students get ripped off in the food places on campus and then also get snapped at when we don't put our plates back after ourselves. It's as if they want to treat the Hot Bistro as a Restaurant where it makes profit for the owner but as a canteen where students clean up after themselves, my issue is they can't have it both ways.

The college is brilliant, top class. Only issue is with the campus services ripping off the students a lot.

incorrect on the bolded above.

Also, I genuinely don't see how you think the food there is a rip-off. You didn't pay €8 for that, so no need to lie/exaggerate.

imacman

callaway92 wrote: »

Odd

Massive dinner about €6.60 before 4pm and €5 after. Usually can't finish mine because they give you so much.

Hardly expensive. . .

The canteen is there for profit by the way since it's run by CampuServices which are not anything to do with WIT. They also run the gallery and provide the WITCard services etc. That's why problems are never really solved because WIT don't give a shíte because it's nothing to do with them.

Campus services is in the process of being wound up at the moment as it speculated on property and ended up with massive losses.Those services are to be integrated into the college with the campus services brand disappearing.Whether that will increase the quality and reduce the costs remain to seen

callaway92

imacman wrote: »

Campus services is in the process of being wound up at the moment as it speculated on property and ended up with massive losses.Those services are to be integrated into the college with the campus services brand disappearing.Whether that will increase the quality and reduce the costs remain to seen

That's interesting actually. Couldn't see why WIT's effort would be more efficient but that remains to be seen.

What'll be the story with all new/existing (third party) cleaning staff etc. now too? Still from a private party or will they be WIT and on the public payroll?

Just curious is all since to be fair you're pretty much spot on with most points you make here.

Thanks for the info.

callaway92

callaway92 wrote: »

incorrect on the bolded above.

Also, I genuinely don't see how you think the food there is a rip-off. You didn't pay €8 for that, so no need to lie/exaggerate.

I have paid 8 euro for a meal + can of coke. Students are getting ripped off for over expensive crap food. That is the general consensus of any student I have talked to it about. Don't accuse me of lying/exaggerating :rolleyes:

imacman

callaway92 wrote: »

That's interesting actually. Couldn't see why WIT's effort would be more efficient but that remains to be seen.

What'll be the story with all new/existing (third party) cleaning staff etc. now too? Still from a private party or will they be WIT and on the public payroll?

Just curious is all since to be fair you're pretty much spot on with most points you make here.

Thanks for the info.

The big sticking point at the moment is sorting out the staffing issues.I not sure how it's going to work out but I do that those staff aren't going to be taken on the public service payroll.

deadybai

When I went to Wit I did the Marketing with online media course. The course itself is good and the lectures I had were genuinely good. You might get one or two lazy ones. If I was you I would look to go somewhere else closer to Galway. Theres not much to do on campus. Me and a friend of mine used to joke that the only thing to do was get drunk or play pool. Im surprised to hear the games room closed. Always was full when I went there. Also I agree that the canteen charged very high prices and they had the options of mostly of chips worth some curry and meat.

If your looking for a business course then I would consider wit. Dont be fooled with Waterford as a City either. Its more of a town. Theres two popular student nightclubs not much else. If you lived closer I would recommend WIT but its too far from you for what you get. Most people are from Wexford, Waterford, Carlow and Kilkenny as well. Never met one Galweigian in my time there.

Hope that helps!

Musicman2000

deadybai wrote: »

When I went to Wit I did the Marketing with online media course. The course itself is good and the lectures I had were genuinely good. You might get one or two lazy ones. If I was you I would look to go somewhere else closer to Galway. Theres not much to do on campus. Me and a friend of mine used to joke that the only thing to do was get drunk or play pool. Im surprised to hear the games room closed. Always was full when I went there. Also I agree that the canteen charged very high prices and they had the options of mostly of chips worth some curry and meat.

If your looking for a business course then I would consider wit. Dont be fooled with Waterford as a City either. Its more of a town. Theres two popular student nightclubs not much else. If you lived closer I would recommend WIT but its too far from you for what you get. Most people are from Wexford, Waterford, Carlow and Kilkenny as well. Never met one Galweigian in my time there.

Hope that helps!

A word of warning to anyone looking to do a Bsc in Business or in-fact any degree. Do your research about the degree, the most important thing, what are the job prospects like? At the end of the course will it prepare you for the real world basically industry. I’ve said this a million and one times a lot of degrees are not worth the paper they are written on and are only a cash cow for the college. They do not prepare the student for industry. Probably the best degrees at the moment are Engineering and Software Development.

callaway92

Musicman2000 wrote: »

A word of warning to anyone looking to do a Bsc in Business or in-fact any degree. Do your research about the degree, the most important thing, what are the job prospects like? At the end of the course will it prepare you for the real world basically industry. I’ve said this a million and one times a lot of degrees are not worth the paper they are written on and are only a cash cow for the college. They do not prepare the student for industry. Probably the best degrees at the moment are Engineering and Software Development.

The work placement is a very nice kick-start though in fairness and WIT do a great job in assisting students in securing placement. Everyone in my course who is doing the work placement got a fully paid one pretty much and in places who I'd imagine would be taking them on upon graduation if the placement goes well.

The best people to ask are graduates of business courses. The last place to check would be asking the college themselves or reading WIT information about the courses because they'd obviously try to spin it all in a good way.

Cash cow, probably. But it's the same in every institute.

Digital Society

Its not the colleges fault if there are no jobs at the end of it. College is a business in itself at the end of the day. They simply provide a service that you pay for.

Its up to you to research what profession you think you will gain employment and make money in. Its not really fair to say the college is doing something wrong by providing a service that YOU went out and decided to pay for. Its simple supply and demand.

callaway92

Digital Society wrote: »

Its not the colleges fault if there are no jobs at the end of it. College is a business in itself at the end of the day. They simply provide a service that you pay for.

Its up to you to research what profession you think you will gain employment and make money in. Its not really fair to say the college is doing something wrong by providing a service that YOU went out and decided to pay for. Its simple supply and demand.

Providing Work Placement (or at least the option to) in all courses is only fair though. Coming out of college and then not getting any assistance is harsh treatment.

n97 mini

Originally from the west myself and went to college in WIT. I'd recommend it to anyone. Waterford is not the best at anything, but it's completely unique place and was a total surprise. It's worth experiencing for a year or two. If there was a "5 places you have to live before you die" type list, I'd have Waterford on it.

callaway92

n97 mini wrote: »

Originally from the west myself and went to college in WIT. I'd recommend it to anyone. Waterford is not the best at anything, but it's completely unique place and was a total surprise. It's worth experiencing for a year or two. If there was a "5 places you have to live before you die" type list, I'd have Waterford on it.

Really? :P