booking accommodation

AlfaJack

Hi, I got my offer into UCD today and I am on the waitlist for accommodation. However I know that it books out really fast so I was wondering what time booking opens at? Also it says that they send you an email, is that the moment from when you can book?
I want to get Merville but apparently that sells out really fast so does anyone have any recommendations for where a 1st year veterinary student should stay?
Thank you

itslouiseoc

I'm in the same boat but with Ag Science. I also can't remember if I put my name down for it or not because I thought I had but I never actually got an email from them. So fingers crossed!!

nerd95

AlfaJack wrote: »

Hi, I got my offer into UCD today and I am on the waitlist for accommodation. However I know that it books out really fast so I was wondering what time booking opens at? Also it says that they send you an email, is that the moment from when you can book?
I want to get Merville but apparently that sells out really fast so does anyone have any recommendations for where a 1st year veterinary student should stay?
Thank you

I was on campus last year but can’t remember the exact time booking started- I think it was sometime in the afternoon. Basically, you will get an email inviting you to choose your room for on campus accommodation if you successfully secured a place and that is the when you have to start booking- you do this through your SISweb account and yes it does all happen very quickly!! The best thing to do if you are unsure about SISweb is to go to the UCD residences website today. Then go to the “how to book a room” tab and click CAO/First Year Students. Scroll down to the section called “Notes” and there will be a link called “how to book a room” which is the third bullet point. There are video and pdfs explaining the booking process on SISweb. Not sure if the time is on there or if there is even a dedicated time at all but you can check. The reason I recommend that you familiarise yourself with the exact steps to take on SISweb is because the booking process is quite hectic. Rooms are taking very quickly- within several minutes half the rooms seem to be taken so it is good if you know exactly what to do. So basically, as soon as you get that email go and book your room immediately!!!

As for your question regarding the best place to stay if you don't get Merville:
This year first years will be prioritised for on campus accommodation so it doesn’t really matter where you stay to be honest because there will be first years everywhere. Merville and Belgrove tend to be the most popular though, mainly due to the price in comparison to the others :-) Hope you will enjoy UCD and I also hope you get on campus accommodation!!

Solid_Shepard

To supplement Nerd95's fantastic and very comprehensive post, I would strongly advise that, if possible, the day that the emails are going to be sent, that you spend a large portion of the day, from early in the morning to the evening, simply refreshing your email account. As somebody who stayed on campus last year, what was said about the process being hectic is an understatement. The rooms vanish in minutes, and if you want accommodation you're going to have to follow the link and secure the room as soon as it becomes available if you don't want to miss out. While it was the afternoon last year, there is no guarantee it'll be in the afternoon this year as they vary the time to prevent the server crashing. Make sure you have payment details on hand as well.

Merville apartments are extremely nice, and would be where I would personally recommend. Merville and Glenomena are on the main campus and are in the same 'block' (you use the same gate to access both). Merville apartments have a rather open floorplan, in that the kitchen and living area have no wall separating them, and they have a very chic, clean appearance. This is very nice as it provides more room when friends are over, and assists in allowing you to chat to those you're living with (whereas when segmented, it's not as easy). The bedrooms and bathrooms are small enough, but it's not problematic for the amount of time you'll spend in them. The lack of an oven in any of the on-campus accommodation is felt, but this is a problem all of the accommodation locations face. Sharing a bathroom is not that bad, but you and your roommates should try and decide who uses which bathroom (in my apartment there was another guy and I, and two women, so the two guys shared one bathroom, and the women shared the other) just out of convenience and to ensure it stays clean enough (as you know who is responsible for each). It also has a Centra by the Merville Residence Office, so it is very convenient when you need small purchases like milk or bread (or a chicken fillet roll!).

Glenomena apartments are, too, very nice. They're slightly more segmented (there's a bit of a wall jutting between the kitchen area and living area) than the ones in Merville, but they are a bit larger. The main benefit with the apartments in Glenomena are in relation to the bedroom which is larger and, of course, has an ensuite. The biggest drawback to these apartments over the ones in Merville are that they are a good bit more expensive, and are not notably better. Some people may consider the cost increase worth it, but personally I don't think the ensuite justifies the cost. Because Merville and Glenomena are in the same area, you'll have access to the same parties after the security gate closes, and you have Centra near by.

Belgrove apartments are priced similarly to Merville's but they're quite notably smaller in relation to the living area and kitchen (the bedrooms are roughly the same size as Merville, if not a bit smaller). They are a bit closer to the Science building and library, and the security is much less stringent (last year, most of the parties I knew were on were therefore in Belgrove, but because the security was lax you could get to them no matter where you were living on campus), but this is offset by the distance to Centra. They're priced similarly to those in Merville, but they aren't as nice I felt. They are, by no means, bad apartments though, they're nice for student accommodation. If you cannot get Merville, and can't justify the cost of Glenomena, Belgrove will certainly do.

The Roebuck apartments are fantastic, but are extremely expensive. If you can afford these, you should have no doubt that you'll be living in a nice environment, but not everyone can afford them (I sure couldn't!). There aren't a huge amount of parties here in my experience is this is a factor.

Honestly, all of the locations on campus are extremely nice. If you get any of them, it's something to be very grateful for; not only is on-campus accommodation of a high quality and very convenient (in all manners, payment of bills, location, ease of access), but it's also a great way to make friends and make the most of the facilities on offer in UCD. Something to keep in mind is that most parties that occur in the residences, generally, are shut down rather quickly after ten, particularly if there's any amount of noise being made. The Residential Assistants can be quite reasonable, but you need to keep in mind that they're just doing their job and they're not doing it to be spiteful; if you're nice to them, and work with them, they'll be appreciative and will offer help if they can. If you're completely unreasonable and disrespectful and make life hell, they're less likely to be lenient to you.

JK2015

The year I booked it, we were told that we would be emailed at 4pm to go online, and we were - I think if they've given you a time for this year, to just go by that as theres no way the site will crash because of the small number of people on it at once. There are as many places as emails sent, so if you get an email to go online and book DON'T PANIC because you will get a room. Just know where you want to stay, and where you'll go if that books up quickly. Be organised regards how you're paying the deposit as until you pay, your booking isn't final, so have those details ready (*i think* card number, cardholders name, expiry date and the security code are all you need)

AlfaJack

Thank you so much for these great answers! Just to clarify, does UCD send an email to your personal email address or do you get a UCD email address or something because I've heard people talk about that

JK2015

You should get info and instructions for registration etc. probably tomorrow in the post but you should be able to log into your UCD email address by now using your CAO number as username and date of birth (ddmmyy) as your password. As far as I know all emails from UCD including from residences will be sent to that address only.

AlfaJack

JK2015 wrote: »

You should get info and instructions for registration etc. probably tomorrow in the post but you should be able to log into your UCD email address by now using your CAO number as username and date of birth (ddmmyy) as your password. As far as I know all emails from UCD including from residences will be sent to that address only.

I tried logging in but it keeps saying that my username or password are incorrect :L

nerd95

AlfaJack wrote: »

Thank you so much for these great answers! Just to clarify, does UCD send an email to your personal email address or do you get a UCD email address or something because I've heard people talk about that

Last year they sent it to both email addresses. I just checked my personal email account now to double check for you and it seems that they sent it to my personal account too because I still have the email from UCD Residences inviting me to book my room. When I click onto the email it shows that they sent it to my ucdconnect account and then cc to my personal account. However, things could have changed since last year so don't rely solely on your personal account. Keep refreshing both :-)

mrmarkennedy

I'm number 2164 on the campus waiting list, what are my chances of getting a place tomorrow, or should I be focusing on getting accom outside of campus already

nerd95

mrmarkennedy wrote: »

I'm number 2164 on the campus waiting list, what are my chances of getting a place tomorrow, or should I be focusing on getting accom outside of campus already

I wouldn't give up hope yet- you may still be in with a chance as lots of students before you on the waiting list may not have been offered a course in UCD or may choose not to accept on campus accommodation due to cost etc etc. There are lots of different reasons that could bring down the numbers- although I'm not guaranteeing anything! Also, given the fact that there are so many places allocated to first years this year you could be lucky. So if I were you I would keep an eye on your email accounts tomorrow on the off chance you get an offer for a room and if you don't then you can focus on securing off campus accommodation over the next week or two.
If you have your UCD connect email address already then you can use ucdaccommodationpad.ie to look at off campus accommodation such as house sharing or digs. (You have to sign in using your ucd email address!) Or simply use daft or rent.ie!! Whatever you prefer really! Hope you find something!!

Thar_Cian

How do I access my UCD Connect email? I can log into SISWeb using my CAO number, but I'm lost after that.

carrie1884

Just out of interest - I'm not looking for accommodation now, but considering trying to find it after a few months - would it be easier to find somewhere after Christmas? Would there be spaces on campus accommodation, for instance? Would rent possibly be cheaper?

Solid_Shepard

Thar_Cian wrote: »

How do I access my UCD Connect email? I can log into SISWeb using my CAO number, but I'm lost after that.

First, go to www.ucd.ie.
Next, on this website, go into "UCD Connect" by clicking "Log in".
On the UCD Connect Screen, click "Mail > For Students"
Sign in with your UCD Connect information.

You can also go to GMail, and log in with your UCD Connect details. You'll be redirected to the UCD login system afterwards where you enter your CAO number and password (date of birth by default, change this in SISWeb as soon as you can), and then you'll proceed straight to your UCD Connect email. Don't sign this up to sites that will spam you with offers, you'll need to check this regularly.

carrie1884 wrote: »

Just out of interest - I'm not looking for accommodation now, but considering trying to find it after a few months - would it be easier to find somewhere after Christmas? Would there be spaces on campus accommodation, for instance? Would rent possibly be cheaper?

It can vary, but keep in mind that a lot of the leases are for houses are for twelve months, and any on-campus accommodation places available will go to first years by the waiting list presumably. Digs and new accommodation may become available, but the prices will still probably be in line with what they are. Nobody can say either way with certainty unfortunately.

Fiona G

Will people post on here when they get their accommodation email? And include your waiting list number? Just so the rest of us have an idea what's happening tomorrow...

Not looking forward to spending the whole day refreshing gmail but it has to be done :P

JK2015

carrie1884 wrote: »

Just out of interest - I'm not looking for accommodation now, but considering trying to find it after a few months - would it be easier to find somewhere after Christmas? Would there be spaces on campus accommodation, for instance? Would rent possibly be cheaper?

People will drop out and many erasmus students are only here for one semester. Once all of the oncampus rooms are filled once, the waiting list is cancelled (in mid-september i think). So any rooms that are vacated then are up on SISWeb and whoever wants it gets it, you just need to check in on that page regularly (especially throughout December for semester 2). I know a good few people who got it that way last year.

AlfaJack

Has anyone's UCD email been activated yet?

Thar_Cian

I'm having some last-minute worries. Initially, I thought I'd have to commute, which I didn't want to do, but now it looks like I have the option to stay on the campus. I'm not sure if I'd manage and I don't want to regret it, given the cost of accommodation. I don't know what to do.

Fiona G

AlfaJack wrote:

Has anyone's UCD email been activated yet?

How do you find out?

AlfaJack

Fiona G wrote: »

How do you find out?

Well can you log into UCD connect? Because when you can do that, you can access your email

Fiona G

AlfaJack wrote:

Well can you log into UCD connect? Because when you can do that, you can access your email

Nope, keeps saying my details are incorrect. Have others been able to access it already?

AlfaJack

Fiona G wrote: »

Nope, keeps saying my details are incorrect. Have others been able to access it already?

I don't think so that keeps coming up for me too :P

chigenrgn

Has any 1 that can access there email got an email offer??

chigenrgn

Also has any1s no on the waitlist changed ?

AlfaJack

chigenrgn wrote: »

Also has any1s no on the waitlist changed ?

How do you check your wait list number?

chigenrgn

Should say it on ur connect page wen u log in ..

AlfaJack

chigenrgn wrote: »

Should say it on ur connect page wen u log in ..

I'm not able to log in are you going into first year?

Fiona G

AlfaJack wrote:

How do you check your wait list number?

Sisweb < Campus < Residences < Book a room

AlfaJack

Omg yes I'm only number 695 now! Originally I was 1503

chigenrgn

AlfaJack wrote: »

Omg yes I'm only number 695 now! Originally I was 1503

Ya was 1509 nd down 2 699 now ... just checked aftr u sayin it ha hadnt changed all morning

chigenrgn

Wat time do ye think they will start emailing

AlfaJack

chigenrgn wrote: »

Wat time do ye think they will start emailing

I'm not sure but last year room booking opened at 6pm so anytime before that I suppose

nerd95

chigenrgn wrote: »

Wat time do ye think they will start emailing

Last year we were given a time so not sure what the story is this year. It was 4pm for us but I got the email at 3.56pm to be precise

Fiona G

nerd95 wrote:

Last year we were given a time so not sure what the story is this year. It was 4pm for us but I got the email at 3.56pm to be precise

How did ye know what the time was gonna be? Was it up on sisweb or something?

R97smith

Well in the last 10 mins its moved 3 or 4 places, so does that not mean they already are emailing, and people are booking?

nerd95

Fiona G wrote: »

How did ye know what the time was gonna be? Was it up on sisweb or something?

To be honest, I can't really remember- I think it was on the UCD residences website or something like that. The system has completely changed this year as it is only first years and international students so maybe they don't have a time this year. I'll check for you now though.

junospider

are any incoming first years unable to log into SIS web?

nerd95

R97smith wrote: »

Well in the last 10 mins its moved 3 or 4 places, so does that not mean they already are emailing, and people are booking?

Not sure- is there an option to remove yourself from the waiting list on sisweb because maybe some students did that! Don't try to remove yourself haha... just see if there is a button visible!!

R97smith

nerd95 wrote: »

Not sure- is there an option to remove yourself from the waiting list on sisweb because maybe some students did that! Don't try to remove yourself haha... just see if there is a button visible!!

Yeah there is, dont worry, i have kept the mouse well away from that button lol

AlfaJack

Yeah I'm down 11 places now too :P

nerd95

R97smith wrote: »

Yeah there is, dont worry, i have kept the mouse well away from that button lol

That may be a possible reason then- Some students may decide not to accept an offer for a room and have removed themselves to give others a chance. It's the only explanation I can think of. Also, students with a physical disability are sometimes automatically registered to a room before all other students as they require specific disable friendly rooms.

AlfaJack

I just refreshed the page and went down another place xP

Fiachb7

My friend rang them and they said there's already 100 in. They're doing it on the hour every hour.

Fiona G

Fiachb7 wrote:

My friend rang them and they said there's already 100 in. They're doing it on the hour every hour.

Thanks so much that info is very helpful!

nerd95

I've just looked at the UCD residences page for you guys and it says that this year they will be making offers according to your position on the waiting list so that is why there is no time. Basically, if you are at the very top of the list you will get your email before others.

AlfaJack

awh no I'd say Merville will probably be gone by the time I get a chance to book

AlfaJack

Fiachb7 wrote: »

My friend rang them and they said there's already 100 in. They're doing it on the hour every hour.

Thank you for telling us Also, do you know if they email your personal email or UCD email when its your turn?

Fiachb7

Fiona G wrote: »

Thanks so much that info is very helpful!

No problem! One of my friends was no.20 before they culled the list and he most definitely has it already. He hasn't responded to any of our texts yet though, the shnake.

Fiachb7

AlfaJack wrote: »

Thank you for telling us Also, do you know if they email your personal email or UCD email when its your turn?

I have both open just in case! I got my waiting list number on my personal one.

Fiachb7

AlfaJack wrote: »

awh no I'd say Merville will probably be gone by the time I get a chance to book

I'm just relieved I'll get belgrove at least!

R97smith

Fiachb7 wrote: »

I have both open just in case! I got my waiting list number on my personal one.

where do you check the ucd email?