University College Dublin

I don’t attend UCD but I’ve come here before a few times for various events like the L’Oreal Colour Trophy and career seminars. I also used to train in Taekwondo here and use the gym too. I go to a small college in the city centre which just has one building, so UCD is ginormous to me, almost like a mini city and a haven for anyone who loves sports and club activities. The lecture halls and facilities are top notch, everything was very modern and pristine and they have a lot of eateries on campus and nice greenery for students to relax.
It was my first choice on my CAO form which I unfortunately did not get so I can’t comment on the educational aspect, but I have friends who go here/​went here who have said many good things about it. But apparently you can take elective modules and do extra classes and earn credits from it, something which is not available at my college but would love to have. It also seems a lot more student focused. The only downside is the location; it’s pretty far out, but it’s in a nice area of Dublin. It’s just getting to and from there if you live in the city centre can be quite annoying. But overall, it seems like a great place to be a student.

UCD has the claim to Ireland’s biggest University, with the main campus around 4 miles south of the city centre. The Univeristy is globally recognised and there are around 23,000 students currently attending. It has everything you can ask for from a major university, with all the courses you’d expect and the facilities to match. The good thing about this university is that there are around 3 – 4000 students living on campus and so theres always stuff going on. There are a lot of socities so whether you want to play sport or just get drunk then there will be something for ya. The campus itself is really nice, with lots of green areas and new buildings popping up all over the place.

This is the largest University in Ireland in terms of student numbers. The campus is quite large and has all the usual faculties found in a large university. It has a good reputation internationally and has recently made it into the top 100 universities in the world list. The sports facilites are excellent with a decent gym, playing fields and running track. The student bar is pretty OK and there is a restuarant as well as numerous small places to grab a sandwich. The main downside is the situation. It is situated in Belfield which is in the middle of suburbia and so all activies such as drinking and eating have to be based on Campus This can be limiting if you want a good night out although it is only a short bus ride into the city centre.

This is the university I want to go to when I leave school. I feel its got everything you could want in terms of facilities and the atmosphere is one of companionship and pride for the college.
I’m not yet old enough to attend the university however I visit it regularly for sports, which is my main reason for loving this place. I play a lot of hockey and they have two really good pitches, one sand based and the other a top of the line water based one. It is actually the National Hockey Stadium. There are stand for this pitch, which you may have seen as Setanta Sports have broadcasted some club games from here before.
These pitches are also used for soccer. You regularly see people of all ages playing five a side soccer on the sand.
There is a new rugby and gaelic pitch, and athletics track as well as a fully equiped gym and quite a few basketball/​volleyball/​badminton courts. There is even rock climbing. Above these facilities is the SPorts Café which serves nutricious food for the athletes
The university is of course primarily for education. It has a very good reputation with many famous people, such as Rosanna Davidson — former Miss World, having graduated from here. There are many scholarships to be won to attend here also.
The easiest way to go view this campus is to bring your dog for a walk around its lovely grounds and take in the atmosphere.