Higher Options is all about finding the right course in the right college. But the module list, the chance to work or travel abroad and the career opportunities are far from the only things you will consider. So what other factors will influence your decision?
Accommodation
The ongoing student accommodation crisis – although it’s hard to call it a crisis when it’s been going on for well more than a decade – means that you will inevitably have to factor in whether you can afford to move away from home and, if even if you can, whether you will find a place to live.
“I’ve noticed that more students are trying to stay local,” says Betty McLaughlin, former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors and a guidance counsellor based in Mullingar, Co Westmeath. “A big bonus is that the Athlone Institute of Technology is now a part of the Technological University of the Shannon Midlands-Midwest (TUS). Whereas in the past, people didn’t always know what an institute of technology was, now everybody knows what a university is.”
Indeed, the expansion of technological universities into Carlow and Waterford (South East Technological University), Letterkenny, Mayo and Sligo (Atlantic Technological University), Athlone and Limerick (TUS), Cork and Kerry (Munster Technological University) and Tallaght and Blanchardstown (as part of a merger with DIT into the Technological University Dublin) open up much more options for students than ever before.
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Extracurricular life
Clubs and societies make the college experience, and a history of involvement and volunteering is what will ultimately elevate one 2.1 CV over another. The accommodation crisis, however, has meant that many students are spending so long commuting that they don’t have the time to get involved.
“It’s a good idea to check out the clubs and societies in a college during Higher Options or when you attend open days,” says Trish Harrington, guidance counsellor at St Patrick’s Cathedral Grammar School in Dublin 8. “If you love GAA, can you play it in college and stay with your local club? If you play an instrument, will you have a chance to play it in college, perhaps through a music society or the students’ union? Is there a swimming pool? If you liked something in school or volunteered, can you do the same in college?”
McLaughlin says that getting involved in college life is a chance to integrate, meet like-minded people and feel at home.
Other factors you might consider
Friends: It’s very tempting when you leave school to pick the same college, or even the same course, as your friends. We sound like the oldest farts in Ireland saying this, but it isn’t the best idea. Too many people go to college with their friends and never step outside their comfort zone to make new friends and new connections. You should choose based on what is right for you and remember that you can keep your old friends while being open to new ones.
Transport: Thousands of students are commuting long distances to get to college. This is largely because there is so little available accommodation, but the long commute can be gruelling. Before you commit, it might be worth travelling there and back during peak hours to get a taste of what it would be like.
Work: How many teaching hours does your course have? If you’re putting in 32 to 40 hours a week between lectures and tutorials, you may not have the time or energy to work part-time – and this could be a problem if you rely on the extra income.
Case study: Student life at UCD
By Danielle DerGarabedian
As an international student it was difficult to assimilate among my fellow Irish classmates at first but I knew I wanted the college experience rather than simply a degree. Colleges where I’m from tend to be measured by size and I wanted to go to a big college that offered a lot of diversity.
I loved that UCD had such a large international student population but in my course I definitely felt more like a minority. That could be down to the major I chose really but I found I was able to find more of a community through the extracurricular activities I joined.
I’ve loved and always found comfort in student journalism, so I’m glad UCD had two papers I could join. The College Tribune in particular has an excellent social life beyond the work. Each year UCD hosts its freshers’ week and it is always crowded and bustling with opportunities to get involved in any sport you could imagine, as well as student politics and societies of every kind.
Each society on campus caters to exactly what you’re looking for whether you’d like to further your career and build professional connections (I&E and Law Soc), or explore different cultures (Indian Soc, Hispanic Soc, Arab Soc, etc). Even as an international student UCD had a society that I felt was specially catered to me – International Student Society. No matter what I was interested in, UCD had some way to explore it.
When it came to a place to live, I knew I would be set, at least for my first year as I accepted on-campus accommodation.
On-campus accommodation at UCD though is like living in a small town and at times can be isolating. Everything you need is within the microcosm of UCD so I would only leave to go on nights out.
After first year I knew I wanted to live off campus but that opened up more problems than solutions. I think the longer I spend in Ireland, the more I question my choice to move away from home (especially 3,000-plus miles away). Renting is stressful and each year I shiver at the thought of scrolling through Daft.ie, day after day.
I have craved a stable apartment as a student and now as a graduate but something always seems to get in the way – horrible roommates, high rents and simply dingy apartments. If I had family in Ireland I may have just commuted rather than subjecting myself to the horror show of renting in Dublin.
– Danielle DerGarabedian is editor of the UCD College Tribune
