I have recently been praising the websites of foreign universities - particularly those in the US - for their good use of a Frequently Asked Questions section. I also said that it was not something that Irish college sites made enough of.
It was good, therefore, to be e-mailed by Peter McKiernan, web editor at the office of public affairs in UCD, about this excellent site which has a video FAQ section which starts off with the basics: "Tell me about UCD" and "What kind of subjects can I study"; moves on to the practical: "How is college different from school?", "Where can I live?" and goes on to cover sports facilities, careers and studying abroad.
You can choose a 28k or 56k modem or a network connection. You do need to have RealPlayer, but there is a prominent link to www.real.com on the page so that you can download it if you do not already have it, or if you need to upgrade to the latest version.
The introduction to UCD's Belfield Campus section provides useful, concise information about the college, such as the fact that it is run by 3,000 staff with over 18,000 registered students. It also sets out very well the basics (which is all that many people will be looking for at a quick glance) on courses, departments and faculties.
The 360-degree view of various areas of UCD is a great idea. The "typical on-campus student residence" looks far nicer than any accommodation I had in my student days. Among the 11 views, you can also see the central campus area by the lake, the gym and library.
Some people may already know a lot of what is contained here, but for many, particularly those outside of Dublin, UCD may not be much more than a name. Leaving Cert students who have applied for courses in UCD, and their teachers and parents, will find a lot of helpful information here. Very well-presented and a credit to UCD.
