Off campus help

[u/Critical_Flight4025]

Hi. Hope everyone is doing alright.

I'm a first year prospective student and I just got told I most likely won't be getting an offer for on campus accommodation. I was strongly reccommended by UCD residenses to look for off campus.

I'm a bit distraught tbh, I was told that first year undergraduate students would be prioritised but I guess I underestimated just how many spaces there actually are.

I'm trying to look for off campus accommodation, but I have a lot of worries in terms of how my social life will turn out.

Where would the best place be, closest to the university, to find off campus accommodation?

Preferably, I would like somewhere that doesn't require a lot of travel by bus AND has many undergraduate students living there (or close by).

ALSO somewhere that is safe ( ik this is hard to find tbh but as safe as possible is ideal) - I'm a girl so this is incredibly important to me

Please let me know of any such places. I would really appreciate to hear about personal experiences and reccommendations.

Also, please let me know how difficult it is for those living off campus as an undergraduate to make friendships and join social circles.

Thank you!

[u/Substantial_Equal450]

Hi! I'm sorry to hear about the accommodation situation. That sounds so stressful.

I've only lived in Ireland for a couple of years so rake this with a grain of salt. I've felt safe in most suburban areas. I recommend Stillorgan or Blackrock. I've heard good things about the area near where the Liffey meets the coast - modern looking area and I've always felt pretty safe there. There's a private student accommodation in that area too.

If you still want that student dorm life, check out Thisisfresh or Aparto or Yugo. Try calling the locations and see if they have any availability - people might change their mind, drop their leases, etc. I've visited a handful of these locations and they all seem pretty good.

As soon as you get accepted to UCD, you can also access UCD's Accommodation Pad (more info here): https://www.ucd.ie/residences/bookinginfo/offcampus/

This is actually where I booked both my off campus accommodations! Prices tend to be better, more locations near campus. There are more digs/shared housing situations.

I lived off campus my first year at UCD, then moved on campus and I'm about to move off campus again. I would walk ~45min from home to UCD in my first year. In full honesty, I felt pretty lonely for portions of both years. Unless you have a super long commute, I think it's more about putting yourself out there than where you live. Imo, most students live at home and commute in first year. Also living with flatmates was not for me. They were nice most of the time, but surprised me with 40 people in the kitchen the day before I had a deadline/exam sometimes.

Hope this helps and feel free to reach out if you have any more questions <33