The summer before college should be all about relaxing and taking it easy after the tough LC year but with just over one month until the CAO results are released, these are four things you can do this summer to help prepare you for your transition to student life.
1. Book a campus tour. You may have already been to the campus on a group tour during 4th or 5th year but it’s always worth visiting the campus a second time. You can book an individual or small group tour, led by one of our student ambassadors (parents, siblings & friends welcome to come along too!) and get an in-depth tour of the campus, stopping off at key points of interest along the way. Get the opportunity to ask all the questions you may have one to one and become familiar with the campus before your first day. You can book a UCD campus tour HERE.
Summer at UCD
2. Research the transport links. Whether you will be commuting to college every day from Dublin or further afield it’s worth checking the route to the campus every day. Become familiar with the times of the trains/buses or trams that you will use every day and do a practice route to the campus before your first day. For those of you hoping to live on campus, it’s worth checking out the nearest villages of Stillorgan, Clonskeagh, Donnybrook & Blackrock and making a list of restaurants, coffee shops & shops you intend to visit. Dublin Bus routes to Belfield HERE.
3. Learn some simple recipes. Practice some simple recipes at home and treat your family. Learning how to cook will save you lots of time and money at college and your new room-mates will be very impressed. All UCD students receive a compact booklet containing simple and inexpensive recipes during orientation week. Check out last year’s booklet HERE.
4. Discuss a budget with your family. The bank on the UCD campus is AIB and there are plenty of incentives for students to open an account during the first few weeks of college. It is a good idea to sit down with your parents or guardians before starting college and plan a budget for the academic year. Start with creating a list of fixed costs: student contribution fee, accommodation expenses, books, laptop and other materials. Then there are other expenses such as transport costs, food and clothing which should be budgeted for also. It can be an expensive time, however you may be entitled to a grant (see SUSI) and most banks will offer student loans to help with the expenses for the duration of your study (see list of AIB student loan options HERE). There are also some part-time job opportunities on campus and in the surrounding areas, so keep an eye on Jobs.ie. These are four practical things you can do over the next month to fully prepare you for the next big life adventure. Also, remember to make time for family and friends and most of all enjoy the summer!!
