Everything you need to know about college open days

University College Cork When is open day? The full schedule is available on

ucc.ie/opendays.

Life on campus For its 21,000 students, campus life outside the academic offers much more than long afternoons spent in the Main Rest (the college canteen). Nearly every undergraduate student has been or is a member of one of the many active clubs and societies on campus, and UCC prides itself on offering a really wide range of both. Along with traditional offerings, students can get involved with powerlifting, motorcycling, ultimate Frisbee, hot beverage appreciation and Harry Potter appreciation. With a vibrant city social scene just 10 minutes from campus, UCC students should rarely have a dull moment.

Strengths UCC is in the top 2 per cent of universities worldwide. It is a research-intensive, student- centred, international top-tier university. Since 1845, UCC has been the comprehensive university of the south of Ireland. Today, UCC is a globally- oriented, research-led university, providing a full range of disciplines and attracting high numbers of top school-leavers. UCC offers programmes in the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, law, engineering, architecture, science, food science, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and the clinical therapies. UCC is committed to development through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Accommodation First-year students in UCC, who normally reside more than 45km from the university, are advised to be proactive in their search for safe and affordable accommodation. Students should consider the following types of accommodation: a university-owned student apartment complex, a privately- owned student apartment complexes, an owner occupied home (digs) and private rentals that are registered with the Residential Tenancy Board. The webpage ucc.ie/en/advice will have information for first-year UCC students seeking accommodation in Cork.

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What's new UCC will be offering three new honour's degree programmes through the CAO in 2018, a BA Psychology and Computing – an integrated Psychology and Computer Science course, with an optional work placement year. BSc Data Science and Analytics and a BSc Medical and Health.

Maynooth University When are the open days? November 24th, 9.30am

-2pm, and 25th, 10.30am-3pm.

Life on campus Maynooth University is Ireland's fastest growing university, with more than 13,000 students, including 9,900 undergraduate students, 1,800 postgraduate students and 1,700 international students from 95 countries. Even though it continues to expand, with new buildings and services, it retains a strong sense of community.

The on and off-campus social scene includes pubs and clubs where it's easy to meet almost everyone on a night out. On the university campus, sports clubs and societies are the lifeblood of student activity. There are approximately 100 to choose from, among them the Tea Society, for those who like to take it easy, and MUCK – the canoeing and kayaking club – where adrenaline junkies get their fix.

Strengths Maynooth has gained a reputation for teacher training in all areas – from preschool to adult and community education. The university has also built an international reputation for research and teaching across many areas including the sciences, anthropology, electronic engineering, geography, business and law.

What's new In 2016 Maynooth University launched its New Maynooth Education – an enhanced undergraduate student experience. Now, in 2017, the Maynooth Education offers broader entry routes to many of the university's undergraduate degrees, first and second year students can avail of optional Critical Skills and Electives modules respectively and Experiential Learning offers opportunities for short-term work placement, service learning, community engagement and undergraduate research to undergraduates. The new curriculum also offers students more options for specialising in a particular subject or degree after first year.

Accommodation Half of the University's campus accommodation is reserved for first-year students. Approximately 1,200 students live on campus in a variety of apartment styles. Scéim Chónaithe is available for those students who wish to use the Irish language as their day-to-day language. Online booking for campus accommodation (deposit required) opens in early May and places are filled on a first-come-first-served basis.

Don't miss More than 70 interesting talks, delivered by our academic staff, take place on each of the November open days. Sit in on psychology, criminology, chemistry, primary education and find out more about careers and subject choice, sports and student life and the Maynooth Education opportunities. Lecturers in the Iontas building welcome questions and will spend time discussing your preferred degrees, while student-led tours will give you an extra insight into what life at Maynooth University is really like. More information: gomaynooth.ie

Dublin City University

When are the open days?

The DCU Open Days take place on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th November with activities organised across both the

Glasnevin

and St Patrick’s campuses.

Life on campus DCU is expanding rapidly. It has now completed the transformation programme, with the full incorporation of St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Mater Dei Institute of Education and Church of Ireland College of Education within DCU, providing three distinctive academic campuses on the northside of Dublin.

Construction is almost complete on the new €14 million Student Centre and Engineering extension, providing fantastic new facilities and supports for our growing student population. Clubs and Societies are the heart and soul of DCU and student life is incredibly vibrant, with more than 125 clubs and societies.

Along with its award-winning gym, state- of-the-art sports campus, playing fields, cafes and restaurants, the campus bar, NuBar, is always a busy spot. It hosts comedy festivals, guest speakers and gigs throughout the year. DCU is also home to the Helix theatre, which hosts a variety of music and theatre events, along with the hit dating show Blind Date.

Strengths DCU is regularly featured among the top 100 young universities globally. It is fast becoming a teacher-training destination, with 10 degree programmes in teacher education now offered in the areas of early childhood, primary, secondary and further education. The renowned Uaneen Module, endorsed by IBEC, plays an important role in encouraging students to develop personally and to get involved with extracurricular activities, earning extra credits on the way and ensuring DCU students stand out among the crowd. The DCU Business School is now accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), placing it among the top 5 per cent of business schools worldwide.

Accommodation More than 300 bedrooms are reserved on campus for first years, on a first-come first- served basis. The SU works with local landlords to source digs, apartments and houses. Construction of additional student accommodation is under way for up to 560 students bringing the total capacity to over 2,200 student bed units across the university's campuses.

What's new The BSc in Data Science, the first of its kind in Ireland, is aimed at students who are interested in a career in Big Data, data analytics and related data science roles. The course has been designed to fill the ICT skills gap and meet the demands of employers both at home and abroad. The new BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance will help you prepare for life as a professional musician.

Don't miss There will be subject-specific presentations, campus tours, a parent information session examining the costs involved in attending college and also the supports available to students. A complimentary bus from the DCU Glasnevin campus to DCU St Patrick's campus on both days, providing the opportunity to explore both campuses. Clubs and societies will be on hand to give you students an idea of what they can get involved in once you begin your studies in DCU and representatives from our Students' Union and will offer sound advice on successfully making the transition into university life. More information: dcu.ie/studentrecruitment/ openday

NUI Galway When are the open days?

March 24th, 2018

Campus Life Galway really is "a university city" – the campus is in the heart of the city centre, with all amenities on your doorstep and within walking distance. It is a vibrant place, with a year-long programme of cultural and sporting festivals. Students make up 20 per cent of the population in Galway.

On campus there are 50 sports clubs, including an Off the Couch recreational programme for students who want to maintain a healthy body and mind. There are 115 societies, with almost every interest catered for, with everything from Amnesty Society to Zen Society. New for 2016/17 is the African American Society. NUI Galway has enjoyed a steady growth in global rankings over five successive years, rising into the top 1 per cent in the world (QS Rankings, 2017).

Students can explore the campus that has emerged from €400 million investment resulting in new spaces for learning, laboratories for discovering, theatres and studios for creating, archives for remembering, playing fields and facilities for supporting athletes, and networks – both physical and virtual– connecting us to the world, a place where students can study, work, create, live and play.

What's New A range of new of employment and skills focused Arts degrees, including BA (Music), BA (Film and Digital Media), BA (Digital Arts and Technology), BA (Global Languages), BA (English and Media Studies), BA (Data Science) and a new BA (International) which will see non-language studying students taking the opportunity to spend their third year abroad in work placement and/or studying at an English language partner university.

Accommodation Responding to demands for accommodation the university will open 429 new on-campus beds in September 2018 and the university continues to work with local providers to secure first-preference options for all students.

Don’t miss.

New for 2017/18 Open Days is a programme of master classes to give a true picture of university life, including Connacht Rugby players giving a rugby skills session, an Engineering master class on how engineers shape the world we live in, University drama experts providing a practical workshop on theatre and performance, and, in conjunction with St Angela's College, Sligo, a class on fuelling student success through nutrition.

Trinity College Dublin

When is open day?

December 9th, 9am-3.30pm

Life on campus Trinity has cobbled squares, historic buildings and green playing fields aplenty, plus the entire city as its backyard. Ireland's oldest university, Trinity is a haven in the heart of the city for students and staff alike, with a sense of community that sets it apart. While the city offers a host of social opportunities, more than 150 sports clubs and student societies ensure there's never a dull moment – from the Food and Drink Soc, to aikido, snowsports and GAA.

Strengths Ireland's leading university, Trinity is the only Irish university in the world's top 100 and is ranked 88th (QS World University Rankings 2017). Trinity has a long-standing international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, and students can choose from more than 400 degree options. It has state-of-the-art research facilities, including the Trinity Library, Nanoscience Research Institute, Trinity Long Room Hub, and the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute.

Accommodation The majority of on-campus accommodation is reserved for first-year students at Trinity Hall, but you can't apply for it until you have accepted your CAO place. Trinity's Accommodation Advisory Service, run by the SU, can also help student's find somewhere to live.

Don't miss Over 100 talks and seminars covering every aspect of Trinity life, both academic and social. A chance to meet members of the societies and clubs. Alongside, tours of the world-class laboratories with demonstrations and a visit to the Trinity sports centre or Science Gallery. More information: tcd.ie

University of Limerick When are open days held? October 19th and 20th

, 9-5pm

Life on campus Life for UL's 13,000 students is concentrated in its modern campus, five kilometres from the middle of Limerick. There's a multitude of cafes, restaurants and pubs, and the surrounding housing estates are well known for student social life: a party is usually going on somewhere. UL's sports facilities are some of the best in the country. There are more than 70 clubs and societies on campus, with everything from GAA and American football to poker, fashion and drama.

Strengths UL has the highest graduate- employability rate of all of Ireland's universities and institutes of technology. UL has the largest Erasmus + programme in Ireland with 300 partner universities all over the world. UL also has one of the largest placement programmes in Europe, with about 2,000 students placed on CoOp every year.

A new BA Arts degree (LM002) launched last year offers 19 subjects in all with 176 possible combinations to degree level. Students will be able to study a combination of subjects – as Single Honours or Joint Honours – from across the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: from familiar arts subjects such as English, French, German, or History, to newer subjects such Drama and Theatre Studies or Linguistics with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

Accommodation UL has five on-campus villages with more than 2,400 beds. A certain number of campus rooms are held for first years (on a first-come first-served basis), but there are also a lot of off-campus options.

Don't miss Susi will have information about student grants, and prospective students can have one-to-one talks with programme directors, lecturers and admissions staff. Parents and guardians can meet the author of a new guide written to give them an understanding of the higher-education system and to help them support their child in making informed decisions around third-level courses and career choices. More information: email: marketingcomms@ul.ie; #StudyAtUL

University College Dublin When is open day? November 4th, 10am to 4pm.

Life on campus Ireland's largest university, UCD is set over 130 acres and can appear daunting at first to new visitors but students soon find their feet as the campus feels like a self-contained village with everything you need on campus. The city centre is a 20-minute bus ride away, but there's plenty on campus, with two gyms, an Olympic-size pool, a cinema, radio pod, clubhouse bar, dance studio and debate chamber. UCD has 83 active student societies – with a membership of over 47,000, the most popular being the L&H debating society, AgSoc, Science Soc and Drama Soc.

Strengths UCD is Ireland's university of first choice for CAO students: more students put a UCD course at the top of their CAO than any other university in Ireland. It has a huge range of courses and is known for its veterinary, agricultural science, engineering, law and medical programmes. UCD offers excellent global learning prospects for Irish students: the university has 400 partner universities for student exchange. Almost 20 per cent of undergraduates avail of international study opportunities, the highest of any Irish university. It is the only Irish university to provide the EU supplement label to students for international recognition of their qualifications.

What's new Accommodation: First-year students are prioritised, an additional 354 residences at the UCD Ashfield student accommodation was built last year, bringing the total number of residences on campus to 3,164. UCD also plans to build an additional 3,000 student residences over the next five to 10 years, bringing the on-campus population to over 6,000.

Don't miss There will be over 100 programme and subject-specific talks taking place in six locations on campus. There will also be an opportunity to find out about the world of UCD: the societies and sports, the facilities and campus, and a chance to pop in to an Open Rehearsal performance by the UCD Symphony Orchestra. Tours of the campus, students' residences, the O'Brien Centre, Sutherland Law School and the Student Centre will run throughout the day. More information: ucdopenday.ie