Has anyone any info on Trinity College Dublin?

[5starzz]

DS is having a nosy for History grades in hand (3xAstar). Would he be able to get a student loan to pay the fees?

Any practicalities of studying in Dublin and where would it be seen / ranked by future UK employers against top UK unis?

DC applied for TH and was not allocated anything. They then begged the accomodation office on offer day and got KC. They were lucky, many got none. They are paying the same rate pro rata as they would've done for their firm but with a shared bathroom not the ensuite they are going to. If your DS will share they will get the £140pw TH rooms.

TH, you pay for Sept to circa mid May (no need to vacate mid like Oxbridge), and as post above, is much cheaper if prepared to share. Just found previous year's bill for KC, was 10.8k EUR for 38 weeks. yes ouch, but overall offset by the convenience, many students stay on subsequent years.

At least your DC is in thick of it in Bethnal Green, a very YP's place to be right now :)

@ealingwestmum Congrats to your DD for securing employment 2 years ahead. Belfast is a great city. I know the horrors of obtaining a grad scheme - especially this past year as DC applied for over 80 (each with up to potentially 6 stages) - and by the skin of their teeth landed one (started last week - delighted)

https://www.theguardian.com/money/article/2024/aug/29/uk-graduates-struggle-job-market

Early days I know, but hope your DC is loving working life! I agree, it's grim reading re life for YP people right now.

Just a quick note, DC was told it was no cheaper to share at TH…! I guess still a cheap bed though.

Congratulations to your DC for the employment! Awesome.

Thanks for updating on sharing costs, things have changed over just a few years!

I'm no help with current accommodation costs, OP, but I studied there 20 years ago and would be back like a shot if given the chance! It's a wonderful place.

Any advice on where to get student contents insurance @ealingwestmum ? We need to insure the usual - laptop etc plus a Violin….!

So this going to sound remiss of us @Brownthomasismynewdestination but we self insured for room contents but, the violin was a completely different matter! It’s valuable, so the worldwide cover through Allianz for all DD’s instruments works at circa £40 for the year, includes tours, from locked vehicles etc through Allianz musical. Itemise all parts, the bow was also high value for us.

Without prying into your DD’s std, look out for auditions for TCD Symphony Orchestra. Whilst most are music UG’s or students from local conservatoires, if successful, the overseas tours early Jan are a nice escape and opportunity for different friendship groups.

KC may have contents cover as part of resident, I just can’t remember.

Britain and Ireland both treat each other's citizens as home students. I think it is because of the common travel area and probably predates the existence of the EEC/EU.

Thanks so much, I’ll look into that!

Booking flights now for the open day in November. Its shame we didnt put this in the mix last year in time for 2024 results - but not sure if TCD would have allowed a deferral then anyway which is important to my DS to have a year out.

Sure, but odd that they don’t say “EU/UK” and instead just say “EU includes British”.

trinity have their own medical centre which was subsidised a lot for students - used to be 10 euro per visit rather than 60 to see outside GP.

College Health in Trinity is actually free for students. It's a GP practice.
However, dentistry in Ireland is extremely expensive so make sure he brushes his teeth!
A PPS number will be essential for any work and can take a while to sort, so do it early.
Accommodation is extortionate and in very short supply. Trinity may help in first year but it is quite a lottery. Be very wary of scams if looking at private rental.
Dublin has sadly become quite rough, lots of feral males and drug addicts around, which may be another thing to consider. He'll need to be streetwise and learn where to avoid.
Trinity is a world class, beautiful university and an amazing four years.

Flights & accomodation booked for the open day on 2nd Nov.

He's really excited now - he has looked at the minimum points for History for last 10 years and he has been clear each time with 581 (A star x 3 + A grade EPQ).

He currently holds a deferred unconditional at Durham for History in 2025 - so if accomodation doesnt deliver or the grade boundary is higher he has soemthing to fall back on - though he is much more inspired by the prospect of living in Dublin.

Fabulous update OP, all the best to him, hope the visit in November goes well!

My daughter has just completed a joint honours degree in History and Political Science inTrinity and she absolutely loved it. She was offered 3 Masters programmes in the UK - 2 in London and one in Edinburgh and has just started a Masters in LSE. I hope he finds it as positive an experience as she did.

Congratulations to your DD @Anne8850 - how did you work through the accomodations issues and did she do a year abroad?

One concern he has is that he wont have UK based friends from uni when he finishes and during the holidays - also the suggestion that many Irish students go home a weekends? Is this something your DD has any experience of?

Also just come across this comment on TCD accomodation info re TH

'If you are successful in getting a place at Trinity following the first round of CAO offers - your supporting statement will be used in your room allocation"

Any idea what this supporting statement could be?

We live in Ireland but she rented accomodation as we are not in Dublin. She rented here privately through www.universityliving.com/ireland/dublin/property/binary-hub, She was very involved with societies etc in Trinity so wasn't home much at weekends. One of her closest friends in Trinity was from the UK and he didn't seem to feel isolated at all. A number of the students in the societies were not from Ireland and my experience so far - she moved to London 2 weeks ago - is that half of them have now moved to the UK either for Masters or internships. She's already met up with lots of friends over there.

Thanks @Anne8850 thats reassuring and a helpful link - do you know if you can apply to TH and aparto simultaneously and not get kicked off the TH list as seems to happen if you apply to KC at the same time?

You can only apply to one or the other. No one stays on both lists. I’m not aware of any ‘supporting statements’ tho? Maybe that’s where DC went wrong 😂

Does your DS have a GCSE in a MFL tho? I think it is a requirement…

Yes he does have GCSE MFL - think the 'supporting statement' is for priority need for accomodation - so disability etc - tho it also says 'long commute'?

Just bear in mind that there are 5 rounds of offers. If your DS is not successful in getting a place in round one, the deadline for UCAS acceptance expires before round 2. one of my DC’s mates was 1 point off a round 1 offer, let go of the UCAS place and then did not get a round 2 offer as the course was filled on round 1….For some reason my DC thought that deferral of the UCAS place committed them financially for 2025 (?) so they relinquished the place and decided to just go for it.

KC is really international- centric. Tbh, DC is not thrilled - no 1st years in the flat so is having severe FOMO about what is going on in TH…. So has now chosen societies which are known to have more UK/ Irish students to get to know more. On the upside, it is a short walk into uni from KC as opposed to 45 mins on the bus from TH. Not being at TH I think will have less distraction so they can throw themselves into coursework when it starts next week. There is also the luxury of having your own en suite. The accommodation feels very secure, is warm, clean (by student standards!) and modern.

There are a fair amount of students coming from the UK (suspect more might apply if tuition fees rise as suspected in the UK universities) so I don’t think it will be the case that your DS won’t make friends with people from the UK.

It is the case that the Irish students clear out at the weekends, but clubs are over 21 at the weekend in the city so it’s a great opportunity to take a job and live the best party life during the week.

DC texted yesterday to say the course is really academically rigorous - on a par with the work level expected at Oxford - which I think is why getting on a masters programme or getting an interview with a multinational company is in their favour.

Good luck to your DS, I can say the only stress is actually getting them there 😂