The Open University is based in the UK; but, there is a satellite office in Ireland. If you're…read moreinterested in distance learning and based in the Republic of Ireland, this could be ideal! The day schools take place in various locations convenient to students; but, this office is ideal if a student is in need of counseling for their study path as it is an advice center. I took advantage of this convenient office location and was seen immediately without an appointment (although an appointment is advised nonetheless). For those who want to obtain a degree/diploma, this is a great program! And, there's comfort in knowing that there is an actual presence here although it is qualified as a distance learning program. Is that Pomp and Circumstance I hear...?!

This college started out as a small private college in Ranelagh and has developed significantly…read more Probably the biggest step was developing this state of the art building in the IFSC. They have a variety of classrooms and lecture theatres here and the building is very modern and airy. The offer mainly business courses but have branched out into other areas as well. They are probably most competitive with the ITs rather than the university, and they run evening and distance learning courses as well

Spending your weekends stuck in lectures here is no fun. At least the NCI make it comfortable…read more The building in the IFSC is relatively new, and it shows. Well-structured lecture halls, so you've plenty of room and the acoustics are good. There's a decent enough canteen, but there's also plenty of food options around the IFSC, including the Point Village market. Getting to and from is pretty easy too. The Red Line of the Luas will bring you right outside the door (make sure you're on a tram heading to the Point though. And if you're feeling energetic, there's a Dublin Bikes platform around the corner too.

This is the university I want to go to when I leave school. I feel its got everything you could…read morewant in terms of facilities and the atmosphere is one of companionship and pride for the college. I'm not yet old enough to attend the university however I visit it regularly for sports, which is my main reason for loving this place. I play a lot of hockey and they have two really good pitches, one sand based and the other a top of the line water based one. It is actually the National Hockey Stadium. There are stand for this pitch, which you may have seen as Setanta Sports have broadcasted some club games from here before. These pitches are also used for soccer. You regularly see people of all ages playing five a side soccer on the sand. There is a new rugby and gaelic pitch, and athletics track as well as a fully equiped gym and quite a few basketball/volleyball/badminton courts. There is even rock climbing. Above these facilities is the SPorts Cafe which serves nutricious food for the athletes The university is of course primarily for education. It has a very good reputation with many famous people, such as Rosanna Davidson - former Miss World, having graduated from here. There are many scholarships to be won to attend here also. The easiest way to go view this campus is to bring your dog for a walk around its lovely grounds and take in the atmosphere.

I don't attend UCD but I've come here before a few times for various events like the L'Oreal Colour…read moreTrophy and career seminars. I also used to train in Taekwondo here and use the gym too. I go to a small college in the city centre which just has one building, so UCD is ginormous to me, almost like a mini city and a haven for anyone who loves sports and club activities. The lecture halls and facilities are top notch, everything was very modern and pristine and they have a lot of eateries on campus and nice greenery for students to relax. It was my first choice on my CAO form which I unfortunately did not get so I can't comment on the educational aspect, but I have friends who go here/ went here who have said many good things about it. But apparently you can take elective modules and do extra classes and earn credits from it, something which is not available at my college but would love to have. It also seems a lot more student focused. The only downside is the location; it's pretty far out, but it's in a nice area of Dublin. It's just getting to and from there if you live in the city centre can be quite annoying. But overall, it seems like a great place to be a student.

The Alpha College of English offers a wide range of English Courses in Dublin's City Centre. They…read moreoffer a really good general English course, a Business English Course, and an overseas teachers' courses as well as executive English and lots of other classes and courses. Basically they cover everything and if you want to learn English they will have a course that suits your needs. I have two friends who went here from Brazil and they loved it and learnt a hell of a lot in two weeks!

I enjoyed my four weeks in Dublin and at Alpha. The teachers were very motivated and interested in…read moremy personal success. I booked the 25 lessons intensive course which was divided into two parts: 1.: Normal Lessons for grammar, vocabularies,... - every morning 2.: Business English - two afternoons At the first day you do a test that shows your English level. But if you're unhappy with this level and the teachers think your level is higher/lower you'll chance the level. There are also a lot of social activities you can join for example a discussion or film course, tours in Dublin or the social evening on Friday to a pub. One of the most important things is, that alpha helps you to find a hostfamily or appartment if you want. All in all you can say alpha is a great school to improve your English!

The American College- or Irish American University- in Dublin is aimed at international students…read morewho want to study hospitality management or business in a small group setting as opposed to a larger college environment. The real reason to have a closer look at this place, at least for me because I don't want to study here, is the fact that the College is housed in the childhood home of Oscar Wilde at the corner of Merrion Square. It's a beautiful house and well worth a look. There is also a few commemorative plaques to see.

The most tech-y of the Dublin universities, DCU is also the only one on the northside. And it's…read morevirtually unaccessible to anyone not from around the city centre northwards. Kind of like UCD actually (acronyms apparently have more than letters in common!). It has a reputation for being slightly more vocational than either Trinity or UCD, and focuses far more on the science end of things, rather than the more traditional arts and humanities (which it still has, I hasten to add). The campus is very modern, belying its more recent development in comparision to Trinity and even UCD. However, it's lovely in its modernity and it's got some top facitilies too.

Worked there for a year (Post-Doc). Nice place actually, great campus, safe place. And great…read morerestaurant on-campus. And I left 4 EUR a day at the Spar for coffee. One of my labs was cold all the time, but I was told that would be a problem of that specific building. Well... what can you do?

One of the most beautiful campuses I have seen! It is very open, and GREEN! I like to workout so I…read moretake the 4 mile trail around and it is grand!! The dirt trail runs along the perimeter of the campus. There's a lot of construction going on (at least during the summer). I believe they are expanding the campus, so you might see a lot work being done!

The architecture of UCD captures a near soviet level of grim, crushing depression. Everything is…read moregrey and seemingly designed using blocks of leggo-only without the extravagance of the little dots on top. The main square, built with an eye to the social upheavals of the 60's, is actually designed to prevent mass gatherings. You'd guess that, as it's a thoroughly unwelcoming place. And then onto the interior, and maybe another reference to children's toys. The floor is color coded, different colored lines lead you to different parts of the campus. I'll admit to feeling a bit conflicted about this system. It's a bit patronizing. But, I don't understand it and have been lost in UCD nearly every time I've entered. There are no labels explaining the system, it's shaggin'useless.

The Students Union are pretty good in UCD but I found that you have to make an effort yourself to…read morekind of recognise their presence. The building is down at the bottom of campus next to the sports centre and there are plans in progress to have a new SU building built in a few years. There is a cafe in here which is actually really good, great priced fast food here. They also have a little kiosk where they sell sweets and junk. They have a pharmacy here too which is pretty handy and upstairs there is the doctors so anyone with a problem can just pop up and they can be seen to (although expect a long wait at times!) There's a corridor where the main sabbatical officers are based and during my time at UCD they were always great, although i'm a little biased as some of them were close friends.