The Pros and Cons of On-Campus Living at UL
There are many factors which go into choosing whether or not you want to live in an on-campus or off-campus accommodation. This isn’t an easy decision, but luckily there are students who have had to deal with this before you who are willing to offer their advise! Keep reading for the pros and cons of on-campus living at UL!
On-Campus Living Options at UL:
There are six on-campus accommodation residents at the University of Limerick. They vary in price with Plassey Village being the cheapest and Cappavilla being the most expensive.
Plassey Village
Kilmurry Village
Thomond Village
Dromroe
Cappavilla
Troy
Pros and Cons of On-Campus Living at UL
Pros of On-Campus Living at UL:
It does make it easier to make friends.
One of the main pros about living on campus in UL is that it does make it easier to make friends, especially if you are a first year or Erasmus student who is new to the campus. Some people don’t know anyone when they first go to college so on campus accommodation is the ideal place for them to live.
There is usually six people in a house so you are sure to find someone that you get along with. The houses are usually made up of people in the same year making it even easier for people to make friends as people are in the same year and around the same age.
The on-campus living means you have campus security.
On campus accommodation have their own security ensuring that students are safe at all times. This is not available to people who opt to live off campus in one of the surrounding housing estates such as Milford Grange or College Court.
As this is the first time the majority of students will have lived away from home it makes the transition that bit easier and also gives parents at home peace of mind. There are much less break ins reported on campus than off campus.
There is so much to do around campus.
The social life that comes with on campus accommodation in UL is fantastic. Kilmurry Village has long been known as the party residence for first years. You’re sure to find a party any night of the week if you look for one in the Villages which will no doubt be shut down by security by 10 o’ clock but nonetheless there will be plenty around to continue on the party.
Cons of On-Campus Living at UL:
It is more expensive than renting off a private landlord.
There are some cons to living on campus however. It is more expensive than renting off a private landlord. This year’s rates were; €3,610 for Plassey Village, €3,740 for Killmurry Village, €4,685 for Dromroe, €4685 for Thomond, €4,685 for Cappavilla, €3,640 for Troy. These are the rental rates only.
For example, if you divide the cost of Kilmurry Village per the amount of weeks of the college year it works out at rental cost of €99 per week. The average cost of renting a house off campus in UL is between €70 and €80 per week and sometimes includes some of your utility costs at this price.
While the on campus accommodation may be nicer the extra cost does add up and not everyone is able to afford the rising cost of on campus accommodation as the number of students applying to the college are forcing accommodation rates to increase.
There are more rules come along with on-campus living.
Another downside of living on campus is the amount of rules that come with it. For example, if you want to have one of your friends stay over for the night and they do not live in the same Village then you must sign them in at reception prior to their arrival.
During Fresher’s Week or RAG week, there will not be any students who are not residents of the Village allowed to enter throughout the week. As for parties, most are shut down by security before they even begin. Off campus accommodation provides much more freedom in this sense which a lot of students end up preferring after first year.
