Attending College in Dublin this year – Here’s everything you need to know!

Students starting or returning to college for the upcoming academic year are following up a stop-start academic year at both second and third level. Attendance, CAO offers, start dates and much more have been affected. Given these changes and challenges, we don’t blame you if the odd key date or important bit of information has passed you by. Read below to get an overview of everything you need to know about attending college in Dublin in 2021/22.

Trinity College Dublin

Key Dates: Teaching for new undergraduate students begins on 13th September. Orientation week for undergraduate, visiting and Erasmus students will begin the week of 6th September.

Postgraduate Orientation will take place during the week commencing 30th of August. Teaching for postgraduate students is due to begin on the 13th of September.

Though Trinity’s campus is currently closed, they are offering virtual campus tours, which you can view here.

UCD

Key Dates: First year orientation will begin on the 2nd of September and run to the 7th depending on your specific course.

UCD has a very detailed website outlining the experience for both domestic and international first-year students. Guides, extra-curricular, and even online orientation are all really useful for getting up to speed before your first day. After orientation, teaching will then begin for all students from Wednesday the 8th of September.

TU Dublin

Key Dates: First year students will begin orientation on the 13th of September, though dates might vary slightly depending on CAO processes.

Existing students will return for the beginning of the semester on the 20th of September. The new TU Dublin Grangegorman campus welcomes students for its first full academic year. If you’re beginning one of the courses based on the city campus, be sure to check out the new dedicated page for Grangegorman.

Dublin City University

Key Dates: For DCU, first year orientation for undergraduate and international students also begins on the 13th of September.

Semester one teaching and the return of all students will be on the 20th of September.

DCU also have a host of virtual tours so you can get a true feel for the campus before you arrive for the first time. These tours are found on DCU’s CAO Hub. It is a great resource for both Irish and international students looking for some additional information on student life and your first year of university.

Griffith College

Key Dates: Orientation for Griffith College first-year students is due to take place on the 8th and 9th of October. However, these dates are yet to be fully confirmed so keep an eye out for updates to their academic calendar.

Semester 1 lectures will then begin on the following Monday, the 12th of October.

Griffith College also has a useful hub for new students that has plenty of downloadable guides that detail student life and even one for parents.

National College of Ireland

Key Dates: First year and existing students will return for full classes on the 13th of September.

However, NCI are yet to finalise dates for their orientation. So be sure to keep an eye on their academic calendar which you can find here. 

Continuing from the last academic year, students will be able to book study and library spaces online while a one-way system for walking through buildings has been implemented. Staff and students will be required to log in/log out by swiping their student card on a reader to help with contract tracing if needed.

Point Campus are fully prepared for, and excited to welcome back all new and returning residents to our student accommodation. A lot of effort has been made these past few months to ensure everyone’s wellbeing and safety. Our communal spaces and rooms have been designed to allow those taking virtual classes to reach their academic potential unhindered, and for those attending lectures getting in out of college could not be any easier with the Luas right on our door step!

DISCLAIMER: Please note the information provided in this blog was accurate as of 07/07/2021. With the current changing situation always be sure to check out your own college’s website for the most up to date information. Some individual courses may have start dates that vary from the rest of their equivalent year.