Encouraging lecturers, great location and fantastic facilities – Journalism and Visual Media graduate Laura Mullett sings GCD’s praises.
Introduce yourself and your college.
My name is Laura Mullett, I have just finished a degree in Journalism and Visual Media at Griffith College Dublin
What’s the best thing about your college?
I found that GCD really cares about their students and career paths. They are very advising and supportive of the student body, so when you go out in the working world you feel prepared. They want you to succeed.
What’s the worst?
Truthfully, I loved my time in Griffith and was very sad to leave. I can’t think of anything negative to say about it.
What’s the local area like?
GCD is very central, which is really convenient. You’re just a stone’s throw from the heart of the city. What’s also pretty cool is that it’s beside the national boxing stadium.
What about accommodation? Is it expensive?
I lived on campus in Griffith Halls for one year; I believe it is cheaper now than when I lived there. Finding good accommodation is Dublin is a matter of patience, to find value you have to do a serious hunt, but living on campus for a year can be a great benefit as you get to meet people. I lived in both Rathmines and the city centre and I found it very handy to get to and from GCD.
What’s the cost of living like?
The cost of living in Dublin is high so students have to get creative when it comes to budgeting and having a social life! Leap cards for buses are a help, as is using your student card for discounts where possible.
Is part–time work easy to come by?
Now that so many people are flocking abroad there are more jobs, but as a student balancing work and college can be a huge challenge as one can cause the other to go downhill. It is tough to find a balance but weekend work is out there – Dundrum Town Centre has lists of job availability at their reception which is constantly updated.
What are the campus facilities like?
There are several Mac labs on campus as well as state of the art equipment available for rental. I noticed upon my departure that the GCD library is kitted out with new computers too!
What’s the food like? Is there a good variety? Is it expensive?
The food is great, but in comparison to other colleges ‘Arthurs’ is quite expensive, especially when it comes to dinners. But there is a spar across the road and you are permitted to eat what you want in the canteen, no one is ‘too cool’ to pack a lunch! Also the soup there is really nice.
What kind of sports facilities are there?
I’m not really well informed on sports, but GCD do have a number of teams such as football and cricket that do really well. I’ve heard the coaching is brilliant, and there is a new sports officer this year.
Are there a broad range of clubs and societies?
There are yoga and dance classes which are great fun. There’s a broad range of clubs and societies, I’m pretty sure you can check out the list on the Griffith SU Facebook. The SU is adorned with comfy couches, a widescreen TV and a Wii set up so it’s a great place to chill out for students.
What’s the story with the college/local bar? Is there a good atmosphere? Is it cheap?
The college bar is epic when events are organised and the drink promos have really low prices. The SU always make a crazy effort to organise exciting events. I think what is great about GCD is that it is by all means an ‘international’ college. A lot of students come here from abroad to study and have the craic, which adds to the festive atmosphere on campus. It’s a hive of activity.
What advice would you offer to new students? For example, what’s the worst thing a new student can do? What’s the best?
The only advice I can give is enjoy every minute of your time as a student – college is the most liberating and exciting time of your life. In saying that, make a decision about where to go based on what YOU want. Griffith College Dublin have small class sizes, a wide variety of courses and attentive lecturers that will give you great practical advice that you will carry with you. Griffith helped me realise my calling and then gave me the tools to achieve it. I realised my potential as a journalist and worked hard there to hone my skills. Since then I have worked as an interviewer for the Irish Film and Television Awards two years running, wrote freelance articles for magazines, presented radio shows, interviewed at music festivals, and launched my own blog called ‘Lipstick Gossip’ which showcases exclusive celebrity interviews and much more. I worked on it during my time in my final year of college and it now has almost 35,000 reads. I would truthfully recommend Griffith College Dublin because I think it’s a brilliant college and I have great memories from my time there. The sky is the limit – but that doesn’t mean you need to fly abroad to reach your goals.
You can check me out on facebook: www.facebook.com/lipstickgossip
and click here to read my blog: http://lipstickgossiplady.blogspot.ie/
tweet me on: @lauramullett