Residential Summer School FAQ

The Residential Summer School runs for 4 days, from Monday to Thursday, and you’ll spend 3 nights living on the UCD Belfield campus. That’s just the right amount of time to settle in, get a real feel for campus life, and try out a bit of everything.

Over the week, you’ll take part in academic workshops, check out some of the restaurants on campus, and even enjoy a movie night in UCD’s very own cinema. By the end, you’ll feel right at home and have a real taste of what being a UCD student is like.

You’ll be staying on campus for the whole summer school, with your room already sorted in one of the UCD Residences. Each apartment has space for 4 to 6 students, and the best part is that every room comes with its own bathroom.

All your lunches and dinners are covered by us! UCD has a lot of different restaurants on campus, and you’ll get to try a few while you’re here. There’s plenty of variety to choose from, and there are always vegetarian options too. You will need to bring enough food for your breakfast though, as the restaurants aren't open in the morning.

If you have any specific dietary needs, just let us know when you’re signing up and we’ll make sure you’re looked after.

Taking part in the Residential Summer School is completely free! The Access & Lifelong Learning Centre has got you covered. All you need to bring is food for breakfast in the mornings, and maybe a few snacks you love, everything else is on us.

Pack enough clothes to get you through the 4 days of the programme. You’ll be staying in the UCD residences, but there’s no laundry access, so bring what you need. If you’re planning on joining the sports activities, make sure to pack some sports gear too. Don’t stress though, you’ll have time to change before and after. Other than that, there’s no dress code. Just come as you are, we love seeing everyone’s own style.

UCD is a big campus, which means you’ll be doing plenty of walking. Comfortable shoes are a must, and so is something for the Irish weather (a rain jacket or umbrella will come in handy).

Food-wise, lunch and dinner are sorted for you in our restaurants, and we’ll have snacks during the day. The only thing you’ll need to bring is breakfast food, so pack enough to keep you going in the mornings.

Each year, around 60 students get the chance to take part in the Residential Summer School. We invite students from all of our linked schools, making sure every school has the same opportunity to send people along.

That means you’ll probably be able to come with a few friends from your own school, but you’ll also get to meet loads of new people from other schools too.

You won’t be left to figure things out on your own while you’re on campus! A team of Access Leaders will be with you the whole time, even staying overnight to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Access Leaders are current UCD students who work with the Access & Lifelong Learning Centre during their studies. They’ll help you find your way around, guide you through the programme, and even run some of the workshops and activities.

The best part is that they’re UCD students, so you can ask them anything, whether it’s about life at UCD, tips for picking a course, or how the CAO works. They’ll be more than happy to share their own experiences and give you an inside look at what being a university student is really like.

Mornings are all about the academic workshops, led by UCD professors and students. In the afternoons, it’s time for social activities and a chance to explore UCD’s facilities. Whether you’re into sports, drama, music, or something else, there’s plenty to try.

The social activities are run by UCD student societies, so you’ll get to meet our students and ask them anything you like about life on campus.

You get to choose from a list of subjects taught at UCD. The options change every year, and we usually offer 4 or 5 workshops to pick from. We try to give a mix from different colleges (Science, Humanities, Business, Law, Engineering, Agriculture, and more) so there’s something for everyone.

We aim to keep it as broad as possible, but we can’t offer every single programme taught at UCD (that would be over 130 workshops to organise!).

The workshops are all about giving you a taste of how subjects are taught at university. You’ll get to try out new topics, see how learning at college is a bit different from school, and even dip your toes into what academic research looks like. The subjects covered aren’t designed to match up with your Leaving Cert, so don’t worry about that. Instead, pick something that grabs your interest, you’ll get way more out of it if you’re curious to see how it’s taught at UCD, rather than thinking about exams.

You’ll be working in small groups, using UCD’s facilities to dive into your chosen topic. At the end of the week, each group will give a short presentation to the rest of the summer school. Don’t worry, there are no grades or tests. The presentations are just a fun way to share what you’ve been working on and to give everyone a chance to see the variety of projects happening across the week.

The social activities give you a taste of what UCD students get up to outside the classroom. College life isn’t just about studying, there’s loads to get involved in! From using the sports facilities to checking out student societies or even catching a film in UCD’s own cinema, there’s always something happening on campus.

During the summer school, we’ll give you a sample of that variety. There’s usually a choice between a sports activity, something creative (such as drama or music), and another option for those who want to keep things more quiet, so you can pick whatever suits you best. It’s all about trying new things, meeting people, and seeing what life at UCD is really like beyond the books.

Absolutely! We’ll do our best to make sure any students with disabilities are fully supported. Just let us know when you sign up, and we’ll get in touch before the programme starts to make sure everything’s sorted so you can have a great time.