火爆社区

Maynooth University, just thirty minutes outside of Dublin, is 鈥淚reland鈥檚 fastest-growing university,鈥� with a current enrollment of about 11,000 students. It boasts 鈥渢hirty-four academic departments across three faculties and eight specialist research institutes,鈥� 鈥渆xtensive research activities,鈥� 鈥渆xperiential learning鈥� and 鈥渋nternships,鈥� and a 鈥渇ull range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs.鈥� Students enjoy the 鈥渇lexibility of the bachelor鈥檚 degree,鈥� with 鈥渁n incredibly diverse selection of subjects鈥� that also 鈥渙ffers pathways into other degrees.鈥� Students note that the relatively 鈥渓ess intensive academic structure鈥� means that there is 鈥渓ess of a barrier to balancing work and life.鈥� Students are supported by 鈥渜uality,鈥� 鈥渁pproachable,鈥� and 鈥渙bliging鈥� staff, including librarians and administrators, and 鈥渆nthusiastic lecturers,鈥� some of whom are 鈥渋nternationally recognized researchers鈥� in their respective fields. The small size of the school itself makes it 鈥渆asy to get to know your lecturers and tutors,鈥� and professors and staff are 鈥減assionate and extremely helpful.鈥� There is an emphasis on life after college: 鈥淲e are given extremely practical advice on how to further our careers,鈥� one student remarks, 鈥渁nd everything in our lectures is framed in the context of a real-life situation we may someday face in our careers.鈥�

Maynooth University has a reputation for being 鈥渙ne of the friendliest campuses in Ireland,鈥� and the student body is a 鈥済eographically diverse bunch,鈥� which 鈥渂rings in people from the surrounding counties like Kildare, Meath and Kilkenny,鈥� along with folks from 鈥淒ublin City.鈥� Student enrollment has 鈥済rown massively in the past fifteen to twenty years,鈥� but students point out that 鈥淢aynooth still has a small student population compared to other colleges鈥� in the area, with student enrollment that can be up to three times as large. 鈥淵ou can still meet people you know on your walks, have room to walk around or find a place to be alone should you need,鈥� says one student. Maynooth University promotes a 鈥渃ollaborative environment where group work and sharing resources between peers is an essential part of college life,鈥� which helps ensure that students will 鈥渉ave the necessary communication and team work skills needed for the workplace.鈥� Students are, by and large, 鈥渟ocial,鈥� 鈥渋nclusive,鈥� incredibly hard-working and friendly,鈥� and 鈥渄iverse,鈥� with a 鈥済ood mixture of mature and non-traditional students.鈥� One student summed up the experience well: 鈥淚 am surrounded by a wide scope of students who are diverse in opinions and talents, but who have a collective sense of identity in being part of this University.鈥�

Maynooth鈥檚 campus is 鈥渂ased in a small town that has become a student town, giving way to a friendly environment.鈥� Maynooth students appreciate the 鈥渟tunningly beautiful campus鈥� that includes the 鈥渘atural landscape of the south campus,鈥� featuring 鈥渓arge fields with trees, walkways, a graveyard, a beautiful church, the seminary, and a lot of beautiful wildlife.鈥� 鈥淭his picturesque area is one of the main reasons I came to this college,鈥� says one student. 鈥淚 can still go outside and walk around in the fresh air and lower my stress levels exponentially before walking a brief five to seven minutes to my next lecture.鈥� The two main campuses (north and south) are just across the road from one another. The 鈥渃ampus is nicely compact鈥� and the 鈥渕ixture of the old campus鈥� with 鈥渓ovely green open areas with pretty old buildings鈥� and the new, with its 鈥渕odern buildings鈥� gives a nice feel to the area.

Students praise the 鈥渞ange of free services,鈥� including the 鈥渉ealth center, for all students, an 鈥渋nteractive student union鈥� with 鈥済reat representation,鈥� an array of 鈥渁thletics and other extracurricular activities,鈥� with a 鈥渧ariety of clubs and societies.鈥� There is 鈥渘o need to leave the town during the week,鈥� to find entertainment, as the town of Maynooth is 鈥渓ively, with a number of pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops for students.鈥� Campus life is also busy with 鈥渃lubs and societies running social and sporting events daily.鈥� If none of this takes your fancy, direct buses and trains go between Maynooth and Dublin regularly, and it is also 鈥渆asy to get home to the Midlands as the motorway passes through the town.鈥� A large proportion of students are commuters. The student union offers a 鈥渃heap鈥� and tasty breakfast, and downtown offers 鈥渁 variety of pubs鈥� and dining spots.