TIPS FOR COMMUTING TO DCU

We understand that commuting to and from college can be challenging and you may feel that you don’t have the same opportunities as students who can live on or close to the campus. Over the past couple of years, DCU and DCUSU have worked together to put some measures and facilities in place to help students make use of the commuting time and to minimise the disadvantages a commuter has to experience. Here are some tips which may help commuters in DCU on a daily basis.

Food:

Many students and staff members bring their own lunches, both to avoid the queues in the canteen and to save money – bringing your own can also make sure that you have a well-balanced lunch each day. 

Bring Your Own: You can bring your own lunch into any of the university canteens or restaurants but try to avoid the smaller venues at peak times. 

Fridge: The Inter Faith Centre on the Glasnevin campus has a fridge which you can use to store your lunch until you are ready to eat – just make sure that you label it carefully and make sure you don’t forget to collect it before the end of the week. The fridge is emptied on Fridays to keep everything fresh.

Microwaves: There are a number of microwaves available for student use. These are located in the U building, the main restaurant in GLA and in the Nursing building. Plans are in train for microwaves on the SPD campus for 2022/23. There is also a microwave for general use in the kitchen in the Inter Faith Centre.  Guidelines are in place to ensure their safety and cleanliness and suitable, comfortable eating spaces are also provided in the vicinity. 

Kettles: The Seomra Caidrimh (Irish speaking area) on the St Pat's campus and the Inter Faith Centre on the Glasnevin campus provide boiling water free of charge. 

Showers on Campus:

Sports Centre: Students have free access to showers in the Sports Centre until 9.45am Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours, there is a €2 charge for use of the showers – just present your student card at the reception. 

Postgraduate Students have free access to showers all day in 1838.

Staying Active/Engaged:

It can be a very long day if you are hanging around campus all day, so make sure to use your time wisely. Try to structure your day so that you do some physical activity, take part in events and take full use of the facilities and opportunities on offer. You can also book a group study room in the library and work on projects with your classmates, so that you're not leaving this to evenings or weekends.

DCU Clubs and Socs: Being involved in a Club or Society is an excellent way to make friends, create a network and gain valuable life and career skills.  There are over 130 on offer and increasingly their activities cater for commuter students. All the information you need can be found here: https://dcustudentlife.ie/clubs-socs-2

DCU Sport Membership: A great way of using time in-between classes is to join the gym. Details on membership can be found here. 

Events on Campus: Student Support & Development and the Students’ Union have a huge variety of activities happening on campus each day.  Plan your week in advance so that you can relax in the evenings when you go home after a long day.

Quiet Spaces:

There is a variety of spaces on the campuses where you can relax and take some time out from a busy day.  The U Building (GLA) is open from 7.30am and there is a multitude of nooks and crannies you can escape to, as well as eating spaces, areas to work alone or in groups or just to simply relax. Details here: https://dcustudentlife.ie/our-facilities

The Inter Faith Centre in Glasnevin has a Quiet Room, which is often used for meditation or simple quiet relaxation. On the St Patrick's campus, the Balcony area over the C Block has cosy bean bags where you can rest for a while. Students with autism or sensory processing challenges can register to use the Sensory Pods on any of our three teaching campuses!

Charging Stations:

If you need to charge your phone or laptop there are free charging stations near the SU Helpdesk in the U, in the Inter Faith Students’ Union (D112) on the St Patrick’s campus. You can lock the station and come back later to pick up your item.