Cost of living at forefront of students' minds at start of new term at UCC

First-year engineering students Joseph Enright, Colm Goggin, and Colm McSherry at the Quad at UCC. Pictures: Larry Cummins

Accommodation scams, drink spiking, and the spiralling cost of living were among the main concerns of students taking their first excited steps back on campus at University College Cork this term.

Under the Aula Maxima’s soaring wooden beams and tall stained-glass windows, a Bystander Intervention workshop was given, instructing about consent and how to help in situations of sexual misconduct or sexual violence. 

Outside, large groups of enthusiastic new students followed busy volunteer guides around their new college.

Tote bags promoting sexual health, containing condoms and lubricant, were given out free and food stalls selling Asian, Middle Eastern, and Italian food were pitched around the campus.

Law student Georgia O’Kelly was giving tours as a library ambassador. After studying abroad on an Erasmus scholarship last year, she now helps international students to find accommodation and integrate in UCC.

One major concern this year has been accommodation scams, she said.

Everyone’s struggling to find accommodation. There’s been a lot of scams, especially with international students and first years coming in. They’re easy targets. They’re young, they’re desperate for a place, which a lot of people are taking advantage of. 

“One international student showed up to the place she thought she had rented and it was actually an old lady’s house. She was scammed out of €3,000.

“One of my cousins yesterday almost got scammed out of a place. She asked me to help her check out an apartment she found online. I went on the residential tenancies board website and the apartment didn’t exist. It was actually up for sale. The person used the sale ad in the scam."

The cost-of-living crisis is another concern for students this year, she said.

“Everything is so expensive. I was away for a year on Erasmus and since I’ve been back I’ve noticed a huge jump in the price of everything. Petrol getting into college, very limited parking, people getting clamped because they can’t update their parking ticket when they’re in class." "

Although Ms O'Kelly rented a house in the city with friends in previous college years, she and all her previous housemates returned to live at home this year because accommodation was both too difficult to source and too expensive to justify.

However, others who are not from Cork have been left with no option other than to travel long distances or pay too much for often substandard accommodation, she said.

ULink Peer Support volunteers Clóda O'Donoghue and Amy Sexton help first-year students at the Boole Library.

Amy Sexton is studying for an MA in translation studies and hopes to work as an EU interpreter in Brussels. She was also providing peer support and library tours in UCC.

“People are very shellshocked to be back on campus, very nervous," she said. "There’s a lot to take in. I commute from Clonakilty because accommodation is too expensive. From the prices I’m seeing they’re up way more than when I was an undergrad. Some places are asking €800 per month for a room in a group house. 

“If you were coming to college for the first time, having to commute would have a serious impact on your college life. You have less of a chance to get involved in clubs and societies, you’re exhausted coming to classes." "

First-year students on peer-guided tours at UCC.

The biggest concerns she heard from students were about the cost of living and drink spiking. 

"There’s a lot more awareness around that now, and being safe around Cork in general. I think more people are becoming aware that it’s happening but also more people are coming forward and saying it."

Clóda O’Donoghue, a third-year anthropology student, was also on campus providing peer support and library tours to new students.

“People are excited and a bit nervous,” she said. “Some students are coming from schools where a lot of learning has been online and hybrid over Covid and they’re arriving into a full-on, busy campus.

“I’m excited about joining more societies this year. Last year, I thought a lot would be online so didn’t join."

PE and Irish students Aoife Murphy, Ballinora; Ellie Condon, Kinsale; and Isobel Sheehan from Farran.

Isobel Sheehan, Ellie Condon, and Aoife Murphy are all in second year studying PE and Irish. Travelling from their homes in places such as Farran, Kinsale, and Ballinora is expensive on fuel, parking, and public transport but is still much more affordable than renting in the city.

The escalating costs of socialising are a concern, with single-shot standard drinks now costing €7.20 in some places and many gigs and nightlife venues costing €20 a ticket.

However, Colm Goggin remained upbeat about college life and said that he will "find ways around" the escalating costs of socialising.

Mr Goggin, Joseph Enright, and Colm McSherry were all in UCC to begin their first year of an engineering degree. All three young men from nearby Bishopstown and Ballincollig applied only for Cork colleges in the CAO, both to avoid having to find accommodation and because they felt there was enough choice locally. 

“Everyone talks about college life and what good craic it is. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, having more facilities, nights out, sport, finding new things about yourself," Mr Enright said.