6 Things DCU Needs

A Dublin Bike Station – The college needs one of these now more than ever. With the recent announcement that Dublin Bus fares are going up again a return journey from the city centre will cost over €5 come January. Unfortunately the Bike Scheme has just been expanded and Paul Heffernan of Dublin City Council says they don’t have any details of any further expansions.

More weeks in a semester – It might sound crazy to some people but I’m paying a lot of money to go to this college and I’d rather have a bit more time. Every course is meant to prepare you for a job and 24 weeks in college (not including exams) each year means we’re out of college more than we’re in it. I think we could all learn more and go into more detail with our modules by having more time. As it is now it just seems like you only have the time to skim the surface of an idea because you’re under pressure to get assignments done and move onto the next thing.

To get rid of all the revolving doors – Some things are good because they’re simple. The normal door is one of these. Revolving doors are the slowest, most frustrating way of getting into a building ever created. Especially the “automatic” one into the library that is only automatic when it feels like it.

A lower fee for student card replacement – It currently costs €25 to replace your student card if it’s lost. I don’t know what the reasoning is behind this. Maybe it’s to encourage people to look after them but I can’t think of any situation where you’d want to lose your student card. You can’t get discounts, you can’t sit exams without it, you have to go down to the registry to get a new one. If a fee is meant to make sure people look after it then I’m sure five or ten euro would have the same effect. €25 feels like they’re charging it because it’s something students need to have. It’s ridiculous and needs to be lowered. A piece of plastic cannot be worth anywhere near that much.

More water fountains – I know from spending most of my time in the school of communications in the Henry Grattan building that the only water fountain in there is on the top floor where there are only offices. There is one in the canteen, none in the hub and a powerless one in the library. However, with water charges coming I wouldn’t be counting on seeing anything anytime soon.

Outside Shelters – Good luck to you if you have to stand outside anywhere for five minutes in the rain.  Apart from a few overhangs along the sides of some buildings and some conveniently placed bits of concrete to take shelter under you’re exposed to the elements.

By Colm Quinn

Let us know in the comments what you think DCU needs or using hashtag #DCUneeds

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