If you’re a student at RCSI, you know that the college lacks a “traditional campus.” Shortly after your arrival, you’ll probably quickly familiarize yourself with the two buildings on York Street that hold together the 4000 students enrolled. RCSI is unique in the fact that it is integrated into the heart of Dublin. Although this makes it quite convenient to mindlessly stroll around Brown Thomas or grab a quick coffee from Butler’s to avoid studying, when exam season comes around, the library becomes a literal war zone. If you’re a homebody and prefer to skip lectures and study from home, this isn’t too much of an issue. But if you’re like me and need a quiet place to study, finding space on campus can feel impossible.
RCSI has two main buildings, the “old building” and the “new building,” and there’s also a building for CBL, but no one goes there unless they have to. The old building features several lecture theatres and tutorial rooms, as well as “1784” – the university cafeteria. The main building comprises the gym, lounge areas, café, and all study spaces. You can imagine what this building looks like at 1 pm on a Monday, or even worse, during the exam season. There are four levels with study spaces available. You have the 1st floor, where you’ll usually find the people who realized that hearing their own thoughts on the 2nd floor was making them crazy. The 2nd floor (my go-to) is where you go if you want to lock in for seven hours straight–it’s not for the weak. My only complaint with the 2nd floor is that the only way to get a decent seat is to arrive at the crack of dawn. And that you can’t leave your things unattended for more than 15 minutes, or you risk having your entire belongings boxed on display outside the library.
If you like to have some background noise, the 3rd floor is the place to be. However, if you get distracted easily, you could spend hours yapping before realizing how much time passed while you barely made a dent in your lecture. The 4th floor is where you’ll see people you’ve never seen before, but if you manage to get a window seat, it’s a peaceful and quiet area to study. If you find yourself pacing back and forth, anxiously waiting for a seat to open, there are a couple of lesser-known study spaces you should try.
- Book a study room: If you book in advance, you can reserve a room for yourself for up to 2 hours, or even more if you’re part of a group.
- Desmond lecture theatre: this is the lecture hall on -1, and it’s usually relatively quiet and empty
- Tutorial rooms on the 4th floor: These may have to be booked, but they’re a great space for group studying for the OSCE
- Lecture theatres in the old building: Cheyne, Houston, O’Flannagan, can offer a quiet space to study alone or with a group
If you’re simply looking for a place to relax or take a break between lectures, there aren’t many options. Luckily, the campus is near St. Stephen’s Green Park, and on the rare days it’s sunny in Dublin, it’s a popular spot for students to do their reviews, eat a quick lunch, and soak up the sun. The main floor of the new building features lounge areas with tables and sofas, which are often occupied by large groups from the start of the year. Although having to fight for a seat gives me a rush of adrenaline to start my day early and focus on studying, I believe that more spaces for students might relieve the additional stress of studying for exams.