Ulster University - Business Studies in Belfast
My Name is Eamonn Gillespie, and I am currently studying Business Studies at Ulster University’s Belfast Campus. I’m originally from Newtowncunningham in County Donegal and my experience of going to Ulster University for college has been better than I could’ve ever imagined. As someone who was set on going down the route of CAO to study commerce in Galway, I had a last-minute change of heart and decided to submit my UCAS application in March with my leaving cert exams fast approaching just to ‘expand my options’. When it came to results time, I was glad that I took the opportunity to submit my UCAS application, as points inflation in CAO left me falling short for my number 1 CAO choice.
I accepted my offer with Ulster University and was offered university accommodation in Belfast’s 123 York Street building, which I can best describe as a homely hotel. As with any big change in life, I was nervous, but when I met the group I was going to live with for the year, I wasn’t long hopping into the shower for a big night out in the city.
The hospitality I was shown by my new housemates is a theme that has reigned true throughout my 2 years of university; the friendliness I’ve been shown through my time in Belfast from the locals, fellow students and university staff, has been fantastic and the fear of being an outsider from Donegal didn’t cross my mind again. The sense of belonging being a new student at Ulster University is still one of my fondest memories of studying in Belfast. Attending the fresher’s fayre and nights out made me realise everyone is in the same boat.
You’re not going to have it all figured out before you arrive; no one does, and I certainly didn’t. You’re going to get lost, (one of my specialties) you’re going to hop on the wrong bus or sit down in a lecture hall to realise it isn’t where you’re supposed to be at all but that’s the beauty of it all. The excitement of exploring a new city and finding your feet as a young adult is not only exciting and fun but can be daunting as it a huge change from living with your family in your hometown. The support, however, I received from the university and the people I have met in Belfast has made that transition seamless.
In Belfast, there’s something for everybody. There’s a club for every night of the week with different music and performances; there are restaurants which I’m still yet to try; and activities ranging from mini golf, cinemas, ice rinks, comedy clubs, gyms, sports. The affordability of the city assisted by student finance and generally lower cost of living allows for students to live a great lifestyle and indulge in luxuries I wouldn’t have had studying in some cities elsewhere in Ireland. The growth, experience, and lifelong memories I have made with Ulster University have left me a very grateful man for the day in March 2021 where panic led me to apply to UCAS just to “expand my options”.
