This semester, 317 new DCU Access Scholarship students entered their first year in university. DCU has approximately 1,300 Access students studying at undergraduate and postgraduate level across the University.
Given that many Access students are the first in their family to attend university, as well as the fact that they come from communities where very few friends and neighbours have attended third level education, starting university can be an exciting yet daunting experience for them.
There are also currently 19 students on the DCU Access Programme who are, or were previously, placed in the care of the State. This semester, three of these students began nursing programmes and a further two students have begun the Bachelor of Education course this year.
In order to ensure that new Access students get off to the best possible start in DCU, our Access Programme hosted an orientation programme from 5th to 7th September to introduce them to college life and help them settle in.
During the Access orientation, the participating students became familiar with the DCU campus and the resources available to them, including the Student Health Service, Counselling & Personal Development Service, Disability & Learning Support Service, Maths Learning Centre, Writing Centre, Inter Faith Centre and DCU’s Libraries to name a few.
The orientation programme aimed to reassure Access students and answer any questions that they had about university life. The three days also offered a fantastic opportunity for these students to establish new friendships.
The DCU Educational Trust wishes them the best of luck throughout their time in DCU and beyond.
