IT’S SEPTEMBER, AND a week on from the first round of CAO offers, thousands of students will soon be on college campuses as they begin the academic year. 

But with the new academic year comes the annual scramble for accommodation, as students seek to find somewhere to live amid the housing crisis. 

Lack of student accommodation has been a long-standing issue, with students facing paying high rents, making long commutes to and from college and living in substandard accommodation as a last resort, all while trying to navigate their third-level education. 

A recent report by the UCD’s Students’ Union found that more than three-quarters of students are paying over €750 per month in rent for accommodation during their time in college. 

Earlier this year, student unions from five of the largest universities in the country launched a ‘digs drive’ to encourage homeowners who live near college campuses who have a spare room to consider helping address the shortage of student accommodation. 

With this in mind, we want to hear from students and parents of students about their experiences in trying to find accommodation for college:

• Have you managed to secure accommodation for the academic year or are you still looking?
• What kind of accommodation is on offer (on campus, digs, etc) and how much does it cost? If you have managed to secure accommodation, how much will you be paying?
• How difficult is it trying to find somewhere to stay and what impact is the search having on you?

Please share your experiences by emailing a paragraph or two (around 200-250 words max) to answers@thejournal.ie or by clicking the button below. 

Please include your name, county and where you’ll be going to college, or tell us if you would like to remain anonymous.