For me, University College Dublin ticked all the boxes I needed to tick at the time. A large, sprawling campus with a diverse student population from all over the world is located in the capital city, far from the rural backroads of my hometown. Because of its outward-looking approach, I feel I received an education in both an academic and social sense. Academically, lecturers come from all over the world and are spearheading research in their respective fields and impart not only their knowledge but their enthusiasm for their research. Moreover, sharing such a diverse space with people from all over the world gave me the chance to develop and put the work into learning about myself, which is just as integral as any academic training one can receive.
Were I to offer advice for a room for improvement it would pertain to student welfare. Specifically, housing, cost of living, and student activism. The University does not offer enough support to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and where it does I feel it neglects those from rural backgrounds in favour of those from the Dublin area. Management earns too much money for the little investment government funnels to third-level institutions, student activists are disempowered and the student population lacking in morale as a result of the seemingly insurmountable slew of problems faced by students living in the big city.