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Dear Student,

Registration and Orientation for the Medical Commencement Programme will take place on Friday 2nd February 2012 .

Attached is a list of student accommodation available in Tralee and also attached is an "Accommodation Preference & Flight Information" form, you must complete this form and return it to mcp@rcsi.ie .

Please find below answers to some common questions that incoming International Students have when coming to study in Tralee. Please read the email carefully as it contains some important and very useful information.


Non EU Citizens – Visa Applications
Most Students who are not citizens of an EU country will need to apply for a visa to enter Ireland to study at the IT Tralee. Those students who have indicated that their country of Citizenship is not an EU Country will have been sent a letter of offer from RCSI which will allow them to start their application process for an Irish visa. The minimum processing time for Irish visas is 8 weeks – you should apply as soon as possible once you receive your visa offer letter.
You must have successfully received your Irish visa in time to arrive in Tralee on or before Thursday February 1st 2012 – late arrival because of a delay in visa processing cannot be considered as a valid reason for later arrival.

What is the best way to travel to Tralee?
You will find air, ferry, road and rail links at:
Directions to the Institute - Institute of Technology Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland,Third Level, Higher Education

Where is Tralee?
Tralee is a small town of about 25,000 inhabitants situated on the Atlantic coast in the South West of Ireland. It has a student population of over 3000.

What is the weather like?
The weather in Tralee is changeable and dominated by the Atlantic. Winters are cool, wet and windy. Summers are mild with sunshine and showers. It never gets too hot and never gets too cold. See weather information at Tralee Weather - Tralee, County Kerry Forecast - TripAdvisor.

Where is the Institute of Technology situated?
The North Campus (Business, Tourism, Computing) is about 2 km from the town centre (IT Tralee North Campus - Google Maps). This is where most of your classes will take place.
The South Campus (Engineering, Science) is situated about 1 km from the town centre (IT Tralee South Campus - Google Maps). There is also a bus service that runs between the campuses (every hour) and the main student accommodation apartments.

What about transport in and around Tralee?
There is a bus service that services both the North and South campuses, the centre of the town and the main student accommodation complexes.

Many students buy a bike to travel to the Institute and to discover the region.

What activities can I take part in Tralee and the region?
County Kerry of which Tralee is the capital town has beautiful scenery consisting of beaches, mountains, lakes and forests. We do a number of cultural trips during the academic year and will provide more information during Orientation Day.

When Should I Arrive In Tralee?
You should plan to arrive in Tralee no later than Thursday 2nd February 2012 as all MCP students are required to attend the MCP student orientation day on Friday 3rd February 2012. No exceptions will be allowed . Many students decide to arrive a week early to give themselves time to get to know the town etc. which I would recommend as it gives you a chance to settle in before classes start.

We will help you to find suitable accommodation once you arrive in Tralee. We will also book you into a local hotel (close to the college) for the first two nights of your stay. This should give you plenty of time to find a more suitable form of accommodation for the rest of the academic year.

Do I pay fees?
If you are a self-funding student, please ensure that all MCP fees are paid prior to your arrival in ITT. Please follow the instructions included in your RCSI offer letter.
If you are a fully sponsored student, please hand in your original sponsorship documents when you attend orientation day.

Accommodation
For most of you a very important question is where will you live and with that in mind I've put together some information about accommodation options for students studying in Tralee which I hope will be useful.

Please note the Institute of Technology Tralee does not own or manage any student accommodation. All accommodation is privately owned and managed. Also you should be aware that there is usually a surplus of student accommodation in Tralee.

If you decide to wait until your arrive in Tralee to book your accommodation, it is likely that some of the smaller apartment complexes may already be full or close to it but the larger ones usually have empty rooms all year round so finding a room should not be a problem.

The majority of international students usually choose to live in one of the five main student apartment complexes.
You will find a complete list of the Student Apartments on the accommodation section of our website here -Accommodation - Institute of Technology Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland,Third Level, Higher Education . All the major student apartment providers have websites, most of which have their published rates and other useful information.
Choosing an Apartment Complex - Tralee is a relatively small town (population of approx. 25,000) and none of the student apartment complexes are very far away from either campus, though some are closer than others. During the college week there is an hourly bus that stops near all the student apartment complexes and at the North and South campuses. The fare is €1.50 per journey. Many students decide to buy a used bicycle which makes getting around easier and cheaper.
Here is a link to a Google map of Tralee - The North and South Campuses are marked as are the main students apartment complexes. North & South Campuses - Google Maps

The North Campus is on the edge of the town with mostly rural & residential areas nearby. Many students choose their accommodation to be close to the North Campus which makes for a shorter journey to classes. The disadvantage is that the areas near the college are residential and can be very quiet at the weekends - those who live closer to the town centre have the advantage of being closer to shopping, public facilities & are livelier in general. It really is a matter of personal preference.

The South Campus is not in the town centre, but is closer to it (a little more than 1 km) than the North Campus.

Broadband Internet Access
One of the key advantages of the apartment complexes (especially for international students) is that they all advertise broadband internet access - we suggest that you confirm this when booking as things can change.
Electricity
The electricity bills are usually divided equally between the students in each apartment and most apartment complexes require an advance deposit payment for electricity.
Comparing Rates
Some apartment complexes have a separate utility charge (for broadband, waste disposal etc.) and others include it in the rental rate they quote. To properly compare prices you need to know what is, and is not included in the rental rate quoted. Compare like with like.


Helpful Hint: Improving Your English & Accommodation
A good way to improve your English language ability is NOT to live with people who are only from your home country as you will speak your native language at home. While it is not always possible to guarantee, it is worthwhile making the request to the apartment complex manager when you are booking that if possible you would like to be placed in a mixed language apartment. Most apartment managers will try to accommodate you if they can - please be aware that this is not always possible.

Popular apartment complexes for MCP students:
Many MCP students stayed in the following apartment complexes last year:

Oakview Village (closer to North Campus) www.oakviewvillage.com/ ,
Tennis Village (closer to North Campus) www.thetennisvillage.ie,
Tralee Town Centre Apartments (town centre) www.ttca.ie; and
An Sean Mhuileann Apartments www.anseanmhuileann.com/ (town centre and closer to South Campus).

Host families
If living in a self-catering apartment or house does not appeal to you, then you have the option of staying with a host family for the academic year. We have a number of families who provide meals, transport to and from the college (or are located within walking distance of the college) as well as a family environment while you are away from your real home! Some families have been providing host family accommodation since the inception of MCP in Tralee. It is usually a great choice for students who are a little homesick and/or would like to live with an English speaking family in order to further improve their language skills.

NB - PLEASE READ
Students coming for the full year i.e. for 2 semesters need to be aware that if they sign a lease for both semesters, it is a legally binding agreement for both semesters. That means that it is not possible to change that lease later should a student decide they would like to live elsewhere for the 2nd semester. While some of the apartment complexes have allowed students to move out and have refunded their deposit – others have not and some students have lost money as a result.
We would advise all students to carefully consider whether or not they would like to sign a lease for the full year or for just one semester. It is worth noting that we cannot share student information with the accommodation complex managers so they will have no knowledge as to whether you will be in Tralee for two semesters or three semesters. It is possible (if unlikely) that there may be disadvantages to signing a lease for only one semester if you are planning to come for the full year. Perhaps the apartment complex could be full for the 2nd semester and you may be forced to look elsewhere or it is possible that the complex manager may not be interested in taking a student for a single semester. As there has been a large surplus of student accommodation in Tralee for a number of years now, students should have no problems finding alternative accommodation in any case.


TOP TIPS!

1. READ THE LEASE CAREFULLY - PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE DURATION (START AND END DATES).
2. GET A COPY OF THE LEASE – INSIST THAT YOU ARE GIVEN A COPY OF YOUR LEASE.
3. WHILE MOST LEASES ARE FINE AND WILL NEVER BE AN ISSUE FOR YOU - DO NOT SIGN ANY LEASE WHERE THE DATES ARE INCORRECT.

Modules/Subjects
You will be studying a mixture of subjects on the Medical Commencement Programme, including but not limited to the following: Information Technology 1, Learning at Third Level, Intercultural Communications, IELTS English, General English studies, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Further details will be available on the MCP student handbook, available on orientation day.

Attendance At Classes – attendance at classes is mandatory at the Institute of Technology Tralee.

Conclusion

Overall, these are the things you need to organise before you arrive :
• Irish student visa;
• Flights to Ireland;
• Completion of attached flight details and accommodation preference form (see attached and forward to me at this address);
• A folder with all original transcripts, IELTS certificates, sponsorship documents etc;

These are the things you will need to do on arrival in Ireland :
• Contact me (at mcp@rcsi.ie or +353 (0)66 7191712) when you arrive in Tralee;
• I will arrange transport to your hotel and we can arrange a meeting re a more permanent form of accommodation for the year;
• Attend Orientation Day on Friday, 3rd February 2012 (schedule to follow);
• Bring folder with all original transcripts, IELTS certificates, sponsorship documents etc to Orientation Day;
• Complete all registration documents on Friday, 3rd February 2012;
• Keep me updated of any changes to your contact details at home and in Ireland during the year.


International Student Facebook Page
Finally, I thought I'd let you all know that there is a group on facebook for incoming international students for 2011-12. I'd suggest you consider joining as it can be a useful source of information and a great opportunity to start to get to know other international students who will be studying in Tralee too.

Here's the link to the "IT Tralee International Students 2011-12" group -

Log In | Facebook

It's also worth looking at similar groups from previous years as much of the information is still useful -

the 2010/11 group is here Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More

the 2009/10 group is here - IT Tralee International Students 2009/10 | Facebook

If you have any questions on any of this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Hopefully we'll see you in February!

Kind Regards,

معاك انا بملتقى الخبر ..