Here are some general rules, tips, and expectations to help you become accustomed to your new home!

CISabroad students will live in Shanowen Square, located just across the street from the Glasnevin Campus at DCU!!

You will have a single bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, and will share a kitchen and living space with up to eight other students.  Your apartment will be stocked with basic kitchen utensils/supplies and bedding as well (towel not included – your Site Director can help you out with shopping for anything you need during Orientation).

In your bedroom, you’ll have a bed, wardrobe, under-bed drawers, and study area with desk and shelves.  For a full Shanowen Square inventory list, click the following link: INVENTORY_List _2012 (1)

What’s Included:

• TV in the common area and internet access in all bedrooms and common areas.
• All utilities included
• Smoke alarms in all rooms
• Intercom controlled access (security gates with coded access to both the gates and the blocks in the complex)
• On-site Night time trained security personnel with a designated contact telephone number.
• Police station less than 3 minutes away
• Pharmacy one-minute walk
• Onsite Reception for general day-to-day inquiries
• Maintenance team
• Self-Service, coin-operated onsite laundry facilities.
• Neighbouring Omni Shopping Centre, Tesco’s and a 10 Screen Cinema.
• An abundance of restaurants and pubs
• Close to local DCU sports complex with gym, pool, spa and sauna (a gym membership is included in your program cost – just stop by the sports club reception after your receive your student I.D. at Orientation to register)

There are no meal plans at DCU (common in many European universities) and most students enjoy cooking together in their shared kitchens.

Please do bring an ethernet cord to connect to wired internet!  If you are a Mac user, you may need an adaptor to be able to use an ethernet cord, as your computer may not have an ethernet jack, depending on the model.

Please note that although CISabroad makes every effort to provide your preferred form of housing, we cannot guarantee that all personal preferences are met. We have carefully selected safe and adequate housing for each student and each living arrangement is distinct and special in its own way.

Every housing placement is different with different pros and cons. Your accommodations will be different than what you’ve come to expect in your home country. In general, be prepared for a relatively small living space in an older building with very basic amenities. Now is the time to open your mind and get ready to experience something different; this attitude is in the spirit of your decision to study abroad. Please also remember, that when you are abroad, you will be representing your home institution and your home country; behave appropriately.

Cleanliness:
Keep your room and the common areas clean; this is especially important when you are sharing a bedroom, apartment, residence, or dormitory.

Noise:
In order to avoid disturbing the neighbors or housemates, please use headphones when listening to music, or keep the volume low, and please keep your voices down.

Utilities and use:

• Heating and air conditioning should be used sparingly. NEVER leave heating or air conditioning units while you are not home. If you must have them on when you are sleeping, keep them low.
• Always turn off the lights when you leave the apartment and when you are not in the room.

Safety:

• You should lock the apartment door at all times. Also, when leaving the apartment, make sure the windows are closed and locked. Neither the study abroad company nor the housing company will be responsible for any stolen items.
• If the keys to the apartment are stolen, lost or misplaced, all locks to the apartment will have to be replaced at the student’s expense, including key copies for all apartment members.
• If the keys are left inside the apartment/bedroom and the locksmith has to open the door for the you, you will have to pay for this service.
• It is strictly forbidden to throw any object or substance from windows, balconies, terraces or roofs. This includes keys, cigarette butts or anything else big or small.

Guests and Alcohol Policies:

• Disrespectful behavior related to alcohol consumption will end up in dismissal from the housing and you will have to find your own housing at your own expense.
• Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the apartment.
• The consumption of drugs, as well as keeping or dealing with them, is absolutely prohibited

Financial Liability:

• You will have to pay for any damage done to the apartment (doors, walls, floors, furniture, kitchen supplies, washing machine, etc.).
• If extra time is needed to clean the apartment, or if items are damaged or missing, you will be charged and those charges will be deducted from your housing deposit. Housing deposits will be returned 8-12 weeks after the program has ended

Helpful tips for living with other people:

• Respect your hosts and the other people that live in the building.
• Remember that you are not on a college campus and not in your own home. Respect the property and get out of the “college campus” mentality.
• Talk to your roommates if they do something that bothers you. Talking it through is the easiest way to solve a small problem before it gets bigger.
• Talk to the staff if a problem arises and you cannot work it out with your roommates.

Warning process:

• If any of the above rules are broken, you will receive a first verbal warning. This warning will also be written and sent to your sending study abroad program and your homeschool.
• The second infraction of any of the above rules will result in you being evicted from your apartment. You will need to find a new place to live at your own expense.
• Please read through all of our behavior policies noted in the CISabroad Policy Handbook, linked inside of the attachment to your acceptance email