Student Life
Offering plenty of extracurricular and social events, the Students' Union is an integral part of Magee College and the University of Ulster. The SU is also responsible for funding and running the numerous student clubs and societies. In the first week of the fall semester, the Fresher's Fayre enables you to join one or more of the 50-plus campus clubs and societies. If you're arriving in the spring semester, you will also have the opportunity to join clubs and societies of your choice.
Housing
Students live in the Duncreggan Student Village, which provides a secure home in an environment conducive to study and located close to the Magee campus. There is a common room for all residents, a self-service launderette and a kitchen with dining area.
Meals
Each month BCA will transfer a meal stipend into your bank account. You can purchase groceries at a nearby grocery store and eat at inexpensive student restaurants on campus.
Computer Access
Computer laboratories are available at a number of sites on campus. The computer workstations in each laboratory have a common desktop environment with a core group of software applications. Every workstation has a Web browser and access to the Internet.
Local Transportation
Many facilities and attractions are within walking distance; otherwise, students can use the public transportation, which is inexpensive.
Sports Facilities
Excellent indoor and outdoor facilities are available for a range of sports, including soccer, field hockey and five-a-side football. A new indoor fitness suite and solarium are also popular. The college's location is perfect for students who are interested in outdoor activities with sailing at Fahan, rowing and canoeing on the River Foyle and walking and climbing in nearby Donegal. More about campus recreation.
Orientation
The first stop on your orientation tour is the Tower Museum, which details the history of Derry as well as its centrality to British and Irish history and its role in defining the course of European history in the 18th and 19th Centuries. The museum also details the more recent history of Derry including The Troubles, and the Peace Process of the past ten-plus years.
Next, you'll take a walk atop the 400 year old city walls, which offer a mile-plus of exercise and a visceral sense of the history presented in the museum. You'll see both the ancient fortifications and where the British placed more recent fortifications on the walls looking over the Catholic Bogside area where the 1972 Bloody Sunday Massacre occurred. A tour of the Bogside, the Bloody Sunday memorial and museum, and discussion of the various Republican murals follows. An evening discussion with experts on the conflict and the peace process concludes this aspect of the orientation.
BCA Educational Excursions
Each semester you will participate in an excursion that opens opportunities for you to explore the roots of the conflict that has plagued Ireland for centuries, as well as the Peace Process now underway in Northern Ireland. In addition, students will visit the Ulster-American Folk Park, which emphasizes the historic connection between Ulster and various parts of the United States, the Giant’s Causeway, and other scenic sites in Ulster and the Republic.