I'm a second year student at the Computing course and I was so excited to start the programme at the very beginning. Unfortunately, all of the excitement was gone somewhere in the first year of the collage. I really hoped NCI will provide better support to their students, especially to part-time ones who have other responsibilities apart from school, and for those coming from more unfortunate backgrounds. There is close to none flexibility you'd expect at a programme aimed to adults who work full time, have families and so on. The only plus of the Computing programme is that it's online, only with the exams taking place in person (they still tried to make us attend in person classes around the ChatGPT boom, fearing we will lie and cheat all the time if I remember correctly). Other than that? Teachers are not the most interesting ones and they are not particularly good at teaching. There are some exceptions of course, but vast majority is just simply bad. One of the best teachers I had so far were Hamilton N, David H and ChatGPT if I have to be honest. I was, and still am, incredibly disappointed about the course delivery as well, and how poor the online delivery is at NCI. It pains me a lot because as a Computing student interested in tech and online content, I genuinely see a lot of potential in that area. I think it opens a lot of doors for people like me, who simply wouldn't be able to attend any higher education if not e-learning, internet and online schooling. NCI seems to not trust people enough and is more scared of AI technology, instead of approaching it from different side and actually putting it to use like many other e-learning institutions. They are just outdated and seem to not want to move forward. The last thing I wanted to touch on are assignments. Do you want to sacrifice all of your after work free time and try to rush between multiple deadlines at once, without even covering the material well enough because you genuinely don't have time to do so? This school is a great pick for you then. The deadlines are ridiculous, lots of them being on the same day. I understand that undertaking a course like that is a big commitment and we are required to give part of our lives to the school. I am completely fine with that, I will happily learn new things because that's exactly why I'm even here in the first place, but what NCI offers is just one big mess and unless you work part time, there is no way you will be on top of everything. No way of flexible deadlines as well, because again, following old schooled methods is more important than your students' wellbeing. There is so much to improve at NCI and especially at their technical courses. Maybe other courses they offer are better, I don't know. I just know I am incredibly disappointed with what I experienced and I'm not happy to do another 2 years here. NCI is the only option so far that offers any higher education e-learning and I am unfortunately stuck here for the time being, but if any of the readers know of something else - please let me know. And yes, I tried to apply for fanancial support here, but apparently you need to receive government support first for NCI to even consider your application. Where is the logic in that? Why would I need assistance from both, and how would I even attend the course in the first place if I was so economically unfortunate? The course is not free, so how people without money can even apply for it?

My first day at National college of Ireland. When you enter, you are greeted by employees who do not care about you. At an old reception desk, a sullen 60-year-old woman with a phone to one ear answers you rudely. There could be no more perfect welcome for a new student.

Go to college here. The atmosphere is good throughout the college. The college Cafeteria does lovely food throughout the day. But the area around has loads of different restaurants and cafes if you fancy something different.

National College of Ireland surpassed my expectations by far. Studied a diploma in Professional Human Resource Practice. The lectures were primarily online and occasional Saturdays on campus. Materials, content and lecturers were all great. Facilities on-site, good, materials good. I would highly recommend this institution.

Full-time, one-year Master of Science in Cloud Computing at the National College of Ireland. As an international student with prior experience in cloud computing, I had high expectations from this course, expectations that, unfortunately, have not been met. The overall course delivery has been disappointing. Most of the lecturers teaching cloud computing lack both effective teaching methods and depth in subject matter. The assessment pattern is heavily focused on pen and paper exams, which require students to reproduce content word for word from the course materials. Creative thinking or expressing answers in your own words is not encouraged and is often penalized. This completely undermines real learning and practical application, which is essential for a field like cloud computing. Even though students invest a lot of time and creativity in their projects, the evaluation gives disproportionate weight to exams. Projects, which reflect hands-on skills and real understanding, are sidelined in favour of rote memorization. Thesis selection has been a painful process. Many students, including myself, have been pressured to choose topics preferred by the lecturers or ones they are already familiar with, rather than being allowed to explore areas of personal interest. This has caused significant frustration and stress among the student body. Many students have even failed their thesis due to lack of proper support and restrictive guidance from supervisors. Some lecturers, particularly those handling Machine Learning modules, are dismissive and unapproachable. They insist that only the exact content from their material be reproduced, disregarding alternative explanations or deeper understanding. This rigid mindset hampers student growth and discourages independent learning. To be very honest, pursuing Cloud Computing at NCI has been a regrettable experience. The program is not aligned with the demands of a future-driven technology like cloud computing. The lecturers, rather than enabling learning, often act as a barrier. I do not recommend this course to international students, especially those seeking practical knowledge, academic freedom, and proper support during their studies.