The student accommodation places run by UCC typically fill up pretty fast, but it is worth putting your name on a waiting list for University Hall, which is quite nice all things considered, or even Victoria Lodge. Castlewhite is a little older and cheaper, but still liveable. Frequently people put deposits down on apartments and then decide not to live there, forfeiting the deposits. Then they become available.
Of the private buildings around campus, I personally found that Victoria Mills smelled bad after the 1st year - too many parties, not enough cleaning. Victoria Crossing has a mold problem. Carra Bhear (spelling might be wrong) near St Finbarr's Cathedral is lovely with seperate livingrooms from the kitchen spaces and hardwood floors. The Spires is not too bad, a small residence with nice apartments with little balconies. The Student Village at Victoria Cross is also nice. Farranlea Hall was getting kind of run down the last time I saw it, and although there are some nice flats in the building (and some nice big rooms) the building was poorly planned and many of the rooms are tiny. Dean's Hall is a hole unless much has changed. All of these places are within a 15 minute easy walk of the main campus.
In terms of houses and apartments, look carefully. There is a lot of substandard housing around Cork. Generally the houses are rented by the room, so it pays to find a few people you like to rent together with. Otherwise the landlord just fills the rooms with whomever he likes. There are some nice places around the campus; Cork is a classic university town with lots of student housing concentrated within a 15 minute walk of campus.
As for studying there, it gave me a fine basis for working in Canada. I am having no problem adjusting to practicing medicine at home and flying through my residency with no problems so far. In fact, I am having the time of my life and loving every sleep deprived minute of it. There are frustrations about the system, and everyone worries that they won't be prepared when they go home, but different and slightly ass-backwards as the system seems to us, it somehow works and produces good doctors. Enjoy your time in Cork, a lovely city, and enjoy the Irish in all their craziness. Cheers,
M
