Studying in Ireland: Top 3 Dos and Don’ts ☘️

Name: Daniel Estell
School: English, Communication and Philosophy
Global Opportunity: Semester Abroad

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What’s your origin story? Where did you go?

My origin story is relatively simple – I first learned about the Global Opportunities team during an introductory lecture at the start of my second year. From this, I attended the Global Opportunities Fair, where I eventually decided that a semester abroad was the best option for me. The next step was to decide where I’d like to study: I applied to both University College Dublin (UCD) and Charles University in Prague, but I chose UCD solely because they responded to my application first!

How did you prepare for your placement?

Once I’d received a written confirmation of my place at UCD (around 3 months before I left), I started to research and apply for local accommodation – eventually landing a room in on-campus halls of residence. I chose my modules, arranged health insurance, booked my flights, and liaised with the UCD Access and Lifelong Learning team to ensure that I received the same support in my lectures that I was accustomed to in Cardiff.

Eventually, it was time to leave for Ireland, so here are my top 3 study abroad dos and don’ts based on my time at UCD.

DO: Get a Student Leap Card ASAP

If you study at UCD, I can guarantee that you will spend 95% of your time on Dublin Buses – mainly the 39A which takes you directly from the UCD campus to the centre of Dublin, or the S6 which takes you to a massive shopping centre. A Student Leap Card discounts your bus fare to €1 (about 90p), and once you tap on, you can travel on any connecting bus for free within the next 90 minutes. Even if you’re not studying in Dublin, I’d definitely recommend researching local bus passes as there are some great savings to be made!

DON’T: Stick to the touristy sights

Once you’ve got your bus pass, you’ll probably spend the first few weeks of your time abroad visiting the most famous attractions in your chosen city. For me, I did the Guinness Storehouse, Temple Bar, Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and the Book of Kells – all within my first fortnight at UCD. However, I equally enjoyed visiting the less touristy attractions, once I’d familiarised myself with the city and met a few people who’d lived in Dublin for the previous semester also. For example, Kilmainham Gaol, the National Botanic Gardens, Phoenix Park, Dublin Zoo, the Irish Emigration Museum, and Malahide Castle are all easily accessible via public transport from UCD, and the university regularly hosts free day trips to these places specifically for international students. Another highlight from my semester abroad was seeing a Gaelic football game at Croke Park – an atmosphere like no other!

DO: Embrace campus life and your surroundings

It’s so important to embrace campus and city life at your new home – UCD has a handy app which allows you to book onto various free events on campus, which often happen multiple times per week. Spend some time exploring your campus – this is how I discovered many food places, a swimming pool and even a cinema at UCD!

As I mentioned previously, take some time to explore the less touristy sights in your city and the surrounding towns. I discovered a nearby area called Blackrock, which quickly became one of my favourite places thanks to an excellent outdoor market, independent shops, a beach, and a really good Aldi! I also enjoyed visiting Howth, Dún Laoghaire, Malahide, Glendalough, Bray, Cork, Killarney, Galway, Belfast, and Derry – to name a few!

DON’T: Forget to embrace the local culture

From my own experience, people generally think that Ireland and the UK have very similar cultures – this couldn’t be further from the truth! On your semester abroad, regardless of whether you go to UCD or elsewhere, you’ll meet loads of people from all different cultures and nationalities – but don’t forget to embrace the country’s local culture too! One of my highlights from UCD was taking part in some Irish dancing – people close to me will reiterate how bad I am at dancing, but it was still fun nonetheless!

DO: Watch your budget

At first, I struggled to adapt to the higher cost of living in Dublin – be mindful of this when choosing your host country. One of the best ways to save money is by considering your food costs. UCD has a small shop on campus called Centra (pretty much the Irish equivalent of Spar) which was extortionately priced and didn’t stock a wide range, so I found it more efficient to get the bus to Tesco in Dundrum or Aldi in Blackrock. Also consider that cooking from scratch is significantly cheaper than buying takeaways or ready meals – that being said, definitely try some local dishes in your host country. In my opinion, you can’t beat a slice of Irish soda bread or a beef and Guinness stew!

DON’T: Overpack

Part of the experience of living abroad is living simply – don’t pack like you’re going on holiday, instead think carefully about your host country’s climate and pack no more than 7-10 days’ worth of clothes. By choosing Ireland, I was lucky because the climate in Dublin is almost identical to that of Cardiff, but do some careful research if you’re heading to a country with more variable weather conditions.

Also remember that you’re effectively moving countries (even if only for a semester), so ensure that you pack bedding and kitchen equipment – contact your accommodation provider to check if any bedding will be provided upon arrival. Your host university will also likely run an event where you can borrow kitchen equipment left behind by previous study abroad students, and you can always buy cheap basics from local shops.

Conclusion

Overall, I’d recommend UCD as a low-maintenance option for anyone looking to study abroad without the hassle of visas, vaccinations, and endless travel documents. UCD is excellent at facilitating international students – there is always something happening on campus, and you won’t want to leave!