Application process
It was clear to me early on that I would like to study abroad for a semester in the 2012/13 winter semester. However, I still had no precise idea of the destination. Therefore, I first found out general information about a semester abroad from MicroEDU. The advice was really first class and I and a member of staff quickly made a selection of universities that would be suitable for me. I would not have dreamed of receiving such support in advance. Every question was answered promptly and in detail. When I finally decided on Dublin Business School, I was informed in detail about the application process. In particular, the requirements for a language certificate turned out to be simpler than expected.
Since I am studying law and due to foreign law, it was not possible to credit examinations at the time of my semester abroad, I had the privilege of choosing my courses from all the legal lectures on offer. Since I had not come into contact with Irish law before, I decided to take freshman courses as well, in order to create a solid foundation. Visit educationvv.com to get information about Boston University student exchange program.
At this point, however, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Dublin Business School has put its focus on economics. The law lectures were rather simple in terms of difficulty and, despite lack of knowledge, could be completed without great effort. For someone who wants to use the semester abroad not only to get an insight into the Irish legal system, but also really wants to study Irish law in depth, the Dublin Business School is not necessarily the right choice. For me, however, the content of the lecture was very appealing. After the four months I can safely say that I have acquired a good basic knowledge of the Irish legal system.
The lectures themselves also took some getting used to. From Germany I was used to lectures with 100-400 fellow students and oral participation was not even possible. At the Dublin Business School, on the other hand, our classes consisted of a manageable number of around 15 people. Since some students were often absent, there were only five of us. Personally, however, this has only benefited me. We had a lot of interesting discussions and the lecturers were always happy to respond to me in order to get to know the differences between the German and Irish systems. I would also like to clearly state here that the lecturers were very friendly and competent. Not only was the content of the lecture well presented, but they also went to great lengths.
It should also be mentioned that many courses are designed for one year. For example, I was only able to hear half of “European Law”. As a result, it was of course not possible to take the final exam. But here, too, the lecturers showed themselves to be very cooperative and gave the exchange students individual homework in order to obtain the necessary proof of performance.
On-site support
The support provided by the Dublin Business School in general can only be commended. The university has an “International Office” in which several employees are available for any problems. You could drop by in person or simply ask for help by email. They take care of everything, be it a wrong course choice, a required confirmation, IT problems, housing shortage, etc. In addition, the university also offers many leisure activities for international students, such as excursions or parties. Such optimal on-site support is very helpful!
Accommodation search
I had already searched the Internet a lot in advance, but unfortunately had to find out that it is practically impossible to rent something adequate from Germany. The student dormitories could have been booked in advance, but they couldn’t convince me because of the price and location. For a single room, almost all of them were charged 600 euros per month. In addition, it was often only possible to rent the room for six months. So I decided to book a hostel first and look for a place to live on site.
This then worked quite quickly. The best website for looking for an apartment is certainly daft.ie. After 3 days I found a room in a 4-person shared apartment. The location was good (approx. 15 minutes to the DBS) and the rent (although expensive, but still cheaper than in the student dormitory) was 465 euros per month.
But I had my own room, a fully equipped kitchen and even a living room with a large TV.
My flat share was in the north of the city (towards Smithfield). The area is not as respected as the south, but all in all perfectly fine. When looking for an apartment on site, however, you should be very quick and not shy away from the phone. Often offers are taken out again after a short time because the landlords only look at the first 10 to 15 people. That means: call, stop by immediately and get the deposit quickly. Most of the time you can move in immediately.
Living in Dublin / Leisure
Here you can really say that the city is an absolute dream for leisure and nightlife. You can visit a lot within Dublin, but it is also very quick and sometimes quite cheap outside of Dublin. You should definitely take a trip to Howth, for example. The return ticket costs around 5 euros. There you can hike over the cliffs and enjoy the beautiful view of the sea and then enjoy the best freshly caught fish.
For a little more money you can also book day trips from Dublin to all kinds of cities or landscapes. A day trip usually costs 40 euros. But you are on the road for 12 hours. The Cliffs of Moher are certainly a highlight. Dublin itself is a very beautiful city, it’s always busy and the people are incredibly friendly and helpful. I particularly liked the fact that Dublin remains manageable despite the many offers. No matter which part of the city you want to go, everything is within walking distance. The bus system is not advisable because it is quite confusing.
Dublin is also known for its pub culture, in my opinion. Whether in the tourist district of Temple Bar or outside, the pubs are recommended everywhere. The frequent live music in particular is an absolute dream.
Unfortunately, one disadvantage is the high price. For a pint of Guiness (or even lager, etc.) you pay between 4 and 6 euros. Overall, life in Dublin is not exactly cheap either. You can still save a little on groceries if you shop at Aldi or Lidl. It is also quite difficult if you want to eat outside. In the pubs it is hardly possible to find a dish for less than 10 euros. If you start early enough, however, you can benefit from the early bird menus that most restaurants offer. Surprisingly, however, it is very cheap to go to the cinema. The Savoy offers a student price of 4 euros.
Conclusion
All in all, I can really only rave about my semester abroad. Dublin is a great city and a great place to spend a semester abroad. The open and friendly nature of the Irish helps ensure that you never feel strange. The great on-site support provided by DBS also makes the stay very carefree. Thanks to the language courses offered at the beginning of your stay, you can quickly make new friends. Organizing in advance is child’s play thanks to MicroEDU. Finally, with a clear conscience, I can recommend everyone to choose Dublin!
