Application:
One of the reasons I chose MicroEDU and Dublin Business School was the straightforward application process. For example, I was able to take proof of the required English language skills at my university at home. This saved me high costs for the TOEFL test, for example. I received the acceptance from the DBS shortly after I had submitted my application documents. For many stays abroad via exchange programs through my university at home, I would have had to apply in some cases more than a year in advance, here the application process went very quickly and also at short notice. The exchange program via MicroEDU at DBS is therefore also suitable for people who are planning a semester abroad at short notice. Visit educationvv.com to get information about California State University Fullerton student exchange program.
After I had received the approval from the DBS, I started looking for an apartment. I decided to look for accommodation in advance, as I didn’t want to arrive in Dublin without knowing where I would spend the next time. The housing situation in Dublin is very tense at the moment. Many who only looked for accommodation in the suburbs had difficulties and often had to live in the hostel for a long time. That is why I can only recommend booking a room before going abroad, even if this is often associated with higher costs. The DBS also provides an overview of private dormitories. That’s how I found my accommodation. Since I wanted to live very centrally, I chose the accommodations from Chubb Properties. These offer a dormitory, but also individual houses. I filled out the application form online and shortly afterwards I received the confirmation for a single room in one of the individual houses. The communication with Chubb Properties was a bit confusing at first, as it was not clear from the emails whether the booking of the single room had really worked. In the end everything worked and I was able to move into my room in Rathmines after my arrival in Dublin. I lived in the same house with eight other girls who all studied at the DBS. Including me, six of them were from Germany, which of course wasn’t necessarily an advantage for improving English skills, but we got along very well. Of the three remaining roommates, two came from Sweden and one from France. The house was a bit older but okay. I would have only wished for a little more for the large amount we paid for it. For example, I had to buy a mirror for my room and hangers for the closet. In the course of time it turned out that, according to information provided by the landlords, it is too expensive if the heating is continuously on, causing too high costs (the heating and electricity costs are calculated in addition to the rent and deducted from the deposit). So we then had certain heating times afterwards, so it was quite cold in the house and we had to coordinate with each other, especially when showering, since the hot water was only available at these times. Lots of other little things like mice in the kitchen, kitchen cabinets falling apart, etc. busy ourselves in our everyday life in Dublin and so we were in constant contact with our landlords, who, in my opinion, often did not react quickly enough to solve the problems at the beginning. Because of this, I cannot necessarily recommend Chubb Properties, as there is little on offer here for rents that are far too high. Whereby you have to mention that the location of the house was really good (I can highly recommend the location in Rathmines near the canal) and we had a good atmosphere in the house. I also heard other stories about their accommodation from fellow students at DBS, and in the end I have to say that things can get worse. So if you adjust to the fact that it is just not like at home, then you get along quite well. It is best to find out about the accommodation beforehand. I don’t want to scare you off with this, I just want to make you aware that you may have to adjust your expectations to avoid disappointment. I really enjoyed my time in Dublin and was ultimately happy to have lived in the house.
Everyday life at DBS:
Before the lectures at the DBS started, the DBS offered a language course. This was optionally two or three weeks long. Unfortunately, the information about this came a little late. At that time I had already planned a round trip with my family for my first two weeks in Ireland, so that I could not attend the language course and unfortunately cannot say much about it. For me it all started with an introductory event, during which we were informed about the library, the various buildings of the DBS, etc. Then there was a city tour. We then had the rest of the week off. Shortly before the lectures started, the timetables were also online. I chose the semester program where you could choose from all courses. You had to hand in your desired course list beforehand, although this actually doesn’t matter. As soon as the timetables are online, you look for the events you want to attend and just go there. Of course, there can also be overlaps when choosing courses from different programs. After the first few weeks you have to decide which courses you want to continue to attend. So you can first look at everything and then decide. The lectures reminded me more of the school hours with homework etc. but they were all very interesting and the lecturers also had a good and clear pronunciation, so that the lecture could be followed easily. The students in the courses were very international, as there were also many students without Irish roots, complete a complete bachelor’s or master’s program at DBS. This made it more difficult to come into contact with the Irish students. But contact with the Irish can also be established in other ways, e.g. in a pub:-)
As an exam, we didn’t have to write an exam, just submit an assignment. Sometimes short presentations also had to be given, but that depended on the lecturer. I only had to hand in assignments in all of my courses. In some cases, we received the topics for this very late, so that I could only start at the beginning of November. Usually you had to write 2,000 – 2,500 words and often in group work, so that there was plenty of time to go on excursions. Many of the excursions were also organized by the DBS, although these took place at the beginning. We have been to Glendalough and Powerscourt Gardens, for example. There was also a weekend trip that I didn’t take part in.
Living in Dublin:
Dublin is a very lively city and there is always something going on. There are many great pubs to discover with an atmosphere that cannot be found in any bar / pub in Germany. The Irish are a very open people and so it is easy to get into conversation. Those who like to listen to live music will get their money’s worth here. So it’s really fun to go out.
The prices are significantly more expensive than in Germany, but you quickly learn in which pubs it is cheapest, but for a pint you usually have to pay between 5 – 6 €.
If you shop at Aldi and Lidl, then the food costs are comparable to Germany. However, the alcohol is significantly more expensive. So you should be prepared for a slightly higher cost of living when planning a semester abroad.
Conclusion:
The time in Dublin was very good and a good experience. There are of course always points, such as the accommodation, that do not always correspond to what you are used to, but you can have a great time in this city and do a lot. I would also advise you to plan some time for a round trip, because this country has a lot to offer in terms of landscape. I would go to Dublin again.
