Application:
Applying through MicroEDU was very, very straightforward! It couldn’t be easier. All the necessary forms are made available to applicants, and employees could always be contacted if they had any questions. It was very helpful when the organization looked at the documents again, so that nothing went to the DBS immediately in the event of errors. I can also only positively highlight the support itself.
The course content was conveyed very differently. I took courses from a wide variety of areas (HR, Economics, Global Business Environment & Business Finance). I was absolutely satisfied with three out of four courses. The contents were conveyed in a very detailed and understandable way. Time was taken for questions and good support could also be counted on with household chores. Unfortunately, the respective courses are designed for one year, which means for those who have only done one semester there (like me and many of the other Germans) that no exams are written, as they only have to be completed at the end of the year. Now this is not a negative aspect, but it is a shame that in the first three months mainly the basics were taught and therefore a lot of the course descriptions were not processed. Otherwise I can only say that the grades were very good. Visit educationvv.com to get information about Saint Marys University student exchange program.
Study conditions:
All in all, the study conditions are perfectly fine. The lectures take place in the various DBS buildings, which are all located in the center of the city. This makes it very easy to bridge the breaks and have some lunch. The DBS canteen is basically okay, but at a very high price level. In addition, it is a small, windowless basement room, which means that the atmosphere is not necessarily the most pleasant. The libraries of the university are ok, but quite noisy due to the tight seating in the open plan. What I can recommend is the online library with a large number of scientific and current journals.
Life:
I personally learned to love life in Dublin. It is a very authentic city with many small, individually designed cafes, traditional pubs, good clubs and great shopping opportunities. The people are very friendly and accommodating. Dublin’s location is also advantageous for those who want to see the Irish countryside but don’t necessarily want to take a rental car for a weekend. You can travel north or south of beautiful Ireland by bus or train within half an hour.
But what turns out to be more difficult is the search for an apartment. You stumble across prices for a room in a shared apartment of € 400 to € 800, and 400 is a stroke of luck and guaranteed not to be in the best location. I personally can recommend the south of the Liffeys and especially the Docklands. But there are also many other beautiful corners where you can live. The student dormitories are very different. Actually, based on the experiences of friends, I can only recommend the Black Arch, although it is not advisable to walk alone in the dark, at least for the last two streets.
Fun:
Fun is very important in Dublin. If you like live music with a delicious pint of Guinness (or other beers), you can go somewhere else every evening, so to speak. The offer is huge! The main nightlife and pub district Temple Bar offers a lot of possibilities in a small space. However, this is also the place where you hardly ever meet Irish people in Dublin. Nice pubs can also be found elsewhere, you just have to keep your eyes open and maybe ask a few Irish people;) You can also go to clubs very well! However, curfew is at 3 am or 3:30 pm at the latest. It’s a little annoying.
Benefit / Reference:
I see the benefit primarily in the fact that I did a semester abroad. I don’t think the material conveyed and the DBS as a reference are of much use here.
Costs:
As already indicated when looking for an apartment, living in Dublin is quite expensive. That being said, I would like to make a couple of other points.
When shopping, I can only say one thing: pay attention to offers !! Because there are enough of them in Dublin. If you don’t necessarily need very specific things and are a little flexible in your choice of food, it is a good idea to shop according to offers. In my opinion, this is the only way not to go completely over budget. The market street between Henry Street and Parnell Street is also recommended. There are fresh fruit and vegetables for small prices. Clubs are reasonably priced for a big city, cinema even quite cheap, but eating and drinking out is again quite expensive.
In my experience, you should plan around 550 € for living and a further 700 to 800 € for eating, drinking and leisure for the month.
