Erasmus Experience in Cork, Ireland by Raúl

Erasmus Experience in Cork, Ireland by Raúl

Why did you choose to go to Cork, Ireland?

When we were asked at the beginning of the second (and final) year of the course who wanted to go to do their Work Centre Training (FCT) abroad with the Erasmus+ grant. They gave us 3 options: Italy, Germany and Ireland.

Although people insist that "Italian and Spanish" are very similar, I can't understand any Italian, and even less of German. And since I'd say that my level of English is decent, I decided to go to Ireland.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

We had to complete 410 hours of Work Centre Training. However, the stay there, from when I arrived to when I left, was 77 days long. As I understand it, the total cost was around €5, 400, the school got in contact with a coordination company in Ireland, which looked for accommodation for us, took us to Bandon from the airport, found us a work centre and accommodation that was "as close as possible to the work centre".

The school paid the majority of this money to the coordination company. However, they gave us an amount of money for our own personal expenses that got up to €20 a day, plus a bit more for a worker safety course. The amount of money we were given directly was €1, 600.

What is the student lifestyle like in Cork?

As for the "student" lifestyle in Cork, I can't say very much, since the FCT, which is technically a kind of studies, is more like working to gain experience. I was in a student residence in Cork where there were other people doing the FCT and I would say that it was pretty good. The coordination company organised trips. But I have little else to say about this side of things.

Would you recommend the city and the university of Cork to other students?

I didn't study at a university. As for the FCT experience however, I would really recommend the city, yes. For what reason? There are various companies in Cork to do internships at. What's more, there are loads of pubs and you might be able to find a work centre and accommodation nearby, as well as near by supermarket (and the English Market) to do your shopping. Other FCT students were in other towns. One in particular had to do their shopping at a petrol station, which made their stay astronomically more expensive.

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What is the food like there?

I'm not really sure what to tell you. I didn't eat a lot of "Irish" foods, more than anything, because, during my entire stay, I self-catered, which means that I had to buy and cook my own food. However, I can say that the meat (beef, pork and chicken) is pretty good. Because, during my stay, I saw loads of farms with free range cows (which really contributes to the high quality and the taste of the meat).

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Cork?

As for this subject, I can't give much of an opinion, since the coordination company took care of finding the accommodation in Cork. It was only 27 minutes walk away from the company. However, from what I've seen from other students, I can say that yes it is pretty difficult to find accommodation. A student that I knew (coming from the same coordination company) had to come from Ballingcollig (9 km away) every day, because they didn't find him any accommodation in Cork. Which also made their stay much more expensive.

Despite of that, the coordination company insisted that they couldn't find him accommodation closer to the area he worked in.

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How much does it cost to live in Cork?

This point is pretty complicated. I kept a record of my spending on my blog. But I can say that if you don't go out very much and being very careful with your spending (if only for food, supplies and some very conservative outtings at the weekend) you can expect to spend €14 a day.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the university?

English, the language that's pretty much universal in this globalised world. I didn't go to any university, but if this question is referring to a language course, the coordination company organised a week-long English course, in which the teacher focused on day-to-day English a lot. As well as on things that helped us to be able to get along, things that I really liked. On the day-to-day, you can't put too much importance on the grammar rules, but rather on your ability to communicate ideas.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Cork from your home city?

The school was in charge of our journeys. We travelled to Málaga and from there we took a flight with Ryanair to Cork, there we were picked up by the coordination company and they then took us to our accommodation in Bandon. I assume that you already know, from having the experience, that that would be the cheapest way to get there. However, from what I've heard from other students during my stay, it might be even cheaper to travel from Spain to Dublin (although you'll then have to pay for the bus journey from Dublin and to travel for 3 more hours to get to Cork, where the coordination company picked us up and took us to Bandon).

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Where would you recommend for a night out in Cork?

It depends on what you consider as "partying" in Cork and what you're looking for. Personally, I liked drinking at the "The Linen Weaver" in front of the Tesco shopping centre, where they serve really cheap pints (€2. 75 for various types of beers, but from Monday to Thursday, they usually have have some kind of offer when they are €2/2. 20).

We went out to "The Hanover" a couple of time, although the locals say that this place is really bad for going out. We went to "La Bodega" once. However, as I don't usually go on nights out or go out partying, I can say much about it.

And to eat in Cork? What are some of your favourite places to go?

I very rarely went out to eat in Cork. The time that I did, I went to a fast food restaurant (don't get dragged by other people in your group, who went to McDonald's or Burger King even while I protested that since we were going out to eat, we should at least eat at a place that served Irish food, since in these places we would be eating the same food that we could easily find in Spain). I regret it because it was expensive when you look at how much food you get for the price you pay.

The market that goes up in front of the Lidl on a Saturday morning is another matter. It's near to one of the police stations, next to the river. There they have stalls that serve pulled pork, which you can get in a kind of burger or in a wrap (like shawarma). They're delicious and you can get full for only €5.

However. My favourite place to by food is the English Market. There they sell all different kinds of meat for very low prices. For example: 10 seasoned chicken wings for €3. A kilo of hicken hearts/stomachs: €2. 50. 4 chicken (big) chicken burger for €2. Pork tongue at €0. 80 each. Pork hearts: €0. 70.

If you're looking for beef, it's generally cheaper than in the supermarkets and costs about the same as it does in Spain. However, fish is more expensive.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There are some museums, but I never visited any. The Camden artillery fort is near to Cork.

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Do you have any advice for students coming to Cork in the future?

Look for the best prices between Lidl, Tesco and Aldi (supermarkets) and occasionally Dealz (a supermarket where most things cost €1. 50) also has good offers. Compare the different places for going out (some of them let you in for free, other charge you €10). It's convenient to buy food from the English Market.