Erasmus Experience in Dublin, Ireland by Johanna

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Why did you choose to go to Dublin, Ireland?

After finishing school, I spent 10 months living and working as an au pair in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Ireland has become my second home. However, I was first thinking of spending my semester abroad in Finland, but the chance to get one of the two vacant spaces while more than 10 people applied for them, too, changed my mind. I have to admit though that the thought of returning to Dublin had been in my mind throughout the entire application process. In the end, my heart won!

I cannot speak for the entire island of Ireland, as I have only lived in Dublin. It's a great place to live, people are incredibly friendly as a student, it is a fantastic opportunity to improve your English! Moreover as part of the Erasmus program you will not have to stem the financial aspect all by yourself.

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

At first, my scholarship was limited to 300 € each month over a period of three months. In the end, I received a monthly 300 € for the entire 4, 5 months I spent in Dublin. However, this differs between countries and even universities within a country. Hopefully you will receive more money as 300€ a month is hardly enough to pay the rent...

Some of the other Erasmus students I met were both working and studying in Dublin. Yes, Ireland is expensive, but I think I'd rather work a lot before going on my Erasmus semester abroad so that I wouldn't have to work during the experience. Surely working abroad is great, but rather as an internship as such and not combined with studying - you won't have that much time left for all the parties and trips!

What is the student lifestyle like in Dublin?

There are many parties and events for Erasmus students. DIT offers a wide range of various societies and groups you can join, and I suppose this is the same with other universities in Dublin. I joined the Erasmus Society, the Harry Potter Society and the Law & Debating Society. Many restaurants offer student discounts. However, accommodation is really expensive, so take a good look around to find something affordable! I suggest looking for a room in a house offered by a host family, as you can be sure it's not a scam.

Dublin hosts several colleges and universities, so the city is full of students. Not only restaurants, many other places like museums or sports facilities offer discounts for students - keep your eyes open!

Would you recommend the city and the University of Dublin to other students?

Definitely! I went to Dublin Institute of Technology and professors and staff were great. The campus in Grangegorman is gorgeous - unfortunately I was in Cathal Brugha Street, which needs a bit of renovating, but is located directly in the city centre!

The range of subjects I was able to choose was wide and interesting. I was able to choose courses from different semesters to make sure they'd match with my classes at my home university.

In Cathal Brugha Street, Cookery students used to cook a 3-course-meal once or twice a week which you could get for a really low price - it's delicious!

What is the food like?

The food is great, there is a wide range of various restaurants and take away. It is quite expensive though. You can get food from all around the world, it also does not differ greatly from other European food like e. g. from Germany. They also have German supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi which are slightly cheaper than e. g. Tesco or Supervalu. Lidl next to O'Connell Street offers different sorts of fruit and vegetable for a reduced price weekly. In front of it there's a market - fruit and vegetable there is fresh and much cheaper.

Pub grub is awesome - just get some fries, bacon and sausages to share with your friends.

I highly recommend trying typically Irish food like stew or a full Irish breakfast.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Dublin?

No, I found my room with a host family over DIT student pad - for free. Be careful when accepting offers on Facebook, there are many scams around! Never pay any money before arriving!

How much does it cost to live in Dublin?

• 500 €+ for accommodation
• 100 € for transport
• 100-200 € for food
• 100-200 € for entertainment

It really depends on what you want to do while in Dublin. Travelling a lot of costs more, that's for sure. Check out if the Erasmus society offers any trips as they're usually cheaper!

Especially when moving to Dublin from a country with way lower cost of living you should take some time to search for cheaper alternatives of any kind. Sometimes there are cheap alternatives, they are just hard to find while the expensive ones pop up immediately.

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

The language spoken in class and everywhere else is English. Yes, there are language courses available!

Irish is only spoken in some areas of Ireland, the so called Gaeltacht. Children still have to learn it in school and some schools have all their subjects taught in Irish.

I think that you can also do Irish classes in DIT, but I'm not sure. I highly recommend joining the Gaelic sports or Irish dancing courses for international students to learn more about the culture!

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

The easiest, fastest and probably cheapest way to travel to Dublin is by plane - no matter where you from in Mainland Europe. Of course you could also go by ferry, but it's more expensive and takes longer.

To get to the city centre from Dublin airport you have three options:

1. The regular city bus (which is the cheapest but takes the longest).
2. The airlink (which is more expensive).
3. The aircoach (the most expensive, but fastest and most convenient option).

There's no train or tram going to/from the airport. The fourth option of course are taxis.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Dublin?

There are so many great places, it depends on which kind of music you like! Some places are extremely popular (The Academy, Coppers, Diceys) or cheap (Diceys, O'Reillys). Some play rock and metal, others techno or chart music. My favorite place, O'Reillys, used to offer a rock and metal night each Saturday, but sadly it ended a few weeks ago. There are other great places if you like that kind of music though! Although it's tempting, avoid Temple Bar, it's very touristy and extremely expensive.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Dublin?

Anywhere! Also pub grub is available in most pubs, great to share and super tasty. Try Supermacs before going to Burger King or McDonald's!

Take a look at some recommendations on Tripadvisor. I highly recommend the burger place near the Spire - there's a bundle with a burger of your choice, chips and a drink for about 10€.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Dublin is full of museums (most of them are free of charge) and other sights. As Ireland is small, you can easily get around and visit other places! I liked the Guinness Storehouse, the Museum of Natural History, the deer in Phoenix Park... there's so much to do!

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