Erasmus Experience in Dublin, Ireland, by Nora

Why did you choose to go to Dublin, Irlanda?

I didn´t really choose, my University send me to Dublin, Ireland. I wasn´t so happy in the first place. Now I am more than happy that I was there! Dublin is one of the greatest cities I have been to!

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

I lived there for 7 Months. I spent more than the double amount of money I normally spent in Germany. Dublin is very expensive! But you can choose. It is possible to live cheap in Dublin. For groceries you can shop at Lidl and Aldi or maybe SuperU or Mróz which makes a huge difference to Tesco and Spar.

But in the end it is worth it to go to Pubs and to experience the Irish nightlife! This is very expensive: One Pint is normally 5-6€ in Temple Bar sometimes more, Wiskey is 4€. Beer and Cider are always on Offers at Spar, which is the cheapest way to buy alcohol. You can buy alcohol at Lidl and Aldi also, but I wouldn´t recommend that besides from wine.

Moreover I would recommend to spent money on food markets, in one of a thousand little vintage shops or young designer who sell their self made stuff, or nevertheless in those very nice Cafés or restaurants in Dublin like:

• Jo´s Burger
• Peekcock Green
• Hibbetys
• College Bank
• Bernard Shaw.

What is the student lifestyle like in Dublin?

Play hard - Study hard. That is probably the best way to describe the students live in Dublin.

People there like drinking and chatting and random coming togethers. You even can buy beer at College and it not really unusual to see people drinking at the daylight. Normal time to start drinking is 5pm. Predrinks last until midnight afterwards nightclubs start becoming fuller. That´s the fun part.

Studying itself is hard. The uni expect a lot of constant work! It is less independent working, it is much more constant and fast working. Irish lecturer are always willing to help if there is a problem and in most cases they say "No worries, we will figure it out. Don´t stress yourself too much", which is nice because it takes a lot of pressure away. Nevertheless they still lecturers and they expect their students to work hard otherwise they just give you a very bad mark with a friendly smile.

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

Definitely! Dublin is a perfect city to study! Dublin is a young, dynamic and very multi culture city with a great art scene, nightlife and other surroundings which make living nice. In the same time it is a city full of very good universities and a high education standard.

What is the food like?

The food is very good in Ireland and not comparable to the U. K.! Everywhere are nice Restaurants with very healthy and good food. The supermarkets are full of national products and the food markets and supermarkets like Fallon&Byrne make it enjoyable to try new vegetables and to cook very easily good meals.

Going out for dinner is very expensive though. Normally one main course is between 11-20€ and alcoholic drinks about 10€. Nevertheless I highly recommend to try some of Dublins restaurants! There are a lot of new young start-ups where young people cook passionately.

In Ireland is a trend growing "back to the basics", which means you get very good fresh food from the country side and very nice basic meals like soup. Soup of the day normally comes with soda bread and Irish salted butter and is always a nice thing to have. Moreover this is mostly the cheapest thing to eat (approximately 5€).

Was it difficult for you to find your accommodation in Dublin?

Finding a flat is horrible in Dublin! The best is to know someone. If you don't know someone: Be there one or two weeks in advance and check as many flats as you can. It is ok to lie. If you are a student only staying for half a year it is nearly impossible to get a flat. To live on College is actually ok. It is not very nice to share a room, but College accommodations are mostly warm and modern.

Modern houses in Dublin are not warm. Houses are generally not insulated and heaters do not work properly.

It is normal to pay gas and electricity extra. It can happen that you have a little machine where you have to put in 2€ coins to have electricity.

If you want a flat, take it straight away and do not wait otherwise its gone. And always keep in mind that it is very easy to get the room away spontaneously but it is not easy to get something. So don´t worry you always can move as soon as you found something else.

The best idea to look for something is daft.ie and myhome.ie. The best students areas are Dublin 2, 8 and 6.

How much does it cost to live in Dublin?

Rent in generall is between 500-800€ for one room or for a one room apartment. As a couple it is easier! You will find something for 600€ (300 each).

For food you should plan between 100-200€ a month depends on what kind of food you like. Meat and cheese is expensive, but fruit and some vegetables very cheap.

For a night out you need to plan approximately 50€ a night. Pints are between 5-8€, entrance at nightclubs between 5-10€ and the Irish have this thing about buying rounds, which means each member of a group is buying a round and as soon as one of the group finishes the glass the next round will be brought. So it is nothing unusual to see some people with two or three drinks.

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

Dublin is full of language schools but you should carefully choose one, because those schools are full of foreigners and it is hard to get in contact with native english-speaking people. The Irish-english is a bit hard to understand and Irish people are not often willing to repeat what they just said, but they are friendly people and it is very easy to chat in pubs.