Erasmus Experience in Galway, Ireland by Estelle

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

For me, the stay lasts for both semesters. (It depends on your home university, I know visiting students who could choose to stay only for one semester). I received 780€ at the start of the stay from the Erasmus grant, and will receive around 200 more at the end of the stay.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Galway?

I wrote a long article about in on my Erasmusu blog: What's a fellow to do in Galway.

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

Yes, absolutely! So far, it has been a great experience, and the University is really pleasant to study in. The city is small and friendly, and you have every shop and leisure place you can need.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Galway?

Yes! This is the most concerning point about living here. In the end of the summer, Irish students are also all looking for accommodation, so the rooms are very quickly taken. You have to look for accommodation several times a day on websites like Daft.

But the best option is to come to Galway one week or so before the start of the teachings (staying in a hostel), so that you can also view the rooms before renting them. You can also ask to Accommodation Office of NUI Galway, which will give you any information they have about a room available, and the phone number of the owner.

You can also look for a student residence, but you will have to fill up an application form very soon for them, around April. They are often more expensive than a room in a shared house/flat. In any case, you will also need a deposit (from 200€)

How much does it cost to live in Galway?

The rents (for a room in a shared house) are usually between 300 and 400 euros per month. I do most of my grocery shopping in Lidl (the cheapest supermarket) and pay around 100 euros per month for food. Alcohol is quite expensive here (5 euros for a pint in bars, and any alcohol is more expensive in the supermarkets than in Spain or France for example). So the budget for the week ends and leisure can be around 20/30 euros a week.

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

The accent is quite hard to get at the start, but it gets better with time, and it depends on people (most young people are easily understandable). It is the same for lecturers, it depends on people, but most of them are easy to understand because they have a lecture pace and tone, and power point slides to support what they are saying.

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

In any pub or late bar, for a more typical night. There are also several clubs. Everything is located in the city centre, very close to each other, so you can easily make your choice once you are in the streets, according to the live music you want or the amount of people in the place. I would advise The King's Head or The Quays in shopping street, for pubs, Monroe's Tavern. The three of them are good for live music. For bars, I would advise Roisin Dubh, The Blue Note or Massimos in Domonick Street. But there are maaany other great places to try!

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Galway in the future?

Visit my blog about Erasmus life in Galway; ) I have articles about places to see and diverse experiences here as a student and to go out and visit Ireland!

What's a fellow to do in Galway