How do you come up with a semester abroad in Ireland? Well, either it is required by the university or you really want to go abroad. I had to go to a foreign language abroad for a semester in order to be able to finish my German studies. The decision to go to Ireland was very easy for me: I just always wanted to go to Ireland!

Candidate

Here one can only give high praise to your website! The application went smoothly and you could easily get in touch with your website contact person with any problems or questions. Answers still came on the same day and were meaningful. So I can only recommend contacting your website if you need help with planning.

The application to Dublin Business School (DBS) always seems to be relatively successful (I had to apply twice for personal reasons and was accepted both times).
So on the whole: fill out the application, send it off, relatively likely get an acceptance, transfer the money and off we went to Dublin.

Before you go abroad, it makes sense to get a credit card, because you can use it to pay everywhere and you can get money safely at the machine. Financial planning is also very important! You can count on € 1000 a month if you don’t just want to sit in your quiet little room.

The flight to Dublin can also be booked at short notice and is relatively short. I flew with Aer Lingus and was very satisfied. The transport from the airport with the AirCoach is pleasant and you are quickly in the city center, so that you can enjoy a Guinness to relax;).

My recommendation is to look for the apartment directly on site. Furthermore, I would personally refrain from the more expensive offers of the DBS and look around for a flat share. The ‘DBS accommodations’ can usually only be booked for six months and are overpriced even for double rooms.

So at the beginning I looked for a hostel. The search for accommodation in Dublin is relatively easy to organize via “daft.ie”. As in Germany, you should look for the latest offers, call and arrange a viewing appointment as soon as possible. The general principle is: Whoever pays the deposit first can move in.

On the first day I found a relatively good apartment in Dublin 1, it was one of two flat shares that I shared with a fellow student from Germany. Admittedly, that was quite lucky, others have been looking for an apartment for a longer time, but a week to search should be enough. Dublin 1 is often described as not so safe and not so beautiful, I didn’t have that feeling. The only “attack” I experienced there were 10 guys throwing fruit around them. Of course it wasn’t a nice suburb, but the location was just brilliant! Ten minutes walk to Temple Bar and a maximum of three to O’Connell Street, that counts as being close to the center.

The Dublin Business School

In itself, I am absolutely satisfied with how it went there. From time to time there were organizational problems and not all emails reached the right recipient. I had a two-week English course before the lectures began, which was definitely worth it.
However, you have to be a little relaxed when choosing courses. If I remember correctly, it took two or three weeks to determine these. You first had to check on site to see whether the courses chosen in Germany did not overlap.
The lecturers were all very nice, courteous and helpful. I chose Thrid Year Courses, they were already demanding, but not comparable to German standards. This left a lot of free time for more important things. The DBS building is not a splendid building, but inside it is nicely furnished and relatively modern. The student office is always manned and the staff is very helpful.

Living in Dublin

Dublin is an exciting, excited and extremely fast city. Pedestrian traffic lights are generally ignored and you should respect buses and taxis.

No – it’s a lot of fun there, pubs on every corner, many languages ​​on the street and the Irish are mostly very friendly and open-minded.

From where I lived, shops such as Lidl, Aldi and Tesco could be reached within approx. 8 minutes. Lidl is the cheapest, but also mostly crowded. A recommendation is the fruit and vegetable market on Moore Street, where healthy foods are cheap to buy. Furthermore, you should definitely go to a real butcher, these are usually just as expensive as the supermarkets. If you live near Parnell Street, the Asian shops are definitely worth mentioning as inexpensive alternatives.

There are pubs on every corner in Dublin, I estimated ten within a five-minute radius of my apartment, the only disadvantage is the high price level compared to Germany. The damage to the wallet was often immense if more than a pint (at least 5 €) was poured per evening. Personally, I have to admit that you get used to these prices relatively quickly.
Temple Bar is always worth a visit, because the international, relaxed and overcrowded flair is simply unique. You always get into a conversation there and therefore cannot try out your English in a subject-specific manner.

There are also tons of clubs in Dublin, but they usually close at two, the maximum was half past three (Workman’s Club recommendation). For good coffee and fine food, I can only recommend Fallon & Byrne.

General tips

Keep an eye on your wallet, mine was stolen once. Irish people like to tell stories and simply speak to you, but you don’t have to be afraid of that. You have to wave to the bus driver if you want him to stop. You thank the bus driver after the ride. Irish people are often drunk, males get aggressive from time to time.