IES Abroad Dublin Direct Enrollment

Now that I am home and in my predominant comfort zone, I realize how thrilling it was to expand my levels of comfort to new maxima. I have never been one to lengthen my socio-cultural boundaries but after four months of creating a new path, this was an essential move for me.
After a semester in Dublin, Ireland, I am proud to call this bustling city my home. I made a connection to this city, my university, and the inhabitants of this beautiful locale. I had the privilege of being enrolled in the engineering school at Dublin City University (DCU), which is in a suburban area in northern Dublin. Trying to keep myself busy, I took part in the execution of DCU’s first ever Relay For Life, participated in Irish Dance lessons in the city, and played for the women’s rugby team at school. One of the best parts of my time abroad was getting to know my family from Ireland much better. I was able to take weekend trips to see them in their respective counties and enjoy some “grand” bonding time with my cousins. My roommates and I even indulged on trips outside of the country where we challenged ourselves with different languages, currencies, and food. Keeping myself busy was key as well as taking care of myself and making sure I had things from home to keep me company as well as a journal to keep my memories stored in. It finally became natural to think nothing of winging a day trip or a bus ride to the city to find our favorite foods, shops, and sights.
Coming home is when you realize how much study abroad affected you. My independence has skyrocketed and my ability to voice my thoughts has amplified to a healthy extent that I never thought I possessed. It was all in me the whole time – sometimes you need a little world exploration to uncover the true you.

My time in Dublin, Ireland was an experience of a lifetime. I was never much for travel before but in the EU travel is so cheap. You could choose to buy a brand new outfit from a store or fly to another country. The culture in Ireland was also in some ways very similar, but then there were many of its differences. Food there is definitely a difference in quantity. You will learn to appreciate the grocery shopping centers that we have in America (Walmart). There are not many 1 stop shops, you must go to 2-3 different stores to get everything you may need from time to time. The culture in Ireland was also something that was very surprising. Everything from the morning life to the night life will take you by surprise. I will say the jet lag is something that will keep you groggy for the first 10-15 days. College was also a big change. School in America is a very strict attendance based classes and very reliant on weekly homework assignments. Classes are not attendance based, (pending on major) and the university is very big on large projects/papers to be written for weeks ahead. Plenty of time is given for the projects and everything else university wise is the students just constantly studying for finals at the end of the year.

IES was very helpful in preparing me before my departure and answered every question I had. Upon arrival, the staff was supportive and really got to know each individual in our program and really personalized the experience. I stayed in an apartment complex that was a five minute walk from campus and I had my own room and bathroom which was very nice. One of my favorite parts of the IES program was going on the fieldtrips that were offered throughout the semester. We were able to visit all across Ireland with other IES students and even some of the IES staff. All in all, studying abroad at DCU was such a positive experience and I'm so happy I chose to go through IES.

A Message from Team Go Overseas: Just wanted to let all our avid travelers know that this review was submitted before we increased our character limit. We're thrilled to offer you even more content to help you make the best decisions about your next big trip.

From the beginning, at the airport, the IES staff was available and helpful. Prior to leaving, they gave a very detailed online orientation to get you the basics of Ireland and how life would be there. Housing was very nice - I was in the DCU program, and we each had our own room with an in-suite bathroom, within a 5 minute walk to campus. From the Trinity students, they live in very nice houses, but share rooms for the most part. The academics are very different from the US academic programs, but they are very clear as to what they expect, and the program will give you plenty of time to travel around both Ireland and Europe. The social life was great, and hand-in-hand, so was the safety. I was never uncomfortable walking back to my apartment at night, as a woman. The IES staff was incredible with organizing dinners for the group and outings to experience Ireland more thoroughly. Additionally, they were always there in case of emergency, and gave great advice. Overall, the experience was fantastic, and I believe that choosing to go with IES helped me fall in love Ireland even more so. I cannot wait to go back, and I cannot stop recommending IES and DCU to other students.

I would definitely recommend this program. Studying in Dublin was the best semester of my life. The City is beautiful and the people are so nice. There is so much to do. Dublin City University was a really close community of students. There were constantly fun events going on on campus such as a Summer Ball were they turned the dance floor into a beach, or a seminar with the Guinness Brew-master, or even a Vanilla Ice concert. The IES staff was very friendly and helpful and while they were located in the city center and DCU is north of the city, there came to campus often to check up on us and see how we were doing. We had frequent coffee dates with some of the IES staff members and become pretty close with them. Over all a great experience.