We’ve witnessed a notable surge of more and more students wanting to spend their entire college education in another country, so we thought we’d talk about what that experience involves and what type of student would be a good fit to take that type of plunge!
We recently attended a conference and learned about the joy of studying in Ireland. Some campuses are in urban centers, such as Queen’s University in Belfast or Trinity College in Dublin and others are quite rural, a good example being University College Cork.
First of all, the students talked about the stimulating experience of living in a new country and enjoying a whole new cultural world – from the music, to the food to even just the comparatively relaxed lifestyle – life is different in Ireland.
Here’s what one of our students who is a freshman at University of Dublin had to say: “Studying in Ireland has been nothing short of wonderful. Everyone has been kind and the area is simply beautiful. While not being very communicative outright, the government and university are quite helpful if sought out, and very personable and understanding. Housing is also a challenge so it’s important to seek out opportunities.” (This is part of why studying abroad as a freshman is really only ideal for the most mature student who is used to advocating for themselves)
One big difference in their educational model is that in Ireland, the universities are 3 year programs, with no general education classes, so students are able to jump DIRECTLY into their major program of study. We know students who have told us how annoyed they were with general ed classes and how much they wish they could have focused directly on their courses of interest. If that student is you, Ireland could be a great fit!
The pricetag for many of these schools is really quite reasonable and no visa is required to study in Ireland. Applications are very “transcript heavy.” so they are really examining your academic profile, rather than more of a holistic review which happens across many colleges and universities in the US. The students talked about how inexpensive and easy it is to travel around Europe and the U.K., a great benefit indeed!
High school students who would be a good fit for a full study abroad education seem to exhibit the following traits: unusual maturity, the courage to try something new, adaptability to change, a sense of adventure and most of all, the ability to look on the bright side when complications happen. If you are that student, you may be a great candidate to apply abroad! Contact us to talk about studying in Ireland. (818)207-0263
