Thinking of studying overseas? Here are 5 fantastic reasons to study abroad in Ireland.
More and more international students are choosing Ireland as their place of study, with upwards of 13,500 enrolled across Irish universities.
This is no surprise, given Ireland’s litany of world-class universities, natural wonders to explore during your stay, and growing and thriving cities across its four provinces.
Here are the top five reasons to study abroad in Ireland and become part of the growing international community of students here.
5. Employment opportunities
One thing students need is money to get themselves by while they study abroad, and a part-time job is often the best way to facilitate this, on top of loans or grants that can also be provided.
All students within the EEA (European Economic Area) are permitted to work in the country, while also giving you the right to work in an internship when studying and to work in Ireland after you graduate.
Non-EU students are required to obtain a study visa before coming to study in Ireland. Obtaining an immigration stamp “2” will enable you to work 20 hours per week during academic sessions, and then 40 hours per week during May, June, July, and from 15 December to 15 January.
In total, 871 international students found part-time work during their studies in 2017 and this number will increase year on year.
4. Always something fun to do
Regardless of where you choose to study in Ireland, there is plenty to do across the country in every city and every town that will cater for the needs of every student.
If you are into your sports, catch a GAA game in Ireland’s biggest stadium, Croke Park, or a rugby game at Ravenhill in Belfast or Thomond Park in Limerick.
Day trips across the Emerald Isle are boundless. Gaze in awe at the iconic Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, scale the Errigal in Donegal for breathtaking views of the country, or walk your way to the Stairway to Heaven in County Fermanagh.
Ireland’s story and history are told through its many landmarks and museums, and access to these is one of the main reasons why you can study in Ireland. Learn about the 1916 Easter Rising in the GPO and Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, about the history of Belfast through its walls and tours, and about the death of one of Ireland’s greatest figures, Michael Collins, in Beal na Blath, Cork. Â
3. Student experience and night life
The student scene and nightlife in Ireland is one of the most obvious reasons why you should enrol to study on the Emerald Isle.
While you are here primarily for your degree, you have to have a good time along the way and there are plenty of bars and pubs across the country to help you with that.
Ease the pressures of student life or put a bad exam result behind you with a pint of Guinness in the Temple Bar, Dublin’s most iconic pub, and lose yourself in the surrounding area.
Jump from bar to bar in Belfast’s memorable Cathedral Quarter or make your way up and down Galway City’s finest pubs in Quay Street, just a few of the Emerald Isle’s promising nightlife and student scenes.
2. World-class education
When you come to Ireland to study, you are coming to learn in some of the world’s best and most renowned universities across all four provinces of the island.
All of Ireland’s major cities and towns boast a distinguished university ranked highly in global figures. Belfast is home to Queen’s University Belfast, while Dublin houses two of Ireland’s best universities, Trinity College and DCU.
Galway is home to the National University Institute, Galway (NUIG), while Cork is the location of the University College, Cork (UCC). Derry City boasts the Ulster University’s Coleraine campus with Dundalk the spot of Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT).
Ireland’s universities offer a host of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in all specialties recognised for their prowess globally. As a world-leader in research and development, studying in Ireland will ensure the best possible start to your career.
1. Unforgettable experiences
The most important reason to study abroad in Ireland is that you will come away from your time here with memories that you will take wherever you go, and a longing to return.
Money and jobs will come as a result of your degree, but none will compare to the time and memories made during your stay here.
With the friends made, history learned, drinks spilled, and the Emerald Isle’s landscape toured, you will be left with a catalogue of events to look back on and recount with those at home.
Your time at university is amongst the best years of your life, and it’s important you pick the right place to experience it. In Ireland you have a country that provides the best of the lot for the student life; the nightlife, the fun, the adventure, and the experience.
