From the very beginning of my dual study program at the FHDW, I knew that I wanted to spend a semester abroad. For this reason, the International Office (IO) and I had been in contact since January 2019 (1st theory semester). The IO took me by the hand right from the start and informed me about possible options and the application process. In an initial consultation, I was given details of all the partner universities that could be considered for business informatics students and their module coverage with the requirements of the FHDW was described. It turned out that Dublin Business School (DBS) was a good choice for students on my degree course for the third semester, as most or all modules (depending on the specialization) can be completed and credited here.

Once I had decided on Dublin Business School, I waited for the call for applications at the beginning of February, which asked for an application including a letter of motivation, CV, approval from the practice company and an overview of grades. I was told that I would hear back in April whether my application had been accepted or rejected. This was followed by a further meeting with the IO, in which the costs and planning to be completed were discussed in more detail. The latter included the application to swap a practical and theoretical phase and the associated application to postpone the practical work. Both were promptly processed and approved by the Examination Office/Committee.

I was also informed by the IO about which other documents I should submit to Dublin Business School. These included an “Application Form” from the DBS and proof of my English language skills. The IO was kind enough to issue me with the proof immediately based on my performance in the Business English module and the language certificates I had. From then on, most of my communication went through the DBS Admissions Office. This was difficult to reach for a while due to the summer break, but all inquiries were quickly dealt with after the colleagues there returned. I was accepted shortly afterwards.

With regard to accommodation, I received an accommodation guide from DBS. In addition, the International Office had kindly organized contact with other FHDW students who were also going to Dublin, so that we were able to talk about accommodation and travel. It quickly became clear to all of us that accommodation in Dublin is a very limited and therefore expensive commodity. As the numerous student residences (where most international students actually stayed) were all quite expensive, most of us opted for host families and shared flats. DBS also offers contingents here. However, I organized my room in the host family privately.

In all cases, the student residences were very central and close to the university, but the host families were usually a little further out. That’s why we all had to accept a longer journey and therefore also travel costs. For this reason, I would recommend considering whether you would rather invest your money in the more expensive accommodation or in the Dublin bus network.

Either way, it is a good idea to purchase a Student Leapcard. This allows you to use the city buses, the LUAS (streetcar), the DART (suburban train) and airport connections such as the 747 or 757. Another advantage is that you can only spend a maximum of €5 per day on the bus and a maximum of €20 per week. Once this limit has been reached, every further journey in the respective period is free of charge. In other words, it works like a prepaid credit card onto which you can load different amounts of money. You can do this conveniently online or at almost any supermarket or train station.

I arrived with Eurowings and then took the 747 bus to the city center, where I was picked up by my host father. Together we made our way to the accommodation. The clear plus point of a host family for me was all the tips and tricks they can give you. In addition to the fact that I was able to look at pictures of the room and the rest of the house and family via the portal where I found the host family, the opportunity to cook for myself was also one of the reasons why I decided not to go through Dublin Business School. In addition, there were other students living there (a girl from China and one from India) with whom I soon made friends and with whom I am still in contact.

In fact, I did not take out separate travel and travel health insurance. Nevertheless, the IO of the FHDW would have been very helpful here too.

Dublin Business School is located almost in the center of the city and is easy to reach. Although it is not a campus school, it has four campuses, all of which are within walking distance of each other. The two main buildings are Aungier Street and Castle House. These may not seem particularly large, but they are home to almost 9,000 students. Of these, around 40% are international students: students from abroad who spend their entire studies there and students who only stay for one or two semesters. Some of them you could already get to know during a voluntary English preparation course a week before the start of the semester. The majority of them were then met during the introductory events on the first two days. During these, there were several presentations on the semester schedule, questions were answered, etc. Student ID cards were also issued and everyone received their final study plan.

Overall, the courses were more project-based than at the FHDW. Numerous practical tasks had to be completed and uploaded to Moodle. They were all very interesting and the module lecturers were competent and helpful. They take the time to answer all questions. The course sizes were all very different and ranged from 6 people in the smallest to 35 people in the largest module I attended. However, other students also attended courses with a group size of just 2 to 40 people. Since DBS not only offers individual semesters abroad, but also certificate programs for certain target groups, in which students stay at this university for an entire year, I attended individual courses from completely different degree programs and was therefore always immersed in new study groups. Other students spent almost all of their courses in the same group. This seemed to depend heavily on the course and semester.

Dublin Business School has an award-winning Students Union team that offers numerous excursions and events. What’s more, there are many clubs and societies that offer events on every conceivable topic and are happy to accept members. This gave me the opportunity to quickly get to know many students. Due to the high proportion of international students at DBS, I have to admit that you get to know a lot of nice people from all kinds of countries, but I didn’t meet many Irish people at the university. I often met them purely by chance on excursions or in the city.

The DBS Career Office also offers numerous activities. These range from training courses on topics such as “Correct Citation Style” to panel discussions on “Women in Leadership”. Through these and company visits to companies such as LinkedIn or Google, the DBS does justice to the FHDW’s practical approach.

There is also a lot to experience in Dublin away from the university. There are a variety of museums, galleries, theaters and cinemas, but also destinations not too far away such as Northern Ireland, the Ring of Kerry, Cork, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher or Limerick. It must also be said that flights to Great Britain and Paris were very cheap, which is why fellow students from further afield took numerous city trips.

The Dublin Business School itself also offers a few trips, which I would highly recommend, as they are a great way to get to know your fellow students better. These definitely include the Bundoran Surf Weekend in October and the events that may be offered by the Hiking Society. In our case, the latter meant a multi-day hike on the Ring of Kerry, which was one of the most impressive experiences I had during this time.