It’s been a little over a month since my time in Dublin ended, and ever since I’ve been home, I’ve been scrolling through my photos from this past year to remember all of the exciting times I had. While doing so, I was so shocked by how much of a different person I was from when I first started the program to where I am now. It reminded me of how, in the beginning, there were a lot of things I had to figure out on my own, especially as I had never traveled outside of the U.S. before. Thus, what I figured I should do for my last blog post, is a guide for those who are about to study abroad and may have some questions that they can’t find by doing a simple Google search. Most of this will be specific to Dublin, but some will be more general information. Regardless, here’s some information I wish I knew before studying abroad, which I hope can be of help to those who may have the same questions!
The Necessities
Cell phone service: Everyone has a different U.S. plan, so evidently you have to figure out what works best for you. With my cell phone plan (I have Verizon), it was much cheaper for me to buy a physical Irish sim card rather than pay for Verizon’s monthly international plan. When I first landed, I paid for the Verizon international plan so that I would have data when I arrived, but one of my first few days there I visited a bunch of cell providers and asked for their different SIM only plans. My phone plan in Ireland was 30 euros a month through Three mobile, and it had more than enough data than I needed, both in Ireland and internationally. I recommend asking around and comparing different cellular plans, because (unbeknownst to me at first) some of them offer student discounts for SIM only plans. But note, if you have an iPhone 14 or later, you may only be able to use eSIMs, which means you may have to open an Irish bank account if you want an Irish phone plan. One of my friends had this issue, but instead of going through that process, he found it cheaper to buy a used phone and pay for that plan. I think there are apps you can find to purchase eSIMs through, but I don’t know enough about that to recommend it.
Budgeting: I’m probably going to give you the exact same answer that everyone else does. Obviously, how much money you spend and should save depends on your lifestyle. However, the new information I can provide is some insight into the general amount that some necessities cost. For groceries, Lidl and Dunnes will be your best friends. The first few weeks were when I spent the most amount of money, as that was when I was buying all of my kitchen supplies, bedding and toiletries. Set aside more money for your first two months than you’ll need for the rest of the year (in my opinion). Everyone will spend different amounts of money to buy different things, but I had weekly grocery runs span anywhere from 17 euros to 60 euros, depending on what I was making and what I already had in my kitchen. For my Trinity folks, if you want to save on poultry, go to Stephen’s on Meath Street. For laundry, the cheapest load in our accommodation was 7.30 euros. So, use that to gauge how much you’ll be spending depending on how often you wash your clothes.
Getting your IRP Card: This is the card that, if you’re staying for more than 3 months in Ireland, you need to be a legal resident. I’m sure that there’s already been a lot of information given to you guys about what documents you will need and how much the IRP card is, so I won’t repeat all of that. What I will say is a) make sure that you have all of those documents printed and b) to make the appointment as soon as you possibly can. Once all of the full-time international students come into Ireland for the start of school, those appointments will be near impossible to get before your 90-day grace period is over. This website has some more information, including the phone number that you need to call in order to make the appointment at the Immigration Office. There’s a rumor that you can only call the number from an Irish phone, but I’m not sure we had any issues with that.
Getting your Leap Card: So the main mode of public transportation throughout Dublin is the bus system. There is a tram called the LUAS, however if you’re going to and from Trinity and accommodation (if you’re living where we did this past year), the bus is your best bet. In order to ride the buses, there are two methods of payment: cash in exact change, or a Leap card. During your orientation week at Trinity, chances are they will give you incorrect information about getting a Leap card. The Leap card that you should get to save you money will be a Young Adult Leap card, which you can only get by going online and shipping it to your accommodation. The Student Leap card is for Master’s or PhD students, so you won’t be eligible for that one. The Young Adult Leap card has significantly cheaper fares than adult fares, however if you don’t want to wait for it to be shipped, you can buy an Adult Leap card from most convenience stores and pay the normal fare.
What to pack
Outlets: I highly highly recommend getting this adapter from Amazon. It’s a universal adapter, so you can plug in your wire and then use the adapter to be plugged into any type of socket for any country. Plus, it comes with 4 USB ports, so it’s really easy to charge more than one device. If you’re packing hair dryers, you’ll need a converter. But honestly, I would recommend buying one in Ireland for saving space in your suitcase and not risking an accidental fuse blow out.
Clothes: Pack light. When we first arrived, it was still summer/spring weather for the first few months, and then it got colder. So I would recommend packing versatile clothes, ones that you can layer and mix and match for multiple outfits. Pack comfortable sneakers, because you’ll be doing a lot of walking, especially ones that will handle a lot of rain well. Definitely pack a raincoat, maybe rain boots, but other than that you don’t stress too much about what you’ll need. If you forget something or realize you need an item of clothing, go to your nearest Dunnes or Penney’s and you’ll find what you need.
Medications: As I’m sure you know from the pre-arrival information, a 3 month supply is the legal limit you can bring abroad. Do some research to find out if all of your prescriptions are available in Ireland, which I recommend doing by reaching out to International SOS insurance that we have and asking them how to get more prescriptions when you run out. Also, pharmacies in Dublin are amazing, as the pharmacists help you figure out what you need if you describe your symptoms, like if you’re ever nauseous or have a cold.
General information and advice for Trinity/Dublin
- Buy all of your bedding and kitchen supplies once you land. Do not!!! order one of those college supply kits that you may see ads for, because they won’t arrive on time, you’ll have to pay a lot of money on customs if it’s shipping from outside the country, and you can get better quality stuff for cheaper at Dunnes.
- The Liberties, where we stayed, is truly such an amazing part of the city. My favorite coffee shop with the nicest people was right across the street, Meath Street has the best poultry, meat, and produce markets, and there are countless pubs and bars that have such fun events and atmospheres. Explore the area, sit on the grass at St Patrick’s Park, and enjoy experiencing the neighborhood outside of city centre.
- Sign up for the societies (clubs) that really interest you the most. It’s a great way to meet new people, and a lot of them also host pub nights after an event which is great for socializing. Try something new, as it’ll help expand your horizons (and make for a great ICIP topic!). The food and drink club is one that you should join not just for the events, but for the membership card that gets you discounts to a bunch of places around the city.
- Apps that will make your life easier: Leap Top-Up app is how you can add money to your Leap Card in such a convenient way. TooGood2Go is a meal saving app where restaurants will put up meal bags for really cheap, so you’ll get a discounted meal but may not pick exactly what you want. Google maps is the best for making lists of places you want to go and pinning the different locations. Blackboard is the Canvas of Trinity, so this app allows you to see everything on your phone. Whatsapp is the main source of communication for everyone, that way you don’t use up your monthly texting and calling limit.
- If you can, try your best to snag a ticket for TBall. Trinity Ball (TBall) is the end of the year music festival held on campus for students, in which the entire campus is shut down and stages are constructed to host different artists.
- Walk around a BUNCH and try different things! Dublin has so much to offer, from amazing restaurants, fun pubs and clubs, and amazing concerts. However, Ireland also has much more than just Dublin. The rail tickets that take you all over the country only cost 8 euros with a Young Adult Leap card, so definitely take advantage of that. My favorite day trip was to take the DART from the station near Trinity to Howth, which has the best seafood, an amazing cliff walk, and is an easy escape from the city.
- Go to as many of the Holy Cross hosted events as you can!! Our cultural advisors are truly the best and planned such fun events, so make the most of it!!
Okay, I know that this was really long and didn’t have any fun pictures or whatnot. But, I hope that this can be a useful guide and can provide some helpful information! Ultimately, the best thing you can do is to throw yourself fully into the experience and explore the wonderful city. If you have any questions or want some recommendations, feel free to shoot me an email at earori25@g.holycross.edu, but I definitely recommend doing some exploring to find your own places. Have the best time ever, and I hope you enjoyed following along my study abroad journey!
