{"id":99,"date":"2024-06-29T20:12:40","date_gmt":"2024-06-29T20:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emileerorick.me.holycross.edu\/?p=99"},"modified":"2024-06-29T20:12:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-29T20:12:40","slug":"emilees-guide-to-studying-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.holycross.edu\/emileerorick\/2024\/06\/29\/emilees-guide-to-studying-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Emilee’s Guide to Studying Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a little over a month since my time in Dublin ended, and ever since I\u2019ve been home, I\u2019ve 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\u2019t find by doing a simple Google search. Most of this will be specific to Dublin, but some will be more general information. Regardless, here\u2019s some information I wish I knew before studying abroad, which I hope can be of help to those who may have the same questions!<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Necessities<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Cell phone service<\/span>: 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\u2019s 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\u2019t know enough about that to recommend it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Budgeting<\/span>: I\u2019m 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\u2019ll 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\u2019s on Meath Street. For laundry, the cheapest load in our accommodation was 7.30 euros. So, use that to gauge how much you\u2019ll be spending depending on how often you wash your clothes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting your IRP Card<\/span>: This is the card that, if you\u2019re staying for more than 3 months in Ireland, you need to be a legal resident. I\u2019m sure that there\u2019s 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\u2019t 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. <\/span>This website<\/span><\/a> has some more information, including the phone number that you need to call in order to make the appointment at the Immigration Office. There\u2019s a rumor that you can only call the number from an Irish phone, but I\u2019m not sure we had any issues with that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting your Leap Card<\/span>: So the main mode of public transportation throughout Dublin is the bus system. There is a tram called the LUAS, however if you\u2019re going to and from Trinity and accommodation (if you\u2019re 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 <\/span>going online<\/span><\/a> and shipping it to your accommodation. The Student Leap card is for Master\u2019s or PhD students, so you won\u2019t be eligible for that one. The Young Adult Leap card has significantly cheaper fares than adult fares, however if you don\u2019t want to wait for it to be shipped, you can buy an Adult Leap card from most convenience stores and pay the normal fare.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What to pack<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Outlets<\/span>: I highly highly recommend getting <\/span>this adapter<\/span><\/a> from Amazon. It\u2019s 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\u2019s really easy to charge more than one device. If you\u2019re packing hair dryers, you\u2019ll 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clothes<\/span>: 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\u2019ll 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\u2019t stress too much about what you\u2019ll need. If you forget something or realize you need an item of clothing, go to your nearest Dunnes or Penney\u2019s and you\u2019ll find what you need.<\/span><\/p>\n

Medications<\/span>: As I\u2019m 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\u2019re ever nauseous or have a cold.<\/span><\/p>\n

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General information and advice for Trinity\/Dublin<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n