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<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nUprooting your life to broaden your horizons and avail of the highest quality of education available may be your reasons for choosing to study abroad but where you choose to do this is possibly the toughest aspect. Here\u2019s our short Pros and Cons lists for studying in Ireland.<\/p>\n
Firstly, the Pros of studying in Ireland:<\/p>\n
The Quality of Education:<\/strong> known as the land of saints and scholars, Ireland has long established itself high in the global ranks for educational excellence. The academic quality is top-notch and typically, colleges will have a variety of support systems in place to guarantee a smooth learning process for students. In addition, gaining work experience is built into the universities\u2019 learning process, equipping students with skills and knowledge to carry through into the real world.<\/p>\n The Social Life:<\/em><\/strong> When it comes to social experience, Ireland has a unique vibe \u2013 which I doubt can be found elsewhere. Of course you are coming abroad for the sole purpose of studying, but you\u2019ll deserve a break away from the books every now and again. There are lots of festivals all year round from St. Patrick\u2019s Day in March to Christmas, there are numerous concerts, theatre shows, restaurants and shopping centres to visit and the list just goes on.<\/p>\n Food:<\/em><\/strong> Who doesn\u2019t love food! Whether you\u2019re in Dublin city centre or strolling the streets of Cork, Ireland has such a diverse food offering around (almost) every street corner, from the staple Toasted Special (toasted sandwich with ham, cheese, onion and tomato) or full Irish fried breakfast in a local pub or caf\u00e9 to international cuisine that may just be as good as your mother\u2019s cooking, tickle your taste buds and get out and enjoy all the cuisines Ireland has to offer. Our favourite idea is a \u201cFood To-Do\u201d list where you list the places you want to try, TripAdvisor<\/a> is great for inspiration here.<\/p>\n Graduate Visa Scheme:<\/em><\/strong> The Irish government introduced this scheme in 2007 and it allows international students graduating from universities in Ireland to remain in the country for one year after their undergraduate studies (2 years for Masters) to seek employment.<\/p>\n The Irish<\/em> <\/strong>(obviously): Modesty is something the Irish seem to lack sometimes. We are a fantastic, friendly, helpful nation that welcome people with open arms. Ireland is the land of a hundred thousand welcomes after all – \u201cCead Mile Failte\u201d. Get lost on the street, ask a stranger and they will help you find where you need to go; maybe your English isn\u2019t great, we\u2019ll speak slowly and even pronounce our words correctly so you can understand us; not sure about something, we\u2019ll take our time to explain it to you. We are a great nation of people to be fair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ok so now the cons of studying in Ireland:<\/p>\n Crazy weather:<\/em><\/strong> Expect 4 seasons in a couple of hours! One thing our international students have learned (the hard way) is to layer your clothing, prepare for a sunny, warm day and a thundery rain storm in the same day. It\u2019s an art form that some Irish can\u2019t even understand so the trick is to always carry your rain coat with you!<\/p>\n Exotic accents:<\/em> <\/strong>For such a small nation, we have such varied accents! Honestly, it amazes the Irish, never mind our visitors. We\u2019ve a great blog on understanding the Dublin accent<\/a><\/u> which might be some help to understand! You\u2019ll find hilarious videos on YouTube that will help you test your understanding of Irish accents.<\/p>\n Heavy early morning traffic:<\/em><\/strong> Rush hour traffic is a nightmare! I\u2019m not sure why they call it \u2018rush-hour\u2019 because you move slower at this time of the day than at any other time of the day. Easier said than done, but my advice here is to just plan ahead. Leaving that few minutes early, driving, using public transport or cycling, can actually mean you\u2019re about 10-15 minutes earlier than expected.\u00a0 You\u2019ll get the hang of your commuter routes after a week or so and you\u2019ll be fine!<\/p>\n