Exchange in Ireland

Philip describes his time abroad as eventful, interesting, and somewhat scary. And during his time abroad he has made many new friends, even friends for life.

Some of Philips best memories of Ireland has been exploring the island together with his housemates. “Especially the west and southwest coast of Ireland” he says.

“The views we saw were breathtaking and we had so much fun exploring the different villages, towns and cities.”

Philip has also gotten to know the islands friendly people and the close-knit communities.

“Every Saturday in the town I live, they have a farmers’ market, where local farmers, fishermen and such can sell their goods. Sometimes they even give out free lunch.”

Hurdles and persistency

Ireland is currently experiencing a housing crisis, which also affects student housing – and Philip.

“My greatest challenge was to find a place to live during my semester here, I went to different pubs and talked to people, for the sole purpose of finding a place to live. It worked out in the end, because after a couple of days I was contacted about a room that was available.”

But Philip says, as a tip for students wanting to go abroad, that “persistency is important, there will be hurdles on your way, like a national accommodation crisis.”

“So be persistent, because it will be worth it in the end. Also, don’t be afraid to make new friends.”