University College Dublin - Study Abroad

I had the best time of my life at the University College Dublin this semester. By far, it was the best semester of my entire college life. The campus is 20 minutes away from the hustle bustle of the city and is the perfect place to unwind yourself and focus towards your goals. UCD itself is very beautiful with a couple of lakes and greenery all around the campus. It is equipped with a modern sports complex which offers free fitness classes and has a great infrastructure.The residence halls fulfilled all my requirements and made my semester long stay very comfortable.
The most interesting part of my journey has been attending classes with such a diverse group of people from different countries. The Quinn School of Business is one of the most reputed business school and attracts students from all across the globe which made me meet a lot of diverse people. Before Quinn, I had never been in a room with so many nationalities. Classes in UCD are great place to listen to the different thought processes of people from all over the globe. One of the most important learning was while working in our group of four nationalities: American, Irish, Indian and French. I would highly recommend students to study abroad with University College Dublin and attend classes at the Quinn School of Business

I knew very little about Dublin when I decided to study abroad at UCD, but I had heard great things about the school and I thought it would be an interesting challenge to go to a place I knew so little about. Before I arrived, I was nervous about picking an unfamiliar place, but it couldn’t have worked out better. UCD and Dublin vastly exceeded my expectations, and now I can’t imagine having gone anywhere else. The campus is so beautiful and my classes were awesome, and I felt supported and welcomed into the community almost instantly. I got to take a wide range of interesting and unique classes, and although the teaching style is very different than what I was used to, I always felt like I had plenty of support and I definitely learned a lot from all my professors! My classes were engaging and challenging, but I also had plenty of time to explore Ireland and a few other countries!
I couldn’t believe how fun and fulfilling the semester was. I've learned so much in the past few months, inside that classroom and out. Throughout my time at UCD, I felt encouraged to focus on my classes, but also make time to have new experiences outside of the classroom. I also took a class called "Ireland Uncovered" which was a great introduction to the history and culture of Ireland, and it was a great way to learn about the country and make some new friends. I also took dance classes with the dance society, which was another great way to meet new people. I have made so many friends from all over the world, and have learned so much from all of them!
Dublin is a great city to study abroad in - there's so much to do and it's a very student friendly city. From pubs, to museums, to shows, to gorgeous scenery, there's something for everyone and so much to explore! I'm so glad that I got to come to UCD for a semester and I am already looking forward to coming back!

My time at UCD is definitely one of the most rewarding times of my life. Apart from the engineering courses, I also took German electives from ALC and Irish culture course. During the first semester, I work closely with associate professor P. F. Curran on my graduate project. I’m so happy to apply my knowledge of control theory into practice and have the privilege to learn the cutting edge control algorithm developed here in UCD to control the fuel tanks of ESA’s Ariana rockets. My invaluable experience here also helped me to receive an admission from Duke University’s graduate school. I’d say my experience at UCD absolutely adds to that.

My favorite music band is Westlife and that’s the reason why I choose to study in Ireland. After I arrived here, I’m so impressed by the history and culture of this emerald isle. The national museum of archeology is my favorite place to visit. I also love the breathtaking scenery at the cliffs of Moher. I’m also learning how to play the Irish tin whistle. Hopefully I can play a complete song before I leave here. In one word, a semester/ year at UCD is worth it without doubt.

My semester in Ireland as a chemical engineering student has been filled with new faces, new classes, and new experiences. As I look back at the semester, I remember all the times spent studying, laughing, and enjoying myself with friends. UCD does a great job of integrating academics with fun extracurricular activities for its students, like having Yoga and Pilates classes, but also having events like Mario Kart Tournaments. Not only does UCD provide fun activities, but the staff are also so helpful to the international students in helping them to choose the right classes, hosting events to bring international students together, and even sometimes having extra pots and pans for the apartments! UCD is located about a fifteen minute bus ride from the Dublin City Centre, which has a rich culture and history. It was so fun to explore the city, visit some pubs, watch some Gaelic Football Games at Croke Park, visit the Guiness storehouse, and see all the beautiful Christmas lights in the city. Not only did I enjoy myself at UCD and in Dublin, but I was also incredibly fortunate to be able to travel all around Ireland and Europe throughout the semester. I got to explore Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Scotland, and not to mention traveling all over Ireland, seeing the Cliffs of Moher, Killarney National Park, the Aran Islands, and Giant's Causeway! My semester at UCD has been filled with so many memories that I will treasure for a lifetime!

I was very disappointed with my semester at UCD. Only come here if you're coming with friends and you're dying to see Ireland. I was looking for a different college experience abroad, and to be engrossed in the culture. However, just being on the campus felt like living in an isolated ghost town. I wish I had known this was a commuter school. The 'societies' are just small cliques of students, they don't do much outreach and seemed to have very few events. The International Society aimed at study abroad students had no trips after early October and tickets for their other trips were hard to come by. Though it would depend on program, in my opinion the professors were subpar and definitely don't cater to Americans. There's n assignments besides midterms and finals, so it's easy to lose focus. You'll be way behind the curve when you get back to the US, especially if you go to a rigorous school. I put some recommendations below to improve the program. Basically, they need to cater to all study abroad students-not just people who are using UCD as a base to travel the rest of Europe. The big thing going for UCD is that it's close to Dublin (though the campus is in the suburbs and feels like you could be anywhere). Dublin is a great city, and I enjoyed being in it, but that alone can't carry the school or the 4 month semester. If you don't have a group of friends and the money to travel Europe with, stay home or find a different program.

I would highly recommend the study abroad programme at UCD, in particular, that within the Quinn School of Business, which is what I completed. Going to UCD is a great way to be immersed in the lively city of Dublin while also enjoying the benefits of a campus, such as study spaces, the gym, and student centers and a great way to meet friends. I would highly recommend living on campus rather than trying to find outside accommodation, as this will help you to meet people and to adjust to Ireland. UCD is very welcoming and organizes many on-campus activities, as well as hosting a long list of clubs and other ways to connect with other students. The education is good and all UCD staff are extremely helpful. My favorite memories have been joining the film society, hanging with friends at the on-campus bar, the Clubhouse, and exploring Ireland as well as the rest of Europe with the great friends I've made.

Overall, UCD has been an amazing experience. They welcomed me with open arms and helped me all along the process of everything. UCD has been accommodating and really welcoming. With the international rate of the students being 25%, it has really helped with the transition of going to a different university. The Quinn Business School has been amazing. The professors are all so nice and willing to help you with anything. My advice would be to just go for it. It might be the only chance you get to do something spontaneous before having a real job. It is also a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in a different country, while also being able to travel and really get to find yourself as a person. One of my favorite memories was a weekend trip with the International Student Society. We went to County Cork and I got to meet so many different people from all around the world, while learning more about Ireland. It was the best weekend trip I have taken thus far.

As a junior, I was limited to only four classes that I could take abroad, and UCD was the ONLY school that my home university let me transfer all four classes from. In all honesty, that was the reason I chose to study at UCD, as culturally it's not a great fit for me. I love the convenience and liveliness of a big city, and Dublin feels quite small and UCD is far from city center. Despite this, I spent most of my weekends traveling (I was able to have a 5 day weekend with my schedule), which was amazing. I think I've visited 9 different countries in the 12 weeks I've been here. The school also provides ample opportunities to travel around Ireland for free, going to Galway, Belfast, and other attractions.

In terms of academics, for such a large school, I have felt very supported by advisors and administration. It took a little while to get used to the class sizes, which can be five times bigger than classes at my home university, but they're pretty easy to adjust to. And it can be easy to skip lectures, but most of my lecturers were fairly interesting and engaging!

Finally, I think my favorite memory, and proudest accomplishment, since coming over here was driving on the left side of the road along the western coast. As an American, I was so nervous about driving, but it was pretty easy. We did see a double rainbow over the Cliffs of Moher, so maybe that gave me some luck while driving!