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Heya! Hope everyone is safe and indoors during these difficult times. I understand that this unseen circumstance might raise several questions in your minds about your higher education plans. I have been receiving several questions about MSc in Ireland specially in UCD Michael Smurfit Business School in Dublin since I'm currently pursuing my MSc Digital Marketing Degree here. I will try answering all the questions that have been asked to me below along with an update of my current situation as an international student here during the Corona Virus time period. I hope my blog will help you with some insights to guide your decision about education in Ireland after the COVID-19 situations ends.

Why Did I choose Ireland for my MSc?

I had spent close to a year deciding and researching about my options, from U.S.A to Australia to Europe. I was very sure about wanting to pursue a postgrad degree in marketing, preferably something in Digital Marketing. There were three major points I was looking at firstly, the university ranking, secondly, the duration of the course and acceptance of a three year undergrad degree and finally the possibility of employment after my degree. With U.S.A. my three year undergrad wasn't accepted in the well ranked universities and with the tightening of work visa rules the chance of getting a job after my degree looked slimmer specially for a non-STEM degree holder. Canada didn't offer much options for masters courses, Australia offered a degree in marketing but were of one year duration which makes it ineligible for a work visa after, the other option would be to choose a two year management or commerce degree and specialise in marketing which wasn't something I was keen about. Ireland specially Dublin is evolving day by day in terms of the amount of companies increasing their presence here. Giants like Facebook and Google have their EU Headquarters based in Dublin. This also resulted in an increase in employment opportunities. I had heard the highest no. of positive job situation responses from students in Ireland which was one of the most important points influencing my decision. My major reason was getting accepted in UCD Michael Smurfit's MSc Digital Marketing program as it is well ranked, accepted a 3 year undergrad and most importantly was situated in Dublin.

What is my accommodation experience in Dublin?

Well, this is the tricky bit. Finding a place to rent is quite challenging in Dublin but not impossible. A lot of my friends and classmates found good houses to rent but some at the end decided to stay in a student accommodation (which btw are super cool!). I opted for the on campus option as it seemed more in accordance with my convenience. It is a very comfortable place with my own en-suite room and a shared living room and kitchen. I live in the Proby Residences of UCD and we are five students in total sharing the apartment. The main Smurfit building is just 2 minutes walk away. Sadly there is no meal plan facility in Smurfit (Unlike Belfield Campus) but there is a restaurant which provides freshly made lunch and a cafe. The grocery stores are about a 10-15 minutes walk away from the residences. If you are looking for off campus accommodations before coming to Dublin I would highly recommend joining Facebook groups and trying to get in touch with current or past students.

Is UCD Smurfit on a different campus?

YES! for all of you who might not be aware, UCD Michael Smurfit has its own campus in Blackrock. The Main UCD campus is located in Belfield which is about 15 mins away from Blackrock campus by bus. The students at Smurfit do have complete access to all the amenities in the Belfield campus.

Is work experience required to pursue MSc Digital Marketing at Smurfit?

Nope! work experience is not mandatory to apply for this program. I came here directly after completing my undergrad. I would say a work experience from 0-4 years would be ideal to benefit the most out of this program. The class profile is usually a mix of freshers and people having 2-5 years of work experience mostly with some having more years of work experience as well.

When is the ideal time to apply for an MSc degree in Ireland?

I sent in my UCD application in the first week of October. I would highly recommend applying before December as many universities like UCD and TCD fill up quite fast. They usually email their decision within 2 weeks from application date.

What is my lecture situation currently?

All of our lectures are now being carried out online with most of them being in the form of pre recorded videos to accommodate different time zones of students. Unfortunately it is not the same level of experience as it is in class but the lecturers have tried really hard to make the learning experience as good as it can be during a situation like this. They have also been very accommodating of our requests and super understanding about our mental and physical situation.

What is the employment situation currently like in Dublin?

Well to be honest, everything looked much better before the pandemic. There were plenty of job opportunities, a bit less for Non EU students but there were quite some places which were open to applications from Non EU people and a few of my friends were also getting interviews. But now everything has slowed down substantially. Companies have gone on a hiring freeze and some have even halted possible promotions for current employees. The no. of job listings have also gone down comparatively. It is a wait and watch situation for most of us here right now. I will keep on updating you guys about this via our Facebook page Dublin Explorer (link: https://www.facebook.com/dublin.explorer/?ref=bookmarks) so follow us there and stay tuned.

What can one do to prepare themselves before coming to Ireland?

Firstly I would recommend to relax a little and enjoy whatever time you have left with your friends and family, Believe me guys homesickness is real! I would recommend learning a few basic dishes which you can cook once you are here because you will be doing a lot of it. Bring a pressure cooker with you Indian students. Don't worry about groceries there are plenty of Asian stores where you get all the Indian groceries along with good ready to eat food (I highly recommend anything Haldirams) and of course Maggie. You will be out of your comfort zone here for a while but eventually Ireland will start feeling like home, you will just need to give it some time and the fact that people here are suuuppeeeerrrr nice really helps as well.

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Take Care & Stay Safe,

Cheers!