Dublin, Ireland
Dublin
is not a large city. But that is what makes it so good for a CEMS term abroad.
In just a few months you can really get to know your way around town. The pub
culture is definitely impossible to miss. After every strategy class, the class
would go to a pub for a pint (or a Irish coffee). Very cool.
If
you are into tech, then Dublin is definitely a destination to consider… often
we are taken to Google, Salesforce, Qualtrics or alike, so you’ll be very
exposed to what it is like to work in the European Silicon Valley.
Also,
the Alumni community is quite active and engaging with the CEMS class. Expect
80% of them to work in Google.
The
student life in Dublin is the best I have seen. Never have I felt that I was
networking... it was always about making friends. There is so much to do in
Dublin that you’re never bored, but take your time to meet the rest of the
country, including Galway, Cork and Northern Ireland. It rains a lot, but the
country is so green that it is worth it. I’d suggest you to try a surf lesson
when you go the west coast.
Courses
The
majority of the courses in Smurfit are CEMS exclusive. They are worth 10 ects
each, which means that the workload his high and you only need to do 3. I took
Chinese, Strategy and Consulting.
The
Chinese module is divided in two parts: Chinese language and Chinese Business culture.
You will learn the basics of oral and written Chinese as well as the principles
behind the Chinese mentality and philosophy. It was by far the most enjoyable
course, since the classes were always very creative (for example, the last
examination was to go with the Chinese class to a Chinese restaurant and order
our dish in Chinese)
Consulting
was disappointing since it focused too much on the daily challenges of a
consultant rather than solving consulting cases. Still, you get to do a real
consulting project for a small Irish company.
Strategy
is the core course. The workload is heavy but well worth it. The professor,
Esther, is very competent and usually invite guest speakers from Dublin-based
tech firms (Google, Dropbox, Salesforce, Qualtrics, HP, …).
Housing
On
your accommodation hunt, you should focus in the city center or near the
campus, in Blackrock. The bus system is fairly good, but if you live too far
from the city or the campus, it gets too time-consuming to commute. Living near
the campus (or on campus itself) is usually cheaper and you don’t really need
to spend a lot of money on transports. However, it is a hassle to come back to
Blackrock by taxi after every nigh out in the city center.
It
is not as easy as it may seem to find a good and affordable room, so I’d advise
to arrive a couple of weeks beforehand. Expect to pay ~700€ per month. Avoid
the north side of the river Liffey.
University
The
campus is exclusive for master and MBA students. It is an old monastery but the
facilities are modern and reliable. As for sports, university clubs and
cultural events, it all takes place in UCD main campus (in Belfield), where the
bachelor students have classes. The gym and the Olympic-sized swimming pool are
definitely worth visiting.
Sightseeing
Ireland
is amazing. During my four months in Ireland, our CEMS club organized trips to
Galway, Glendalogh, Howth and Belfast. You can really get to know a country
this small in just a few months.
The
pub culture is definitely one of the biggest assets of Ireland. Every night out
starts in a pub, where there is always live music and plenty of Guinness.
Dublin
is small but amazing. A complete tour of Dublin can be done within a couple of
days, since all the monuments are very close to each other. The Spire is the
most iconic monument of the city (a 130m tall needle in O’Connell Street). TIP:
if you get lost in any part of the city just look around and you’ll find the
Spire.
Visa
Ireland
is NOT a Schengen country (like the UK). This means that if you are not European, you
will need a visa. If you want a re-entry visa for Ireland without a European
passport, expect a long line in the emigration office here in Dublin.
Vaccines
n/a
Projects
If
you are into tech or start-ups, then Smurfit has the best corporate partners
for you to work with: Google, Dropbox, Salesforce and Kerry Group.
Surprises
Networking
here is easy. Since most companies in Ireland are high tech giants, their staff
is younger and many are CEMS Alumni. More than once, they came along and went
out with the CEMS class. It isn’t that bad to be a Googler for one night. 
--
By Diogo Sassetti, Class of 2014/2015
Term abroad - Fall 2014
Nationality:
Portuguese
Country
of residence: Portugal
Home
School: Nova School of Business and Economics
Host School: UCD Michael Smurfit Gradate Business
School
