The grey and damp autumn weather might make it tempting to head for the sun – but not for Anna Nosková. She felt drawn to Scotland or Ireland and eventually chose the land of the shamrock, where locals would rather get soaked than carry an umbrella.
Anna selected the first semester of her master’s degree programme in Geography and English at the Faculty of Education for her Erasmus exchange. She headed to Dublin City University (DCU) in Ireland. At the same time, she did not neglect her responsibilities at Masaryk University. She enrolled in all the courses expected in the first semester and worked on them online with her teachers. On top of that, she took four teaching modules at DCU.
“I was a little worried about missing the start of my master’s programme, but I already know some of my teachers from my bachelor’s studies, so I have a good idea of what to expect from them and their courses. My classmates also help by keeping me informed about assignments and other requirements,” says Anna. She admits, however, that enrolling in so many courses at her home university was not the best decision, as she also had a full workload in Dublin.
Anna sees going abroad during her master’s programme, rather than earlier on, as a good decision. The knowledge she gained during her bachelor’s studies proved highly useful in Ireland, from general skills such as finding academic sources to specific tasks like preparing a lesson plan. In turn, DCU expanded her experience, for example through work with applications that teach students ‘computational thinking’. Constant communication in English was another clear benefit – Anna feels it has given her much greater confidence.
Commuting: a necessary evil
However, setting up a life in Dublin was not easy. The biggest challenge by far was finding accommodation. University halls are full and private student residences prefer students staying longer than just one semester. In the end, Anna found a place in the garden house of an elderly woman. She had her own room and bathroom and shared a kitchen with a student from Bolivia. The downside was a ninety-minute bus commute, but she could spend the time between classes on campus, which offers relaxation areas with sofas.
Dublin gives students many opportunities beyond their studies. Universities offer a wide range of societies and clubs that are also open to international students. “It’s a great way to meet people. I joined the archery, photography, hiking and yoga societies. The membership fee was just four euros,” says Anna. She was also part of the Erasmus Student Network, which organises various events, including trips and excursions. Through the network, she made friends not only with locals, but also with students from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and Nigeria.
One particularly memorable experience for Anna was Halloween. “I thought it was mainly an American tradition, but it actually originated in Ireland. Halloween is celebrated on a really big scale here – there were parades in the city and fireworks and firecrackers everywhere all evening,” she adds.
The author of the article is a student at the Faculty of Arts and an intern with the student editorial team of Magazín M.
