1. Tips for saving money when studying in Ireland
1. Tips for saving money on shopping
You can find some low-priced open-air vegetable markets and meat in the city center shop. For example, take Mao Street in Dublin, where things are much cheaper than in supermarkets. Vegetables generally cost 1 or 2 euros per pound. Yes, potatoes are the national dish here, and they only cost 1 euro for 10 pounds. Garlic and onions are a bit expensive, but fruits are not expensive. You can buy 10 apples or 8 bananas for 1 euro.
There are several small shops opened by Chinese in Mao Street, where you can eat steamed buns and dumplings... Not far from Mao Street, there is a supermarket called Audi which is very important to the Chinese. It's very cheap. You can buy instant noodles. They are made in foreign countries, but of course they don't taste as good as the Chinese ones. A box of 68 packages only costs 13 euros.
Ireland’s supplies are slightly scarce compared to those in the country. This country produces no vegetables except potatoes. Most fruits and vegetables are imported and the varieties are limited. Oriental Line and Asian Line are stores that specialize in Asian things. Seasonings commonly used by Chinese people for cooking, such as rice and noodles, can be purchased there. A 45kg bag of American rice costs 32 euros, which is very suitable for Chinese people and tastes good.
2. Tips for saving money on renting a house
Rent in Ireland is mainly paid monthly, so international students choose a time at the beginning or end of the month when looking for a house. Some international students do not understand when they go abroad. They arrive in Ireland in the middle of the month and find it difficult to find suitable housing.
There are many Chinese students renting houses in Ireland. Some international students will even rent out the entire house for themselves and then rent it to other Chinese students. Therefore, when looking for a house, international students can go to the notice board of their school to look for it. Rental information.
In Ireland, students generally have three options for renting a house. If several classmates share an apartment, the minimum fee per person is generally about 150 euros/month. But the disadvantages are also obvious. Most of the people living together are Chinese students, so language improvement will be very slow.
The second option is to live in an apartment near the school. The accommodation conditions are good, and you can also share it with foreigners. It usually costs about 280 euros per month. Students can go to local agencies to find houses. They have a lot of rental information, and agencies will not charge fees directly from students. They usually use the landlord's monthly rent as agency fees.
The last option is to live in a local’s home. This is a way to integrate into the local society and environment, but it can be difficult to find suitable opportunities. For students who have just arrived in Ireland, if they find a good host family, it is recommended that they stay for a long time.
3. How to save money on transportation
Ireland’s public transportation has monthly passes for sale. International students can buy monthly passes through the school. In addition to monthly passes like other European countries, there are also 1-week, 2-week, 3-week and 4-week passes range in price from 17 to 44 euros. If international students live far away from the city center, each ride to the city center will cost about 1 euro. You can save a lot of money by buying a round-trip ticket.
If international students want to save transportation costs, they can choose to ride a bicycle. However, bicycle management in Ireland is not very strong, and bicycles are often lost, so international students should not save money on buying bicycles.
International students who buy black cars often go to Dublin 8, which is the distribution center for black cars. However, the public security is very poor, so it is not safe.
4. Be careful when choosing a city
Avoiding big cities with high tuition fees and living expenses is a good way to reduce the cost of studying abroad. When it comes to school choice, there is a huge gap in fees between public schools and private schools. Public universities generally only charge registration fees but not tuition fees, while private institutions not only charge double fees, but also have higher tuition fees, especially for popular majors such as business and engineering. By avoiding popular destinations, you can effectively reduce the cost of studying abroad.
5. Scholarship application is also important
Among various foreign scholarship projects, government projects are undoubtedly attractive in terms of funding intensity and wide range of disbursement. Pay more attention at ordinary times, the earlier you apply, the greater your chances of success.
6. Other money-saving strategies
1) Apply for an international student ID card
The international student ID card (ISIC card) is a student status recognized by UNESCO With supporting documents, you can get discounts in transportation, accommodation, food, entertainment activities, etc. Only full-time students aged 12 or above can apply.
2) Tips for exchanging and remittance
Since the bank’s foreign exchange quotation changes every day, reasonable exchange can reduce expenses. Secondly, choosing the right remittance method can also save costs. If the school accepts credit card payment, even the remittance fee will be saved.
3) Work-study program
Work-study program has always been a conventional way for international students to solve their economic problems. Since the work policies of each country are different, international students must abide by the relevant policies when working to avoid causing problems. Unnecessary trouble. You also need to control your time well and don't affect your studies, so as not to lose the big for the small.
4) Enjoy discounts with your student card
There are a lot of Chinese in Dublin. The places where they are more concentrated include Oriental Bank, Asia Bank, Student Center, GPO (Post Office), and Mao Street. , Audi and other places.
In the Oriental Tour and Asia Tour, there are many products from China, Japan, India and other countries. There are many Chinese things, and you can basically buy everything you need in daily life, and the price is not very expensive.
The Student Center is a specialized institution. International students who have just arrived in Dublin should apply for a student card immediately. With this card, students under the age of 26 can enjoy considerable discounts when purchasing air tickets. Another thing is to get a bus card. You can buy student tickets with the card. If the total cost of travel per week is more than 15 euros, it is quite cost-effective to apply for a card.
GPO is the post office in Ireland. There are many Chinese mailing things there, and you can also make long-distance calls. The postage here is 0.3 euros for a letter to Ireland, and 0.45 euros for a postage to China. In addition, there is a chain store in Dublin, which is similar to the 10-yuan stores in China. Everything in it is about the same price, and some of the items are pretty good.
2. Necessary items for studying in Ireland
1. Clothes
Regarding the preparation of clothing, you need to first inspect the natural environment of Ireland, and based on experience It can be seen that the summer in Ireland is short and the temperature is relatively suitable in all seasons, but the winter is relatively cold, so thick clothes must be prepared.
However, it is definitely not possible to bring all the clothes with you at one time, so you should mainly bring seasonal clothes, and you can wait to buy other items after you arrive.
2. Medicines
You should also be careful when carrying medicines. After all, arriving in a new environment can easily lead to acclimatization. If you cannot adapt as soon as possible and take medicines in time, it will be very difficult. It may cause bad consequences.
And if you are myopic, you can prepare a few extra pairs of contact lenses and bring care solution in case you don’t have enough when you need to use them.
3. Electrical appliances
The preparation of electrical appliances must be complete. Whether they are used in life and study or in the kitchen for cooking, they all need to be prepared, and you also need to bring conversion tools. Plug so that the electrical appliances you bring can be used smoothly.
Among them, mobile phones and computers are a must, because everyone needs them in life and study; the second is a rice cooker, so you can cook for yourself even if you don’t have a kitchen.
4. Daily necessities
Daily necessities should be mainly practical and commonly used, so as not to waste space in the suitcase. However, most daily necessities are not available in Ireland. It's available, but it's a little more expensive.
So what everyone needs to prepare most is an umbrella. Ireland, like the UK, is a rainy country, and raincoats are often easier to buy than umbrellas. If you don’t want to wear a raincoat, you might as well Bring a good quality umbrella.
3. Safety precautions for studying in Ireland
1. Psychological safety
This is a very easily overlooked aspect. When students enter an unfamiliar environment, in addition to In addition to unfamiliarity and unfamiliarity, there is also a language barrier. When there is almost no one to communicate with, psychological problems can easily arise.
It requires the joint efforts of both parties. Children should take the initiative to communicate with their parents and open up their own social aspects to get to know more people. Parents should pay attention to their children's psychological changes and have more heart-to-heart conversations with their children to understand them. Psychological changes.
2. Accommodation safety
Students living on campus cannot ignore the safety of their accommodation, especially the storage of more personal belongings. Valuable things should be put away and locked up. This can also avoid misunderstandings, build a good relationship with your roommates, and help each other more often.
There are many things to consider when renting a house. First, you must check whether the surrounding environment is safe, and then make sure the indoor facilities are safe to use. Remember to lock the door when you go home. If you choose If you live in a shared apartment, you should also pay attention to getting along with your roommates.
3. Personal Safety
Everyone should put life safety first. Do not go to places where danger may occur, and reduce the frequency of going out at night. This can To avoid the occurrence of danger to a certain extent, thereby greatly reducing the expected probability.
Social interaction is unavoidable, and when you go to parties or social gatherings with many strangers, you must remain wary of strangers, maintain a suitable social distance, and do not trust others easily. people.
IV. Work Safety
The last thing is the safety issue of part-time work. On the one hand, when looking for a job, you should obtain recruitment resources from reliable channels, so that you don’t have to worry. Will be deceived, thus affecting normal work arrangements and study arrangements.
On the other hand, when you join the job, you must sign an agreement with your employer to determine your rights and interests, and buy basic insurance. This way, if you need to be hospitalized in an accident, you can be reimbursed without affecting your life. to everyone's property.
4. Introduction to common knowledge about studying in Ireland
1. About Ireland
Ireland is located on the west coast of Europe and became an independent republic in 1922. . Ireland is a vibrant and prosperous European country. Visitors will find that the charm of ancient Celtic culture is blended with modern business atmosphere.
Ireland has mythical landscapes and a palpable history.
2. About population
Ireland currently has a population of approximately 4.5 million, including a large number of multi-ethnic groups.
3. About the climate
Since the Gulf Stream passes through Ireland, the climate here is mild. In winter, temperatures rarely drop below freezing and snow is relatively rare. The temperature in summer is usually between 15 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius, in spring and autumn it is about 10 degrees Celsius, and in winter the temperature is basically between 5 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius. Snowfall is rare here, but showers can happen at any time. Our advice is to wear a jacket and bring rain gear with you.
4. About the Irish
Irish people are naturally interested in others and eager to talk. The Irish are also famous for their friendliness and enthusiasm, and it is very easy for overseas students to adapt to their life studying in Ireland.
5. About music
Live music performances on all possible occasions are a unique traditional feature of Ireland. From street performers to pubs, traditional music can be seen everywhere.
6. About language
While we have our own unique Celtic language and culture, English is the language of Ireland today. The extent to which the Irish use English can be said to be: more English is spoken in Ireland than anywhere else in the world! Every year approximately 150,000 students from all over the world study quality English language training courses in schools across Ireland.
7. About currency
As the most active member of the European Union, Ireland uses the euro as its currency.
Sports and leisure activities, football, rugby, golf, Gaelic games, horse riding, swimming, surfing, water sports, boxing and mountain climbing.