After getting your acceptance letter from an Irish higher educational institution (HEI), what’s next?
For many students, not knowing where to start is normal—no wonder many find it daunting. For many students, studying abroad is the first time they have to go out of the country and live away from their friends and family.
Read below some pre-departure preparation tips students going to study in Ireland can follow to help them have a smoother preparation.
Look for Accommodation
After getting your acceptance letter, the first thing you should do is look for accommodation. The last thing you want to happen after landing in Ireland is not having a place to stay.
There are many ways to do this. First, check your school’s available on-campus accommodation. If you can, do this as soon as you get your acceptance letter, as on-campus accommodations are usually in high demand for both local and international students.
If you don’t want to stay inside the campus, you can either look for rentals through legitimate websites for accommodations near your school or rent a hostel or hotel first and then look for a place to rent once you’re already in Ireland.
Health-Related Preparation
Going to a hospital in Ireland is expensive, which is why before you go there, you should already have a full-body check-up in your home country. This step is important, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with an underlying chronic medical condition in the past, or have been taking maintenance medication.
Moreover, since healthcare in Ireland is expensive, make sure you already have health insurance that you can use in Irish hospitals.
Also, check with your university if they are requiring their incoming students to already have gone through some immunization procedures.
Learn to Cook Basic Dishes
As part of your preparation to go to Ireland, learn how to cook basic dishes, including one or two local dishes from your home country. Knowing how to cook is an important skill for many international students. Not only is it a good way to save money, but it is also a good way to create new friends. For example, if you are staying with a host family in Ireland, you can show gratitude by cooking a specialty from your home country. They may even want to learn how to cook it.
Moreover, there may be some events where you will be asked to prepare something from your home country. For those events, you can prepare local food from your home country.
When Packing Your Things
Last but not least is packing your things. When packing, don’t forget to do the following first: check how much is your luggage allowance, and know which items you cannot bring to Ireland. For example, as an international student, you are not allowed to bring some food including meat and milk products in Ireland.
After knowing the things mentioned above, then you can create a checklist of the things you should bring to Ireland. These include documents such as your acceptance letter, passport, and study visa. For clothes, bring a lot of warm clothes that you can layer—useful in facing Ireland’s weather and climate.
Need more pre-departure preparation tips for Ireland? Check out MSM Unify’s articles on things to pack for studying abroad to help you create a comprehensive checklist.
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