Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

Vu Dinh is a Vietnamese student studying MSc International Management and Global Business at the University of Limerick. This is her story of studying in Ireland. She is now working in Ireland as a Recruiter at Facebook.

Why I chose Ireland and UL

I originally thought about studying abroad in Australia but after doing some research online I found out about Ireland and the University of Limerick.

The high quality education, low costs of tuition and living attracted me to Ireland and the course offering and accessible nature of the UL campus made my decision to study in UL an easy one. I was very nervous about coming to Ireland to study as I had never studied outside of Vietnam before, however the transition was really smooth. I studied English in the UL Language Centre for 6 months before starting my MSc which really helped me, both from an academic English point of view but also settling into the culture and environment of UL.

More information for Vietnamese students applying to UL

Accommodation

I stayed with a host family during my first two weeks there and experienced European food, Irish family life and saw lots of Ireland. I have since sorted my own private accommodation and this was a little difficult to find. I got lucky and managed to find a Vietnamese student who had a room available in an off campus estate close to college. I would recommend students moving to UL to prepare in advance and organise accommodation through the UL Accommodation Office a few months in advance of arriving. The cost of rent in Limerick is much lower than in Dublin.

You can also join the Facebook group for Vietnamese in Ireland for more help!

UL Accommodation Information: On Campus Accommodation & Off Campus Accommodation

About my course

The academic course is really practical and applicable to real world scenarios, we discuss Brexit and other current issues in our classes. The big difference between the teaching styles in Vietnam and Ireland is that in Ireland you are given more independence to make an opinion and you have to then back up that opinion with research. This was challenging in the first few months as I was used to learning content in my Vietnamese Bachelors degree, however I have really grown in confidence and this teaching style has led me to formulate my own opinions and viewpoints on many business topics.

Interested in Studying at UL? Let us send you more information!

The course has really prepared me for a work environment. We had a course assignment that involved doing detailed analysis on a global company. I’d love to work in Ernst and Young and as part of my course work I have done a detailed assessment of EY which will really help me in the application and interview process. Also, during this semester we have done mock interviews where we get feedback on strengths and weaknesses and what to improve on in future.

My top tips

If I could give some tips to Vietnamese students coming to UL it would be these:

• Organise Accommodation early
• Buy winter clothes in Ireland. It is colder than you expect and clothes cost the same here but are made for this weather.
• Bring some dried Vietnamese food with you, it is one of the things I miss the most.
• Enjoy it! 🙂

Thanks to Vu Dinh for sharing her story with us! Since completing her course, Vu has secured work as a Recruiter in Facebook who have their European, Middle East and Africa region Headquarters in Ireland.  

Check out the University of Limerick International Education Division. 

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Why These Malaysian Students Love Studying at UL!

From Indonesia to Ireland: Why Limerick is Full of Surprises