When I first moved to Ireland for my Erasmus semester at the University of Limerick, I did not know what to expect from living with Irish students. Honestly, in the beginning, I was a little nervous. How would it be? Would I understand their accents? Would they even want to hang out with an international student? I quickly learned that while Denmark and Ireland share many similarities, our daily habits and student life can be very different. But living with Irish students has been one of the most rewarding parts of my Erasmus experience. I have learned so much about what it is like to be an Irish student, and some things surprised me along the way. Here are five of them:
1. They go home every weekend – and party during the weekdays
In Ireland, it is completely normal for students to head home every Friday after their last class. Most of them go home to work over the weekend so they can save money for college and accommodation. They also get their clothes washed, stock up on food from home, and spend time with their family. In Denmark, it is the opposite. Most students stay in their university city over the weekend to hang out with friends, catch up on homework, and go out. In Ireland it is the other way around. They are practical on the weekends and partying during the weekdays.
2. They don’t really speak Irish
Before meeting them, I was actually a bit nervous that my housemates would all speak Irish with each other and that I wouldn’t understand a single word. But to my surprise, they don’t really speak Irish at all. They learned it in school, but only a few of them remember more than a couple of phrases. The phrase they all seem to know is ‘An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí on leithreas?’ which means ‘Can I go to the toilet?’ and is pronounced ‘on will kyad a-gum dull guh dee on leh-ris’. There are a few phrases I picked up that are better left in the pub.
3. The famous Irish breakfast is serious business
Irish students take Irish breakfast seriously. And when I say Irish breakfast, I mean the “fry up” that they don’t eat for breakfast but for dinner. Rashers (bacon), fried eggs, hashbrowns, black and white pudding, toast, beans, the whole thing. My housemate gets genuinely offended when I just call it breakfast, so it has become a running joke in our house.
4. They are (really) young
Most Irish students start university right after finishing school, which means some of my housemates are just 18 or 19 years old. One of them was 17 when he started university. This is very different from Denmark, where most students take one or two gap years before starting university. At first, I felt like the “old one”, but honestly, I don’t feel the age gap anymore.
5. They are some of the kindest and friendliest people I have ever met
From the first day I arrived, I have been met with nothing but warmth, helpfulness, and humour. Honestly, they don’t really care that I am not from Ireland. They have been so kind and explained things I didn’t understand. I actually think it has been funny for them to explain Irish culture, slang, and traditions to me. They even decorated our apartment for Halloween and told me all of the Irish folklore about how Halloween is actually an Irish tradition.
Looking back, living with Irish students has been one of the best parts of my Erasmus semester. I have learned so much from them, and I will be forever grateful for the time we have had together. I know that not every international student has been as lucky with their Irish housemates as I have. For me it was the best way to make Irish friends and get a true taste of the Irish life.
Study Ireland - Stories & Guides from International Students 
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