Details

• Ireland
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

For my exchange semester at University College Cork, I would recommend starting the preparation as early as possible. One of the most important things is to look for flights to Cork several months in advance, because prices can increase quickly and good connections may become limited. It is also very useful to order the Leap Card before arriving in Ireland, as it makes public transport easier and cheaper. Another very important point is accommodation. Finding a place to live in Cork can be difficult, so I strongly recommend starting the search many months before the semester begins. In my case, I lived in a house, but I was very lucky to find it. I had already been searching for months, and without starting early it would have been much harder to find suitable accommodation. Overall, my main advice is to organize flights, transportation and accommodation as early as possible. Good preparation reduces stress and makes the start of the exchange semester much easier.

2. Accommodation

Finding accommodation in Cork was one of the most difficult parts of my preparation. The university accommodation was very expensive, and it was also difficult to find a private room because there were not many options available. For this reason, I would strongly recommend starting the accommodation search several months in advance. I lived in a private house near the airport. Cork is not a very big city, but the house was a little far from University College Cork. By bus, it took me around 40 minutes to get to the university, while by car it only took about 15 minutes. Even though the location was not very close to campus, I felt safe there and the house was very comfortable. I found my room through a website called Hosting Power. I had to pay a fee to the website, but they provided a contract for both parties, which made the process feel safer and more reliable. In my case, it worked very well because I lived in a wonderful house and shared it with Irish people. A tip I wish I had known beforehand is that accommodation in Cork can be very limited and expensive, so it is important not to wait too long. It is better to start searching early, compare different options, and be open to living a bit farther away from the university if the place is safe and well-connected by bus.

3. Academic life at host university

University College Cork offers many societies and clubs that students can join, so I think it is quite easy to meet new people and make friends. The university also has a free gym, including a swimming pool, and there are different sports classes and activities such as badminton, volleyball and basketball. This is especially nice for students who enjoy sports. I really liked this part of my exchange because I made many friends and joined the university volleyball team. Being part of the team helped me to integrate better into university life and to meet both international and Irish students. The professors at UCC were also very supportive. They were always willing to help and paid attention to the students’ work and progress. Whenever I had questions or needed help, I felt that I could ask them. One class that I especially recommend is CH2000 Introduction to Business in China. Another excellent option is CH6032 Business, Innovation and Globalisation in China. Both classes were taught by the same professor from Vienna, who was always very kind and helpful. I learned a lot in these courses, so I would highly recommend them to future exchange students.

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life in Cork was very nice overall, but public transport was one of the biggest challenges. In my experience, the buses were often not on time, so I would strongly recommend choosing accommodation close to the university if possible. This makes it easier to walk to campus instead of depending on the bus every day. Especially when it rains, waiting for a bus for a long time can be very uncomfortable. In general, Cork felt very safe and familiar. The city is quite small, so it is common to meet people from the university in the streets or around the city. This made the city feel welcoming and easy to get used to. There were also many social and leisure activities available. The university gym was big and free for students, and it even had a swimming pool. There were many sports and activities to choose from, which made it easy to stay active and meet new people.

6. Testimonial

My exchange experience at University College Cork was very special because of the friends I made at the university. I also really enjoyed the courses I chose, and studying felt interesting and fun. The professors were very supportive, and I liked that there were many opportunities to do sports, including some new sports I had never heard of before.