Exchange Report

Tips for application process at WU: 1. Start preparing beforehand The application process can seem easy, but requires strategical approach: choice of priority universities, analysis of requirements, reasoned motivation letter. It’s better to start collecting information already 2-3 months before the deadline. 2. Choose university not only dependent on a country, but also on an academic profile Look at the university course list of previous years, teaching style, grading system and workload. Sometimes prestige of the university can be not fully coherent with your student goals. 3. Motivational letter should be personalized It’s important to show the connection between chosen university and your academical or professional path. Concrete facts are much more appreciated than general phrasings. 4. Think of alternatives You should nor put all eggs in one basket, research the information about all 7 universities you are applying for. Rivalry is really high, and strategical choice elevates your chances to get in. 5. Check language requirements beforehand Even if you formally have sufficient English level, academic English can still need preparation Tips for preparing your semester abroad: 1. Financial planning is a key factor Calculate not only rent and food, but also transport, social activities, trips, home utilities, and accommodation deposit. In the first month the spending is especially high. 2. Start looking for accommodation as soon as ypu know you are in and use reliable sources University residence or official platforms are safer, then random advertisements. I even got scammed at the start. 3. Prepare mentally for the adaptation First weeks can be euphoric, but then cultural shock phase kicks in. It’s totally fun, and after you start understanding local traditions and how things are around here better, you will have a lot of fun. 4. Learn more about public transport and infrastructure It well help you orientate better at the start and feel more self-assure, even if it seems like a small thing. 5. Think of the way you are going to travel to your destination If possible, choose more green and stable options like train instead of airplane. It is not only more eco-friendly but allows you to take more luggage with you and make a “softer entrance”. 6. Leave a space for flexibility Do not plan all weeks at the start, because from experience then a lot of cancelations happen. A lot of most valuable experiences happen spontaneously, and you never know who you’ll meet next day. 7. Start building social connections from the start Take part at welcome events, get into student groups, do not be shy, just talk to people and between all that try not to forget, the exam week is going to come.

Accomodation search experience Initially I expected to get an accommodation on campus, why I actually started to look for a place too late. This decision became the first lesson for me. When it became clear, that the I am not getting the room on campus, it was already too late, because the market was overheated, and the prices too high. In the course of search, I encountered fraud and even lost some money, trusting the page, which actually had extremely good ranking on TrustPilot, and appeared to be a scam, which I still do not fully understand how worked. In that moment I felt so helpless, and it all happened like 1,5 months before my flight. Being in different country and organising my move in distantly was really tricky, so I understood, how vulnerable can the situation be. The last moment, UCD has organized Zoom-conference for students, who haven’t found anything yet. There one girl talked about student accommodation company, where there are still places (everything else I looked up was booked out). I applied, and got a place after what, I felt relieved. Situation upon arrival and living conditions However, the challenges did not end here. As I came to Dublin, I got a message, that the whole building is in the construction phase. We were temporarily placed into another accommodation, which appeared to be even better. Instead of 1 week as planned, we spent 3 months there, which I was actually pretty happy about. The accommodation I initially booked was a room in a cluster with 8 people, which cost as much as a two-bedroom apartment in Vienna. In the end I got a flat just with one neighbour in a new-built house, which was modern, full of light, with panorama windows and very cozy. When I finally got all settled, they told us, we are moving. The move-in date was planned to be on Saturday, and postponed three times, which was extremely stressful, because I had trips planned. Already in the last month, right before the exam weeks, we actually moved. It was a strong contrast. The rooms were obviously not ready to host. The electrical heating was not functioning properly, and it was nearly 15 grad Celsius in a room, first nigh I could not even sleep. After that I started sleeping in 3 layers and when I was studying in a room, wearing a jacket. It affected my sleep, concentration, and overall well-being. Moreover, I had to deal with constant technical problems. Hot water was periodically disappearing, so I could not even wash my hair sometimes. Last two weeks all the outlets in a room did not work at all. Before that the light in a room did not work properly. In a previous apartment, we did not have water for three days, and approximately every two weeks false fire alarm was being triggered. The management was reacting extremely slow or did not react at all, the communication in team was terrible. To live in a state of constant uncertainty - “when are we going to move, what is going to break next, and if we will be woken up by fake alarm in the middle of the night again” - was really hard emotionally. In the end of semester, they did not even give me the full deposit back, without an explanation, what I am still trying to figure out. After all the challenges and fake promises, I’ve experienced, that was extremely disappointing to me. Location, safety and cost The district where we initially lived, was near one of the most dangerous streets in 70s, but I actually felt relatively fine in there. However, the second district was very central, but particularly the street we lived in, was full of junkies and not recommended to go to alone after the sunset. The cost of accommodation in Dublin appeared to be 2-3 times higher than in Vienna, when having much lower level of comfort. It was a shock to me and became a good financial lesson. What I learned This experience was much more emotional to me, than I expected it to be. What I’ve learned, it’s very important to act fast and not postpone important decisions, to thoroughly check all the information and be able to protect your financial interests, to stay calm in unknown and stressful situations, and of course to adjust to new everyday problems, without losing a focus on studying. Despite stress and hardships, I felt personal growth and became much more independent. I learned to as well solve problems on my own, without being able to just call someone to come and help me, as became more self-assure.

Campus facilities UCD campus made a strong impression on me. It is situated outside of Dublin and represents a small student city. In comparison to centrally situated WU Vienna Campus, UCD Campus is extremely green, has a bunch of parks, green zones, open spaces and even a lake with ducks. This green environment creates a safe, calm, and concentrated space for studying. Campus seems to be huge with a lot of different buildings and cafes, what enhances the feeling of belonging to student society. Libraries, group study zones, sport centers, food courts and party facilities are actively used by students. Studying and social life organically intertwine. Especially I liked big amount of study spaces for self-study and group work. The third floor in a library is gorgeous, the other parts are still being renovated. Environment feels less formal, but at the same time motivating. People actually spend a lot of time on campus, instead of just coming to classes. Academic culture Academic culture seemed to me more dynamic, interactive, and oriented on participation. In comparison to WU Vienna, where lectures are often longer and more theoretical, in my host university the lectures were shorter and more dynamic: 50 minutes, or 1 hour 50 minutes with 15-minutes break. Such a format made learning process more concentrated and structured. A lot of attention was paid to discussions, study cases and constant involvement of students. Taking active part at the lecture often had influence on the final grade, what stimulated regular preparation. At the start it was unusually to talk so much in every lecture, but I genuinely enjoyed it, and especially in such international group, which helped me to develop more self-assurance and argumentation skills. Communication style between professors and students was less formal and more open, than in Vienna. It made an overall communication and asking questions easier, but at the same time required more independence and initiative. Teaching style compared to WU Vienna In comparison to WU Vienna, where studying process builds on deep theoretical base and higher degree of formal structure, at the host institution studying was more distributed and practically oriented. Evaluation included group projects, presentations, regular tasks and taking part at discussions. Final exam usually plays bigger role in Vienna, than at UCD. Workload was evenly distributed throughout the whole semester, which required constant engagement and good time-management. If WU attaches great importance to analytical strictness, while in Dublin practical application of knowledge and developing of soft skills is more important. Course recommendations The most I liked the subject called Consumer Psychology, it’s something I did not have in my WU plan before. Other subjects I’ve done were strongly connected to marketing, since I am doing Digital Marketing specialization: Business Plan, Brand Management and Sustainable Marketing Plans. There I’ve learned a lot of important details, which I am surely going to use in my future studying and career. High-entrepreneurship and innovation was also really cool because we worked with real cases and talked about international start-ups. I would recommend choosing subjects, which assumes active participation and group work, are oriented on practical knowledge application, and contributes to intercultural interactions. It’s important to consider, that continuous assessment requires a lot of discipline and regular work during the whole semester, therefore your exam week is going to be less stressful.

Public transport Public transport appeared to be one of the most challenging aspects of an everyday life. Buses were often coming late and was not reliable, especially at rush hour. As I lived far away from campus, my way to uni and back took me 2,5 hours time. It has significantly affected my day plan and energy level. I was trying to use a time in bus, for example to read or check e-mails. When I had a chance, I was walking by feet a lot. Therefore, for future exchange students I would recommend choosing the accommodation closer to campus if you have a chance. From my experience, Donnybrook is one of the most successful locations, because it’s pretty safe, and is situated literally in a middle between campus and city centre. Trams (LUAS) were much more reliable and prompter than buses. Unfortunately, the closest LUAS stop is 30 minutes walk away from the university, which does not make it a good way of transportation for everyday way to campus. As a student I used leap card youth, which was affordable and 50% cheaper than standard tariff. However, you need to order it, and it comes with your name and photo per post. It is also easy to top up with your phone. In comparison to Vienna, you need to tap the card every time you enter public transport. It’s interesting, I was using public transport a lot and of course always tapped, but never got controlled. Safety situation My safety perception was ambiguous. I personally did not always feel safe, especially at the dark time and in particular north districts. At the same time, I understand, that this perception is very subjective, and not everybody agreed with me. I also noticed that safety perception was dependent on the home country of students, or in different words, the safety level there. For instance, students from France seemed to be more relaxed, while students from Austria exercised more caution. It made me reflect on how, our safety perception is being formed dependent on our usual environment in a home country. In the city some social problems were noticeable, like a lot of drug addicts and homeless people. Some things I saw were shocking, including most central streets and bridges. However, for locals it seemed to be usual and normal. Social life, sports and leisure activities Talking about sports, despite long way to the uni, I still managed to support my active lifestyle. I regularly practiced yoga in studios nearby. Especially I can recommend hot yoga classes – they were intense but helped dealing with stress and maintain inner balance throughout the semester. Moreover, I hit the gym in my building every morning, which helped me stay more energized and disciplined. UCD also offers a wide range of different sport clubs. However, taking part in sessions assumed weekly registration and the groups were always fool, at least for tennis, so I did not always get a spot. For students, living far away from campus like me, also not so convenient and not always possible due to long way and late trainings. In terms of leisure activities, Dublin offers great shopping and a lot of nice brands and shopping centres. I also heard of different concerts and events from local students. However, from my experience social life was strongly shaped by bar culture, which play a big role in student integration. People drink Guinness there literally from Monday to Sunday, which is not same in Austria. Dublin does not have so much good restaurants and the kitchen closes mostly before nine, still I found some cool ones. There are also some amazing bakeries, I can really recommend. Overall, everyday life combined different possibilities for different activities for all tastes. Adaptation to this environment presupposed flexibility, initiative and readiness to get out of your usual comfort zone.

At the start of my exchange, one professor at UCD welcome event said: “It is going to be one of the best periods of your life”. At the end I understood they were so right. It pretty much describes it all. It was an emotional rollercoaster for me, but despite all the challenges, I’ve grown so much and reflected on so many things in my life. I am extremely grateful for this experience and to all the people, who I’ve met and who became great friends for life and supported me through the whole way. It was a period of intense growth beyond my comfort zone. It was personally and alchemically challenging, but at the same time made so much more independent and flexible. Not only the fact of studying abroad made this experience so special, but also managing uncertainty, different cultural norms, and everyday difficulties all by myself. It was not meant to be perfect, but still is so special to me.