Clemens Röger

It seems to me as if it were only yesterday that I was eagerly anticipating my time in Ireland. But now my stay is already behind me and I’m left with the many cherished memories and experiences that I was privileged to gather during those months.

Similar to lots of other international exchange students at Dublin City University, my stay was characterised by different perspectives, cultures and people from a variety of countries. I’m especially pleased to have been able to glean such unique, diverse and absorbing insights.

Privat

On the flight to Dublin / Meeting Michael O‘Leary, CEO of Ryanair, after a guest lecture

The values that were imparted to me in this context – also via the university – will enduringly influence my future. DCU attaches great importance to diversity and to intercultural interaction among its students. It creates an open student community in which you feel well nurtured and can find support and advice regarding any concerns.

This is for instance apparent in the opportunity for making contact with other students who can assist you with academic assignments or other aspects of student life, such as finding accommodation. This interaction was organised by DCU and includes digital meetings, on-campus assistance in the library, and tutorials on academic writing.

Compared to Germany, DCU tends to prioritise group projects and performance data during the term. This often made the lectures more interactive and interesting. We students were frequently able to support each other. This involved us forming learning communities within the modules, to which each team member contributed their own strengths. This meant we could complement each other in the best way possible.

Privat

In front of the Business School building of Dublin City University

I was able to make a particularly strong input into Start-up Development, Corporate Strategy and Data Analysis. These were the modules where I contributed my interests and strengths, developed creative approaches in terms of business ideas, conducted market analyses and evaluated data using tools like Excel and Python. Our teamwork also involved allocating the content of lectures and project assignments according to individual skills and interests, so that each person addressed the respective topic in which they were well versed and then presented it to the group. I passed the courses which I attended with very high marks and was therefore able to receive full credit for these courses with respect to my degree certificate in Germany.

The guest lectures in our New Enterprise Development module were a real highlight. This module demonstrates the highly practical nature of education at DCU, since successful entrepreneurs were invited as guest speakers and gave us fascinating insights into their commercial experience and lives. One example is Paul Cheek, a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who related his experience in founding Oceanworks, a start-up that recycles and resells plastic gathered from the sea and thereby reduces pollution in the world’s oceans.

The focus on practicality and furtherance of our commercial skills (employability) was also evident in the careers fairs that were organised, where numerous national and international companies were actively recruiting. Exclusive corporate events moreover provided the opportunity to visit modern offices in the ‘Docklands’, one of the most stylish districts in Dublin, and to interact directly with the staff there.

Privat

A trip to Howth

Leisure activities should of course not be disregarded given all the cultural and academic impressions – Ireland has ultimately so much to offer!

Membership of various clubs and societies gave me the chance to discover new interests and develop myself even beyond my studies. The wide variety of what was on offer made university life very multifaceted and there was something for everyone. I especially enjoyed the DJ Society, which created a great atmosphere during many events on the campus.

Together with my friends, every week was full of exciting adventures that soon became a fixed part of my routine. Our group was always a mixture Germans, French, Spanish, Canadians and Irish. This gave me the opportunity to brush up on my French and Spanish. I’ve already arranged to meet up with some friends again and for them to visit me, or me to visit them.

I had a lot of fun playing chess and climbing. I also became active again with the Karting Club and went racing at Irish karting tracks. I had previously enjoyed karting in Germany, but wasn’t able to race so often given time and financial constraints. All of the societies at DCU are funded, though, so the karting trips were relatively inexpensive (between €20 to €40 for a half day).

Privat

Botanical Garden in Glasnevin and the famous Temple Bar

The housing situation in Dublin is undoubtedly the biggest challenge to be faced. In this case it’s worth starting to look for accommodation as early as possible. There is a massive housing shortage, so the rental costs are correspondingly high.

I lived in a shared student residence with two Germans and an Irishman. This residence was only a short walk away from DCU, which was very convenient for us because most of our activities took place at the university in any case. DCU is unfortunately to the north of Dublin, so it took us 40 minutes to travel to the city by bus (there are double-decker buses here too).

Our cohabitation in the shared accommodation was happily very harmonious – in part of course because I introduced a Swabian tradition: the rotation of cleaning duties. This involved us agreeing on a weekly cycle of cleaning duties at the very start. Those who didn’t adhere to the rules had to buy the others a small treat the next time they went shopping in Lidl.

I immediately got on well with my German housemates, because we were taking the same course, although the contact with my Irish housemate gave me an insight into Irish culture. We often exchanged stories and swapped experiences until late in the night, and we even discovered some similarities and differences – it seems everyone prefers the beer from their own country! He also taught me about some sports that were previously unknown to me. Including hurling, Gaelic football and camogie.

Overall, my stay in Ireland was a wonderful experience and one that I greatly appreciate. The openness and friendly nature of the Irish ensured that I quickly felt at ease and could benefit both personally and academically.

I would like to summarise by expressing my gratitude that I was able to gain such an amazing accumulation of knowledge thanks to the Alexander Spohn Scholarship awarded by the DAAD-Stiftung. Studying abroad opens so many doors and reveals so many aspects of the world that I can highly recommend it to everyone.