Benjamin

After finishing my bachelor’s degree in June 2024, I had the chance to do a postgraduate internship at Munster Technological University Cork, working on a research project. This valuable experience truly broadened my horizon.

Before the internship

My main motivation for going abroad was to improve my English skills and become more confident using the language. Although doing an internship after graduating might be uncommon, I would highly recommend it. This allowed me to focus on my bachelor’s thesis while gaining work experience in Austria during the mandatory internship in the sixth semester. It is important to note that, if you want to receive Erasmus funding, you must have the learning agreement set up with the receiving institution before your final bachelor’s exam.

During my time in Ireland

As I was in the unique situation to complete an internship at a university, I was also able to attend many student activities as well as a valuable language and culture course. Irish universities offer a broad range of sports clubs and social societies. I joined the athletics club and could try many other sports.

The International Students Society was definitely one of my highlights. They organised lots of interesting trips, for example to Dingle and Blarney Castle as well as an overnight trip to Belfast and Northern Ireland. It was easy to connect with all the other international students and we made great memories together.

Irish culture has a lot to offer and I really enjoyed learning about it. Discovering Hurling and Gaelic Football, which are both combined under the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), was probably one of the best experiences I had. These are Ireland’s national sports but are pretty much unknown in mainland Europe. As they are unique and difficult to describe, especially Hurling, just look them up and get an impression. It is more than just a sport and you can really sense that.

As well as sports there is a unique pub and music scene with loads of live acts and cosy bars. I perceived the Irish people as very open, welcoming and easy going. You would be surprised how often you end up chatting to strangers when you go out.

To give a realistic view there are of course a few things that aren’t ideal in this country. In particular housing and public transport are problematic. Accommodation is difficult to find and prices are very high due to a higher demand than supply. You are well advised to start looking for accommodation as early as possible. Public transport is also quite poor in some regions, even in urban areas. As a result, I ended up cycling to work which suited me fine. Due to this situation locals are quite dependent on their cars.

After the Internship

I think Ireland and Cork are great places to live. I have had the opportunity to explore a new culture, learn a lot and improve my English. Overall I had a fabulous experience here. During this internship I found another one which allowed me to extend my stay in Cork to a year. I am grateful to everyone I met during my time here and would fully recommend this place as a destination for an experience abroad.