Students from all around the world have made Dublin, the capital and biggest city in Ireland, one of the most popular destinations for a cultural exchange program. All the facilities to study and work have been attracting young people and adults from all over the globe. More than ever, your turn has come to start planning and make your exchange in Dublin become reality.
In this text, you will find 5, and the most important steps to make your dream of living in Europe come true and change your life forever!
1- Finances
This is the first and most important issue that you will need to think about before anything else. The fact that you want to make an exchange program completely depends on your financial situation, you will need to plan, know what you have to do during the specific period of time. There are many types of packages for all types of budgets, so do not worry. Once you have set up your exchange focus, start your financial planning. How much can you invest and for how long? Will you need to save? Say you have plans to stay in Dublin for eight months. This package will cost you approximately 6 thousand euros. This amount is already included all the items needed for this type of package.
2- Visa Rules
Once you have completed the financial part and know how you will organize your investment, it is time to get to know the rules of a student visa in Ireland. The Academic Bridge is authorized by the Irish government to receive international students.
The Work Study program offered by the Government of Ireland is based on a period of 8 months visa. 6 months of study + 8 Holiday weeks, in these eight weeks, 4 can be requested during the course, but will only be available after 3 months of studying. You can work up to 20hrs per week throughout the study period and up to 40 hours from May to August and from 15 December to 15 January.
Also, it is important to highlight the obligation of taking an external exam at the end of your course, such as TIE, Cambridge, IELTS, etc. It is an immigration requirement. Your VISA letter, to get your GNBI card will only be provided upon confirmation of reservation/exam payment, which can be done by the school or by yourself. One more important point is the student is not allowed to change their course time (AM or PM), once it has already started (the course time chosen by the student must be the same until the end of the course).
3- Your choice of school
With its prompt financial projection and Knowledge of the student visa rules, you will be getting one of the most important steps of the preparation process to drive into the exchange. Choosing your school. The first thing that you must check when you start your search for the best suitable school, is to make sure that it is on the ILEP list. This list confirms the schools which students can invest their money in, without worrying because they fill all the requirements requested by the Irish government. CLICK HERE to see the full list. The Academic Bridge is part of ILEP and we are very proud to say that we are the best Cost-Effective school in Dublin. We work with many different teaching methodologies, covering all English levels and have a team of motivated and dedicated teachers, who deliver tasks focused on useful day-to-day activities in students’ lives. Our teachers, also monitor the good progress of the students. CLICK HERE to watch our videos. Furthermore, today our school has 4 floors, 12 classrooms and close to 300 students from different countries such as Mexico, South Korea, Venezuela, Italy, Spain, Brazil, France and more.
As an Academic Bridge’s student, you will have access to our benefits package!
✓ Job hunting support (workshops, tips, curriculum, etc.).
✓ Tours around Ireland
✓ Free Spanish classes
✓ Extras English activities
✓ Internship Program (check regulation in AB)
✓ Help with opening a bank account and visa issuance
✓ Support to find a permanent accommodation
✓ Clear and spacious classrooms
✓ Library with books and DVDs
✓ Multimedia Center with computers and the internet for students
✓ Free Wi-Fi
✓ Comfortable lounge with TV and Videogame
✓ External area for events and extra class activities
We are sure that with all these advantages and especially with the best value in Dublin, your choice will be Academic Bridge and we will be delighted to welcome you here!
4- Tickets Flight
This subject deserves special attention. Be aware of buying your ticket with a student fare, as well being slightly cheaper, you can change the return date once without a charge. Give your full attention to you boarding date too! You should be in Dublin one week before the start of your class, so you are able to get to know the city, the school and also look for an accommodation and start all the paperwork required. We can help you with the best prices for airline tickets!
5- Come to Dublin!
Once you have organized your financial plan. You know exactly the rules of your student visa. Once the steps has been completed, you can come and enjoy your experience with Academic Bridge in the heart of Dublin. Well, it is your time to fly and see your dream come true, literally!
We are waiting for you here!