Holiday Availability: All IES Abroad offices will be closed on Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 31, and Jan 1 as we take some time to celebrate. During the weeks of 12/22 and 12/29, our team will be smaller, so responses may take longer than usual. Thanks for your understanding—and happy holidays!

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Do Not Pack Recklessly

Overpacking is something that everyone will warn you about before studying abroad and I did not listen. Before my study abroad began, I planned all sorts of different outfits that I wanted to wear in pictures and during trips. I ended up planning so many outfits in my head that I needed to bring that I completely forgot about all of the other essentials that needed to be packed as well.

Hostels or Hotels

If you plan on traveling while you’re abroad you may have to face the decision between a hostel or a hotel. I recommend that you travel at least once while you’re abroad because you’re only studying abroad for so long until it’s time to come back home, therefore you might as well see one new place other than your designated country while you’re at it. If I’m going to be completely honest, I had no idea what a hostel was before studying abroad and once I did find out what it was, I was immediately turned off. 

The New Overly Independent Child

Before studying abroad, I was not an independent person at all. An example of this can be seen during my sophomore year. I go to college in New York City, so almost everything is dependent on walking. I needed groceries one week and refused to go alone until my friends had open time in their schedule to walk with me to the store because I was anxious to do a simple grocery run by myself.

Tourist Day

Before coming abroad to Paris, I spent the months leading up to my departure date on TikTok looking at the “day in the life” of people studying in Paris to figure out what I needed to see and where I needed to go out at night. Because Paris is such a big city, I was overwhelmed with things I wanted to do and see. I was also very nervous because I was traveling alone in Paris without knowing anyone. 

Being Trans Abroad

To put it very lightly, the past year has been tough for transgender people in America. Politicians have a fan-behavior-level vested interest in taking away as many rights as they can, and the hysteria spread feigning "concern for the children" has deadly consequences. But I'm not here to talk about America. I’ve known I wanted to study abroad for a long time, even before I transitioned, and I always wanted to make sure that wherever I’d be going would be as safe and affirming as an experience can be.

Students are able to receive letter-sized mail to the IES Abroad Center. Packages larger than that will not be accepted. If you are shipping a debit or credit card, we recommend that you disguise it as regular mail (i.e., put it in a birthday card or use a cardboard FedEx or UPS envelope). While you are free to receive mail addressed to you at the IES Abroad Center, it is best to receive letters and packages to your assigned housing address. IES Abroad cannot accept any packages on your behalf before you arrive in Dublin, or after you leave Dublin. Mail may be addressed to you in care of the...
Currency The Irish monetary unit is the euro (€). For more information on the euro and related topics, visit the European Commission website. Handling Money Abroad Before departing, you should exchange your local currency for about €180 in order to cover immediate expenses. Euros can be purchased at large banks and at most international airports. In case of an emergency, however, you should have more than one way to access funds. The following guidelines will help you plan for financial management abroad. ATM When accessing a bank account through an ATM card, we recommend the following: Before...
Irish cuisine takes its influence from the crops grown and animals farmed in its temperate climate. It is characterized by its use of simple, wholesome ingredients such as potatoes, meat, seafood, and dairy products. Some of the most representative dishes of Irish cuisine include Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, boxty, coddle, and colcannon. Some of our recommendations around the IES Abroad Dublin Center are: The Old Mill Restaurant - It offers traditional Irish cuisine and is known for its cozy atmosphere and live music performances. The Winding Stair - It offers a variety of dishes made from...
Dublin weather varies all year round. It can be cold and rainy in late fall and early spring. Rainwear is a must and umbrellas are always useful. Permanent press clothing will have innumerable advantages, particularly when traveling. You will find that casual campus clothing is quite acceptable in Dublin, although we recommend wearing jeans rather than sweatpants.
Electricity in Ireland operates at 240 volts, which means you may need a transformer and an adapter in order to use electrical items purchased in your home country. DO NOT bring items such as hair dryers or straighteners, as these items will blow a fuse and can, instead, be purchased inexpensively in Dublin. Remember that an adapter does not transform the voltage. It only changes the shape of the plug. We urge you to conduct some research on adaptors, converters, and transformers for Ireland to find out what you need before you leave. Like the UK, the Irish electric plugs have three...
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