I came to Ireland in the year 2018 to study at Trinity College Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland. One of the questions that many people asked me very much unanimously when they came to know that I am in Ireland for studying my Master’s degree in Computer Science is:
Why Ireland? Why not US, Canada or Australia… Why Ireland of all other countries?
Hence, I thought I will pen down why I chose Ireland. It will help some of those wanting to study in Ireland convince people and for some may be an eye-opener for those who are planning to do their higher studies.
Some of the most important things that one should consider when choosing a country and University for higher studies are as follows
- Quality of education.
- Research Output of the University.
- Favorability for gaining experience in the field of study with a work VISA.
- Availability of top companies in the related field.
- The possibility of Employment and good enough salary to sustain you.
Rationale for Ireland as the country of Study
The Sea Side 
Evening Hue 
Heritage 
City Walk
Considering the above-mentioned prospects and carefully inspecting the facts, Ireland was my choice of country to pursue Masters Degree in Computer Science. The reasons that led me to choose Ireland as the country of study are as follows.
- Ireland has one of the best education systems in Europe.
- The quality of the Irish education system is a major contributing factor to the rapid rate of economic growth Ireland has experienced over the last few decades.
- Irish Higher Education Institutions are widely recognized for excellence in Information Technology.
- Ireland is one of the largest exporters of software in the world. The ever-increasing demands of this high technology economy have ensured that the higher education technology sector offers the highest and most advanced standards and opportunities available today.
- Ireland is recognized as an international location for high-quality scientific research.
- 9 out of the top 10 Information Technology companies, 8 out of the top 10 Gaming companies, and 50% of the world’s top financial companies have their base (European headquarters in most cases) in Ireland.
- In total there are a total of 2710 Information Technology Companies in Ireland.
- The new government rules allow students to stay back for 1 year on the declaration of results to seek employment. Once a student gains employment, the student becomes eligible to apply for Green Card/Work Permit. In the worst case, if one fails to get a fitting job in 1 year, with legitimate proof, the job search VISA is allowed to be extended for one more year. So in total, one is ideally eligible for 2 years of Job Search VISA with the ability to work full-time. This is much better than many other countries
! Irelan d is an English speaking country and very favorable for all those who are comfortable with English. There is no need to study Irish to come to Ireland. However, to study in Ireland you need to have an IELTS, PTE or TOEFL certification. The minimum band in terms of IELTS is 6.5 with no module less than 6 and varies according to the university. You need to check the course website for specifics.- Option to do 20 hours per week of a part-time job with a minimum wage of 10 EUR per hour. This allows the students to earn a minimum wage of 800 EUR per month.
- The average pay for a fresh Graduate is appx. 35,000 EUR and for that of a Senior Software Development Engineer is appx. 60,000 EUR as per the top two job and company rating websites Glassdoor and PayScale.
- Ireland is a highly developed democracy with a modern economy.
- Ireland is a safe country to study in as the government supports the immigration of International Students to pursue higher education and gain experience.
- The number of international students visiting Ireland is increasing each year, students from all over the world are taking advantage of the higher education standard in Ireland coupled with the unique cultural experience. And with Brexit down the line, the numbers are further going to increase.
- Irish people are renowned for their friendliness and hospitality which greatly contributes to the ease with which overseas students adapt to student and work life in Ireland.
- Living in Ireland is fun with a lot of places to visit for those who love nature, a very large amount of pubs and brews for those who are the party kind and amazing people and diversity for those who love socializing.
- The transport system is very good and students get good discounts with the Student Leap card – the student subsidized all in one travel card which with default daily and weekly caps. It makes life a lot simpler.
A small word of warning – but can be tackled quite well.
The rent for housing in ‘Dublin’ is very very high. You could get a shared double bedroom 30 mins away from the city center at around 500 EUR. If you want to stay in the city center, a single ensuite room will be no less than 900 EUR. However, all these places are legal, safe and well maintained.
You could also find a lot of places where you could stay as paying guest. This has also been quite a good experience and works out a lot cheaper. It is great if you are happy to live with a host family. To remind you, the Irish people are very friendly and their hospitality is awesome.
I currently study at Trinity College Dublin. I will shortly write a blog post about the rationale of choosing Trinity for studying computer science.