NCI Blog

Sri, from India, decided to stretch the legs and check out Ireland's stunning natural landscape. On a recent sunny winter’s day, I decided to take a well-deserved break during my time studying in Ireland. From Dublin it is so easy to explore the rest of Ireland - as well as the rest of Europe! I took the opportunity to experience the Irish Wicklow Mountains and their famous natural landscape. Located about 50kms from Dublin, Wicklow is full of beauty, history and cultural heritage. Wicklow is known as the ‘Hollywood of Europe’; many famous movies, including ‘Braveheart’, ‘P.S. I Love You’, ‘Excalibur’ and the ‘Vikings’ television series have been shot here. The tour guide also mentioned that Michael Jackson had spent about six months of his last years here at Wicklow as part of his therapy. You learn something new every day while studying abroad!

Out with the year of the horse, in with the sheep.

One thing remains clear from this interview: NCI prepared Priyank to succeed in the professional world Senior MIS Analyst in Western Union is Priyank Saxenna's new job title. While his role is challenging and requires long hours, this NCI graduate is unafraid of what the future within this prestigious multi-national company holds.

There were many factors in Jamille's decision to study abroad, but some stood out more than others. “I had been to many other places, many other universities, before choosing to study in Ireland. But when I came to NCI, I knew. I just knew. I knew it was the place for me.” In our interview with Jamille, a number of factors clearly influenced her decision to leave Brazil and come to Dublin as an international student. Some of these factors were pragmatic, while some were just human. Either way, we thought detailing these factors would be helpful to Brazilian students - and other international students - who are researching colleges in Ireland and Europe, including those considering our college as part of Science Without Borders.

Kun Qion, from China, tells us of her experiences at the infamous Childline Concert in Dublin's 3Arena. One of the reasons why I chose Ireland as my destination for studying in Europe is that a large proportion of my favourite music artists are actually Irish – Jedward, The Corrs, Westlife, Boyzone and, of course, Bono. As one of their biggest fans, I have been busy keeping up to date with their news by watching videos of interviews and performances.

Benjamin Wong, an international student of NCI, describes his experiences of Dublin Zoo I felt so delighted after spending an afternoon walking around Dublin Zoo with my friends today. It was a bright and sunny winter’s day, something that I have found to be a bit of a rarity during my time studying in Europe.

We are delighted to introduce the two international students from National College of Ireland who have been selected as international Student Ambassadors under the Enterprise Ireland 'Education in Ireland' programme. Sujay Viswanathapalli and Kun Qian from China will be sharing their experiences of studying and living in Ireland, and you can follow their stories on the Education in Ireland blog or Facebook page.

Studying in Europe is always a big decision to make, that's a given. However, for some, it is a wise decision to help their career. “My contact with a different language and culture”, comments Kelly Suenny Martins from Brazil, ”and the experience of studying in Europe will certainly improve my employability.” Studying in Europe certainly does help your employability and also your worldly skills. While studying in Europe, Kelly, a student of the BSc Honours in Computing in NCI, has taken full advantage of the variety of academic supports available to NCI international students. For example, Kelly has used academic writing support to improve her written English. NCI’s staff has also been there to aid her with any academic or personal problems while she is studying in Europe.

Vishwajeet moved from India to study in Ireland, and has earned an awesome job. “I wanted to get the most of my investment so this is why I chose National College of Ireland. I had researched studying in Europe along with America, Canada and Australia - but other options were far too expensive. I made a very informed decision coming to NCI and I am happy I made it – NCI and studying in Europe helped me build my career.”