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Hey everyone! I'm an international student here for summer school at UCD.

I'm trying to make Irish/local friends and improve my speaking, but it's tough.

My background:

CET-4: 665, CET-6: 605. You can ask AI what level that is lol

I can understand most of what people say in lectures and in shops, but my speaking is really bad.

In China we have tons of input but almost zero chance to actually speak English.

So I have a few questions:

1. What's the best way to meet locals/Irish students in Dublin during summer? Any societies, events, pubs, or volunteering you recommend?

2. What helped you improve speaking the most? Language exchange, part-time job, just talking to strangers?

3. Is it normal to just ask someone "do you fancy a coffee and a chat"? Don't want to be weird haha

Any advice would be amazing! Also happy to do a language exchange - I can help with Chinese/Mandarin.

I was able to secure a room in private acommodation residences (through dublinnest), but due to their cancellation policies and high prices, I would very much prefer to stay in university acommodation on campus.

HOwever, because they release those offers so late for cao students (28-30 aug), and orientation (from my understanding begins 1 sep), it obv gets complicated.

Should I stick with the private acommodation, or wait for the residencies and then if I don't get them, stay in a hotel / airbnbfor a while, whilst I search for rooms after having moved.

currently getting acomm, fastedt way would be 30 min bike to ucd, 40 min bus (route 47 tho, which i’ve heard is unreliable) or two buses totalling in 50 mins

Decent or nah? Should I get a bike for when I move to dublin, or should I just rely on bus route 47

Risk it for the biscuit by waiting for the offers (and if i dont get, live in a hotel / airbnb while i look for smth else) or pay a hefty amount to secure off campus private acommodation at point campus (40 m bus and 25 bike to ucd but in the city), not sure. Any advice?

Before i make the booking, reliability, thoughts, anyone there?

I’ll be joining UCD for a master’s course this August. Could anyone help me with what all i need to carry and how do i prepare myself for Ireland, being a student from India.

Any and all help is appreciated 😇😇

Folks who applied there visa in the month of June
Anyone received an update? My course starts in August, visa update is taking forever 🤯