David, a student at the University of Zaragoza, visited UCD on Erasmus during spring term in 2021
What was your experience of UCD and the School of Earth Sciences?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I started my Erasmus in Spain and then came to Ireland for part of it. All classes were online, but they were managed very well. I particularly liked learning about geomaterials and geonergy. The lecturer sent us some maps and materials by post. Some of the modules, such as digital geology, have been very useful and will probably help me in the future. So the experience has given me some useful skills.
How was your experience of Ireland?
It was great. I liked Ireland. It was very green with lots of trees. I had been told the weather is really bad, but I think I was pretty lucky, because it didn’t seem that bad. I mean sometimes the weather was a bit weird, it would be sunny and then a minute later it would be hailing! But, in general, I didn’t think it was as bad as people told me.
What did you do while you were in Ireland outside of studying?
I visited Dublin. I went to Howth and to the beach but didn’t get to go further than Dublin due to the government restrictions related to COVID-19. I went to many parks!
Do you have any advice for someone considering studying abroad in UCD?
I would recommend getting a Leap card for the buses and going to Deer Park, 10 minutes away from UCD – it’s a good place to exercise. And for any vegetarian students, on campus there was always a vegetarian option, so you won’t have any problems.