My Master’s in Ireland: Finding My Feet in Dublin as a Data Science Student

When I stepped off the plane in Dublin with two suitcases and a laptop full of Jupyter notebooks, I didn’t realize how much the city would shape me. The air smelled of rain and coffee, and the sky stayed bright until nearly 10 p.m.—summer here stretches the day so long it feels like borrowed time. I arrived anxious about visas and rent and algorithms, and within weeks I was learning the rhythm of a city that is both tender and tough.

Getting the Student Visa Right

The student visa process was my first big hurdle. I applied for a long-stay Study Visa (the “D” visa) through AVATS from India, then submitted documents at VFS: university acceptance letter, proof of tuition payment, health insurance, transcripts, English test scores, and financial evidence for living costs. The finances piece took the most planning—my family and I prepared statements and letters well ahead. Processing for me took just over a month, but classmates had faster and slower experiences, so build a buffer.

On arrival, I learned that the visa is only part one. Registration for immigration permission (the IRP card) had to be done within 90 days. In Dublin, that meant chasing an appointment at the Burgh Quay office. The system opens slots in batches and they vanish fast; I checked early mornings and occasionally at odd hours. When I finally got my appointment, I brought everything they could possibly ask for—passport, enrollment letter, bank statements, proof of address, and health insurance again. My permission came as Stamp 2, which allows part-time work during term and more hours during designated holiday periods. The IRP comes with a fee, so factor that into your first-semester budget.

Tip I wish I knew sooner: book temporary accommodation for at least three weeks to give yourself time for the IRP appointment and house-hunting. Also, scan every document and email yourself a zipped archive. You’ll be asked for the same papers repeatedly.

First Shelter, Then Everything Else: Housing in Dublin

If you’ve read about the Dublin housing crisis, believe it. The market is tight and viewings can feel like speed dating with twenty other people. My first two weeks were in a hostel and then an Airbnb; meanwhile, I refreshed Daft.ie and Facebook groups more times a day than I’d like to admit. I carried a small “tenant pack” to every viewing: a short intro about me, proof of student status, and a reference from a professor (no Irish landlord references yet, obviously). It helped me stand out in a sea of applicants.

I started in a box room in Dublin 8, sharing with three others. The rent was high for the size, but the roommates were kind, and we had a system: big pot of dal on Sundays, grocery runs split, no loud calls after 11. Buses to campus were crowded but predictable, and I could walk to the city center in twenty minutes, which felt like a luxury. Later, I moved into purpose-built student housing—more expensive, but I could breathe and sleep without hearing every WhatsApp call in the hallway.

A few hard-earned rules:

• Never transfer a deposit without a viewing and a signed agreement. Scams happen.
• Check that your landlord will register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
• Ask which utilities are included and what the average winter bill looks like (heat can surprise you).
• Compromise works best if it’s on location, not safety.

Day-to-Day: Classes, Labs, and the Summer Rhythm

My master’s in data science is a sprint disguised as a marathon. The first semester was theory heavy—statistics, machine learning, databases—followed by group projects that ate whole weekends. There’s a humility you get when your model underperforms a simple baseline after three nights of tuning. It made me better.

Summer in Dublin feels like a reward for surviving exams. The days are long and bright; some evenings I revise by a window with seagulls arguing outside. Today is Bloomsday—June 16—and the city nods to James Joyce with walking tours and people in straw hats. It’s also Pride month, and flags brighten streets that still wear rain. On Fridays, I take the DART to Howth for a cliff walk and a cheap fish-and-chips dinner; on Sundays, I cycle through Phoenix Park past deer that pretend I’m not there. These are the small, free things that keep me sane when budgets are tight.

Working Part-Time on Stamp 2

Stamp 2 allows up to 20 hours per week during term and more hours in specified holiday periods (like summer). I applied everywhere—campus jobs, cafes, retail—and ended up at a supermarket near campus. The pay isn’t glamorous, but it’s honest and predictable. Shifts are flexible enough that I can still make lab sessions. Friends found roles as teaching assistants and research assistants; those go fast, so apply early and talk to professors after class.

To work, you’ll need:

• PPS number (like a tax ID). They ask for proof of address and a job offer.
• A bank account. Opening one is harder than it sounds because of proof-of-address rules; a letter from the university helped me. Some digital banks are useful in the interim, but employers usually want an Irish IBAN.
• Revenue registration to avoid emergency tax. I set up myAccount and allocated tax credits—after that, my payslip looked less scary.

Expect hourly pay to hover around the national minimum wage or a bit higher, depending on the role and your experience. Hospitality tips help, but they’re inconsistent.

Money, Healthcare, and Other Boring-but-Important Things

Budgeting kept me afloat. My monthly costs look roughly like this: rent for a room that makes my parents gasp on video calls, utilities that rise in colder months, a mobile plan with generous data, groceries (Aldi/Lidl saves me), and a transport pass. The Student Leap Card pays for itself quickly—discounts on buses, the Luas, and DART. The 90-minute fare window encourages smart transfers; I plan routes so I’m not paying twice.

Healthcare is a two-part story. First, private health insurance is mandatory for the visa and useful in real life. Second, ordinary GP visits are out-of-pocket unless your policy covers some of it; my uni’s health center negotiated reduced fees, which make a difference. I learned to book early—same-day GP slots go fast. For emergencies, the numbers are 112 and 999, and pharmacies are surprisingly helpful for minor issues.

Finding Community (and My Version of Home)

I arrived expecting to feel lonely, and I did. The fix was deliberate: I joined the Data Science Society and volunteered at a hackathon. I went to a PyData meetup and fumbled through small talk that later turned into coffee chats and LinkedIn messages. There’s a quiet kindness here—people will help if you ask.

The Indian Society became a second home. We argued about which city has the best biryani and swapped visa tips. On Tuesdays, I buy vegetables on Moore Street and walk back with coriander and green chilies. I learned the Irish rhythm of conversation—self-deprecating humor, warmth wrapped in understatement. “It’ll be grand” can mean “we’ll figure it out,” “don’t worry,” or “this is a disaster but we’re laughing anyway.” In pubs, people often buy in rounds; if you accept, be ready to buy your turn. I say “sláinte” now without feeling self-conscious.

Sports are a language too. I didn’t grow up with Gaelic games, but a friend took me to Croke Park for a championship match. The roar is different—local, proud, old. Afterwards, we ate spice-bag chips and argued about model selection vs. feature engineering, which is the most Dublin student evening I can imagine.

Looking Ahead: Post-Study Options

Before I came, I kept hearing about post-study work. The path exists: after graduating from an eligible master’s, you can apply for the Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G). It’s typically for up to two years—usually granted in stages—and you can work full-time while you job-hunt. Apply before your IRP expires, keep your documents ready, and be patient with timelines.

In data science, the opportunities are real but competitive. Dublin has big tech names, banks turning into tech companies, and scrappy startups. My plan is to intern this summer, polish projects that show end-to-end thinking (not just models, but data pipelines and deployment), and aim for a graduate role that can sponsor a work permit. A lot of us target the Critical Skills Employment Permit eventually. It’s a ladder—1G can be the first rung.

What I Wish I Knew (So You Don’t Have to Learn the Hard Way)

• Start your visa file early and keep a master checklist. If a document can be asked for, it probably will be.
• Have at least a month of temporary housing money. It takes time to find a decent room.
• Don’t ignore taxes: set up Revenue myAccount right when you get your PPS number.
• Pack a good rain jacket and waterproof shoes. Dublin rain is sneaky and horizontal.
• Network gently but consistently. Coffee chats beat cold applications.
• Respect your bandwidth. Part-time work plus a master’s can push you to the edge—rest is strategic.
• When homesickness hits, cook something from home, share it, and let people feed you back.

Closing Thoughts

This year hasn’t been glossy. I’ve cried after a viewing where the landlord chose someone with “Irish references,” and I’ve laughed at midnight in a lab when our model finally beat the baseline. I’ve stood by the Liffey on a June evening, not quite warm but bright enough to forget the time, and felt certain I made the right choice.

Ireland won’t hand you an easy path, but it will meet your effort. If you come, bring your patience, your curiosity, and a budget spreadsheet. The rest you can build—class by class, shift by shift, friend by friend.

Best wishes from Dublin,