This document summarizes the development and findings of a project aimed at supporting international students transitioning into Irish higher education. The project team conducted surveys and interviews with over 500 international students across several Irish institutes of technology. The survey found that students faced academic, social, and practical challenges in adjusting to the Irish college system. Based on the findings, the project team developed an online resource called "Live and Learn in Ireland" to provide information and support to both international students and staff on key issues affecting students' transitions.

1. Live and Learn in Ireland:
Supporting International Students
Dr. Tom Farrelly (@TomFarrelly) & Mr. Antony
Murphy (@AjtMurphy) – Institute of Technology,
Tralee
Dr. Yvonne Kavanagh - Institute of Technology, Carlow
18th ICHE Conference
Boston, USA
April 25 - 26, 2016

2. Project Background
• Project funded by the National
Forum for the Enhancement of
Teaching & Learning in Higher
Education
(www.teachingandlearning.ie)
• Forum theme – Transitions
• Higher Education Authority
Clusters – Southern Cluster:
Institutes of Technology Tralee (1)
Cork (2) Waterford (3) Carlow (4)
and University College Cork (5)
1
3
2
4
5

3. Project Aims
• To develop online student units
aimed at supporting student make
the transition into Irish HE
system
• To develop online staff units aimed
at supporting staff who teach
international students and
ultimately help the students make a
successful transition.

4. Project Plan & Development
• Literature Review
• Data Collection – Qualitative &
Quantitative
• Quantitative – SurveyMonkey (n=573)
• Qualitative 10 Semi-Structured
interviews
• Analysis of Survey Data
• Development of the online units
project website

5. Student Survey
The Importance of the Student Voice – Academic;
Social & Practical

7. Can you please indicate your home country?
Answer Options Response Percent Response Count
Brazil 13.9% 69
Canada 4.6% 23
China 6.4% 32
India 3.6% 18
Kuwait 1.2% 6
Malaysia 10.6% 53
Oman 2.6% 13
Saudi Arabia 3.2% 16
South Korea 0.4% 2
United States 11.2% 56
EU Country 42.2% 210
Other (please specify) 85
answered question 498
skipped question 75

8. In this question you will have a list of situations that relate to your experience of academic life in Ireland.
Answer Options Strongly agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Neither Agree
nor Disagree
I find the class atmosphere very different to my home
college experience
120 164 55 18 14
I like to speak up in class 37 108 142 45 38
I like to ask questions in class 40 118 146 29 36
I work well in group or practical exercises with Irish
students in my class
41 180 61 18 31
My college in Ireland provided opportunities to help
me settle into college life before I came to Ireland
42 125 114 35 44
Some of my lecturers are hard to understand 50 141 111 52 20
Adapting to my Irish college's assessments is
challenging
40 161 107 37 29
I feel under pressure to perform well while I am in
Ireland
41 125 133 56 24
My college in Ireland has provided opportunities to
help me settle into college life since I came to Ireland
93 190 40 18 24
The college induction programme was very useful 76 179 45 15 36
Other (please specify)

9. Academic Issues
• The Grades – Irish System generally uses a
smaller range in comparison to what students
might be used to:
• “Be prepared to get lower grades. Over here, a 70%
is considered to be great” Canadian Student
• “Anything above a 70% is awesome, you'll VERY
VERY RARELY get above an 80% in an Essay”
[Capitals in Original] US Student

10. Academic Issues II
• Expectations – In and Out of class:
• “You actually have to do the outside readings” US Student
• “The assessments are really different. You have to write a lot of essays”. EU
Student
• “The classes are less formal, less structured, and less serious than I would
have been used to” US Student
• “How the continuous assessments actually occur at the end of the term,
followed by a final a month later” Canadian Student
• “Continuous Assessment, Interaction in Class, Accessibility of lecturers”
EU Student.

11. Reflections on Academic
• Yes the grading is different – impact
on student’s GPA to be considered
• Prepare students for the informality
in most Irish lectures
• Reliance in the Arts, Humanities &
Social Sciences on traditional ‘long’
essays – consider greater diversity in
assessments
• Academic Support modules for
incoming international students

12. Social Issues
• “Joining a club/society is not enough to make Irish friends, be
more daring to go towards them”. EU Student
• “Don't show up to social gatherings on time. There's fashionably
late, then there's Irish time” Canadian Student.
• “Irish culture and a few basic accents” Malaysian Student
• “Irish people like to take the piss, don't take it personally, join in”
US Student.
• “Get involved in societies and clubs, same advice I would give to
anyone going to any university”. US Student

13. Social Issues II
• “It's really hard to make friends with Irish
students” US Student.
• “Irish students do not speak in class and they
are more individualistic .. In France you work
as a team in class” French Student
• “Irish people can be a little immature”
Brazilian Student.
• “What else do people do other than drink?”
Tanzanian Student

14. Despite I have good Irish friends that I've known outside college, my
classmates never made effort to help me with the classes. It is
normal we think that a subject is difficult because English is not our
first language, but most of my classmates never asked with I was
ok or if I needed some help. I think that people in college should be
more welcoming with people from different countries and help
them more.
Brazilian Student

15. Reflections on Social
• 100,000 welcomes? - One of the strongest aspects of
Ireland is its people
• But we can’t just rely on that - colleges need to take active
roles in ensuring a good healthy active and appropriate
social experience
• International officers remits need to expand along with
resources
• Fellow Irish students to actively involve international
students - Importance of Student Union & Clubs & Socs
• International students need to be prepared to get involved

16. Practical Issues
• Accommodation:
• “That I should have started looking for places before going to
Ireland” EU Student
• “Getting a dorm in advance is impossible for half a year” US
Student” EU Student
• “Living arrangements and transportation info should be
included” US Student
• “Advice on finding housing, especially. VERY difficult to do
from abroad, especially with a family” Brazilian Student.

17. Practical Issues II
• Immigration:
• “The only problem is the Irish Immigration makes it INCREDIBLY difficult to stay” (US
Student)
• “They don't respect international people and don't help them in case of having difficulty on
getting a new GNIB card when going to a conference difficulty with the GNIB card”
(Unstated)
• Weather:
• “Suitable Clothes, for rain and cold and where to buy them” (Brazilian Student)
• “It's a bit expensive and it's raining often but you will get used to it. People are really nice in
general. It's one of the best place for hiking and landscapes” (Canadian Student).
• “Mainly about the weather, that is way too different from my country's” (EU Student)

18. Practical Issues III
• “You have to ask for plastic bags with your groceries.
Healthcare in Ireland is really difficult to navigate. Avoid
A&E”. (US Student)
• “Prices and cost of life in Ireland”. (EU Student)
• “It is very expensive, but very clean, safe environment”
(Malaysian Student)
• “Where to buy, timetable of the buses” (EU Student)

19. Reflections on Practical
• No detail is too small – Bus timetable
• Accommodation issue needs to be
addressed at national level
• At local level ensure that we have
tenancies that fit with international
student needs
• Be upfront about real costs of living in
Ireland – particularly cities

20. www.liveandlearninireland.net

21. The Team
ITT: Antony Murphy; Laura
Rafferty & Tom Farrelly
UCC: Suzanne Buckley
ITC: Yvonne Kavanagh
WIT: Ken McCarthy
CIT: Mervyn O’Mahony
Niamh Lynes