For as long as he can remember, Luiz Filipe Arruda has been carefully and meticulously planning for his big move to study abroad. Moving away from his hometown of Brasilia, Brazil, has taken him to Ireland’s capital, Dublin, and the campus of Dublin City University. We chatted to Luiz about his postgraduate digital marketing studies in Ireland, what it took to get there, and how he’s settled into his new environment.
Life before studying abroad
Luiz started life studying advertising at undergraduate level in Brasilia. He fell in love with the subject and following several internships, decided that studying for a master’s degree in digital marketing was what he wanted.
“Studying abroad has been a lifelong dream of mine. I didn’t know if I was going to do a general bachelor's or master's degree. It was kind of the dream that’s in your mind for several years, and you don’t know if it’s possible, or how to make it happen, so I studied,” Luiz confides.
During his undergraduate degree, he became increasingly aware of the possibility of studying abroad. Friends and social media channels were discussing the advantages of studying overseas in Europe and Ireland in particular. His interest grew, and Luiz began planning his next steps.
Do your research
Luiz was determined to find out as much as possible before embarking on a potentially life-changing journey. He wanted to know everything, from universities and courses to city life, job opportunities and more. He spoke to people studying abroad, international alumni, and those working abroad. Information is power, and for Luiz, it helped him make critical decisions.
Because of his research, Luiz felt prepared and ready to undertake the application process. Being independent-minded and proactive, he submitted his university application for the 2022 academic year in November 2021. He also took IELTS classes to be ready for the test and even did a postgraduate degree for a year and a half to increase his chances of being accepted onto a postgraduate degree course abroad.
“In my experience, if you apply early, you’ll have a better chance of being accepted as they have more spots open. If you have a good CV, and good grades, your chances are good,” Luiz advises.
Luiz also found applying for a residency permit card in Ireland easy, although he admits it was stressful. All non-European students must apply for a permit, and there is only a short time between applying, permit approval and starting university. The wait isn’t always easy, but for Luiz it was worth it.
Finding a scholarship
Luiz was offered a full scholarship by Dublin City University. For him, this meant being able to fulfil his ambitions of international study, but the need for swift action too as the scholarship was only confirmed in July before he was due to start. Despite the added stress, Luiz felt that a full scholarship was too good an opportunity to pass up.
Like the other processes, Luiz had no problems completing his scholarship application. He detailed how he sent an email, his CV, academic transcripts, a copy of his diplomas and a letter of motivation. He was subsequently awarded the John Thompson Scholarship. This is an award only available to students applying to the MSc Digital Marketing course.
In his experience, he found that scholarships aren’t always easy to find or visible on websites. “Sometimes it’s on a separate webpage, sometimes it’s a PDF,” says Luiz. “Most of the time there’s an email for the programme chair or someone that manages the programme. Send them an email inquiring about scholarships,” advises Luiz.
Accommodation in Ireland
Securing accommodation was quite “an adventure” as Luiz had to find somewhere to stay very quickly. He emailed DCU asking for help finding on-campus accommodation and was entered in a lottery, which saw him allocated a room. Accommodation lotteries are common at universities, with places awarded at set times in the year with additional mini lotteries when cancellations come through. This underlines the importance of Luiz’s advice of being proactive and applying early.
Academic life in Dublin
In Brazil, Luiz says, some master’s degrees focus more on research and are often 100 per cent theory. At DCU however, the theory is applied in practice through case studies and hands-on experience. Luiz explained that the government provides funded Google ad projects for charities. These adverts are managed by MSc Digital Marketing students, which he feels is the perfect balance of theory and practice.
Another difference is that assessment used DCU when compared to Brazilian universities. The continuous assessment of students through projects, report writing and a final dissertation, “can be pretty intense, like a marathon, not just a sprint,” Luiz explains. He stresses that some professors are very supportive and flexible with deadlines when assessments for different modules overlap. DCU also offers students support and guidance in all areas of academic life, from workshops to free counselling sessions.
Life in Dublin
Luiz has been in Dublin for over half a year and feels the investment has been well worth it. He notes that he has been made to feel welcome by the university and student community.
“I’m not just a minority, and I’m not just a number here. The university has diversity and inclusion as their core value,” he explains. Luiz says that the many clubs and societies help international students to integrate and feel part of a community. There are many international students on his course and at DCU, which has helped him feel more at home.
It takes time to settle into university life, and by the time Luiz had felt he had done so, winter had arrived. This can make socialising and interacting with the wider community more challenging. Being from the southern hemisphere, he felt people would “hibernate” in winter. He’s looking forward to discovering more about Dublin, Dubliners, and the Irish culture now that he has secured some part-time work and the weather is warming up.
The future is Dublin
It had always been Luiz’s intention to stay in Ireland after graduating. All non-European students can stay an extra two years on an extension visa which Luiz says is a huge plus. He fully intends to stay those two years to explore opportunities to advance his career. All major tech companies have offices in Dublin. According to Luiz, his experience and digital marketing qualification are considered a critical skills occupation in Ireland, which can automatically lead to a residency permit after two years.
He also fully intends to make the most of the university's career services wide-ranging support in helping him achieve these goals. The services help with everything from CV writing and workshops to answering questions about networking, job applications, and graduate programmes. There are also many events with employers who come to campus to meet students and to present and answer questions and careers fairs. Even if the university isn’t holding an event, they still inform students of events elsewhere through gradireland. All of this makes Luiz feel confident that his dream will become a reality, something we have no doubt about.
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