Kaustubhi’s dream of studying psychology abroad almost fell apart due to a family emergency. However, fate led her to Ireland to pursue her undergraduate studies. Despite the unexpected turn of events, Kaustubhi was surprised by her unforgettable experience as an international student living in Maynooth, Ireland.
Studying psychology abroad: a dream since adolescence
Originally from India, Kaustubhi dreamed of studying psychology since she was a teenager. “I chose psychology because it was something that really interested me from the get-go,” Kaustubhi begins. “I thought it was something I really had the aptitude to do - even my friends agreed. So from then on, I just stuck with psychology.”
Since she was in 7th grade, Kaustubhi has longed to experience the world through studying abroad. That year, she went on a school trip to the United States, where she had a wonderful time. Kaustubhi was particularly impressed by renowned attractions such as Kennedy Space Centre and Universal Studios. Her experience in the US inspired her to want to learn more about the world, and eventually, Kaustubhi convinced her parents to support her in studying abroad.
After finishing her secondary studies, Kaustubhi took action to realise her study abroad dream and started to prepare for a journey to Australia, but a twist of fate diverted her to the other side of the world.
An unexpected change in plans
“I have a really funny story about Ireland. I was initially supposed to go to Australia for my studies because Australia has good psychology programmes. I got accepted to a university and was about to go ahead. But someone in my family got really sick, and they had to get heart surgery. And because the relative was really close to us, my parents took the money out of my university fund to give it to them,” Kaustubhi explains.
The emergency in Kaustubhi’s family quickly became an obstacle to her plan to seek higher education in Australia. While Kaustubhi was disappointed, she didn’t give up on her dream to pursue psychology. With the help of an overseas education agency, she reached out to Irish universities and immigration authorities and explained her situation. Fortunately, they were very accommodating and were happy to accept her applications.
Having found an alternative route to achieve her academic goals, Kaustubhi decided to study her dream subject in Ireland. Kaustubhi received an offer for a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Maynooth University. “That’s how I chose Ireland. I always knew Ireland would be an option,” Kaustubhi recalls.
Since Kaustubhi got accepted to Maynooth University at the very last minute, she didn’t have the chance to speak with any student ambassadors or explore the university’s pre-arrival support before arriving in Ireland. However, the friendly, helpful staff of Maynooth University had kept her supported. They were always more than happy to provide guidance and assistance. All Kaustubhi had to do was drop them an email.
Ireland: a positive experience
The overwhelmingly positive experience Kaustubhi has been having since her arrival in Ireland took her by surprise:
My life has been amazing. I’ve got to do so many new things I never thought I would do. I can cook now - really well. I never, never cooked. When I was at home, I had my mum. Here, I cook on my own. I’ve learned to do basic chores, which at first I struggled with. I was like, ‘Why do I need to clean my room?’ You know, doing the dishes and all. But now, it seems so easy. So coming here purely taught me how to live by myself and take care of myself. I’ve changed completely from an 18-year-old girl.
Apart from the ability to look after herself, Kaustubhi prides herself on her newly gained money management skills. “I had no sense of budgeting, saving money or expenses. Now I have a whole budget sheet. I plan my expenses, you know, it has really changed,” Kaustubhi says confidently.
Kaustubhi told us that Ireland has met and often exceeded her expectations. She explains, “So I was in my room researching what to do in Ireland, what Ireland was about, and I thought they had beautiful mountains, beautiful hikes to do, and they met those expectations. It was so beautiful. I would never hike in India, but now I love hiking all of a sudden.”
What has exceeded Kaustubhi’s expectations is the friendliness of Irish people:
Ireland is such a welcoming country. I was really surprised at how welcoming this country would be. The Irish people are so nice. I remember on my first night out in the city, I twisted my ankle. My friend went to get some ice because my ankle was swelling, and five different people came up to me and asked, ‘Are you okay? Do you need any help?’ That is something that would never happen in my country. So it really surprised me how helpful people were. I have not felt unsafe or discriminated against. I’ve always felt at home.
On top of the kindness of the locals, the multicultural student community of Maynooth University adds to the welcoming atmosphere. In her less than two years living and studying in Maynooth, Kaustubhi has come across many friendly students from France, the United States, Spain, Germany, Ireland and more. She enjoys building connections with them and learning about their different cultures. “I’m actually going to Germany to meet one of my friends. She was an Erasmus student. She’s from Germany and she had to go back, but I think I’m going to meet her in the summer,” says Kaustubhi, excited.
Building connections at Maynooth University
The many clubs and societies at Maynooth University have allowed Kaustubhi to build meaningful friendships, enriching her social life. She is a member of the Indian Society, Dance Society and Rovers, an outdoor pursuits club. This year, Kaustubhi has even taken on a position in the Rovers committee as the Public Relations Officer, responsible for promoting the club via posters and social media.
To Kaustubhi, Maynooth is very student-friendly and accommodating. According to her, it is easy to find student discounts at pubs, restaurants and shops. Plenty of part-time opportunities are available for students, and residents are usually open to renting out spare rooms in their homes to students. Unexpectedly, Kaustubhi has also found a sense of belonging in Maynooth thanks to the Indian population there.
Post-graduation plans
When asked about what she would like to do after graduation, with so many specialisations and potential career paths to choose from, Kaustubhi is still trying to make up her mind.
“I’m still to this day discovering more things about specialisations. Sometimes I’m interested in one, and then the next thing, I get to know this happens in this specialisation. So I’m not sure yet, but I think I’m leaning towards criminal psychology because that’s really just me. But the problem is it’s a very up-and-coming specialisation, so there aren’t many opportunities,” explains Kaustubhi.
While deciding which specialisation to go for, Kaustubhi maximises the career services available at Maynooth University to help explore her post-graduation options. She highlighted Placement Connect, a portal for searching and applying for placements. The portal connects students with employers, giving them easy access to the Irish job market.
Kaustubhi has also taken advantage of the many job fairs, career talks and seminars taking place on campus. On top of that, she has been learning how to build her CV and increase her employability in the psychology field through her study module Critical Skills and Psychology.
Ideally, Kaustubhi would like to gain some work experience with the help of Placement Connect after getting her bachelor’s degree. After that, she would like to pursue a master’s programme. “Psychology is a field for which you need a master’s degree to have enough credibility in your professions,” said Kaustubhi.
First-hand tips for those dreaming of studying abroad
Kaustubhi summarises her story by providing first-hand tips and advice to fellow students who want to seek higher education abroad. She emphasises the importance of finances, saying:
Ask your parents how much they can support you. If you choose this big university, have your dream set on it, and then realise that your family won’t be able to support you, it really breaks your heart sometimes. So I would say get a budget down with your family, then according to that budget, start looking for universities.
Kaustubhi also recommends doing extensive research on the universities you are interested in. She recommends talking to the university and current students to get a real sense of the student experience and what you can expect.
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