Studying abroad at university in a place like Dublin, Ireland, provides a unique opportunity to travel throughout Europe in an affordable way, which is amazing!

However, it is important to remember that we are at Trinity College Dublin to study as well, so every student has to find the balance that works best for them. In this article, I’ll show you how I balance study vs. holidays to paint you a picture.

The academic year at TCD is fairly short; if you would like to understand it more in-depth, look at the TCD Academic Calendar of 2024/2025.

This means two things: firstly, we have a lot of time off, which means more time to travel! On the other hand, it also means that the time in which we are learning is fairly fast-paced. Going into my third year of university now, I feel that I have a better grasp of how I can best personally balance study and holidays during the academic year.

Please keep in mind that I’m only providing an example and that your balance might look different than mine.

First Semester

My first semester at Trinity was the first time getting to know the city of Dublin and the country of Ireland. Due to this being the case, I decided to stay in Ireland for my first semester. There are a lot of moving parts in the first semester of university as an international student: living in a foreign country alone, culture shock, learning new subjects, learning to cook, meeting new people, getting your essentials abroad, etc.

So, instead of planning another trip abroad, I signed up for domestic trips with different societies. I went to Bundoran, Donegal, with Trinity Surf Club for a weekend. I also went to the city of Cork in County Cork with the Law Society for a weekend. During Reading Week, friends and I split an Airbnb and went to the countryside of Galway to finish essays and exam study in a different setting.

This gave me the chance to meet new people through societies, explore Ireland, and have less stress on the organising of trips since either the society committee ran it or my friends and I shared the planning.

Exploring Beyond Ireland

I highly recommend staying in Ireland during the first semester because it is nice to get to know where you are living for four years before venturing off! This personally helped me balance the chaoticness of my first semester abroad.

After the first semester of university, I was ready to explore beyond. I went on the Trinity Surf Club international trip to San Sebastian, Spain, and had a lovely time with friends. I also took a weekend trip to Portugal with friends during Revision Week, but that was mostly because I had fewer exams during the first year.

My Recommendations!

Since then, my commitment to Trinity and student life in Dublin has increased with my course, work, internships, and society life. So, when I want to travel, I need to organise it well in advance so I can travel cheaply and have everything sorted before I go.

I like to travel every Reading Week where there are no lectures and tutorials as it gives me the mental break I need before heading into the exam period. I do not travel during Revision Week because of the amount of time I need to dedicate toward my studies, but others do and find it worthwhile!

I recommend going on the holidays you find are a must while studying abroad. Personally, Spain and Portugal were dreams of mine to visit, and I am grateful to have been able to go. Once you know which places you want to go to, plan them solo, with friends, or see if a society is hosting a trip there!

The beginning of the academic year and Reading Week are the best times during the learning period of university to visit these places. After Reading Week, Trinity progresses toward the exam period very quickly. The exam schedule usually comes out soon after Reading Week, so you may see if you have time to plan another trip then.

Do keep in mind that holidays should destress you instead of add stress to your life. If a travel trip looks overwhelming with regard to time and/or money, then maybe it isn’t worth it.

You can still go there on another date! Studying abroad is exciting for travel, but also remember that where you are is also abroad and amazing in itself! 🙂