Social Work Internship
The project at my internship site focuses on helping migrants with any questions that arise, promoting their integration, and supporting migrant communities and groups. During my three-month internship in Ireland, I was able to successfully assist the social worker, who works alone on the project. Together, we organized events and workshops, attended meetings, and worked well as a team. I had a lot of freedom to implement my own ideas and plans, and enough flexibility and time outside of the internship to get to know the city and the country better.
My language skills definitely improved, since I communicated a great deal in English—not only during the internship but also at our housing with 10 other roommates. In addition, as part of my internship, I accompanied a Ukrainian group to an English class a few times and was able to learn even more about the language myself. My English was already very good before, but what has definitely changed is that I’ve gained much more confidence and fluency in speaking, and I can now put that to very good use in Germany in my work with international clients.
Professionally, I’ve also been able to develop further. I organized and led two workshops myself, which gave me some completely new experiences. I also regularly lead workshops in Germany, but these two workshops here were different because I came into contact with groups of people I would otherwise never have worked with, and who required a completely new approach and style of facilitation.
As is so often the case in the social sector, my internship site also struggles with underfunding and a shortage of staff. Thanks to my experience in Dublin, I now appreciate the importance of structure, funding opportunities, team building, supervision, and staff consultations. Thanks to my internship supervisor’s open and supportive manner, our regular reflection sessions, and the diverse events within the project, I was able to learn a great deal despite the obstacles. I also had the opportunity to participate in several training sessions and workshops and earn certificates. The internship showed me that social work is the right fit for me, that I am able to maintain professional distance while still showing emotion, and that I can definitely see myself working in the field of migration. Even though I view some things critically, I am very satisfied with my internship placement and grateful that I was able to work there for three months.
Preparation
I recommend setting aside time and patience for the preparation process. Overall, I spent a year preparing for my stay abroad and had to overcome several hurdles. I wrote to more than 40 different organizations in a wide variety of countries and actually received a positive response from only my internship placement.
Finding a place to live was also difficult. Above all, you have to lower your expectations and be prepared for higher rent. In the end, we lived in a house with 12 people, sharing a kitchen and a bathroom, for almost 1,400€ per month. Still, I’m really happy with this house because the community here is great! We do things together several times a week—we have barbecues, bake, have brunch, have game afternoons, …
It really helped me with planning and preparation to keep lists of everything that had already been organized and everything that still needed to be organized: subletting the apartment, insurance, housing in Ireland, flights, … That way, we actually had a pretty good overview. For insurance, the DAAD insurance plan worked out very well. I’m still not sure if my current insurance might have covered everything anyway, but it’s very convenient to have everything in one package with the DAAD insurance and to know for sure that this insurance is specifically designed for Erasmus study abroad programs and internships.
It’s important to know that the Erasmus+ grant doesn’t cover all costs, especially in a big city like Dublin. Additional financial resources are definitely necessary.
Chronic Illness
I also have an anxiety disorder and wouldn’t have wanted to go abroad alone. That’s why we had the added coordination effort of my boyfriend also planning an Erasmus internship for himself. We were lucky that we both found placements in the same city and the same country, but even two months before our departure, I wasn’t sure if everything would really work out. I also put together a small emergency anxiety kit for my fanny pack before departure, including strong-smelling items and fidget rings. Even though I rarely needed these things, it feels good to have a safety net like that for moments of panic. And even when my boyfriend wasn’t around during moments of anxiety, I managed to get through them every time. Especially because you’re never alone—I received a lot of support from both my internship supervisor and our friends in the house, and one of our roommates even had an anxiety disorder herself, which allowed us to talk things through and help each other.
Life in Ireland
I was surprised by Ireland in that Dublinisn’t as well-maintained as I’m used to from other European places. The people here are warm and we’ve grown very fond of them very quickly. Just like Ireland—with all its quirks, but also its beautiful nature, pleasant weather (yesterday it was 38°C in Germany, 19°C here), and the ocean!
It’s wonderful to be here with my boyfriend and experience this special time together. Every other weekend, we take a weekend trip to a different city in Ireland, and every now and then we rent a car to visit places like the Cliffs of Moher or national parks. But actually, you can get to a lot of places by train, too. On the one hand, it’ll be nice to get back to our organized, clean home soon. On the other hand, we’d love to stay here much longer to see everything and spend more time with our friends here.
In Dublin, the Leap Card is definitely worth it for public transportation, but to be honest, we prefer traveling by train and commuter rail rather than on the double-decker buses, which are often overcrowded and get delayed in the city’s hectic traffic.
Positive Conclusion
Otherwise, my only advice is not to miss the chance to study abroad with Erasmus. It really helped me to go with a friend—that way, you can split the costs and feel less anxious. And I’ve learned for myself that even if my fears come true, nothing bad will happen to me, and I’m strong and resilient enough to travel. A longer stay abroad requires a lot of planning, is expensive, and is a leap into the unknown. But it’s definitely worth it, and I’d do it exactly the same way every time. I’m very grateful that Erasmus offers the opportunity to receive financial support for this.
