And so, a new adventure begins… | DCU Blog by André Martínez

Six months ago, I left a job I loved, said goodbye to my family and friends in Mexico, and embarked on an adventure to pursue a Master’s degree at Dublin City University in Ireland. I want to share a bit about my experience both before and after moving to Dublin and why this was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Back in Mexico, after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and working for a couple of years as a Marketing Consultant and later on as a Data Specialist, I could feel I was ready for the next challenge.

In 2020, while studying my Bachelor’s programme, I embarked on an exchange semester in Austria, right before the Covid-19 pandemic started (that’s a story for another day). There, I met someone from Ireland who would change my life and thanks to her I got to visit the country for the first time in 2022. After that, I’d visit her every year and during those visits I ended up falling in love with the country. After researching Irish universities, Master’s programmes, and opportunities for international students after graduation, the decision was really easy… it was the perfect place to start this new adventure.

Thanks to my past work experience, I had come to understand what I enjoyed working on and where I wanted to take my career going forward and after spending some time looking through the different programmes and universities, I ultimately decided on DCU due to its great reputation as an academic institution and its Global Management (Digital Disruption) programme having everything I was looking for: business courses with a focus on digital innovation, data analytics and real-life business scenarios.

Slowly but surely, I was crossing tasks off my list: application, check; offer letter, check; accommodation, check; fitting all the Mexican snacks my bag could handle, check.

And at last, the day arrived. Even though I had travelled to Ireland and passed through those gates multiple times before, I’d never been as nervous as that moment I got off the plane. But there was nothing to be worried about, and a few minutes later I was already grabbing my bags and heading to town. I celebrated with a pint that night.

Some things that my Irish friends had told me to prepare for were the Irish weather and the unpredictability of public transport, but one thing they didn’t warn me about was how warm people are. I think one of the biggest fears people have when they’re considering studying abroad is the struggle to fit in or feeling out of place at the start, but in Dublin, I have found it to be the opposite. That sense of belonging made all the difference during my first few weeks.

At DCU, my professors and classmates all come from different backgrounds, and that diversity helps discussions in class to be more thoughtful and interesting. Everyone I interacted with from the DCU staff as well, both before and after arriving in Ireland, were so nice and helpful, I felt so at ease whenever I had a question or needed something from their end. I felt welcomed even before I had set foot on campus.

And soon, classes started and my first semester flew by. At first it took a bit to get used to everything all at once; new country, new city, new university, new friends, new routine. It can feel overwhelming, but I learnt that rushing things only made things worse and that I just had to let things flow naturally. Once I adopted this mindset, everything started to fall into place. Classes were more enjoyable, assignments became easier, making new friends became a daily thing and it didn’t hurt that the university and the many clubs and societies at DCU organize so many events for the students to socialize.

Again, slowly but surely, I was crossing things off my list: first week in Dublin; check; IRP appointment, check; first semester at DCU, check.

And so, the adventure continues…

Currently, I’m in the second semester of my Master’s programme and I’m working on my practicum project, in which we get to work with a real company in Ireland to help them solve a business problem using the tools and knowledge we acquired from our courses. This was another huge reason why I chose the Global Management (Digital Disruption) programme, as it gave us students the chance to put everything we learnt into practice and be able to collaborate with firms on real-life problems and real-life solutions.

My daily routine now consists of waking up early, grabbing a pastry from the nearest shop, hoping the bus will show up on time and getting a warm coffee once I get to campus.

Of course I miss my family and friends back home, but after six months living in Dublin, that melancholy for home has turned into motivation to continue pursuing my dreams. Now when I think of Mexico, I do so more fondly, and with a different perspective than I did before, making me appreciate the little differences more. And if I get too homesick, I just go to the nearest taco place I can find (Agave I owe you one for all those times you’ve been there for me!).

My best advice to anyone thinking about pursuing a Master’s degree or any sort of education abroad is simple: go for it. That feeling is there for a reason. It’s completely natural to feel a mix of nerves and hesitation; we’re human after all. But from my experience, I’ve learnt that the best parts of life happen right outside our comfort zones and embracing that uncertainty is just the beginning. And there couldn’t have been a better choice for me than Dublin and DCU.

Sometimes when life gets overwhelming (and the weather’s not too crazy), I stop what I’m doing, put my headphones on, and take a walk around the city to slow things down. During those walks, I think about why I decided to come here and all that I’ve accomplished and want to keep working towards, and that reminder is exactly what I need to keep pushing forward.

Author: Andre Martinez, MSc Global Management (Digital Disruption)