You have the dream, you have the country and after months or years of hard work and sacrifices you have the money, so what is next? Should you go through an agency? With a friend or by your own?
Well, in my case after have asked in some agencies and have looked for someone crazy as me in my city to jump into the unknown and have failed on it, I decided to do it by my own and save a considerable amount of money. So I will give you some tips to succeed on this journey and do not cry on the plane…I mean, do not cry on the try.
Free consult:
You can have good information about schools and lifestyle with the agencies, most of them offer free consult and you can squeeze them without paying anything.
Ask in blogs and Facebook groups:
I remember that before came to Ireland I found a blog about the adventures of a girl from my country living in Ireland, so I asked her some doubts and she helped me. But the best option ever is Facebook groups, they answer your doubts immediately and the main thing here is there are a lot of people sharing their experiences.
Contact schools:
Most of schools have a website, e-mail, phone or Facebook page, so contact them letting them know that you want to pay to study there, in that way they will offer you directly counseling and each arrangement will be with them and no trough an agency, you will se how much money you will save.
Read Ireland official pages:
The issue is recently in Dublin a lot of schools has been closed because the lost their certification, so be careful before pay. The school that you choose must have the Accreditation and Co-ornidation of English Language Services (ACELS)
http://www.acels.ie/
Also, follow the news about regulations for immigrants and students:
http://www.inis.gov.ie/
Check prices on accommodation:
I did the mistake to stayed in a hostel, it was not because the people or the building, it was because the price. So, before come is better to look for some places to rent, or pay a hostel but for a small period of time.
Ask,ask, ask:
Do not care if your English is not perfect or if you do not speak any English, Dublin is a multicultural city, for sure you will find someone who can help you to solve your doubts.