Your life in Dublin and around

tips and tricks for students

TransporATION IN DUBLIN

TFI has several apps, unfortunately the Leap top up App is only for Android.

The TFI Real Time App will give you live updates on Bus departures at a specific stop. Beware though, sometimes there’s a “Ghost Bus” because of inaccurate GPS connection.

Go to the Leap card website to open an account and register your Leap Card. You will be able to login to check how much is left on your leap card. You’ll also be able to have it blocked and replaced if you lost it.

Google maps

The Google Maps App is very good at finding the best way to go from a point to another in the city. Use options and markers to find your favorite stores.
Find shops and services with the research tools. Read comments and reviews, as they are often kind and accurate.

Met Éireann Weather Ireland

The app to check just before going out. Ireland is an island so the weather changes very fast. Forecast infos can drastically change in just a few hours. Remember it rains often in winter and don’t plan long outings without a weatherproof jacket.

Don’t wait for and announcement of bright weather to go out. Unless there’s an alert for a violent storm, pack rain gear an go enjoy yourself.

Adobe Apps

I you have an Adobe subscription you have access to all the Adobe phone apps, but some are free to use for non subscribers. Most of them can communicate via the Adobe cloud and speed up your work process. I use adobe Rush for fast editing, Spark for fast images and videos with text, and above all, Lightroom for quick but professional Photo Editing.

Find Adobe mobile apps here

If you aren’t a fan of everything Adobe, most of these apps have equivalents made by other publishers

Vimeo

You might already have a Vimeo account as it’s a golden standard in the industry. It allows you to upload your videos and display them without advertising and visual pollution.

Vimeo allows you to store and share with a vast array of security parameters. You can make your Videos private, visible only from your website, etc.

You can also upload higher quality videos than on Youtube. It’s not the same kind of tool : Vimeo is for professional storage and sharing, and Youtube for coverage and followers.

If you want a video to be only seen by you or your classroom, make sure to set up the specific settings for the file.

Get a basic, free Vimeo account here ( you can upgrade later)

Get the mobile app to upload mobile videos, and watch on your devices.

Scanner Apps

A little bit more than the photo app, Scanner apps will reframe, resize, and remove deformations on scanned books and documents.

They also create a pdf that you can export.

Do note copyright and informations before scanning and reusing parts of books or downloading into other softwares.

Find here a list of the best scanner apps on PC mag

If you have the Adobe Suite ( Photoshop), it might stop working if you’re not located in the country where it’s registered. If you have an active subscription, Contact Adobe Customer Service, while logged in with your Adobe ID, in a browser, preferably from a desktop computer.
Go to:
https://www.adobe.com/ie/
Look for “support” on the top Menu.
If you want to relocate your account here you’ll need an Irish bank account. It’s also possible to ask for a temporary relocation without changing your original location. Do recontact Adobe when you’re back home to cancel any changes in your settings.
And while you’re at it, take a look at and download Adobe apps for your (mostly iOS) phone as they might help speed up your work.
Do check your security options on Google if you have an account and use Chrome or Safari.
You will find the settings here : Google Security Settings
You will also want to check how your data is handled by Google : check the Data and Personalization settings
Start with the privacy check up and then take the time to read and explore all the options.
Anyway, in any internet browser, do learn to check the preferences and how to empty your caches. Also learn how to empty your cache on your mobile browsers and in Facebook if you use it on mobile tablets or phones. Google how to do it if necessary.
It’s not only a question of privacy but also of memory : every cookie allowing a website to follow you slows down your system and costs unnecessary battery energy.
I will put here a list of software/Websites we use but you can start here with the most useful for your research:
Zotero ( https://www.zotero.org) , your personnal research assistant.

Make yourself at home. You’re only here for a few months, but I know from experience that a bare, expatriate life can be trying. Do create a cosy corner for studying where you stay.

A few suggestions:
Dublin is a university city for centuries and is wired toward student life. It’s easy to find the bear necessities at good prices. Sostrene Grene has some cheap mugs, stationery, and sometimes throws and crockery in pretty European colours. Flying Tiger Copenhagen has everyday designs in saturated colours (including cheap phone chargers), and Dunnes Stores has lovely designs created in Ireland. There’s also some nice second hand stores.

You should also find a nice spot in the Library, and a room at school where you can work quietly. I kept the habit to visit the libraries first thing everywhere I move, I feel at home wherever there’s books.

Find a cute independent café to relax and read. I made a map here for the ones I know and love, otherwise a simple search “best coffee places to study in [insert city name]”in google maps will find you a trove of nice places where to relax. Find a nice family pub , settle in the Library or in a nice room in the school, and enjoy walks by the sea or along the prettiest urban rivers in Europe.

Think about creating a private Instagram account, or get a real paper journal to document your life here. You’ll be happy to go through it in a few years.