We asked Jane Gallagher, a DCU mobility exchange student, to tell us about her experiences and how she gained a place on a prestigious Dublin internship while on exchange at the University of Stirling, Scotland.

What's your name and where​ ​are you on exchange?

My name is Jane Gallagher and I am on exchange at the University of Stirling in Scotland.

What have been the biggest challenges?​

The biggest challenges were probably missing out on things like my close friends' 21st birthdays, or my course mates' last ever lecture together, and knowing I'd be going back to mostly new faces in my course after I returned to DCU.

However, I realised pretty quickly that none of these things were really a big deal, and none of them would make me change my mind about going on exchange if I had to make the choice again.

What have you enjoyed most?​

I have really enjoyed every moment of my exchange.  The students and lecturers at Stirling really did take me under their wing from day one.  I've made so many new friends from all over the world.  I've been able to do a bit of traveling to Brussels, Liverpool and Krakow during my time here too.  The nights out in Stirling are so much fun, and if you want a change of scenery, Glasgow and Edinburgh are close by!

I've also loved being able to show my friends and family from Ireland around Scotland when they came over to visit.  All in all, Scotland is just a great place to live and I'm really glad I chose to come to Stirling.

What's next for Jane? 

After I return home from Stirling, I will be taking on an internship at [leading law firm] William Fry during the summer. I actually interviewed for the internship over Skype while on exchange, so just in case anyone is worried that being out of the country will affect their chances, it really doesn't.

I'm looking forward to doing some more travelling during the summer and then I'm back to DCU to finish off my Bachelor of Civil Law degree in September.