From Pennsylvania U.S. to DBS: International Student Story

Erik Eichinger hails from Pennsylvania in the U.S. He received a sports scholarship from DBS, which allows him to continue his basketball career whilst simultaneously studying a full-time MSc in Management Practice. He told us all about his experience of living and studying in Ireland so far.

  

Hi Everyone! My name is Erik Eichinger and I am currently a master's student studying management practice at DBS. The roots to my journey over here start with the completion of my undergrad programme back in the States.

This past summer, I had gotten a full time job in the finance industry, working in Philadelphia, that I saw myself doing for the next few years when I ran into an old family friend at the gym. There I was shooting a basketball reminiscing on my playing days when he had mentioned this programme he had just got back from in Ireland. After becoming captivated by his story, I had decided to apply to the programme myself, give it a shot right? Why not? Well to make a long story short, I started developing contacts over here and was eventually offered a sports scholarship by DBS to not only continue my basketball-playing career but also obtain a master’s degree from a top quality institution. A real no brainer! So right then and there, I quit my job and headed across the Atlantic.

I had previously moved to Los Angeles, California for college, which is a long way from home in Philadelphia. I am used to living far away from my family and although that experience was hard for me it helped me grow up and shape me into the person I am today. While you can never fully prepare for living in a new country, my past has helped me adjust. However, nothing has been more of a pleasant surprise than the kindness of the Irish people. For the first few weeks as I wandered around aimlessly, there wasn’t a person around who wasn’t constantly offering me a helping hand. The generosity of some people really helped the transition to life out here!

Living in Ireland and studying at DBS has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have made some true, lifelong friendships here and cannot wait to show my family where I have been living the past year! Although a bit wet at times, this country is beautiful with so much to explore. Studying at DBS has also been a great opportunity as I have thoroughly enjoyed interacting with my new classmates and discussions with my lecturers. My advice to anyone considering studying out here is simple: Do it! I am at the point in my life where there is so much of this world to still be seen, that I can only hope to spread my message to others thinking about moving away from their native homes to come to Ireland.

Thanks for reading and see you around!