Hi everyone, my name is Joanna and welcome to my first blog!
It’s nearly the end of my second year studying Law at Dundee University, which is hard to believe! I came to Dundee for the first time almost two years ago, from a small town in Northern Ireland, mid-pandemic, not knowing what to expect or how to prepare. Living away from home was uncharted territory for me, as it is for any student who decides to study abroad.
But… it ended up being the best decision I have ever made! Studying Law at Dundee has opened up more opportunities than I thought possible: in just two years I have rented my first flat, learned how to cook chicken without giving myself food poisoning, joined a society committee, visited and interviewed at a REAL-LIFE LAW FIRM, met countless inspirational people in the legal field and made friends for life!
I wanted to share my experiences of studying Law at University of Dundee for anyone who is thinking of coming here… or if you’re just curious! I know reading a blog like this when I was making UCAS choices would have been really useful! So stay tuned to hear more from me and what it’s like living the undergraduate life in Dundee!
I have always dreaded the “Tell me 3 interesting facts about yourself” element to meeting new people, but because this is a blog, maybe we can make an exception… Get to know me below:
- I am from a small town called Magherafelt in Northern Ireland
- I am 20 years old
- I have one sister and three brothers (which seems like a lot but it’s actually very fun)
- My best friend is my fluffy white dog called Alfie
- I was inspired to study Law after watching films such as ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and ‘Legally Blonde’… but especially ‘The Bee movie’ 🙂
- My favourite module I have taken was English Criminal Law in first year
- I want to train to be a solicitor when I leave Dundee University
- I would love to work in a big city like London or Dublin
- My favourite food is anything Mexican!
- I am the President of Dundee’s International Law Society after being their First Year Representative last year
- I am really excited to start writing blogs and connecting with students!
WOW thats nice…are You On Scholarship
Hi Miran!
Yes, I received a scholarship in my first year of study for being a non-Scottish UK study studying at Dundee! This extra bit of money really helped me when I was learning how to budget and save while living away from home. If you are also an non-Scottish student from the UK, you will be able to apply for this scholarship too upon accepting your offer!
Hello Joanna,
Was it the Discover Dundee Scholarship that you were awarded? I only ask, like you, I’m from NI and i’ll be starting at Dundee Law in a few weeks time.
Thanks
Hi Ben!
Congratulations on accepting your offer to study at Dundee University! I wish you the best of luck in your studies and I hope you love it as much as I do. Yes, I was granted the Discover Dundee Scholarship in my first year as a UK student from outside of Scotland. You should be contacted about this scholarship opportunity as a Northern Irish student, if you haven’t heard yet I would send an email to ask.
Best wishes, Joanna.
Hi Joanna,
Thank you so much for replying and thank you for the congratulations. Admissions contacted me shortly after my message to you with confirmation of the scholarship – what a fantastic surprise.
Thanks again,
Ben
Really nice to here that the university I’ve selected for my master degree are great ambience, and people seem to be friendly. Looking forward to be there soon 🙂
Thank you for sharing your insight! I’m from NI too and I was wondering the cheapest way you travelled from home to university and back. I’m considering Dundee as an option and am scared that it will be out of my budget.
Hi Kara!
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I’m happy to hear you’re considering Dundee as an option!
When I am travelling to and from Dundee, I usually fly from the Belfast International Airport to Edinburgh Airport. I have found that if you book a few weeks in advance, flights can be as cheap as £20-£30, it’s really affordable! You can get a bus directly outside the airport (at Bus stop E) which takes you directly to Dundee City Centre for £20 return too! I have found the travel to be really accessible and affordable during my time here.
If you’d like to bring your car (which I have done for the first time this year) you can take the ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan on the West coast… it’s a 3 hour drive to Dundee but it flies by if you put on a fun podcast or catchy music 🙂 This is a bit more expensive than flying over, but there is great free car parking in Dundee, so you won’t need to take the ferry every time you go home.
Let me know if you have any more questions, related to travel or otherwise!
Best of luck with your applications 🙂