joesoap101 wrote:The bigger issue is getting accepted into a college in the first place. Once that happens the process is easy enough, you just take evidence of of your funds and proof of registration to the GNIB and you will get a 1 year stamp.
Whatever you may have heard about the Irish education system, it is not as great as they make it out to be- I have first hand experience in the University sector and I can say that you would be much better off avoiding Ireland. Also, if you're doing a 4 year degree expect to pay EUR48 000 (excluding living expenses add another EUR32 000 over 4 years) and thats a conservative estimate. They are also cracking down on allowing students to work so unless you are an EU citizen, it represents very poor value for money.
The US, Canada, Australia etc all have much better education systems, and represent much better value for money (excluding Ivy league schools).
Lastly, coming over to Ireland and studying English when you're South African is likely to be met with great suspicion considering that most South Africans have a decent knowledge of the English language.
I think you underestimated the amount of planning involved. You often have to apply early, many schools in the US allow entry in either semester, often depending on the degree.
This is very true. I'm frome the States and completed my degree there. The degrees aren't as sepcialised as they are in Ireland or the UK, but that means you have more time to figure out what you want to do while in school and still graduate in 4 years time. Many have intakes in Fall and Spring, and some schools will evenallow you to start in the summer, though I don't know how that works for international students. Also, youcan applyfor permission to work with many jobs being offered on campus. Don't get me wrong, I love it here in Ireland, but you will get yout money's worth elsewhere for a 4 year degree. There are even 2 year colleges in the US with transfer agreements to 4 years universities that may be cheaper. Youcould checkout
fastweb or
collegeboards. There are other websites too.
Also, Canada is another great place. I almost decided to go there, but I couldn't afford to. I needed my fees as low as possible. I've also looked into Australia, which is definitely appealing with the weather, but it's been a while, so I don't remember much about the search. I've been to Canada and as long as you can deal with the cold, it's a great place.
