Exchange report - incoming students
Home university: Dublin Institute of Technology (Technological University Dublin)
Study programme: Biomedical Laboratory Science
Exchange programme: Erasmus
Semester: Spring semester 2010/2011
Name: Garret Rochford
Email address: garret2400@gmail.com

Arrival and registration

The introduction day was very useful and we were introduced to out supervisors individually which was great.Transport was a bit difficult the first few days to the university mainly due to the really bad weather. I had no need for the health centre
River Liffey

Acommendation

I applyed for accomadation through UAC which was excellent both the accomadation and its location, right beside vastra Skogen t-bana station. the rent was very reasonable for what you got, although i do think a new system needs to be made for cleaning the kitchen and other communal areas as delegating the responsibility to the tenants did not seem to work at all. Other than that my experience with Strix was very good
Fitzwilliam Place Dublin 2

Leisure time and social activities

I was contacted for social activities but many of them were very expensive and on a tight budget i couldnt afford them. Also my project did not leave much time for other activities including sight seeing.
Cricketplan med "The Pav"i bakgrunden

Pre-departure

I had heard from my Home college in Dublin Institute of Technology that Karolinska Institute has been partnered with them for much of the length that biomedical Science has been running in DIT and has always been portrayed extremely favourably. Also from talking to former students of DIT and there experiences on ERASMUS in stockholm

I revieved excellent and usefull information prior to departure, particularly the information booklet providing me with information about both stockholm and the Karolinska Institutet

Kilmacanogue

Courses during the exchange period

HBMAX1 : Literature Review Course (Lab Med)
The litrature review course was part of my thesis write-up and was submitted as part of my final project for my degree. Its inclusion was only routine for assimilation of the nesssecay cademic credits required by my home college
1EE049 : Project work (Lab Med)
The project work was completly relevent to my degree work and was submitted as part of my thesis write-up

Summary

Overall my impression of KI is excellent and i would love to come back in the near future to study there particularly in research for which it is world renouned. I would absolutly recommend going to the Karolinska Institutet for any form of study
Cliffs of Moher

Language and Culture

I participated in a Swedish course during my exchange, i found that overall the course was usefull for very basic phrases and pronouciation of words but i didnt find it as useful for trying to teach us anything more complex than that. Also the times that is was on in the evening made it very difficult to concentrate on it consistently and remember what was done previously

Studies in general

I was allowed pick my project more or less and i thourghly enjoyed it. I was met by my supervisor on a day to day basis and was given clear direction on the project. I also learned valuable new skills on the operation on specific machinery and laboratory skills which I'm sure i would of not learned at home in DIT. I found that my project which was only being performed by me was very well funded and I was given plenty of assistance and guidance from the laboratory staff with me. I total the exchange was a very positive one.
Entrén till DDSH (Dublin Dental School and Hospital