Our Students

A day in the Life of an IBI student

If you were to ask a number of the students what is the first thing you notice when you arrive at IBI, I'm sure many would say " the aroma of freshly brewed coffee". That probably surprises you, if you've never visited before, but it is indicative of the welcome there is at the college - from the IBITeam and other students alike.

A student's day will have started hours earlier. Unless living in the city centre, most have travelled by public transport - on trains and buses from Monaghan, Cavan, Carlow, Tipperary, Offaly, Cork, Kerry, Wexford (one student flies from Cork) and on local buses, Luas and Darts from Dublin and outer areas.

No matter how far the journey, IBI's central location makes it accessible. The warm welcome, great friendship and commitment to being the best they can possibly be at IBI, make it all worthwhile.

Classes start at 10 o'clock and to get here a little early is a real pleasure, you can hang out in the Break-out area, catch up with some last minute preparation for class in the well-resourced Library, or do some work in your classroom.

The Lecturers are from different backgrounds, drawn from all areas of the evangelical community in Ireland. They differ also in age and gender. One thing they have in common is a passion for the subjects they teach and it shows.

You won't get any half-hearted delivery of lectures here - or find any of them unapproachable, you'll get feed-back that is honest, yet never diminishing and the attention you need to help you grow- not only in knowledge (Head) but in love for the Lord and His people (Heart) and a longing to serve Him (Hands).

At lunch-time students and staff sit together over packed lunches or sandwiches/hot-food bought locally and get to know one another. The buzz here between 1 and 2 o'clock is incredible. If you stop for a moment to take it in, you'll hear a great mix of laughter, banter, chat and serious theological discussion. The mix of students adds to the richness of conversation - different ages, gender, nationalities, church backgrounds -  there's literally 'never a dull moment'.

Usually there will be two and sometimes three lectures in a day. Home-time is 5pm. The facility stays open on Tuesday night until 10 o'clock as there are Evening Classes. Some day students take the late-night opening opportunity and stay on to study. On Wednesday, closing time is 5.45pm to give students a chance to use the Library after classes.

Every student is significant here at IBI. The attitude of the IBITeam is unswerving, you are cared for. In the words of the famous song, this is a place where " everybody knows your name".

Cheers!