I finally finished a video I have been working on about my time here, and thought I would share it. It can't possibly describe how fantastic my experience was here, but maybe it will give you an idea..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6-ijaSxtKg
Thursday, May 12
Wednesday, May 11
The End Is In Sight :(
With things winding down and the prospects of returning home quickly becoming a reality, I thought that I should make a recap type of post. As a George Mitchell Peace Exchange Scholar I, like previous students, was asked to fill out an evaluations of my time here. The evaluation is pretty extensive and definitely sums up my experience here with the exchange. I hope any future applicants or Mitchell Scholars will find it helpful during their decision making processes!
Please briefly summarize your academic program in Ireland:
My academic program at CIT consisted of 5 modules (courses) from two separate majors, Business Administration and Accounting. My modules included Business Management, Accounting and Computer Applications, Communications, Business Maths and Statistics, and Marketing.
Please answer the following questions as completely as possible. Use as much space as you need.
1. What were your goals going into the exchange? Please list them in priority order, if possible.
Coming into the exchange my goals were to leave Ireland more confident, traveled, with new friends and having had enjoyed my time here to the fullest. Having never left the country before I knew that everything I was about to experience would be new. I also knew that I have grown the most as person during times of uncertainty. I was nervous about leaving home and being homesick but the possible outcomes of being a Mitchell Scholar and experiencing a semester abroad in Ireland out weighed any sort of negatives I could have even imagined.
2. Taking each goal in turn, rank how well you think you achieved it on a scale of 1-5, when 5=excellent.
Were you satisfied with this result? Why or why not?
As my time in Ireland is coming to an end, I can look at those goals and truly say that I have accomplished every one of them. I am definitely returning home a more confident person, and I would rate the success of achieving that goal a 5. When you are forced out of your comfort zone you find abilities in yourself you otherwise never would have discovered. From this experience I know that I could easily make a life for myself wherever I end up after school, whether that be in another country or even just another state. Apart of that was realizing how easy it is to make friends once you open up to people. Opening up lead me to make friendships that I know will be life long. So as for new friendships, I would also give that a 5. I know I will see some of these people again, whether it is I going to visit them or them visiting me. With the bonds that we have formed here our paths are bound to cross again. As far as traveling goes I would have to give that a 4. I feel as though I traveled Ireland pretty extensively and even made a trip to Scotland, but there are still places I wish I could have visited while I was here. Lastly I would have to say that I achieved my goal of enjoying my time here to the fullest. I would give that a 4 because my only regret is not opening up to my peers sooner and I hate to think that I may have wasted even a day just because I didn’t put myself out there early enough.
3. What social/cultural activities did you participate in? How big a part of your experience were they?
My participation in social activities was pretty extensive. Once I fell into a routine, almost everyday I was either hanging out with other foreign students, classmates, or my roommates. We would visit clubs or pubs together, go sightseeing, or even just watch movies at someone apartment. As far as organized activities go, I attended weekly Taekwondo lessons and was a member of CIT’s International Student Society. ISS put on a long list of events throughout the year and was a great way of meeting other international students. The social and cultural activities that I participated in were a huge part of my experience. They are what made my experience so successful. Without participating in activities on and around campus I know that I would not have enjoyed my time in Ireland as much as I have.
4. What advice do you have for next year’s Mitchell Scholars on daily living: banking, laundry, food, computer use, talking with home, what to bring from home, local customs/ways of doing things, etc.?
When you first arrive in Ireland you are going to be experiencing many mixed emotions. To ease yourself into these new surroundings I would definitely recommend getting Skype to stay in touch with family and friends. It is free to video chat if the other person has a Skype account as well, and their calling plans are really cheap. I would also recommend bringing some photos from home. Just as another tip, as a female I feel like I over packed as far as clothes are concerned. It didn’t help that I also bought some clothing while here. So if you can, try and account for that. My lifeline while here became my laptop and I would strongly recommend bringing yours. Also when you arrive you need really be an advocate for yourself and make sure that your classes and bank account are being set up. There was a delay with my account and that really put me at a disadvantage for a week and a half or so. As far as laundry and food go, as long as you budget the stipend is plenty to cover these costs. Let me just warn, laundry is really expensive (for very small machines) and food here does not contain the amount of preservatives that we are used to and expires much more quickly. Apart from driving on the other side of the road, you may also notice when you arrive a general easygoing attitude from the locals. This can be great but also a little aggregating especially when you are trying to get your class schedule set up or things like that.
5. What advice do you have on academics: getting along in class and with instructors, studying, etc.?
Do not hesitate to ask questions! My first few classes I was really shy and nervous to speak up. It was only until I started getting lonely in class that I realized I needed to make an effort. After that things went a lot more smoothly and I even became very good friends with some of the other people in my course. You really do want to try and at least be friendly with your classmates. I quickly found that they were more than willing to help when I didn’t understand something or needed notes from a previous class. This will help will studying. A few times I joined my classmates before midterms and we held some study group sessions. At CIT your grades will mostly be based on your midterm and final tests scores. With that in mind, do not wait to study the material because you will soon see how fast a semester’s worth of notes accumulates. As far as instructors go, I found it helpful to introduce myself and explain my situation, since some of my professors where unaware I was new to the class and school.
6. What advice do you have on social and campus life, such as student clubs, dorm living, meeting and making friends?
Get involved, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It’s pretty simple, if you get involved in any of the various clubs on campus and speak up you will have no trouble making friends. Everyone I have met from ERASMUS students to my Irish roommates and classmates have been very welcoming and friendly. There are going to be people you get along with more easily and form deeper connections with but there is no way of knowing who those people are unless you get involved and step out of your comfort zone. I promise you will not regret coming out of your shell, you will however regret it if you don’t.
7. What advice do you have on travel and sightseeing? Did you have/use a CIT student ID card? Yes No
Travel as much as you can! You’re in Europe, when else will you find round trip airfare to London for 50 Euros? I wish I could have done more traveling, and it is not as though my travel was limited. I have done a lot of traveling inside Ireland. The public transportation system here is great. You can get just about anywhere by bus. It also helped me out a lot to make list of everything I wanted to see in Ireland before I came here. Buy some travel books and see what seems interesting, and I bet you can find some other students who feel the same and are more than willing to accompany you. Even if you don’t visit/ do everything on your list it helped me quite a bit when planning my weekends. Also, always have your student ID card on you. You will get discounts on a variety of things from bus fare to clothing stores and even entrance to nightclubs in Cork. It really pays to be a student here.
8. What was the most difficult part of the exchange for you?
Before coming to Ireland I had assumed that I would be battling homesickness. Upon my arrival I did feel homesick, for a couple days. It really was not that bad, Skype helped a lot and the longer I was here the more people I met and the busier I became. Home didn’t cross my mind too often until the latter part of my trip. Fortunately or not, life does not stop while you are over here. I had a lot going on at home that began to affect my overall mood and state of mind while I was here. Some things of course are unexpected and unavoidable but there were things that I could have dealt with before I left for Cork, such as applying to transfer to other schools. I will be finishing my degree this summer at SMCC, so while here I was applying to four-year institutions to transfer to. That was really difficult to manage while in another country. Having someone reliable at home manage your mail, bills and little things like that will help out a lot especially if you don’t live with your parents.
9. What was the most beneficial aspect of the exchange or the thing you’ll remember most?
The most beneficial aspect from this exchange is the change that I have seen in myself. I am definitely leaving Ireland more comfortable and confident with myself than I ever thought possible. This of course occurred through all the incredible experiences I had and shared with the amazing people I’ve met and formed friendships with. I will never forget the people I’ve met here and know that I will one day visit them and one day they will come and visit me.
10. Has this experience changed how you look at the world or your part in it? If so, why and how?
This experience has changed the way I look at a lot of things. I now understand how truly connected as human beings we are. There definitely is an underlying and universal human understanding that you cannot really comprehend from a second hand source. For me it was the small moments that made me realize that no matter where two people come from or what they have experienced there is a connection that can be made, and however small or large that connection is when it does occur its only too natural. I’ve realized through this that we try too hard to categorize people when really sometimes you just need to take things for face value.
Please briefly summarize your academic program in Ireland:
My academic program at CIT consisted of 5 modules (courses) from two separate majors, Business Administration and Accounting. My modules included Business Management, Accounting and Computer Applications, Communications, Business Maths and Statistics, and Marketing.
Please answer the following questions as completely as possible. Use as much space as you need.
1. What were your goals going into the exchange? Please list them in priority order, if possible.
Coming into the exchange my goals were to leave Ireland more confident, traveled, with new friends and having had enjoyed my time here to the fullest. Having never left the country before I knew that everything I was about to experience would be new. I also knew that I have grown the most as person during times of uncertainty. I was nervous about leaving home and being homesick but the possible outcomes of being a Mitchell Scholar and experiencing a semester abroad in Ireland out weighed any sort of negatives I could have even imagined.
2. Taking each goal in turn, rank how well you think you achieved it on a scale of 1-5, when 5=excellent.
Were you satisfied with this result? Why or why not?
As my time in Ireland is coming to an end, I can look at those goals and truly say that I have accomplished every one of them. I am definitely returning home a more confident person, and I would rate the success of achieving that goal a 5. When you are forced out of your comfort zone you find abilities in yourself you otherwise never would have discovered. From this experience I know that I could easily make a life for myself wherever I end up after school, whether that be in another country or even just another state. Apart of that was realizing how easy it is to make friends once you open up to people. Opening up lead me to make friendships that I know will be life long. So as for new friendships, I would also give that a 5. I know I will see some of these people again, whether it is I going to visit them or them visiting me. With the bonds that we have formed here our paths are bound to cross again. As far as traveling goes I would have to give that a 4. I feel as though I traveled Ireland pretty extensively and even made a trip to Scotland, but there are still places I wish I could have visited while I was here. Lastly I would have to say that I achieved my goal of enjoying my time here to the fullest. I would give that a 4 because my only regret is not opening up to my peers sooner and I hate to think that I may have wasted even a day just because I didn’t put myself out there early enough.
3. What social/cultural activities did you participate in? How big a part of your experience were they?
My participation in social activities was pretty extensive. Once I fell into a routine, almost everyday I was either hanging out with other foreign students, classmates, or my roommates. We would visit clubs or pubs together, go sightseeing, or even just watch movies at someone apartment. As far as organized activities go, I attended weekly Taekwondo lessons and was a member of CIT’s International Student Society. ISS put on a long list of events throughout the year and was a great way of meeting other international students. The social and cultural activities that I participated in were a huge part of my experience. They are what made my experience so successful. Without participating in activities on and around campus I know that I would not have enjoyed my time in Ireland as much as I have.
4. What advice do you have for next year’s Mitchell Scholars on daily living: banking, laundry, food, computer use, talking with home, what to bring from home, local customs/ways of doing things, etc.?
When you first arrive in Ireland you are going to be experiencing many mixed emotions. To ease yourself into these new surroundings I would definitely recommend getting Skype to stay in touch with family and friends. It is free to video chat if the other person has a Skype account as well, and their calling plans are really cheap. I would also recommend bringing some photos from home. Just as another tip, as a female I feel like I over packed as far as clothes are concerned. It didn’t help that I also bought some clothing while here. So if you can, try and account for that. My lifeline while here became my laptop and I would strongly recommend bringing yours. Also when you arrive you need really be an advocate for yourself and make sure that your classes and bank account are being set up. There was a delay with my account and that really put me at a disadvantage for a week and a half or so. As far as laundry and food go, as long as you budget the stipend is plenty to cover these costs. Let me just warn, laundry is really expensive (for very small machines) and food here does not contain the amount of preservatives that we are used to and expires much more quickly. Apart from driving on the other side of the road, you may also notice when you arrive a general easygoing attitude from the locals. This can be great but also a little aggregating especially when you are trying to get your class schedule set up or things like that.
5. What advice do you have on academics: getting along in class and with instructors, studying, etc.?
Do not hesitate to ask questions! My first few classes I was really shy and nervous to speak up. It was only until I started getting lonely in class that I realized I needed to make an effort. After that things went a lot more smoothly and I even became very good friends with some of the other people in my course. You really do want to try and at least be friendly with your classmates. I quickly found that they were more than willing to help when I didn’t understand something or needed notes from a previous class. This will help will studying. A few times I joined my classmates before midterms and we held some study group sessions. At CIT your grades will mostly be based on your midterm and final tests scores. With that in mind, do not wait to study the material because you will soon see how fast a semester’s worth of notes accumulates. As far as instructors go, I found it helpful to introduce myself and explain my situation, since some of my professors where unaware I was new to the class and school.
6. What advice do you have on social and campus life, such as student clubs, dorm living, meeting and making friends?
Get involved, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It’s pretty simple, if you get involved in any of the various clubs on campus and speak up you will have no trouble making friends. Everyone I have met from ERASMUS students to my Irish roommates and classmates have been very welcoming and friendly. There are going to be people you get along with more easily and form deeper connections with but there is no way of knowing who those people are unless you get involved and step out of your comfort zone. I promise you will not regret coming out of your shell, you will however regret it if you don’t.
7. What advice do you have on travel and sightseeing? Did you have/use a CIT student ID card? Yes No
Travel as much as you can! You’re in Europe, when else will you find round trip airfare to London for 50 Euros? I wish I could have done more traveling, and it is not as though my travel was limited. I have done a lot of traveling inside Ireland. The public transportation system here is great. You can get just about anywhere by bus. It also helped me out a lot to make list of everything I wanted to see in Ireland before I came here. Buy some travel books and see what seems interesting, and I bet you can find some other students who feel the same and are more than willing to accompany you. Even if you don’t visit/ do everything on your list it helped me quite a bit when planning my weekends. Also, always have your student ID card on you. You will get discounts on a variety of things from bus fare to clothing stores and even entrance to nightclubs in Cork. It really pays to be a student here.
8. What was the most difficult part of the exchange for you?
Before coming to Ireland I had assumed that I would be battling homesickness. Upon my arrival I did feel homesick, for a couple days. It really was not that bad, Skype helped a lot and the longer I was here the more people I met and the busier I became. Home didn’t cross my mind too often until the latter part of my trip. Fortunately or not, life does not stop while you are over here. I had a lot going on at home that began to affect my overall mood and state of mind while I was here. Some things of course are unexpected and unavoidable but there were things that I could have dealt with before I left for Cork, such as applying to transfer to other schools. I will be finishing my degree this summer at SMCC, so while here I was applying to four-year institutions to transfer to. That was really difficult to manage while in another country. Having someone reliable at home manage your mail, bills and little things like that will help out a lot especially if you don’t live with your parents.
9. What was the most beneficial aspect of the exchange or the thing you’ll remember most?
The most beneficial aspect from this exchange is the change that I have seen in myself. I am definitely leaving Ireland more comfortable and confident with myself than I ever thought possible. This of course occurred through all the incredible experiences I had and shared with the amazing people I’ve met and formed friendships with. I will never forget the people I’ve met here and know that I will one day visit them and one day they will come and visit me.
10. Has this experience changed how you look at the world or your part in it? If so, why and how?
This experience has changed the way I look at a lot of things. I now understand how truly connected as human beings we are. There definitely is an underlying and universal human understanding that you cannot really comprehend from a second hand source. For me it was the small moments that made me realize that no matter where two people come from or what they have experienced there is a connection that can be made, and however small or large that connection is when it does occur its only too natural. I’ve realized through this that we try too hard to categorize people when really sometimes you just need to take things for face value.
Tuesday, May 10
Temple Bar+ Kilts + Lady Loch Ness Herself= An Unforgettable Spring Break
It really does not feel like a little over week ago that I was just returning from Scotland. This past week was the first week back after Easter Break, and the last full week of CIT. During the two weeks we had for vacation, to say I was busy would be an understatement. After the trip to Galway I had three days before myself and four other girls began our Easter break journey with a four-hour bus ride to Dublin. We had considered taking the train since it is faster but a one-way bus ticket to Dublin is only 10 euros, so we decided to rough it out.
On the first day in Dublin we spend the afternoon exploring and shopping and finished the night visiting some pubs in the legendary Temple Bar area. The next day we took a free 4-hour walking tour of Dublin. A group called Sandman’s New Europe organizes them across Europe. All the guides work on a tips only basis, so they really try and make it an enjoyable experience. I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone visiting Dublin that has the time. Our guide was great, he was really enthusiastic about Dublin and knew a lot about the city. After the tour we went to Trinity to see The Book of Kells and the historic Long Room in the old library. Although the attractions were kind of pricey I thought that it was worth the experience.
The next morning we caught our flight to Edinburgh early in the afternoon. By the time we arrived, although tired, we still had time to go explore the city. There was a general consensus as soon as we got into town; we were all in love with Scotland. To be honest I was excited to visit Scotland but it was never really high up on my list of places to visit. I am so very glad now that I chose to go there. We were all amazed by the city, and its historic roots are evident through the beautiful buildings that form the town. Everything was really so quaint, I think that it would be impossible for someone to visit Edinburgh and not fall in love.
That night we all made dinner together and exhausted from the day’s travel, we had a quiet night in. The next morning we woke up early to take the free walking tour that is offered in Edinburgh by the same company. This tour was excellent as well, mostly due to the fact the Edinburgh is such a city that is rich in history, I thought that it was really interesting. After the tour we got lunch and the weather was absolutely fantastic so we decided to go the park and just lay around for the afternoon. We all agreed on the fact that we wanted to stay away from Haggis, even though a bunch of locals swore it was delicious. I think we still didn’t want to take that chance. Instead a few of us tried the other local favorite, a fried mars bar. Haha, I think that the American in me shown through a tad since I was the one to suggest it and the only one to like it. The other girls thought that it was too rich or just all together gross. Later on, in the early evening we also took a free ghost tour. Which is basically the same as a city tour but conducted at night and focuses more on the legends and superstitions involving the city.
On our second day in Scotland, myself along with two of the other girls decided we wanted to do a day tour into the highlands to see Lake Loch Ness. I figured that it would probably be sometime before I am in Scotland again so I really wanted to do all the touristy things I could, even if that did mean a 4-hour drive there and back. Of course we did not have that much time and were on a bus the majority of the day but it was still a great experience. Our driver was great and kept the whole bus engaged during the ride and we stopped to take pictures at various locations. Once we finally arrived at Loch Ness we boarded a boat and went out onto the infamous lake. Whether you believe in old Nessie or not I think that the boat tour is a lot of fun. The boat is equipped with sonar and other various high tech devices used to track the infamous monster. The crew is a great laugh as well, and they love to share there own personal stories about Nessie. Legends aside I think a trip to Loch Ness is well worth it. The next day was our last in Edinburgh. We split up slightly in the morning myself and another girl decided to go walk up the Scott Monument. Three euro and 287 steps later we had a view of the entire city! It was absolutly breath taking. A couple of the other girls went to The Elephant Café (where JK Rowling wrote much of Harry Potter) and some others went and climbed Arthur’s Seat and got some great senic shots from up there.
The next morning we left for Glasgow by bus. Although Glasgow was a great city, I think we all agreed Edinburgh was our favorite. Our short time in Glasgow was spent shopping and taking a Hop On Hop Off Tour.
This Easter break was probably one of the best vacations of my life and made me realize the life long friendships that I have accumulated while being here. It saddens me to think about this truly wonderful experience ending soon, but I know that I will be walking away from it a better person in every aspect.
Thursday, April 21
Galway Girl ;)
It has been a week since my sister left and is now currently 5 days into Easter Break! Already this vacation has been truly awesome! Last Saturday was CIT's ISS (International Student Society) trip to Galway. We left around 8 am that morning and our first stop was in County Clare, more specifically Bunratty Village. I have been to Blarney Castle twice now, and have heard that it was rated Europe's number one over rated attraction. Now that I have been to the Bunratty Castle I can see why. Don't get me wrong, I definitely think that you should visit Blarney! After all kissing the stone is kind of a rite of passage if your visiting Ireland but, it is like 9 Euros and you basically walk up the old castle stairs and kiss the stone and they have a couple garden's. I have to say though, I was quite impressed with Bunratty Castle.
The castle itself is set in the middle of what they call a "Folk Park". The Folk Park is basically a reconstruction of the homes and environment of Ireland a century ago. It recreates not only farmhouses and villages but also a Main Street type of setting with shops. Like most of the tourists there I ate everything up, I really could not help it! The whole experience was far too quaint, and I found myself going "aww" on more than one occasion. The day started with a short tour of the castle. I liked the tour and would recommend one to anyone that visits, it was really informational and I found it to be interesting. We then were able to go around to the different parts of our castle for ourselves and explore. Rooms were furnished in mostly 15th and 16th century style, which was really cool to see. It may be a little morbid but I found the dungeon, drawbridge, and the built in spy holes (behind paintings) to be the most interesting. After the castle we walked around the village, had lunch, and watched all the farm animals. After a couple of hours there, we were back on the road.
Our next stop then was at our hostel in Galway. After checking in at the Kinlay House (great accommodations btw) a small group of us ventured out into the city. There were a couple of people in the group who had a friend that lived in Galway and knew a lot about the city, so when he offered to take us on a walking tour that afternoon we were all pretty excited! To be completely honest Galway was probably my favorite town I have been to in Ireland. It was absolutely gorgeous and everyone was so friendly. Seamus (the galway local) took us to the town center where we were able to see a piece of the original wall that incased the city in 1627. Behind that is a red metal statue the locals call the "hooker". It was inspired by a ship named The Hooker's masts. After seeing the marina and some other cool historic spots we decided to take a walk along the Prom. The Prom is a 2.5 mile walk along the coast of Galway. The weather was perfect for this and although we were all really tired after the 5 mile walk I think we all walked back to the hostel completely in love with the city. After a quick nap we ended the day (and began Sunday) in downtown Galway visiting some traditional Irish pubs! Sunday morning arrived and we left around 10 am to go to Kylemoore Abbey Estate. Driving through Connemara was breath taking! The Estate was also beautiful and the day was gorgeous. Before heading home on Sunday we stopped at the legendary Cliffs of Moher. It was almost surreal and it was definitely unlike anything I had ever seen.
In all it was a wonderful weekend and so far one of my most memorable times here in Ireland. Tomorrow myself and a few other International Students are going to be going up to Dublin for a couple days then we are flying over to Scotland, Edinburgh to be exact. After this past weekend in Galway, Dublin and Edinburgh have a lot to live up to. In Scotland however I think I have concocted a fool proof plan for success
1st Avoid anything that looks like it could possibly be Haggis
2nd Search for a Gerard Butler look-a-like
I will be sure to let you know how it works out!
Tuesday, April 12
Goodbye Ash/ Hello Spring Break
This morning I had my last presentation, it went really well, and things are definitely winding down at school. This is the last full week of school before Easter Break. Most of my classes are wrapping up the last bit of presentations or going over final bits of information we need to know for exams. From my understanding, after our two weeks off in April, we return to a four day school week. That week is meant to be a review week to help students study for exams. The following week after that is "study week", during this time teachers will set up blocks of time on a certain day that they will meet with any students who want to go over any information or have any questions, so that week we will not have regular classes and I will probably only have to meet in class rooms five times since I have five classes. That could be wrong though, I guess we will see. Following that is exam week! Ahh! Kidding, I think everything will go fine. I also found out the other day that some of the schools I applied to are willing to look at my CIT transcripts to see if I can get some classes accepted for transfer credit, which would be awesome!
Today is Ashley's last day in Ireland. I came home after my presentation and now her and I will be going to the Cork City Goal and hopefully around the University College Cork (UCC). They have a beautiful campus, but it is kind of cold outside so I'm not sure if we will end up doing that. The weather actually has not been that wet this week, I told Ashley she lucked out because she has not seen rain since coming here and they days have been long, sunny and warm. This streak of gorgeous weather has not gone un appreciated! After the Zoo on Wednesday, on Thursday we walked around town and got lunch then when food shopping at Dunnes and made a dinner too big for two here and ended the night watching movies. Friday after I got out of classes, we went with two other international students to see the Blarney Stone. Even though I have already kissed it and (hopefully) gained my ability to speak more eloquently, I thought that it is just something Ashley has to do while she is here in Ireland. That night we had a birthday dinner with some friends of mine and then went out to a pub to celebrate. I think Ashley enjoyed dancing in her first Irish pub, it ended up being a great day through! Sunday through Saturday we made our way up to Dublin and stayed in a Hostel. It was Ashley's first hostel experience and after have seeing the movie, lets just say she was apprehensive, haha. She ended up being pretty impressed and so was I, Ashfield house is a great hostel in the heart of the city if you are ever in the area ! We had a great weekend there and we both got Claddagh rings for each other (since it is bad luck to buy your own). Monday was pretty quiet, I had a some school work to get done for this week plus classes. In all its been a great week and I look forward to a class party coming up this Thursday and then a trip to Galway this weekend!
P.S I am going to include a couple pictures, because I know that I like looking at pictures in blogs haha, so for those of you who are like me, here you are........
Today is Ashley's last day in Ireland. I came home after my presentation and now her and I will be going to the Cork City Goal and hopefully around the University College Cork (UCC). They have a beautiful campus, but it is kind of cold outside so I'm not sure if we will end up doing that. The weather actually has not been that wet this week, I told Ashley she lucked out because she has not seen rain since coming here and they days have been long, sunny and warm. This streak of gorgeous weather has not gone un appreciated! After the Zoo on Wednesday, on Thursday we walked around town and got lunch then when food shopping at Dunnes and made a dinner too big for two here and ended the night watching movies. Friday after I got out of classes, we went with two other international students to see the Blarney Stone. Even though I have already kissed it and (hopefully) gained my ability to speak more eloquently, I thought that it is just something Ashley has to do while she is here in Ireland. That night we had a birthday dinner with some friends of mine and then went out to a pub to celebrate. I think Ashley enjoyed dancing in her first Irish pub, it ended up being a great day through! Sunday through Saturday we made our way up to Dublin and stayed in a Hostel. It was Ashley's first hostel experience and after have seeing the movie, lets just say she was apprehensive, haha. She ended up being pretty impressed and so was I, Ashfield house is a great hostel in the heart of the city if you are ever in the area ! We had a great weekend there and we both got Claddagh rings for each other (since it is bad luck to buy your own). Monday was pretty quiet, I had a some school work to get done for this week plus classes. In all its been a great week and I look forward to a class party coming up this Thursday and then a trip to Galway this weekend!
P.S I am going to include a couple pictures, because I know that I like looking at pictures in blogs haha, so for those of you who are like me, here you are........
Thursday, April 7
Watch Out Cork, There is Another Mainah in Town!!
Ashley has arrived! I guess you can never truly appreciate your home life until you leave it for a period of time. Thats how it was for me at least. My sister has come at a perfect time, and we have planned a jam packed week for her.
Yesterday we went to the Fota Wildlife park. It was easy enough to get to, just a quick bus ride and then hopping onto the train plus I had heard great things about it. When we woke up it was cold and dark outside but, as I have become accustom to, the weather quickly changed and thankfully that afternoon and it ended up being a gorgeous day! The park was really amazing and I recommend it to any Cork visitors. Most of the animals were allow to roam free. It was amazing because, we were able to sit and have lunch with a peacock to one side of us and a group of lemurs to the other. We spent a few hours just walking around the park looking at the different animals. I think Ashley had a great time, even though the trip may have resulted in a new paranoia of birds for her. I got a great laugh early on in the day when I told her to go stand next to one of the free range birds walking around. She replied with "What if it attacks me" I assured her she was being ridiculous when out of now where the bird began to chase her. I ended up getting a great action shot and a huge laugh, I'm sure Ashley doesn't appreciate the picture as much as I do but she'll come around! haha!
As for my classes things are starting to wind down. I gave one of my presentations on Tuesday and I think it went well, I only have one more to go. Instructors are now trying to prepare us for final exams. I have also finally been able to wrap up all the applications I have to various schools at home. This summer I am finishing my degree at SMCC with the last two classes I need and then transferring to either Thomas College, University of Southern Maine or Saint Joseph's College for accounting. Applying from so far away has been a challenge but I did most of the preparation before I left, which helped a lot.
The weather is getting nicer and there is a buzz around campus that can only come with an approaching break. I am look forward to Spring break and my trips to Galway, Dublin, and Scotland! I will be sure to post all about them :)
Monday, April 4
April? Already?!
I cannot believe that it is already April! I know that I keep saying this but time is going by so fast and I know this month in particular will probably be the fastest! My assessments last week went really well. I'm glad to have them over and done with. This week I have one presentation in Marketing, its tomorrow morning and I am slightly nervous but I think that my group has done a really nice job. More exciting however, is the fact that my sister is coming tomorrow! I am beyond thrilled. I really need to see a familiar face. I have made a lot of good friends here, but there is nothing like family when you need them! She will be staying until next Wednesday, so she definitely will have time to really see Cork. It will be great. Eden Hall allows you to have guests so she will be staying in my room with me rather than at a hostel or B&B which will help her save some money.
Things do seem to be quite a bit more money here. As long as you can budget though, the scholarship is plenty to cover for food, laundry and such.I was actually contacted by someone who is interviewing for the Mitchell scholarship this month. Now THAT is exciting! I remember how nervous I was and then when I was named a recipient I was ecstatic but even more uneasy because I had no idea what to expect. This got me thinking, for any people interested in the scholarship I am going to do a post about what I wish I had known and tips. I know that I would have found that interesting and although no one can prepare you for an experience like this, it helps to hear from another student when there are so many unknowns.
Things do seem to be quite a bit more money here. As long as you can budget though, the scholarship is plenty to cover for food, laundry and such.I was actually contacted by someone who is interviewing for the Mitchell scholarship this month. Now THAT is exciting! I remember how nervous I was and then when I was named a recipient I was ecstatic but even more uneasy because I had no idea what to expect. This got me thinking, for any people interested in the scholarship I am going to do a post about what I wish I had known and tips. I know that I would have found that interesting and although no one can prepare you for an experience like this, it helps to hear from another student when there are so many unknowns.
Sunday, March 27
Exams, St Patty's Day, and Blarney Kissing.... Oh my!
It has been far too long since I have updated this! I am just now starting to get over a horribly sore throat plus time has been flying by since I have been so busy with classes and school outings. I had my first midterm assessments last week. I am feeling pretty confident about them. The exams were pretty short. My exam in Accounting and Computer Applications was only worth 15 % and was 17 questions long. The other test I took was in Business Math and Statistics. That exam was work 20% of my final grade and was only three questions long. At CIT they offer continuous basement unlike other schools in Ireland. This means a lot of classes will have either a midterm test or a group presentation and the final examination. This is more of how my classes back home are. Although, I am still not used to having so much emphasizes on the final test. In two weeks I am presenting my group projects in my other classes and then we are going to have spring break.
Also since updating this blog last I have began to make a lot more International friends. I still have been spending time with my Irish roommates and classmates but I have been attending a lot of the ISS (International Student Society) events. I have also booked my Spring Break vacation with 5 other girls. Our plan is to travel to Dublin and stay there for a few days. We are then planning on flying from Dublin to Edenburdg, Scotland, where we will spend 5 days. We are all really excited and in the process of planning the various attractions we want to visit. April is definitely going to be a bus month, since I also have my sister coming to visit and an ISS weekend trip to Galway. As they say here, should be a real good craic like!
Saint Patrick’s day was also last week! It was probably one of the events I was looking most forward to while here. We started off the day with going to the Parade. I think that we all kind of expected the St. Patrick’s Day parade to be slightly more representative of Irish heritage, so some of us were a little disappointed when we found that to be untrue. In all however it was still a pretty good parade. After that we had an amazing dinner together and then went out to some traditional Irish pubs for the night. As would be expected it seemed every place we went was packed but every where was also very festive, full of Irish music and people dressed head to toe in green. It was a really wonderful night.
After St. Patty’s Day I recuperated and had a pretty quiet weekend. Last week we had an Irish night on Wednesday that was partner hosted by various societies at CIT. ISS was one of them along with the music society, singers and songwriter’s society, and the photography society. It was only 2 euros and we had entertainment, complementary dinner and drink (we even had dessert!) That was a really wonderful night. On Thursday I went out with my classmates for a class party to celebrate finishing out two exams this week. Friday was another busy day as well, that afternoon I went with three other international students and visited the Blarney Castle! It was probably one of the most unsanitary things I’ve done in my life (considering stories from local kids) but kissing the Blarney stone is definitely an experience you have to have if you’re in Cork!
In all this past month has been amazing! I was a little homesick at first but now that I have gotten into a routine and meet some incredible friends, I’m terrified at how fast time is flying by!
Saturday, February 5
A Night in Cork City!
Tuesday and Thursday nights are the big nights for going out here and last Thursday when my class was having a class night out I was beyond thrilled to experience an Irish night in Cork! Most people don't usually go out here until around 10 or 11, so after class I took a nap and then got ready with one of my room mates who was also going out that night with her friends. My first pub experience were definitely awesome! We ended up going to two pubs that night, I guess they were more modern ones. They reminded me a lot of some of the places in the Old Port but it still seemed like a totally new experience. I was surprised at some of the music they played. A lot of it was stuff you would hear being played at clubs in the US but also they had a surprisingly long playlist of 80's music, which was a lot of fun. A ton of people seemed to be out and I got to know a lot of my classmates better! After the Pubs closed most everyone goes to McDonald's, which in my experiences is extremely comparable to a night out in the US haha! Overall it was a great time :-) Next week the business students have their ball, which is a lot like prom only a meal is also served. I'm pretty excited although, and have already made plans with my roommate to attend with her. I don't know if I have anything to wear yet, so I may go into town tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 2
So Savage ;)
I LOVE Irish slang, (as you can tell from my title) almost as much as I love their accents! Fingers crossed I’ll come home with a slight accent, lol! Today was my second day of class. Their school system is so different from ours it took me a while to kind of wrap my head around it on Monday and get my classes picked out. It seems to me that once you begin college and pick a major, you are with all the other kids in the major for every class for the next four years. So basically all the kids get to know each other really well and I of course stuck out incredibly bad. I was the new kid with a weird accent haha. Everyone is extremely nice though, and I’m talking to more people each day. That is partly because I am in two different majors. I am currently taking 5 classes (normal is 6), 3 of which are in the first year accounting major and two are in a second year business administration major. I tried to pick classes that sounded fun and that I haven’t had before, since the courses probably aren’t going to transfer. Here is a list of what I am taking:
Business Math and Stats
Introduction to Marketing
Business Management
Accounting and Computer Applications 2
Communications
I already took a communications class a couple of semesters ago but I thought that it would be beneficial if I took one here. It will force me out of my shell a bit. I also already took two accounting courses but I thought it would be cool to see how they couple it with excel.
The schedule for classes is also a lot different then any of my college experiences. Something that is really different from SMCC is that you cannot pick your class times. The professor and department decide class times. Also these are what they call provisional, so they can change at anytime. I haven’t had any problems with it yet but I can see where that could cause problems, especially since I am in two different majors. One class time is already conflicting between the two, but attendance isn’t calculated into your grade the same way over here, so I am not that worried about it. Plus, one girl said she could give me the notes from the class I miss. Another weird thing was that classes are only 45 minutes long, and you can have the same class, in different locations multiple times a day. For example, tomorrow, Thursday I have Accounting and Computer Applications 2 at 9 am, then again at 10 (same teacher but in a different room) then I have Business Math and Stats at 11, then Communications at 12 then Accounting and Computer Applications 2 again at 1 and my last class is Business Math and Stats again at 3. It seems to work out well for them, its just hard getting used to. Thursday is my longest day out of the week so it isn’t that bad.
Tomorrow I was invited to go to the pub with one of my classes. I haven’t been to a pub yet and am really excited!
Business Math and Stats
Introduction to Marketing
Business Management
Accounting and Computer Applications 2
Communications
I already took a communications class a couple of semesters ago but I thought that it would be beneficial if I took one here. It will force me out of my shell a bit. I also already took two accounting courses but I thought it would be cool to see how they couple it with excel.
The schedule for classes is also a lot different then any of my college experiences. Something that is really different from SMCC is that you cannot pick your class times. The professor and department decide class times. Also these are what they call provisional, so they can change at anytime. I haven’t had any problems with it yet but I can see where that could cause problems, especially since I am in two different majors. One class time is already conflicting between the two, but attendance isn’t calculated into your grade the same way over here, so I am not that worried about it. Plus, one girl said she could give me the notes from the class I miss. Another weird thing was that classes are only 45 minutes long, and you can have the same class, in different locations multiple times a day. For example, tomorrow, Thursday I have Accounting and Computer Applications 2 at 9 am, then again at 10 (same teacher but in a different room) then I have Business Math and Stats at 11, then Communications at 12 then Accounting and Computer Applications 2 again at 1 and my last class is Business Math and Stats again at 3. It seems to work out well for them, its just hard getting used to. Thursday is my longest day out of the week so it isn’t that bad.
Tomorrow I was invited to go to the pub with one of my classes. I haven’t been to a pub yet and am really excited!
Saturday, January 29
Home Sweet Home
I have made it to Cork! After 15 + hours of traveling (because everyone of my flights was delayed or cancelled) I have finally made it! I arrived Thursday at Eden Hall and was informed that most of the students have unfortunately had not arrived yet. Friday morning however I met one of my roommates. She lives about half an hour from Cork but is attending CIT and CCU and like most of the other Irish students living here, travels home during the weekends. She was SUPER nice though and I went with her and one of her friends to the grocery store and they helped me pick out some food for the weekend. She is coming back on Sunday night and we are suppose to hangout, which I'm really looking forward to.
In all Friday was a pretty quiet day. Today, was quite eventful to say the least. The adaptors I had bought back home and brought were the wrong kind, and I was desperate to charge my laptop and have a connection with the outside world, so I decided to venture out. The city is basically a straight shot from the school. I got down there alright and was able to find all the things I needed with a little help (everyone I talked to was extremely friendly and nice). I picked up a sim card, coat hangers, dish soap, and an adaptor. I'm not exactly sure where things started to go wrong but on my way back I got more lost then I could have if I tried. The 40 minute walk ended up taking me 2 hours. But all in all I think that it was a good learning experience for me and the moral is; when your as directionally challenged as I am, TAKE THE BUS.
P.S Here is my room for the next 4 months :)
Thursday, June 24
Ohhh my Bloggg!
Okay, well... Hello everyone!
Soo this is my first post in my first blog ever. Very exciting! I feel like a lot of exciting things have been happening lately namely (drum roll).... becoming the George J Mitchell Scholarship recipient :-D Yaaayyy! Terribly exciting news which has lead me here to my first post. I thought that with this I should state my goals for this blog, introduce myself etc etc. Well the basics my name is Lacy McMoarn I am currently 20 turning 21 in November specifically the 8th, my current location is Lyman Maine (specifically my couch), I attend Southern Maine Community College and as of right now I have one more semester to go before graduating with an associates degree in business administration. After that semester, in thanks to the George J Mitchell Scholarship, I will be attending the Cork Institute of Technology in Cork Ireland for the spring semester from January to May which is why I started this blog.
Studying abroad is exciting in itself but what makes it even more exciting is that it is my very fist time even leaving the country! With my building excitement I am already trying to plan for my trip. So far I cannot seem to find the type of study abroad blog I was looking for. So I thought to myself whats the best way to not only encourage study aboard programs, spread knowledge about the George J Mitchell Peace Scholarship, and also help future and current study aboard students with my experience? Yes, a blog. Through this blog I hope not only document my activities in Ireland but also my feelings during the whole process, planning, and tips that other students or travelers can hopefully learn from and use in their own experiences. I think this is enough for now :)
Soo this is my first post in my first blog ever. Very exciting! I feel like a lot of exciting things have been happening lately namely (drum roll).... becoming the George J Mitchell Scholarship recipient :-D Yaaayyy! Terribly exciting news which has lead me here to my first post. I thought that with this I should state my goals for this blog, introduce myself etc etc. Well the basics my name is Lacy McMoarn I am currently 20 turning 21 in November specifically the 8th, my current location is Lyman Maine (specifically my couch), I attend Southern Maine Community College and as of right now I have one more semester to go before graduating with an associates degree in business administration. After that semester, in thanks to the George J Mitchell Scholarship, I will be attending the Cork Institute of Technology in Cork Ireland for the spring semester from January to May which is why I started this blog.
Studying abroad is exciting in itself but what makes it even more exciting is that it is my very fist time even leaving the country! With my building excitement I am already trying to plan for my trip. So far I cannot seem to find the type of study abroad blog I was looking for. So I thought to myself whats the best way to not only encourage study aboard programs, spread knowledge about the George J Mitchell Peace Scholarship, and also help future and current study aboard students with my experience? Yes, a blog. Through this blog I hope not only document my activities in Ireland but also my feelings during the whole process, planning, and tips that other students or travelers can hopefully learn from and use in their own experiences. I think this is enough for now :)
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