I am officially running on pure adrenaline, along with a lot of caffeine. The past few weeks in Ireland have been a whirlwind, complete with celebrating Thanksgiving in Dublin with family and friends, enjoying holiday shopping in Dublin’s infamous tacky Christmas sweater shops, and discovering the splendor of Switzerland. Throw in a few day trips, and consider the fact that I am currently on a train for a spontaneous trip to Cork, and I think anyone would question whether or not any studying happens abroad. As the Irish would say in their lovely brogue, “I don’t believe you, Lauren!”
Studying abroad in Dublin does include studying. While I have written in my blog about enjoying good “craic” in Ireland, traveling throughout Europe, and enjoying cuppas in cafes with cute Irish boys (or octogenarians named Dennis in my case), in between these adventures, I go to class, study in the library, write papers, and take exams. I attend University College Dublin (UCD), which is a twenty-minute bus ride from where I live in the center of Dublin. Usually clad in gym clothing (which now includes my oversized UCD rugby shirt), and weighed down by two or three tote bags, I stick out like a sore thumb on campus – clearly American, in other words. I attend classes for a few hours, exercise in the gym, study in the library, and usually eat lunch and dinner on campus. In other words, most of my days in Dublin are relatively standard for a student.
School is an entirely different experience here in Dublin though. Class sizes are enormous, professors do not assign much homework, and students rarely ask questions during lectures. Most work is independent, and grades are based solely on a mid-term exam or paper, and a final exam. So while there is not the constant flow of assigned work that we endure at Georgetown, I am always learning. I have discovered much about Ireland, Europe, and about myself through my experiences outside of the classroom, and at the same time, I have learned much through my academic studies inside the classroom at UCD. My professors have taught me about the history of their country, including their conflicts, longstanding customs, and traditional folklore, and that has made travelling throughout Ireland that much more interesting and insightful. As a psychology major, I have also enjoyed learning about “Intelligence and Personality,” and “Behavioral Neuroscience” through the lenses of Irish professors.
I have also learned about the Irish culture through talking to my classmates. Most students live at home and commute to school each day, and if they do reside on campus, they return home every weekend. For the most part, the Irish students I have met are uncomfortable speaking up in class, and although most claim to do little studying, they are attentive in class and are eager to engage in small group discussion outside of class. As a psychology major, I also enjoy learning about Irish students through observation (also known as people watching and eavesdropping). As I listen to gossip over lunch, watch flirtations, and examine clothing styles, I witness the friendliness the Irish are so well-known for, the dry but upbeat sense of humor they possess, and their envious gift for storytelling. It sounds a little stalker-ish, but I promise this is the best way to learn about a culture while abroad.
Studying abroad does not entail a significant amount of homework and frequent assessments, but do not underestimate the academic and personal growth that occurs while attending university in a foreign country. Simply stepping foot on a foreign campus is a learning experience, and learning through the eyes of Irish professors has broadened my understanding of Ireland, along with my understanding of psychology. While my Irish classmates may endearingly mutter, “different planet” to express exasperation with me when I claim that attending school is a positive aspect of studying abroad, I can’t help but smile, knowing that I will be dreaming of UCD classrooms when I come back to Georgetown in January.