This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Holy Cross chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This year, I am studying abroad at Trinity College and have been in the lovely city of Dublin for over a month. So far, here is what I have seen, experienced, and learned about living abroad and studying at a different school.
- Living in a New City
- Living in Dublin has been a fantastic, but also very different experience for me. I have never lived alone like this and now being in a new country, it has allowed me to try new things and my personal favorite – strolling around the city. I have loved being able to solo-explore Dublin, whether it is walking in the city center and stopping inside a cafe or crossing the River Liffe to go shopping. I find that listening to music and aimlessly strolling the city has made me feel more comfortable in such a unique place.
- Academics
- The largest difference for me with academics would be in regards to class size. In comparison to Holy Cross, the classes here are larger. Going from a school where my largest lecture was 46 people to a school where my smallest lecture is 75 made me feel a bit panicked as I like knowing my professor and feeling like my professor knows me. However, this feeling of anxiety began to change for the better as I saw that lectures were not the only part of the course, but that they also consisted of something called a “tutorial” which was a discussion-based class with around 20 students. The addition of tutorials to the classes made it feel more tailored and also allowed me to talk about the course materials with other students.
- Social
- Before heading to Dublin, I did not know any of the people from Holy Cross attending the program or any other students at Trinity. After being here for five weeks, we all became close and I feel like I have gotten to know them very well. It is nice to have a familiar face around campus or in an apartment building, overall making the adjustment easier. I have also made friends through my tutorials and by participating in different societies on campus. Just last week, I met various people as a part of the hiking club and even got to go swimming at the beach. If you are nervous about not knowing anyone when going abroad, just know that you will find your people.
Although I have only been here for a month, I have started to get a better understanding of the workings of Dublin and am still learning each day. I do miss Holy Cross but I am glad to be here with the friends I have made, traveling a new city.