MY TIME IN TRINITY & YEAR ABROAD IN PRAGUE – A US STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Langston is one of our US students who is in his fourth year in Trinity.  Here he lets us know about his experience of moving to Ireland to study at Trinity.

Over the past four years that I have been studying at Trinity, the most persistent question I am asked by Americans and Irish alike is precisely why I chose to attend.

I have yet to find a satisfying answer.

Unlike many of my expatriate peers, I had no Irish heritage, had never visited the country before submitting my application, and had no preceding love for Irish literature or culture. Instead, I chose Trinity because I wanted to be in Europe, wanted to study amongst places that had a tangible history,  and—perhaps most importantly—was immensely charmed by my first emergence from College Green onto the rounded cobblestones of Front Square.

The small high school I attended in Seattle, Washington proved itself to be of little help when deciding where I should spend the next four years of my life. It was rare that any of my predecessors had chosen to leave the country to pursue their undergraduate degrees and nobody in recent memory had ventured to Ireland for longer than a semester abroad. With no one to consult, my decision eventually fell between the safe and comfortable colleges of my homeland or one that was unknown but perhaps enriching and certainly adventurous.

TOP THINGS ABOUT LIVING IN DUBLIN AND IRELAND

Our Global Ambassadors here at Trinity  hail from a range of countries: from Brazil and the US to India and Hong Kong.  They have co-written a blog post about the top things they love about living in Dublin and Ireland. 

Dublin:

Dublin is an extremely student-friendly and international city. Every time I walk around I hear at least one different language other than English, and that makes me feel even more connected to it. In Dublin you also get the best of both worlds, as the city offers everything you would expect from a capital city, but it is much smaller than other urban centres. In a way, you have the same opportunities just not as much chaos! As a literature student, I love “getting lost” in the narrow streets of Dublin. Whenever a new semester begins I go on a hunt for cheap books. My favourite shops are The Secret Book and Record Shop, Chapters and Oxfam.

Luiza Maddalozzo, 3^rd Year English Literature and Theatre Student from Brazil

 

Dublin is booming as an international hub. I love wandering around Grand Canal Docks where all the multi-national companies like Facebook and Google are located. Combined with the gorgeous Bord Gáis Theatre, it feels like you’re in a more futuristic setting and the opportunities are endless.

Audrey Chew, 4^th Year Sociology and Psychology Student from Malaysia

BITESIZE TOP 10 COURSES: ENGLISH

Keri is one of our US students who is in her fourth year in Trinity.  Here she lets us know about her experience of studying English at Trinity, one of our Top 10 Courses. 

I get the desire to get out and see the world; I also get that it can be scary to consider moving thousands of miles away from your family, so I commend you for coming this far. Honestly, the best thing you can do for yourself at this juncture is read all of the research you can get your eyeballs on. To that end, I’d like to share with you a little bit of insight into the reasons I chose to go to Trinity.

San Diego

By Tadgh Healy

Hi everyone! I’m Tadgh, a third year English Literature & Philosophy TSM student and I’ve just completed my first week studying abroad at the University of California, San Diego.

From the early signs, it’s clear I’ve been incredibly fortunate to land where I am. I chose to study in San Diego primarily because of the quality of education – and in my particular case I had read (and enjoyed) the work of a couple of the professors here, so jumped at the opportunity to be able to sit in their lectures.

ACADEMIC LIFE AT TRINITY

By Anna McAlpine [Visiting Student, Study Abroad Blogger]

The idea of studying abroad on Erasmus conjures up many different images and ideas in people’s minds. When you first apply, if you are anything like me, your mind can instantly be ensnared by the prospects of the new friends you will meet, the experiences you will gain in a new city and the new hobbies you will discover at your host university. This is all relevant of course but it is also worthwhile remembering that you are going to study at this university – not just take a little exciting holiday. It is important to understand the academic environment at Trinity and research it to make sure that it is suitable to your way of learning. Whilst studying abroad I believe that you have to be totally comfortable with adapting to new situations and ways of receiving teaching – flexibility will be crucial to your success.