By Ava Kristy, UC Santa Cruz student studying at Trinity College Dublin
I think one of the things people most readily associate with Irish culture are its pubs. When I told family and friends that I had decided to study at Trinity, I got a lot of pub recommendations and a couple warnings about not drinking too much. While I would say that drinking is a big part of college culture in any country, Ireland does it in a really unique way. The live music in almost every bar I’ve been to has been one of my favorite things about going out in Dublin.
By Jordan Hall, Michaelmas 2018 Study Abroad Student from the University of California, Santa Barbara
Between studying for classes and exploring the sights, it can be difficult to find the time to root yourself. You may convince yourself you don’t need to make connections, especially if you are only staying for a short time, like a semester. But, a lack of connections can make us feel isolated and lonely while in an unfamiliar place. I can assure you that your experience will be much more enjoyable if you make an effort to meet people. It doesn’t have to be a deep connection and you shouldn’t try to force any friendships, but finding your niche can give you an enormous sense of well-being, even if you only connect with your group once a week. It goes beyond answering the small-talk questions like, “What are you involved in?” Joining a group or society allows you to immerse yourself in the local culture and make your mark. It allows you to place yourself among the constant backdrop of life in a foreign place that you are only a temporary part of. Continue reading How to find your niche or “home-away-from-home” while studying abroad in Ireland?→
I dreamed about the magic of walking over a courtyard, to gracefully descend down a majestic staircase and head into a room filled with knowledge, to follow the steps of those who came before me and made it into the history books, who made a difference.
I’ve been asked some variation of the question “How’s Dublin?!” dozens of times in the month that I’ve been here. From small talk with strangers at bars to friends from home curious to hear, I’ve been getting by with “It’s good! Dublin is really small but I’m having a really nice time and I like it a lot.” That’s nowhere near the full story, of course, but come on, it’s a loaded question! Being in a new place is complicated and confusing and exciting and amazing in varying degrees.
The World of Trinity 