By Céline Brandstötter,
Visiting Student Blogger
It seems like I just arrived in Trinity College but it has already been 3 months since my adventure here started. I had never been to Dublin or Ireland before so I didn’t know what to expect. I just got on the aeroplane and hoped for the best. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.
by Alvise Renier
Visiting Student Blogger, Università degli Studi di Udine, Italy
Dublin is more than a vibrant and chaotic city, more than Guinness and Temple Bar, more than Trinity College. Are you fed up with the bustling and buzzing streets of the city centre, with all the cars, buses, bicycles, people rapidly walking to their job, and students running, trying not to miss their next lesson? Let’s take a journey back to the past and visit the picturesque villages and fishing harbours located just a few minutes from the College. Let’s take a journey to the unknown Dublin!
Continue reading A Journey Around Dublin’s Coastal Towns and Villages
Eli is one of our US students who is in her fourth year in Trinity. Here she lets us know about her experience of moving to Ireland to study at Trinity.
The first time I ever set foot in Trinity was November of 2012. It was Thanksgiving break of my senior year in high school and I convinced my family to fly half way around the world with me for what I knew would be a very important college visit.
The moment I walked through the front gate of college I was sold. There’s something magical about strolling in from the loud bustling street into the dark tunnel of front gate. Those big wooden doors transport you into another world, a bright imposing and enduring oasis. After over 400 years of change, so much remains remarkably the same at Trinity. The history really drew me in.
We got a tour from an American girl with an Irish accent who had just started her third year here and spent the hour singing its praises. Her stories and reassurances really made me confident that if she could do it so could I.
I met for coffee with a member of the Global Relations Office and a lecturer from the Political Science Department. They both made me feel important, like I was welcome and wanted at Trinity. That feeling, I’m happy to say, has never gone away. As I was leaving campus I wondered if walking down those cobblestone paths between the old stone buildings would feel just as magical if I was there every day. Five years later the magic still hasn’t worn off.
Roisin is one of our US students who is in her 2nd year in Trinity. Here she lets us know about her experience of studying Engineering at Trinity, one of our Top 10 Courses.
Your name: Roisin Donnelly
Your year of study: Second Year
Your programme of study / course: Engineering
What made you decide to study your course at Trinity?
There are three reasons why Trinity was the obvious choice for me. Firstly, the prestige that the name “Trinity” carries is enough to impress future employers or doctorate admissions officers everywhere. Secondly, Trinity offers a world-class education, which is immediately geared toward your major, from day one. Say goodbye to those pesky gen-ed courses that are mandatory in most U.S. schools. Lastly, attending Trinity meant that the opportunity to explore Europe was at my fingertips.
What, if anything, was the most challenging thing about moving to Ireland to study?
The hardest thing about moving to Ireland was saying goodbye to my hometown friends.
How did you overcome the challenge?
It helped a lot to think that it was time to for us to part ways anyway. Even if I stayed in the States for college, it was unlikely I was going to see my friends every day as we would all be going to separate schools regardless. Staying in touch is fairly easy though with social media and Skype.
What aspect / module of your course have you enjoyed studying the most so far and why?
So far, I have enjoyed Professional engineering module from term one the most. The main goal of the class was to design some sort of product for Ireland 2075. It was fun to choose a prospective flaw with a county of Ireland (2075), and attempt to engineer a solution.
If you had one piece of advice to any other students about to start your course in Trinity what would it be?
Don’t be afraid to join lots of clubs and societies, and speak up in class. The earlier on you get involved, the easier it will be to make friends. Also I highly recommend doing the Smart-Start program, as getting to know people of similar backgrounds is extremely nice.
What is your favourite thing about Dublin?
There’s always something to do in Dublin. The city manages to be both quaint and vivacious all at once. It’s easy enough to find your way around but every day you’ll find yourself discovering a new hidden gem, whether it’s a free gallery you were unaware of, a quiet coffee house, or a venue with lovely live music all the time.
What three words would you use to describe Trinity to someone who’s never been here?
Enchanting, Respectable, Sophisticated.
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.
Continue reading MY TIME IN TRINITY & YEAR ABROAD IN PRAGUE – A US STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
The World of Trinity 