How to Explore Outside of Dublin

By Sarada Symonds, Visiting Student Blogger

The Cliffs of Moher are definitely a must-see if you’re visiting Ireland.

Dublin is one of those cities that is steeped in history and culture, and Trinity College is right at the heart of it. However, Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle for a reason, and you should definitely plan to get out of the city and explore the rest of the island. Ireland has plenty of sites to see, and you’ll probably recognize some of those sites from movies and tv. However, while some of these sites are relatively close to Dublin, others require several hours of driving to reach. Other times, you may want to leave for a few days and see what the rest of Europe has to offer. Here’s some of the best ways to make sure you take advantage of your time here in Ireland.

Study Spots On and Off Campus

By Sarada Symonds
Visiting Student Blogger

 

While living in a new country is a pretty exciting experience, you also have to somehow find the time to study. Even though you might have less homework, it’s better to start preparing for exams early, since they’re a huge part of your grade. If you’re like me and have lots of free time between classes, it’s important to find places around campus where you can block out distractions and focus on work. Here’s a few local spaces I found that were great for studying.

Irish Language Classes at Trinity

 

By Michaela Vitagliano

Visiting Student Blogger, Yale University

 

Coming from a high school that was predominantly filled with Irish-Americans, I was not thrown for a loop when I saw Saoirse /Seer-sha/ or Meabhdh /Mayv/ scrawled on name cards at a party function. The two that got me, however, were Colm and Eoin which I mistakenly pronounced as /Kohlm/ and /Ey-oh-in/. Thank goodness I hadn’t come across a Caoimhe that night, for I am sure I would have said something along the lines of /Kow-im-hay/ which is drastically different from the correct /Qwee-va/.

EXPERIENCING TRINITY AS AN AMERICAN – 5 Year’s Time: From 1st Visiting Trinity to My Graduation

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.

BITESIZE TOP 10 COURSES: ENGINEERING

Roisin is one of our US students who is in her 2^nd 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.

If you would like to get to know Trinity College, consider coming along to one of our upcoming US events in New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.