Top 8 places to check out during your first month in Ireland

By Carina Dozier

Hello! My name is Carina, a student from the University of California, Berkeley, and I’m currently studying at Trinity for the spring semester. I chose Trinity, and Dublin specifically, because of the “small-big city” vibe (much like my home city of Berkeley), the exceptional Trinity academics, and especially opportunities to travel all over Ireland and Europe! I have only been here a month, but already I love the history in Dublin, the endless beauty and quirkiness of the city, and the friendliness of the Irish people. I am lucky enough to have been able to travel to a different place in Ireland almost every weekend as well, so I wanted to share my experiences, to help any students uncertain about what to do while they’re here!

My Travels whilst attending Trinity

How is it already two weeks into my second semester at Trinity?! Time is flying by way faster than I would like it to and a lot has happened since my last post! I think it would be best to pick up at my trip to Amsterdam. The Saturday after my first semester classes ended a friend and I took a flight from Dublin to Amsterdam to meet up with my roommate, Lydie, as well as her friends from home. Here we had a blast, like any reasonable twenty-year-old would. For me, the highlight of the trip was spending a sunny day weaving in and out of the side streets and small parks, that are dotted across the city, on our rental bikes. Thanks to a foodie in the group who was determined to try as much traditional Dutch food as possible, we were able to indulge in ‘chips in a cone,’ olliebollen, poffertjes, and more delicious bites to eat. With adequate fuel, we wandered around a few colorful markets and checked out a variety of thoughtfully constructed museums. Two particular museums that I enjoyed, due to their intense content that forces visitors to unwittingly leave their superfluous thoughts and anxieties behind, were the Anne Frank Museum and the Museum of Prostitution in the Red Light District.

Living in The Liberties: Life in the heart of the city

By Paavani Pegatraju

My first month here in this unbelievably welcoming country has been a whirlwind, rich with experiences and adventures. Right from getting used to the weather (I’m from India), to taking tours and sightseeing, to registering for my modules and trying to keep up with my coursework, and to having tea, tea, and more tea, it has been overwhelming! Much of the credit for this amazing experience goes to the area where I live. Like most visiting students here for one-term, I chose to stay at Binary Hub.

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.

Finding Balance in Ireland

Words and Photos by Michaela Vitagliano, Visiting Student Blogger

 

Like many of you, I’m not someone that delights in change and its accompanying uncertainty. But naturally, deciding to study abroad for a year is a decision that is greeted with unknowns and uncertainties. After almost a full year here, I can definitely say most of my worries – Will I like Ireland, will I make friends, will I find things to do here that I enjoy – were for naught.