Making Friends/Budgeting Money

Making friends with the locals was much harder than I had imagined. Since the house is full of just the international students, there isn’t too much cultural diversity within our group. So we made Irish friends through class, going out to pubs, etc. Once an Irish friend is made, they typically introduce you to their other friends at parties or other get togethers. The main point I expressed to my Irish friends is that I wanted to have a true Irish experience. They really appreciated this. My friends not only explain things to me from a cultural perspective, but they also introduce me to new experiences. Although making Irish friends was difficult in the beginning, the Irish are extremely kind people. Once they found out that we are a group of Americans, conversation typically starts.

The currency thing is getting much easier. However, I find myself with a lot of change being stored in my dresser. I have a rule that I save my 1 euro coins for laundry, 10, 20 and 50 cents for post, and the 1, 2, and 5 cents for tips. I never really had a budget when coming over to Ireland. Instead, I buy cheap groceries and inexpensive drinks at the pubs. One thing to understand is that this is a college town. We’re all poor college students. So no one is going out of their way to buy the fancy drinks or get take out every night.

What is your most interesting class and why?

My most interesting class is called Communication and Social Skills. Sounds like a public speaking course doesn’t it? It is actually a course on how to counsel children. The professor is a man who has worked with children with attachment disorders for many years. I find this course to be extremely interesting because he actually shows the class how he counsels. Also, we have groups that stay after class in order to learn group counseling skills. I really enjoy this because this is not how we are taught counseling skills at Carlow University. Instead, we are learning hands on skills, which I truly enjoy.

Where is your favorite place to study and why?

My favorite place to study is still my room. However, the house can get a bit loud. There are also coffee shops near by that are actually quite peaceful. Unlike Starbucks, people do not chat as loudly at the cafes and coffee shops. There are also places all over campus to study like the library and common rooms. The quietest place to study is the common room on the first floor. Students do not live down there so I get a chance to concentrate on my essays.

Language Barriers

The Irish may speak English, but do they speak your English? Probably not...

There have been many miscommunications between myself and the Irish throughout the semester. For one, sarcasm is a language not understood by all. The Irish have their own forms of sarcasm that are not compatible with American sarcasm. They tend to take what you say as very literal if you’re not using their sarcasm, so watch out. In fact everything they say is very literal. This is one aspect I have to watch out for when writing essays because they may apear to be too broad to the Irish. Second, the Irish use a lot more slang terms that I initially expected. The term ‘crack’ is a term that means good. So if you enjoyed watching a movie you could say ‘that’s a good crack.’ When I do not understand a slang term that is being used, I typically ask them what it means.

Another interesting aspect of the Irish language is that they do not pronounce the ‘th’ in words. Instead, they pronounce ‘th’ as just ‘t’. This is because the celtic language does not use the ‘th’ when pronouncing words. As the Irish were learning English, it just kind of stuck. If you were to ask an Irish person what time it was, and it’s three o’clock, he or she would pronounce it as tree o’clock. It sounds odd at first, but once you get used to it you’ll be better at understanding the them.

Glendalough

My favorite field trip that we have been on was definitely Glendalough. It was very different from the museums that we typically go to. Glendalough is a valley in Ireland with many beautiful sights. It begins with a tour through the monastery where the monks used to live and continues through the woods on a beautiful trail. We even got to see three different waterfalls. This was the most amazing experience. Ireland is known for its beautiful natural landscapes, and Glendalough is the perfect example.

Irish Dining

Just like the States, there are three meals a day. However, they tend to be a little further spread out in Ireland. I think this is because the Irish have tea time twice a day from 11am-12pm and 5pm-7pm. There are pretty good portion sizes here  like back home. One major difference is when dining out, you have to order your entire meal all at once. That means if you’re planning on eating dessert with your dinner, you order that at the beginning of the meal. There is also no such thing as refills unless you ask, which typically costs more money. The best part about dining out is that the servers do not constantly come over to check on you every ten minutes like the do in America.

Although dining out is quick and easy, making meals allows us to save money. We make most of our meals in the dormitory but there are many places to eat in the town of Carlow. Many fast food places are open pretty late. Also, since this is a college town there are a lot of student deals at many of the restaurants. My favorite restaurant is the Roadhouse. This is where you’re able to get fast service for a cheap price. A definite meal to have while in Ireland is the traditional Irish Breakfast. This typically consists of eggs, sausage, beans, toast, haggis, and hash browns. Don't think about the haggis, just try it. Its a pretty large breakfast, but its amazing!

Support Staff & Teachers

The college set us up with some really amazing support staff while studying abroad.

Sister Mary is here to help us with personal affairs like dorm life and homesickness. She checks in with us on a regular basis to make sure all of our needs are able to be met and she helps us with her input as well.

When the airport lost my luggage they were giving me the runaround when I would call them. However, Sister Mary made it a point to call the airline on a regular basis until they tracked my luggage. She is a wonderful support and the main person that we go to for any of our questions about traveling or anything that we are unsure about. It’s comforting knowing that she will make sure that she gets the correct answer or points you in the right direction.

Eric is the contact person who supports us academically. He is not only the academic adviser for the international students, but also the ‘essay doctor’ for the entire college. Eric is the person who helps us pick classes for the semester and obtain our visas while abroad.

Both Sister Mary and Eric are very approachable and encourage us to email or text them with any questions we may have. They have made the transition process a lot easier than it would be without their support.

The teachers at Carlow College are very helpful as well. It is nice to know that if I have any question that they are welcome at any time.

My most interesting teacher is my Communication and Social Skills professor. Despite the title of the course, Damien teaches a counseling course. I love that he gives us approaches on how to counsel and makes us practice different techniques each class. What I like that most is how he tells us how not to approach a situation when counseling due to whatever end result. Damien has been working as a counselor for many years and is very personable with the class. He is able to relate to his students and our difficulties as college students.

Transportation

Since I am currently living in Lennon House (the dormitory on campus) my walk to class is literally two minutes long. However, I do have a class that is on the very top of a huge staircase so I tend to leave a few minutes earlier on those days. Unlike my home institution, classes at Carlow College start a little after the hour and end right at the hour. This makes getting to class a little more stressful for me because I have some classes right after each other. It is not like this for the Irish students because their class schedules are not put back to back like international students.

Mt Leinster in Wexford Ireland

Getting around Ireland is extremely simple, or at least I’ve heard it to be…

I will be the first one to admit that I have no idea how to read a bus schedule. However, when you’re with someone who knows how to read a schedule, getting around is extremely easy. Buses in Ireland are not like the buses in Pittsburgh where you hop on and off to get to a certain destination. Instead, there are buses that head to one point but have stops along the way. Just like a Greyhound bus. These buses are nicer and some actually have wifi. The buses run from very early in the morning until very late at night so if you miss one, you just have to wait a half hour in order to catch the next one. Its also cheaper to buy a round trip ticket with your student ID. Cost changes from company to company but its a pretty good price for how far they take you.

Getting the Hang of Things...

My least favorite part about starting a new semester is how costly college can be. Parking passes, school supplies, you name it, it all adds up. The biggest difference at Carlow College is what I paid for my textbooks. Every book that the professor tells you to read for the course is in the library. Amazing right?! There is literally no need to buy textbooks when you’re studying abroad.

Although this is true for the most part, my professor for Abnormal Psychology encouraged us to buy our textbook because there are so many social care (psychology/social work) students that is tough to get your hands on that particular textbook all of the time. Of course I purchased it because I’m a psychology major and I find Abnormal Psychology extremely fascinating. However, if you do not want to spend the money I did (about $50) then I encourage you to look for the textbook online or possibly buy an earlier edition.

When they tell you that most of your learning is going to be self taught, they aren’t kidding! I meet with each of my classes one time a week for two hours only. Within those two hours the professor goes over the materials that they promised to go over in the syllabus and that's it. Some courses are more discussion based, others the professor just stands in front of the class and lectures. Oh and did I mention that they’re not called professors here? Unless they have a doctorate, all professors go by their first names. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? It just takes some getting used to.

Coming from Carlow University, where we pride ourselves for how small our classes are, the class size was a total shock to me. I am used to courses where 20 students is a huge class size, now I’m in courses where 40 students is average. Regardless of class size, all of my professors are extremely nice and encourage us to ask questions, which I love.

For the Love of Wifi!

The most important question every American wants an answer to, ‘What about my cell phone?!’

At first I was stubborn and did not want to use anything other than my cell phone from the states. My family and I even switched to a plan that allowed us to call and text each other. However, I still need to keep in contact with people in Ireland. The leaders of Irish Experience made a good point by telling me that if we needed to call or text each other (which we often do) then it will charge roaming fees to anyone with an Irish number. That being said, I had to get a prepaid phone. This was a much better idea because I rarely use my cell phone from the states unless there is wifi.

Its easier to just purchase a phone in Ireland because there are several providers throughout the town of Carlow. However, there are some people who bought an unlocked cell phone from amazon which is more expensive of course. The cheapest prepaid phones are typically 20 euro with an additional 20 euro for a SIM card. So you’re looking at a minimum of 40 euro unless you want it to look prettier which I find to be a total waste of money. However, this phone is yours and you’re able to use it in any country you want. Its a nice investment in my opinion and makes staying in contact with your friends a lot easier and inexpensive. Also, you can just continue to take the prepaid phone with you if you ever leave the states again. That way you’re just paying for a SIM card each time and not paying an expensive bill.

Like I said before, I only use my cell phone from the states when there is wifi. The college has a nice wifi connection. However, this is not how it is all over Europe. Some pubs, cafes, and hostels have free wifi or there are internet cafes that allow you to use computers for a small fee. There are computers in the campus library if you need to look something up between classes. However, the computers are limited to what you can search. Its better to just use your own laptop since the campus already has wifi. My favorite part about the college is that they give you a flash drive on orientation day. That way you just throw it on your keys and have one designated for school work.

What if I don't make friends?!

Being in a new environment can make anyone nervous, especially if you’re traveling by yourself. If you’re nervous about meeting the people you’re going to be living with, remember that everyone is in the same boat. They are all just as new to the country as you are.

Making friends in the program is similar to making friends your freshman year of college. In the beginning everyone typically hangs out together and is super friendly. Then once you get to know each other, you typically split up into groups depending on what you're interested in doing while traveling abroad. Although it seems like people are breaking up into cliques, that is not what is actually happening. This is actually the most effective way to get to visit places and see what you want while you're in a different country.

On weekends we keep each other informed on what we’re doing and its basically an open invitation for whomever wants to attend. I think this is nice because it gives everyone in our group different options of what there is to do in Ireland. 

Just as it is important to keep an open mind about the culture of a new country, it is also important to keep an open mind about the people you are living with. Remember that the people you are living with are able to provide the type of support you would get back home.

Getting Settled In

I have been in Ireland for almost two weeks now. So far, I can say that Carlow County is very beautiful and full of charm. The locals are extremely friendly and very approachable if you need to ask for directions. Although it is viewed as a smaller county, there is a lot more within the area compared to the small towns throughout Pennsylvania. Throughout the town there are many shops and stores on most streets. The streets and sidewalks are kept extremely clean because littering appears to be a rare occurrence here. 

When I arrived to Carlow my first observation was that people are rarely on their cell phones. Instead of going on Facebook or texting their friends, the locals tend to focus on who their surrounding environment. Even during orientation when there were speakers talking for a long time, everyone was attuned with what was going on. As silly as it sounds, that was completely mind boggling to me.

Orientation day consisted of an overview of Carlow College. It began with a tour from members of the student union who were able to point out important aspects about the college such as seeing the nurse is completely free or that showing our student identification on the bus gives allows us to have discounts. 

Carlow College

What really stood out to me during the orientation was how they continuously talked about the end of the year essay. Instead of taking an exam with true/false or multiple choice questions, students are given an end of the year essay question. This is a major portion of my grade this semester, so the college wants the students to spend their time focusing on the essay itself. So while students are learning new concepts and ideas in their classes, they are able to apply these ideas to the essay question as well as using the provided required and secondary readings.

They also talked a lot about the types of support the college provides like tutoring, understanding different learning styles, and essay tutorials. However, the college first and foremost stresses the students independence. This is because the students are given several pages of reading lists that they are expected to keep up on.

My Last Hours in America

Why did you decide to study abroad?

I can honestly say that I am not completely sure why I decided to study abroad. I haven't taken many once in a lifetime chances, so I figured this was my time to experience one.

How do you expect to be changed by your experience?

Besides having a better understanding of the metric system, I’d like to get to know different people. I think that spending a significant amount of time in a different country allows outsiders to gain a better understanding of the locals and the culture. I may take this opportunity to reevaluate the cultural values of America and how the differ in Ireland.

My goals while abroad:

• Independence
• Good Grades
• Trying new things
• Make new friends

How I expect to achieve these goals:

• Independence--Since I am traveling alone I think I will be able to learn how to be more independent. However, I think Independence only comes with practice. I know I will feel independent when I have the courage to get on a bus by myself and find new adventures.
• Good Grades--I plan on writing down a strict schedule for the week which will hopefully give me time on the weekends to travel. Although I trust that I will do a lot of studying, I know that the style of learning will be very different.
• Trying new things/ Making new friends-- While abroad I want to live life differently. However, I cannot expect to turn the cultural differences on and off. I know that in order to try new things I will have to take some time for myself as well. Some days I might just have to stay back and relax in order to stay focused on school and not become too overwhelmed with so many changes of a different country.

What fears or apprehensions do you have?

Besides missing my loved ones back home, I am quite nervous about getting lost in a different country. In America I can just get directions from my smart phone, however I will not be able to use my phone like I do back home. From what I’ve read about the citizens of Ireland is that they are very kind. Hopefully if this occurs I will be able to get help from the locals.

What are you most looking forward to?

Most importantly I’m looking forward to a change of pace. I'm excited to meet new people and live a different way for a few months. However, I’m also interested in finding similarities between both cultures.