After my summer excursion to Ireland this past year, I have become a huge advocate for studying abroad and here are the three main reasons why:
1.Culture
I got the opportunity to really delve into the Irish culture. We went to both the touristy and more remote locations of Ireland, all of which gave us a new perspective on their culture. We were able to talk to the Garda, their police force, and talk about the issues that were pressing to them. We sat in on a high intensity trial that was going on in their court system, and got to see first hand how their jury works. We were also able to see what inspired famous poets like William B. Yeats, James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. We walked along the streets where the biggest uprising in Irish history had taken place, and got on the only famine ship that had no fatalities during the potato famine that killed thousands. Not to mention that we stayed in the dorms at Trinity College in Dublin. I have never in my life felt like I had learned the capacity I had in those two weeks and it was due to the fact that I was able to not only learn about them but also immerse myself in them. No matter where you go or what you do there, if you allow yourself to engage in their culture you will learn more than you would have ever expected.
2. Experience
I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the best experience of my life thus far. When I signed up to study abroad I had no Idea that I would, in turn, see some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my lifetime. The scenery in Ireland is like no other, it’s beautiful as far as the eye can see and the green is ever encompassing. We hiked along the Irish Sea, drove through the dingle peninsula, walked through the Glendalough ruins, kissed the Blarney stone and dangled our feet off the cliffs of Moher.
Even though the food isn’t radically different, it was still a change to our normal diet. I forced myself to always try something new, even if it was just a new pint at the pub.
When studying abroad you can’t skip the touristy things, we also visited: The Guinness Storehouse, The Jameson Distillery, The Writers museum and the many, many churches and cathedrals.
3. Friends
I also got so lucky to have gone with the best group of peers and professors I could have asked for-- I was fortunate enough to be able to go with one of my best friends from college and along the way I met people who I now would consider life long friends. Whether or not I knew them coming in or I met them at the airport being able to experience this together is something that I will forever cherish.
Learn the culture, Experience all you can and make the best friends of you life. Having the opportunity to study abroad gave me a new zest for learning. Given the chance, I would 100% uproot and finish my college career abroad and I honestly wouldn’t even care which country. I learned more in my two weeks abroad than I feel I did the entire semester prior. Take the chance of a lifetime, find something you want to learn about, pack up and go! I can guarantee you won’t regret it.
