Program:
-
SA: CASA Dublin: Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Ask me about...
-
Being abroad for the first time.
-
Adjusting to learning in a completely different country.
-
Looking for, applying for, and interviewing for jobs while abroad, and using it to your advantage in these interviews.
-
Living with new people abroad in a communal setting and being conscious of cultural customs that may affect interpersonal relationships.
My Experience Abroad:
My study abroad experience was related to my coursework and professional goals. In terms of my coursework — I am a History major with an English minor, so taking two History modules and two English modules at Trinity was perfect to keep me on track with my studies at Penn. But it’s more than that — I got to meet personal academic goals of mine, as I was interested specifically in Irish History and Irish Writing, two courses I got to take while at Trinity. I have always been interested in learning about stories from different parts of the world, which is why I study what I do, but a goal of mine was to learn about these stories from different perspectives. Hearing about the Great Famine and Samuel Beckett through the Irish lens rather than the American one gave me a new perspective on history and literature that I have approached my subsequent coursework with. It also helped me with my professional goals, though perhaps somewhat intangibly. As an aspiring writer, it has been essential for me to seek out new and exciting experiences that can inform my work. Living and studying in Ireland gave me plenty to write about, and it is the subject of multiple pieces in my upcoming Creative Writing Thesis.
Other Highlights:
-
A huge group from our program organized a trip to Galway, where we took a bus to see the Cliff of Moher.
-
St. Patrick’s Day was, of course, amazing! My friends and I went to a pub in the evening to see a live traditional Irish folk band playing music.
-
The arts scene in Dublin was a highlight! My friends from my program went to see Irish comics do stand-up at The International Bar, and we would go to The Ruby Session at Doyle’s pub across from Trinity to see up-and-coming musicians from all over Ireland.
-
Going to pub trivia with Irish friends I met in class and people from my program! It was such a fun way to get to know people and such a fun atmosphere.
-
Becoming a member of the Phil debate society at Trinity — attending debates with friends, and then going to karaoke after.
