Academic Life

                 











I’m a senior in college—you could say that I’ve been around the block once or twice when it comes to college classes. I’ve had great professors and others that I didn’t particularly like as much as others. When coming to Ireland, I thought that classes would be extremely similar to what I had previously experienced back in Kearney. Man, was I wrong or what? Every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday my classmates and I head into the classroom at 10am, usually with coffee or snacks in tow. On Mondays we study Gaelic and Irish culture. Tuesdays are reserved for Irish Literature, and Wednesdays are composed of Irish history lessons from Dr. Marley.  One of the main differences between studying here and studying in Kearney is the fact that the classes are always different. For example, the last two weeks we had a gal come in and teach us how to play the tin whistle. I’m awful at it in case you were wondering. We had another lady come in and teach us about Irish folklore. Another example is that my classmates and I were able to head in Galway and have class in the King’s Head pub for our history class. We learned about the building’s history and had a debate over Oliver Cromwell. There are some similarities too. I still have read quite a bit of material—most of which I have no background to go off of so that makes it a bit harder than the material I learn back home. I still have papers and deadlines that I have to pay attention to as well. I live out of my planner at home, and I live out of my planner here. I love being here and learning about the Irish lifestyle. My favorite thing is being able to learn about such things and experiencing it first hand. There’s quite a bit of American history that I’ve never seen before—a lot that I haven’t experienced back home in relation to our nation’s history. It’s different here. We learned about the Easter Rising and we were able to tour Kilmainham Gaol when we traveled to Dublin. I decided to study abroad to broaden my horizons and I am in all aspects of my life—academically, spiritually, and personally