You Know You've Studied Abroad In Ireland When....

Phillip and I recently found a facebook group titled by the same name and decided to revise it and compile our own list of the Top 30 Ways You Know You've Studied Abroad In Ireland. Hope you enjoy our musings on the topic:

1. You know what "craic" is and that it's not a drug.
2. Everything is either 'brilliant', 'grand', or ‘class’.
3. You know hurling does not mean throwing up.
4. It doesn’t phase you that everyone carries around their own bottle of alcohol.
5. You've said "Cheers!" in place of Thank You.
6. You know the difference between a naggin, a shoulder, and a litre.
7. You learned how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness at The Guinness Storehouse and are now certified to do so.
8. You are an 'official whiskey taster' certified at the Jameson Distillery, but you aren't legal to drink back in the states yet.
9. You find yourself forgetting that you can actually grocery shop past 6:00 at home.
10. You go to Dunne’s with two empty bags with the sun shining and walk back a half mile home with two 10 pound bags in the pouring rain.
11. You suddenly realize you're drinking more hot tea than you've ever had in your life.
12. A three mile walk takes you 10 minutes (walking Irish style).
13. You can't walk barefoot anymore because the kitchen floor is sticky, or has other hazardous objects on it!
14. You know what "garda" is and cross your fingers that they don't show up at your party!
15. You cannot do anything business-related between 12 noon and 1 p.m. because everything is closed for lunch
16. You start to believe that a traffic light is really nothing more than illuminated advertising.
17. You put a pot on the stove to cook then walk away for 20 minutes and when you return to check on it, you realize you forgot to turn the wall switch on or turned on the wrong burner.
18. Half-nine is nine-thirty.
19. You find yourself saying ‘feck’ instead of the other one.
20. You get completely baffled by your friends from home who say that cider would be something girly.
21. You hear the entire country is paralyzed by two inches of snow and could totally see that happening.
22. You've seen Munster winning a rugby game in a crowded pub and you know you won't feel that atmosphere at home.
23. Someone you don’t know is referred to as "yer man" by your Irish friends. [This causes much confusion at first, you think "whose man?"]
24. A toucan balancing a glass of beer on its beak makes perfect sense.
25. You’ve travelled 300 miles with Bus Eireann during 6 hours in one day.
26. You know how to respond if someone asks you, "How are you getting on?"
27. You know the sheep are all color coded.
28. You've rock-climbed in the Burren and actually know what that is.
29. You get Ireland sick at home much more than you got home sick in Ireland.
30. You survived Stab City! (aka Limerick City)
We're 50 Quid richer this week! With five days left, we're planning on using the money for a final night out on the town before we return home.

Study Abroad or Vacation Abroad?

I think that the idea of Study Abroad also comes along with many misconceptions for those who have never had the experience. Although I can only speak of my own trip, its hard to qualify this experience as either school or vacation. It really is just life.

I think that students that go abroad for school get some slack for not being in school enough. 'Didn't you go there to study?' is a common question. Life here is so much more than that though. Sure, the everyday person in Ireland doesn't travel to a different country four times in a month, but they do travel their own country frequently. It may not be for the tourism, but the Irish have friends and family all over the country. It is easy to forget that Ireland is the size of the state of Kentucky when such a small area, relative to the United States, is indeed its own country.

Sure, we have traveled a lot. To be honest, we probably travel more than most of the International Students, but if this is the only time that I know I am going to be in Ireland and Europe, I was certainly going to take advantage of it. To be fair though, if I were at home, I would travel too. I may not go to a different country, but trips to Lexington, Louisville, the outskirts of Cincinnati, and Indiana are easily weekend and day trips from home. The distances are comparable to those that we travel here when we stay in Ireland. I wouldn't always be in school at home or doing schoolwork, so why would I here?

Study Abroad has to be approached as a type of lifestyle when a person does it. To skimp to save money and not live a similar life to you would at home, just in a different country, makes it hard to get by. Trust me. We tried it. It didn't work out well and we decided it wasn't worth it.

In general, we went to school Monday through Friday, travelled on Saturdays or went to the Market, and went to mass on Sundays, a pretty normal lifestyle to what I would do at home. Occasionally we would skip classes, but not as much as it may seem like we did. The difference in school comes with the grading and amount of daily work a person gets. Most classes at Mary I have one paper and one exam which equal your final grade, meaning at least 50% of your grade comes from one final test. Homework is often not bothered with and never collected. I had weekly assignments for my math classes, but they were not graded, collected, or even looked at. It was our own responsibility to do the work and ask the proper questions.

In some ways, it is a more adult way to approach schooling. Being responsible for your own work and success in a class, but in other ways, it seems to be a cop out. Ultimately though, I will always think periodic grading of homework, participation, midterms, and chapter tests is a superior method, giving students the ability to know where their grade is headed and also give room for mistakes.

Overall though I think that the experiences a person has through study abroad are harder to understand if you've never experienced it. That isn't to try to exclude people, but I think I have a greater level of respect and understanding for people who study abroad as well as my own type of connection with them. Many of my friends have been blessed, like myself, to have the opportunity to study outside their home colleges. I am thrilled to be a part of that club now.

In the end, it will be much harder to leave Ireland than it was to leave home. As Phillip said, we knew that we were going to go home eventually, we never know if we'll make it back here. I don't know that I'll be ready to leave Ireland when the time comes, and I probably won't be until I actually am home, but it all is part of the experience. I sincerely hope that one day I can return to Ireland, especially Limerick, and relive some of the wonderful experiences I've had here.

For now though, we are coming into the final stretch. With ten days left, two exams, one day trip, and lots of cleaning and packing to do, I'm sure the time will fly. We definitely will be taking advantage of these last days though through it all.
Phillip and I at the beaches of Inis Mor, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. The water was cold, the sun was warm, and the weather was beautiful.

Exam Time in Ireland

The way school works here still blows my mind and probably forever will.

Taking my first exam really reminded me of it though. For starters, they have two weeks called exam weeks, but some classes HAVE to take their exam before exam weeks. Furthermore, the exam schedule wasn't released until the last day of classes. How can a person plan for anything ahead of time like that? I guess that is why a study week is necessary for Irish students.

Beyond that, the actual exam set-up is unlike anything I've ever experienced or heard of. They set up 200+ desks in their gym and conduct exams in there 3 times a day for two weeks. There are three of more classes taking an exam at those times, and no signs directing where you need to go[which happens to be T3 in the gym], where you should sign in[which you just have to ask], and what is allowed in the examination room[no bags or anything other than writing utensils and maybe a calculator].

Well, being the ignorant American in an Irish school, I hadn't the slightest idea how to do anything. I was really relying on the fact that I would recognize someone from my class and just follow suit. Unfortunately, when there are 60 strangers in a class with you and you've only talked to maybe 10 of them alongside the fact that there are 3 other exams going on at the same time, you're hardpressed to find a familiar face. It honestly wasn't until I was finished with my exam and walked out of the gym that I ran into someone in my class that I had actually spoken to before and recognized. To figure it all out I had to ask a handful of Irish people, all of whom I'm sure thought I was absolutely ignorant for not knowing how it all worked.

Furthermore, I went to the exam, not only with my two pencils(which you aren't allowed to use on any exam except Geography, not even Math!), two pens, and my calculator, but with my notes, my bag, and my cell phone. I was a walking illegal disaster. Not only was I only supposed to take writing utensils and a calculator in the exam (along with my student ID), but my calculator was technically illegal. They only allow scientific calculators and I have a programmable graphing calculator that I've had since freshman year of high school. Grade school was the last time I owned the type of calculator I was allowed to use. [Luckily, the Irish don't recognize the difference because graphing calculators aren't available here like they are at home, so I was able to use my calculator!] I didn't get in trouble for anything illegal I had, but half the reason I'm sure is because I stuck out like a sore thumb at the exam. [The other half is that I concealed it all pretty well and made it obvious I wasn't going to cheat! I just didn't have anywhere else to put my bag.]

Finally after I got settled into my seat, which is assigned, and got over my worries of getting my calculator, bag, and notes taken away from me, I studied a bit before the exam. You would've thought I was a circus act the way I got looked at. I guess crunch time studying before an exam in Ireland isn't something they do, unlike every American college student. After realizing I was sticking out even more, I gave up the studying, put everything in my bag, closed it all up and waited.

Prior to exams beginning, they go over the typical rules and then gave end times for all four exams that were being conducted at the same time in the same room. It turned out that every 30-5 minutes of my exam I was going to interrupted by others getting out, since mine lasted the longest. Great. Irish people are not good at being quite or discrete at appropriate times, so when an exam was over, a mass of moans, shuffles, and keys clanging filled the echoy gym. Awesome. Regardless, I got through my Abstract Algebra exam [with a low A or high B I might add] and was ready to move on to the rest of my week - a final trip to Dublin and a two day trip to Galway/Aran Islands.

I guess when I go back to take my other two exams on Wednesday and Thursday I will be better prepared for the madness that is Irish Examinations. Furthermore, I cannot wait to go back to the type of school I'm used to next semester!
Phillip and I at the Spanish Arch in Galway. We went to Galway and Dublin for the rest of the week, following my first exam.

Where has time gone?

So I’ve been out of commission on the internet as of late. With the final week of classes, preparing for my family to come, and then spending a week with them, I’ve been busy, tired, and unmotivated to really do anything on the internet.

Then enter Finals Week. That will really motivate you to get on the internet and avoid hitting the books.

These past two weeks have been wonderful though. Although we spent the last week of classes worrying the ash cloud was going to severely hinder my family’s trip to Ireland, all ended up working out well. As for classes, they came and went. School is just so different here.

The time with my family was wonderful. We spent the first weekend in Dublin hitting up the major sites: Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Factory, and more. Then we spent a day in beautiful Limerick and took my parents out to Dolan’s that evening. The rest of the week was filled with the real Irish sites: Blarney Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Ring of Kerry.

When they left of Friday, May Bank Holiday Weekend begun here in Limerick. It was full of entertainment, markets, and best of all: the BBQ Competition. Never in my life have I been to an event with so much free food. Each BBQ Team was supplied with meat which they were to make and give out for free to the people who came to taste test. There were a few different categories, and Phillip and I tried as much as we could fill ourselves with; different kinds of pork cuts, sausages, chicken, steak and burgers were all served up all day Saturday. For us poor Study Abroad students, the free meal was warmly welcomed!

And now it is time to buckle down for my Abstract Algebra final tomorrow. After that I don’t have another final for over a week, so Phillip and I are doing our final trips in Ireland. This Wednesday, we’re going to Dublin to go to all of the National Museums (which are free) and Grafton Street for some window shopping and hopefully live entertainment. Thursday, we’re making our way up to Galway, the fastest growing city in Ireland, and Friday, we’re hoping to FINALLY get to go to the Aran Islands! (Pray for good weather!) We’ll spend the weekend in Limerick going to the Milk Market and our other normal activities, and then on Monday, we’re going to Cork, my favorite city of the trip thus far and making our way to the Jameson Experience and Factory nearby. After that, we’ll only have one week left in Ireland, all of which we’ll spend in our Irish hometown of Limerick.

It’s hard to believe we have just over two weeks left, and I think that neither of us are sure how to feel about that right now. I'm not sure where time has gone.
All of us in Killarney! [See the Rainbow?]

31 Days and Counting...

So with a month left to go, the mixed feelings are beginning to start again. It is almost like I'm getting ready to leave home, except returning to Ireland may never happen again.

Most days I forget I'm here. It has become home; I'm often not conscious that it actually isn't. We live here, we have some friends here, we know our way around. We still hear from home frequently, and it all has just become normal for us.

I'm glad school is about over, but I'm not certain that I'm ready to come home yet. Part of it is just the fact that it is a change. I'm going to back to a familiar place, but life has gone on there. Things have changed at Thomas More. My family and friends have continued living, some making big decisions about next year and many graduating college. Not only have their lives moved on, but mine has too.

It makes me wonder how difficult it will be to get back into things once home. They always say that Study Abroad changes you and often, your relationships with others, but for some reason, I thought I'd be the exception. The thing is to remember though is that change isn't a bad thing.

I'm sure I've changed while here, and its probably not even over. With only three-fourths of the trip is complete at this point, it still leaves plenty of time. What is odd about it though is that I'm not entirely sure how I've changed yet. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to pinpoint it completely until I get home and others note it for me.

All of this isn't to say that I won't be thrilled to be home once it comes. Leaving Ireland in a month will certainly be bittersweet, but there is a whole list of things I'm looking forward to returning to. For the time being though, I intend on living out this last month in Ireland fully, spending a week with my family, finishing off school, and certainly travelling.

There are 31 days left and counting...


Phillip and I atop the Cliffs of Moher during our Spring Break.

No Luck of the Irish

Limerick Racecourse is no Keeneland, and being in Ireland certainly didn't bring me any luck.

Phillip and I decided to venture out to the racecourse for Student Raceday. Clearly, we weren't going to be able to make it to Keeneland this season, and we just felt like we were missing something. Although we didn't expect it to be exactly the same, we expected it to be more similar than it was.

For starters, there are about 20 bookie tents where you can make bets, not just one betting desk with the same odds and payouts. From the start, we had to not only attempt to read the program - which was a fail in itself- but then find where we could get the best payout if we bet correctly.

Then when it came to betting, no one bookie was the same as another. Some only took 5 euro bets, some refused to give change, some didn't mind giving change. Also, you can only make two types of bets - either to win or both ways. To Win is the same as home; Both Ways gives you two bets, one to win and one to place. You can't just bet to place. You certainly couldn't bet to show, and don't even try to bet trifecta, superfecta, or anything fancy. Phillip tried with no avail and probably made a few bookies upset asking because he held up the betting lines.

Beyond that, the track was different too. It wasn't flat and it was only grass. There was a significant hill in the track and the grass wasn't even nicely trimmed or even. Also, there was no score board, video screen or the like in the field, or anywhere for the matter. When watching the race, if you didn't have binoculars, you weren't going to see what was happening until the finish. At the end of the race, you had to walk around the stands and to the show ring to see what the top three finishing horses were if it wasn't obvious from the finish.

Some things were the same though. My luck certainly hasn't changed since I've been in Ireland. I'm still terrible at betting on horses and didn't win a single race. College kids are still the same. We had a streaker jump the fence and run part of the track. The track is still the same length and race lengths are no longer either.

Either way though, we still had a great time there. It made me miss Keeneland, Turfway, and just Kentucky Horse Racing in general. We're going to go to one of the local bookie offices and see if we can put money down on the Kentucky Derby over here. Maybe I'll get some more luck of the Irish before then!
Phillip and I along the track at Student Raceday.

A Mother's Wisdom

'Things have a way of working themselves out, don't they?'

My mom texted me that last week when, after much difficulty with our Spring Break plans, things finally seemed to be working out for the better. Our original plan of spending three days at the Aran Islands were swamped when we arrived to 12 foot waves which were certain to keep us on the mainland. Great. With 80 euro reservations at a hostel on one of the islands, a bus trip that was a headache to make up to Doolin, and few options, we turned right back around and returned to Limerick. The weather outlook for Doolin was not good for a few days and staying there would have only put more money into a trip that was failing already. We got back to the apartment, soaked up our woes in a dish of Chili Dip and were unmotivated to make new plans, bummed that we weren't biking on the beach at that time.

But as the week progressed, and I came down with a not-so-nice cold, we became rather thankful our plans changed. Instead of being miserable with a headcold on the Aran Islands, we took is slow for a few days. For the first part of the week, we did the plans we originally had for the second half of the week. We saw 'Alice in Wonderland' in Ennis, we went out to dinner in Limerick, and eventually became more motivated to make new plans.

Halfway through the week, the weather turned beautiful. We went to Tralee in a (failed) attempt to go to the beach. Tralee tourism is either very deceitful or geared toward tourist with cars. Either way, we saw the muddy mouth of the Dingle Bay and Ireland's largest working windmill, which ironically wasn't working the day we visited. Regardless, the weather was warm and sunny, and the views were scenic, even if they weren't the beach.

For our big excursion of the week, we found a bus tour of Bunratty Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and Doolin. Not only did we have beautiful weather for the trip, but we had the most quality tour guide we've encountered here in Europe. From him we learned that drinking from bottles is fashionable, you should buy the book 'Angela's Ashes', today's youth will not have pension when we get older, there should still be a window tax, and many other quality life lessons. We returned to Doolin, the place where our Aran Islands excursion failed, and went to our new favorite coffee shop. We trekked along the Cliffs of Moher [and I scared Phillip to death by screaming bloody murder about a bee that landed on me on top of the unstable part of the Cliffs]. We walked around the Burren, a rocky land that you can't grow anything on and we drove one of the most scenic drives in all of Europe.

After that, the weekend brought us our normal Limerick life. Market on Saturday. Mass and skyping on Sunday. Homemade dinners. Munster Rugby Games. Our Favorite Pub.

Although I didn't get to spend three days on the beaches of Ireland, our Spring Break was extremely successful. In fact, I am glad things didn't work out the way they were supposed to. Now we can return to the Islands in better weather. We got to see the Cliffs of Moher. Everything worked itself out.

That, though, seems to be the theme of this trip. Often things don't go the way we panned, but somehow everything always works out better than planned. As for future plans, the Easter Bunny brought us Munster Rugby tickets and the day after the game, my family comes to visit! We just have to get through these next two (and last two) weeks of classes, then its smooth sailing until we come home.
Phillip and I on the West Coast of Ireland during our Friday Bus Tour.