Just yesterday I heard 4 people say “I can’t believe we’ve already been here two weeks”. The beginning of my semester in Ireland so far has been a testament to the old adage: “time flies…”. This week was primarily made up of classes, clubs, and exploring our local city, Limerick.
Contrary to all the warnings they give you before you leave and when you arrive, the academic model here in Ireland is similar to that in the US. One of the only two differences is that classes often have what is called a “tutorial” session where a big lecture may be broken into smaller groups one day a week for more interactive problem solving, etc. This is rare in the US, but Northeastern has a couple classes with a similar structure (Physics 1 with ILS), and I have heard of some similar class styles at other schools around the US as well. More important than that is the way grading works. As opposed to the 94% you need to get an 4.0 GPA in most classes I’ve taken at Northeastern, classes here have a percentage grade of only 76% equating to a 4.0 GPA, and many classes grades are determined wholly by a final exam, with no graded works or homework during the semester. This structure really forces you to stay on top of your studying all semester long without any intermediary incentives, and makes for quite a stressful finals week. Fortunately for me, most of my classes here have semester long group projects which make up 40-60% of my final grade, in conjunction with the final exam to alleviate some of that exam pressure.
University of Limerick also offers a wide variety of clubs and societies, and I’ve elected to join the UL Windsports Club (sailing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing) to get me outside on the weekends and try something new. While the weather here is colder than Boston in September and October (60 degrees Fahrenheit as an average high) those sports might not sound too appealing, but I’ve been assured they have plenty of wetsuits to keep me warm. Plus, trying to stay dry in Ireland is futile, so I might as well get in the water right? There’s also plenty of clubs you might not see as often in the US, particularly a skydiving club, hurling (Ireland’s national sport), and a Gaelic society.
This weekend I also spent time downtown in Limerick city on both Friday and Saturday to check out Elemental: Limerick Art Festival. It was a small festival, part of a larger effort by the city of Limerick to promote artistic and historical events in the city as they are in the running for “European Capital of Culture” for the year 2020. Every year the EU designates a deserving city that title for a year, and they host a series of events with the hopes of boosting tourism. Limerick is currently vying for that title 3 years down the road, and it shows. Everywhere you look: stickers, art, stencils, all saying “Limerick: 2020”. It’s so prevalent that it’s already become a sort of joke among our friends here, every time we see something even remotely nice looking we want to slap a Limerick 2020 sticker on it.
While we may make fun, it’s actually great fortune that we happen to be in Limerick during a time when the city – historically known around Ireland and the UK as being un-safe, some even calling it “stab-city” – is undergoing a period of intense rejuvenation and celebration of its cultural significance. Limerick had some scattered art exhibits, street performers, workshops, history lessons, movie showings, and performances throughout the weekend as part of the festival. It also gave us the excuse to simply walk around and get to know the city. We popped into plenty of bookstores, thrift stores, and coffee shops getting a real feel for the quaint Irish city.
The main takeaways of my explorations are this:
- Limerick LOVE’s thrift shops, especially for charity! I can’t even count how many we passed this weekend, not to mention the weekly shops at the outdoor market. If anyone needs anything on VHS back home let me know.
- Drip coffee is very rare here. Like in much of Europe, they prefer espresso based drinks. If you ask for a coffee, you will be served an americano.
- It’s harder to find food at 8 pm other than beer. Most bars and pubs only serve breakfast and lunch.
- American culture has a strong presence. New York Yankees hats, Hollister Cali Surf Team shirts, and “Make America Great Again” stickers are abundant. Additionally, music and literature playing in shops and lining the shelves is seemingly indistinguishable from home, with the notable exception of Irish cookbooks.
- Young men in Ireland wear joggers almost exclusively. If you walk down any given street, or on campus, I’d estimate about 75% of them are wearing joggers, and probably 75% of THOSE are Adidas brand. I never thought I would feel out of place for simply wearing pants.
And the final thing that made this week significant was planning more travel. A schedule was released from the International society that shows when and where they are organizing group outings around Ireland to throughout the rest of the semester. That way I was able to plan what weekends I would be available to take trips to some other semi-local destinations I want to see while travelling there is so cost effective. I was able to book a trip to London for a 4 day weekend, and a short trip to Edinburgh and Glasgow for a 2 day weekend (flights and accommodation) for just a couple hundred bucks. Additionally, I’m looking for the chance to spend a weekend in Dublin at some point, and to venture out into mainland Europe in the week long break we have before finals. I’m grateful to be studying in a place with such easy access to travel to a variety of other close and cost effective, but diverse places. This is one of the huge benefits to studying abroad in Europe. Having such a great diversity in cities and cultures that are well worth exploring within a relatively small geographical area makes for many opportunities for economical travel. Knowing that these trips are coming up may make the next week of heavier coursework drag on, but the addition of UL Windsports to my schedule should keep me entertained, and I know I have plenty to look forward to!
