At UCD there are several resources available to international students. Most prominently the Global Lounge. The Global Lounge is right on campus and offers different activities aimed at international students including karaoke nights and an airing of the Super Bowl. The offices in the Global Lounge also organize weekend day trips for students. I went on several of trip including a trip to Glendalough, a beautiful forest reserve outside of Dublin and the Cliffs of Mohor, one of Ireland’s most famous landmarks. Additionally, the Global Lounge is great place to ask questions about campus or Dublin in general. I’ve gone in several times to pick up a map of Dublin since I have a knack for losing them.
In addition to the broad services offered by the global lounge, another great resource are the academic advisors. Each college at UCD has a study abroad officer. For the college of engineering and architecture, the study abroad officer is Joanne Reilly. Joanne has been my main source of contact with UCD since the application process when I emailed her looking for a class syllabus. Throughout the semester, Joanne sends emails about different activities on campus, information about final exams, and other helpful information. Joanne is great starting point for any issues you experience on campus and even problems with immigration or visas.
The members of staff I interact with mostly at UCD are obviously professors. While the large class sizes (easily over a 100 students) means these interactions are not particularly personal. However, all professors keep office hours if needed. Interestingly while the lectures are quite large, labs and seminars are often under 10 students, creating an ideal environment for discussion and questions. However, my favorite professor I don’t interact in neither labs nor lectures. Dr. Karen Dempsey teaches Discovering Ireland, an archeology class taught through field trips rather than lectures. The unique format of the class allows a lot of her personality to shine through and her passion for archeology is obvious at every sight we visit. Her enthusiasm for the subject and casual attitude make her easy to engage. Karen is always open to new ideas, even from amateurs like us. Since archeology is not a topic I normally study, I was pleasantly surprised by her attitude and the enjoyable temperament she gave this class.
