"Study" Abroad

Hello all! At this stage in my "study" abroad career, it is due time that I discuss this concept we call "classes." They aren't on the forefront of our minds here while we're in Ireland, if you can't tell. Regardless, I am still a student of some kind, and thought I'd give a rundown of what the student life here is like in Galway!

I attend the largest university in this city, called the National University of Ireland. The walk to class from my apartment complex is about 25 minutes one-way, but I often don't mind-- it refreshes me more than you can imagine to breathe the fresh Irish air, watch locals with their children and dogs in the yards of their lovely houses, and generally have an opportunity to slow down and reflect on my thoughts. (The ivy-covered lodge on the left there is my favorite, and the picture on the right is a good example of how lovely a sunny walk can be!)

The oldest building on the campus was built at the university's opening in the early 1800s. It's quite lovely, and once you enter through the archway and stand in the grassy quad, the silence of two hundred years quiets the busy hum of modern life.

A panorama view of all four sides of the inside of the Quad

The ivy-covered exterior in the last daylight of an afternoon

As for the dreaded classes themselves, they are, honestly speaking, not that bad at all. As opposed to 5 classes at Vanderbilt, here I take 6; however, they only meet two hours a week, and I thus have less physical class time. All of my classes (save one seminar) are lecture based and have no attendance policies. In addition to this blase attitude, there are no assignments due EVER. I repeat: there are no quizzes, no homework, no tests, no papers. The only recommendations the professors give are weekly readings that go along with the lectures, but these are by no means mandatory. The single grade that I have for every class is ONE essay due at the end of the three-month semester--which is only about 6 pages in length, total. At first, this jostled our American sense of intense university work. What do we do all the time? And the single final essay scared us to death. How can our entire grade come down to the measly written ideas and tentative style of an undergraduate mind?? However, after speaking with Irish students, they assured us that it is, in fact, as simple as it sounds. What a change of pace!! We American students can't complain though-- it's a perfect set-up for us. On top of all this, the Irish student's typical week is actually inverted compared to that of an American's: They go to class in the mornings and go to pubs on week nights, and then they actually all go home for the weekends, where they do their reading and any other work. A city deserted of students has definitely been an adjustment for us, but it leaves weekends free for travel!
[Seriously speaking though, I consider the European approach to higher education very flawed in comparison to the system I have become used to. The "do-it-yourself" style here hampers creativity and work ethic, and promotes an attitude of only committing whatever minimum effort is necessary to pass. This has been very interesting for me, since I plan to probably enter the education field as a career some day.]

Lastly, to end on a fun note: Clubs! Sports clubs are huge here at NUIGalway. The club that I chose is one skill that I have been desperate to pursue my entire life--Archery!! As silly as it sounds, archery requires intense technical skill and concentration. While we may not be great, it's a great activity, and we are improving. Who knows; maybe I'll be a master archer by the end of my stay :)

My very first bulls-eye ;)