Maynooth: The Best Decision I've Ever Made

I studied abroad at Maynooth University for an entire Spring semester. Maynooth grabbed my attention because it was the perfect mix of a big and small university. My home university in the US is extremely small so I wanted something a little bigger, and at Maynooth University you get the perfectly sized university in a lovely walkable town that's only 30 minutes from Dublin! Being able to walk down to town from my dorm within 5 or so minutes was extremely convenient and always a fun time with friends. The classes were also very well taught and class size could range from small to large. I really enjoyed the classes that I took at Maynooth, I noticed a lot of differences in terms of perspectives and information in comparison to what I have been taught at my home university. Their grading system is also a little different, so if you get a 60 on a paper, DONT PANIC! That actually is a very good score in their grading system.
In AIFS's program, it was required that we lived on campus in the dorming apartments. These apartments are shared between 5 people, everyone has their own room (with a lock) and a bathroom and a common area that is shared with a living room and kitchen. I absolutely loved this dorming style because I had my own space while also being able to go out and interact with all my roommates! While living on campus, I made friends that will easily last a life-time. Two of them were my roommates in our apartment, and the other one lived right down the strip of dorm buildings that we met while at a pub! It took me a minute to gain the courage to talk to new people, but once I realized how polite everyone was, I got settled in and forced myself out of my shell which made making friends a lot easier than I thought.
Another huge perk to going abroad is the amount of little weekend trips you can easily take to new areas in Ireland, and all around Europe. The trips I took ranged all over, I went to Italy, France, Scotland, England, Germany, and Spain. Having the ability to travel so easy like that started my love for traveling and my yearn to learn about new cultures. The fun outings and activities AIFS had set up for my program also helped me be absorbed into the rich culture Ireland has. When you get to Maynooth, you will have a university contact who will help you through the culture shock, adjustment of living in a new country, and will be there for any questions and concerns you have. They're there to help you feel comfortable!
Overall, studying at Maynooth made me gain a lot of independence in my day-to-day life. Because I was alone in a country I was not familiar with, it forced me to make decisions for myself and learn to live by myself. The experiences I had, the new perspectives I learned, and the variety of cultures I encountered opened my mind and educated me more about the world I live in. I fell in love with Ireland and I think it will always have a special place in my heart because of this semester I studied abroad and I would not go back and change anything. Some advice I would give anyone wanting to study abroad but is currently nervous and scared, its nowhere near as scary as your mind is making you think. At the end of the day, the journey of being abroad is what you make of it, your in control of how you want to spend your time while abroad! The opportunities are endless. And if you're debating on attending Maynooth for a semester, DO IT! It will be the best decision you will have ever made.