An Amazing Semester!

Without a doubt, my semester in Cork was the most eye-opening of my college career. I had an amazing semester where I met students from all over the United States and Europe and where I was able to experience life in a small but beautiful city. While the academics at UCC were not as intense as at American universities - for example, most of my classes had only one short paper and an exam for the entire semester - I felt that this gave me more time to explore Ireland. Cork is a very safe city and it is easy to get your bearings and feel familiar with your surroundings. Additionally, because there are so many study abroad students from America and some European countries, it is easy to meet people. It was a little harder to get to know the Irish students, because in my experience the study abroad and international students tended to group together, but I was able to make friends with some local students by joining UCC societies. It was very hard to find housing, because there is a housing shortage in Cork and most places were full, so I would recommend starting your search for housing early, and researching your housing options before you are officially accepted to UCC. I would also highly recommend doing the Early Start program, because it gives you some extra time to become familiar with Cork, and because most of the classes take you on field trips all around Ireland. I did the archaeology Early Start course, and I can say with confidence that it was one of the highlights of my experience in Ireland. Overall, it was an amazing semester in an amazing country!