Dublin Adventures

I was extremely nervous about studying abroad, since this was my first time out of the country. Many of my friends and family told me that adjusting to a different country may take weeks. Fortunately, that was not my case. When I arrived in Dublin, I was greeted by two IES Abroad staff at the airport. They were able to answer all of my questions and sorted me into my apartment with ease. I quickly bonded with my 4 other roommates in Dublin and with other students in the Irish Studies program and Acting program. The first couple of days in Dublin was a lot to take in. IES gave the students many informative presentations on Dublin and adjusting abroad, which were extremely helpful. IES also hosted a couple events at restaurants and pubs, which helped the students interact with each other. I took Irish History and Celtic Mythology, which were both interesting and fun classes. Both of my instructors were very informative and helpful throughout the program. Over the course of the summer I had the opportunity to travel around the majority of Ireland. One of those trips were provided through IES, which was the Northern Ireland trip. I was hesitant to go on this trip since it was optional and cost a little extra money, but I did not regret it as this trip was one of the highlights of my time abroad. If you're deciding on whether or not to go on the Northern Ireland trip, GO! You will not regret it. The staff at the center in Dublin were very easy to talk to and were able to help me out whenever it was needed.