Spring semester in Ireland at University College Dublin

Jason is spending the spring semester at UCD in Dublin, taking classes there at the University with Irish students. Here's a report he sent while preparing for final exams:

"We arrived in Dublin on that fateful day of January 11th, a week earlier than orientation stipulated in order to secure rooms and comfort in our new accommodation, a quaint little townhouse right near city center. Living with all Americans has really made for a smooth transition to the emerald isle. We found quickly that Ireland and America share a lot more than a common language (McDonald's! for instance).

After spending a week "exploring" the charm (and pints) that Dublin has to offer we finally were able to become acquainted with our new place of higher education, University College Dublin. UCD is home to about 22,000 undergraduates and is a intellectual hub in Ireland as well as Europe. This semester I took Investment and Portfolio Management, European Union and Business Enterprise, International Marketing, and Irish History. The courses in the Quinn school are structured much the same as American Universities minus the grading system (a 70 is considered an A) and the fact that 80% of your final grade is weighted on the final.

You soon find out living in Ireland why most people come to visit, the people. A traditional Irish welcome is no myth and everyone is a character as well as curious as to your story. Everyone from the teachers, students, landlords, and shopkeepers really go out of their way to make sure you have their attention and you feel comfortable and at home. They really have been some of the most interesting and entertaining people I have met in my life.

Most of the students in the school participate in extracurricular activities and that's where most of the socializing is done as well. So far I've played with a few soccer clubs and went on a weekend excursion to Limerick with the softball team. I've been fortunate to make good friends with some Irish but have also made connections all across America as well.

Abroad students, especially in the Quinn school of business, are treated especially well as we have a meeting with free food and coffee every week that outlines how we are doing and what trips and extracurricular activities are scheduled for the coming week. So far we've been taken to several plays, a trip to Belfast, hiking in the Wicklow mountains, a trip to Kilkenny, and a farewell banquet sadly coming up next week.

The structure of the semester is also different from America. Our spring break was a three week block in the middle of March and finals are a month long (I have three weeks off). The semester out here runs a little longer so you have more time to enjoy all that Ireland and Europe has to offer in your time off!"