It is now a full year since I first came to Ireland to study at Maynooth University. This opportunity changed my life: I’m learning every day in my PhD, I’m in contact with different cultures constantly, I’ve made many good friends and I enjoy every day more than ever! As someone who comes from the American continent, before it was harder for me to travel through Europe, now it is cheap and easy, and I can’t find enough ...
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The future is looming. An ominous statement that every university student experiences near the end of their degree. For international students, it carries extra weight because if you’re in Ireland for only a semester or year, that means that what you may be experiencing on your college back home could be suddenly unpaused. You have to go home and figure out how to fit into a life that may have ...
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Since it’s already the end of the first semester, I'd like to introduce how much experiences I had during this semester and help you build your expectation of studying at Maynooth University. Firstly, I started studying at the International Foundation Programme, which helps international students to learn academic language and skills, from last January until August 2019. After this course, I had the summer holidays for a few weeks before the semester starts. During the summer, I didn’t ...
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As new international students, we are constantly invited to introduction and integration events, where we can meet people from all over the world and start friendships that you will enjoy and probably never forget. Unfortunately, there are not many occasions in which we can hang around a lot with Irish people, besides the classroom during the initial couple of months. I have seen Erasmus students plan their days with other Erasmus students only, which may be ...
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It is well known that Ireland has chaotic weather. If you Google the phrase "experience all four seasons in one day", Ireland will surely pop-up in the results. I found it lovely that Irish people seem to be proud of their country's weather and are willing to joke about it. An Irish friend recently told me "Having waterproof clothes is more important than having warm clothes". This is true. It can be really cold sometimes, but being ...
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Maynooth is a small and beautiful town which can be easily traveled with a bike, and it has a lot of cycling roads everywhere. My quality of life really changed when I decided to buy a bike. I was now able to come back home from the laboratory in the university to eat, and then head back to the laboratory. It was also easier to carry my bags whenever I went to Lidl or Aldi ...
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Depending on the situation, being away from home can be an amazing time simply because you’re no longer home. You’re away from the monotony of your usual life and everything is new and interesting. That was what it was like for me when I first came to Ireland. I couldn’t take my eyes off all the little differences between Ireland and America, whether it is double decker buses or the fact there’s always a pub ...
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I finished my course, International Foundation Programme, last week, and I’d like to share what I learned over the two semesters. International Foundation Programme is held for international students who would like to improve their English skills and study skills before they start their undergraduate or postgraduate course at Maynooth University. As there is a small number of students in the classes, support from teachers, the international office, and its organiser is provided to each student is top ...
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Maynooth has a beautiful campus, filled with big trees and large green areas It is magical even if it is a cloudy or a rainy day. I took many pictures all around Maynooth with my friends, and I want to share these spots with you and encourage you not to miss them when you’re here! The University’s South Campus is older and greener than the North Campus. There you can find St. Joseph’s Square, which is ...
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You’d think that while living in foreign country it would be easy to become tired of traveling. But like almost everything, the unusual becomes normal again. The sights that once interested me have gained a film of normality to them. The numerous Irish accents and the slang that often accompanies them, I no longer really notice. So in order to find that sense of newness, that urge to explore, I ...
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