How Irish Kindness Made Me Forget About the Cold OR the Warmth I Found Along the Way
Moving to a new country is a whirlwind of emotions – excitement, curiosity, and, in my case, an undeniable chill. When I landed in Ireland to begin my studies at Maynooth University, I knew I’d left the warmth of Nigeria behind, but I didn’t realize just how much the cold would define my first days. I’ll admit, the Irish weather caught me off guard. No matter how many people warned me, “Ireland is colder than you think,” I thought my trusty ...
Read More
Table Tennis at Maynooth University – It’s more than a sport!
Maynooth University has a vibrant campus life, with various student clubs and societies providing multiple opportunities for students. These clubs cover academics, sports, culture, arts, health, and anything else that a student needs. Each year, the clubs and societies expand based on the interests of the new students. Of all these, I joined the Table tennis club because I have always been interested in this super exciting sport. This is one of the most rewarding decisions I have made so far ...
Read More
In China, although the culture of studying abroad is not as prevalent as it was a decade ago, the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, followed by the citywide lockdown in Shanghai from April 2022, reignited the desire among some returnees to venture abroad once more. One such individual is my colleague—let’s call him Benjamin (a pseudonym)—a quintessential example of this trend. In September 2021, Benjamin and I became colleagues in the Data Science Department, and it was ...
Read More