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| Main entrance to the University of Limerick, marked by the 2 beautious flags |
So I know many of you have been curious as to what classes are like here at the University of Limerick(UL)! After all, that is why I'm technically here.... All of the weekend trips, adventures and meeting new people are just added bonuses of studying abroad. :) With the way classes are structured at UL, it can be very easy to fall behind if school isn't your primary focus. We are now in week 5 of classes, and I have not had one homework assignment. In Ireland, students are expected to stay on top of coursework by completing the textbook readings and articles associated with the lectures each week. It is a lot more of an "independent" type learning style. I am currently taking 5 classes (or "modules" as they are called here): Irish Folklore, a management class, and 3 marketing courses. Final exams, projects, and essays are typically weighted much more than back home. For instance, one of my marketing classes has an assignment worth 70% of my grade, and a final worth the remaining 30%. That's it!
My favorite class right now would probably be my Irish Folklore class. It's very interesting to learn about the Irish culture. As one can surely imagine, this class is entirely consumed by international students. In all of my other modules it's primarily Irish students and a only a handful of study abroad students. In any case, the past two weeks we have been discussing Irish Funerary Traditions (sounds morbid I know, but its highly fascinating) and things like the Merry Wake. Our lecturer hopes to bring in a storyteller at some point in March. Below is a picture of the St. Brigit's Cross I made during the second week of class to celebrate "Imbolc" or "St. Brigit's Day" marking the beginning of spring on the Gaelic calendar. I think I shall wrap this up and give it to my sister Bridget.
A note about the campus- Upon arrival to the university, new students are given a tour of campus followed by a two day orientation. The campus is a fairly decent size; it usually doesn't take more than 10-12 minutes to get anywhere though. I ran into a little trouble finding my classes the first week. However, if you ask enough people you'll find your way. The Irish are very friendly and more than willing to point you in the right direction.
