Dreaming of Dublin

Kaiti Decker

Dublin Fall 2009

atop Brey Head Mountain after a 2 hour hike to the top (30 minutes south of Dublin in County Wicklow)

What made you decide to go abroad?

I went to a high school right by Marist, and I felt I needed an opportunity to be able to experience life truly on my own and step outside of my comfort zone because I’m a person who always strives for personal growth.

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

Dublin offers a home stay or apartment option and I had to decide which I wanted. I chose the home stay and did a lot of research on my own and a lot of familiarizing myself with it with handbook information and by emailing my host family. I may not have done as much research as I should have, but what I did do definitely helped me.

What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?

I chose based on the home stay because I thought that was the best way to totally immerse myself in a new culture and since Ireland is an English speaking country, I wanted to push myself a little bit more since I wouldn’t have a language barrier to challenge me.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

Mentally no, physically, I was overprepared.

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I wish it was easier during the summer to get a hold of them. Sometimes questions I had didn’t get answered as in-depth as I could have hoped and when it came to registering for classes over there I wish the office was more accessible in the period before I was leaving.

Is there anything you wish they could have told you?

I did an internship while I was there. I wish they had told me I had to find the internship on my own, and didn’t use the website so much as a substitute for answering questions students have.

I also wish I knew about Marist health insurance. Make sure you check that out before you get sick abroad!

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland's top attraction, West of Ireland

There was an orientation for all the American students and we also did weekend excursions which were really cool. I only took one class since I interned 4 days a week, along with a Marist online course. They didn’t take attendance and my class was all Irish students. We really only had one paper…it was very different from Marist classes. The class I took was a media law class, which was really cool since the government in Ireland is much more controlling about what they allow for release on the internet. Most of what I learned came from my real life interactions with people I met with and lived with.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

I went into it with the expectation that I was going to learn a lot about myself and along the way. All of the unknowns and lack of communication I experienced allowed me to grow as an individual. Before, I would have been freaking out and stressing about those things.

Your favorite place to eat?

There was a fish and chips place on the ocean in the town I lived in that we would go to a lot. We would get takeout and sit on the Irish sea and eat it.

Food or drink you MUST try?

I don’t care if you don’t like Guinness- you have to drink it, and lots of it! There were a lot of American chains, but all the traditional stuff, I would say to try even if it looks gross, like Irish breakfast and Irish stew and definitely cider!

Favorite place to go out with friends?

Anywhere in Temple Bar, which is the main row of pubs in Dublin. No matter what night of the week it is, the streets are crowded with people and live music in every pub, very night. It’s just fantastic.

Place students MUST visit?

The west of Ireland and Galway, which is the center of college and youth in Ireland. It’s such a young city and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. We were also there for Arthur Guinness day which was great.

Place with the best deals?

Clothing wise, Dunnes and Penneys had fantastic fashion forward European stuff that was affordable. If you wear that sort of clothing over there, everyone’s wearing it, but if you bring it back, you’re trendy.

Best place to get souvenirs?

I picked up a lot of things along the way, but there was this souvenir chain of shops called Carrolls and they have everything from Guinness souvenirs to Irish soccer jerseys.

Place that was a little over-hyped, you wouldn’t recommend?

No- you have to go everywhere you can because every experience is well worth it.

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

View from the Seaport village of Howth, about 30 minutes north of Dublin

For me, it was taking every second as an opportunity for personal growth or reflection about yourself.  It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting at a café by yourself or in a crowded bar meeting people, push yourself- especially if you’re with primarily other Marist students, forge your own path and realize your experience abroad is going to be totally based on what you decide to make it.