Sean Collings '24 |
Describe your study abroad experience in Five Words. A very unique life experience Why did you choose to study abroad? How / why did you select your particular study abroad program or location? UCC offered the most relevant courses that would transfer back to Siena well. I wanted to study abroad because all of my friends that I would live with graduated and I didn't want to live with new people. Describe the culture of your study abroad location. Think of the people, the size of the city / town, traditions, music, daily life, etc. Cork was very lively in certain areas, peaceful and friendly. Lots of Thursday jazz and a pub every other storefront. It felt like a really nice place to retire. What was your favorite cultural tradition you learned or took part in abroad? This could be a daily habit, social activity, holiday, etc. Walking and cooking lamb. Did you experience culture shock? In what ways? When I first got there I didn't eat and was afraid to buy things for the apartment. It took me about two weeks to get into a grocery shopping habit and understand how to sustain myself. Name a restaurant / café that any student should visit if they study abroad on your host city. Room 115 for jazz night on Thursdays! Describe your travel experiences. How much did you travel in your host country or surrounding countries? Did you go alone or with friends? How did you plan out your travels, and was this easy or difficult, cheap or expensive? What was your favorite place you traveled to? I went to one new country a month! They were all very affordable, especially through Ryanair. In Edinburgh, Scotland I stayed at a hostel with my friend Sean where we met two guys from Australia and New Zealand! In November me and 3 of my other friends went to Belgium and stayed in an incredible Airbnb. Finally, we got all the guys together to do a big Italian road-trip, staying in 3 different Airbnb's. All of this was incredibly affordable divided among 5 people. Italy was the greatest, most wild experience ever. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was; I don't think I have fully processed it yet. | Describe your academic coursework abroad. What types of classes did you take? What was your favorite class, and why? How were the classes different from Siena? Early start archaeology allowed me to travel around Ireland and see the most amazing things. I also took finance, which was terribly difficult and the courses were much different. Final exams were 100% of the final grade, no attendance and no help labs. Describe your housing abroad. Did you live in a residence hall, a shared apartment, or with a host family? I lived in an apartment complex partnered with UCC. It had a large shared kitchen and living space which was great for Thanksgiving and watching football on Sundays. However, we all had our own rooms with private bathrooms. Personally, I lived with 6 girls, 4 of which were from China, 1 from France, and 1 from Ireland. It was a little strange that I had randomly gotten placed with them, but I made good friends with Zoe from France and Katie from Ireland! All but Katie were doing their first year as international exchange students, so Katie was really helpful in navigating Cork and UCC. Describe the food in your study abroad host country. What was your favorite dish? What was the most unusual thing you ate? I didn't go out for food much, mostly because it was very expensive. During my last week there I finally decided to get a spice bag, which is a popular fast food dish consisting of chicken, fries, lots of different seasonings, onions and so much more. The most unusual thing I ate was liver, which I made for dinner after a long day of flying back from Italy. |
Life is short, so appreciate everything that happens during it and money management.
What advice would you give to students interested in studying abroad?
This could be anything! Think about what resources you should use to identify your study abroad location, what you should do while abroad, how to budget yourself abroad, what to pack, etc.
What is one item every student should bring with them when they study abroad?
A camera if you have one!
Leave a Reply.
Author
Showcasing international experiences of the Siena community. For more info, visit the Center for International Programs in Foy Hall 301 or check out our website, siena.edu/studyabroad
Archives
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
Categories
All
Africa
Asia
Australia & Oceania
Europe
South America
Tips & Tricks