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Studying abroad at UL
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27-12-2011 6:53am#1Hi everyone,
My name's Sarah and I'm currently a sophomore at Pennsylvania State University.
As of now, my plans are to study at University of Limerick in the Spring of '12. I have a few questions about the campus and what it's like to be a student at UL, so if any of you have a few spare moments I would really appreciate honest answers! (I'm afraid my academic adviser has never stepped foot out of the states..
)
1. What made you choose University of Limerick, as compared to say Dublin or another university?
2. Is the campus fairly diverse, or are most of the students from Limerick or nearby areas?
3. Are there a lot of extracurricular activities students can get involved in? For example, I play volleyball for my university and would love to participate in a club volleyball program if you have one.
Finally, if any of you have experience studying abroad in the US or any other country really, I'm really interested in some of the basic cultural differences. At Penn State, a typical day would be waking up at 8 or 9am to begin classes with various club meetings throughout the day. We finish classes around 9pm at the latest and either complete school work or go out with friends. The drinking age here is 21, and as my friends and I are all only 19 we can never go to bars, we just have parties in our houses. I'm curious if this is what I should expect while studying abroad in terms of a normal school day as well as the social scene.
Thanks in advance to anyone who answers, sorry it's long! If any of you are interested in studying here please don't hesitate to ask me-I may not check this often but I do frequent twitter.0
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Hi Sarah,
University of Limerick is a very large campus compared to others in Ireland there are many building covering a wide range of degree programs also known as the sporting campus with the Sports Arena and many pitches both grass and artificial surfaces.
The lectures start at 9am and finish at 5pm depending on the modules you intend to study will dictate your contact hours. There are also various bars and restaurants on campus and a student courtyard with a shop/deli bookshop students union building, launderette etc
Clubs and Soc can be found here http://ulwolves.ie/
We have had several study abroad students taking some modules on my course and they all seemed to be happy with the set up
Hope this helps
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Hi,
Hmm, my study abroad experience was K-6, does that count?
1. I specifically didn't want to go to Dublin for University. I originally choose between UL (Limerick), NUIG (Galway) or UCC (Cork). Why Limerick for me? The University has strong employment rates for graduates. At the time I was also living locally so it was cheaper. (I'm not originally from Limerick, nor do I presently live there. I graduated 6 months ago)
2. When answering this question, you have to keep in mind that the entire island of Ireland is smaller than Pennsylvania. The entire population of Ireland is also about half that of Pennsylvania's.
With regards to the Irish students at the University, there's a relatively diverse mix. There's also a quantity of Erasmus and International students in the University. In all the Irish Universities a lot of the Irish students will typically go home on the weekends since home is typically never more than 2 or 3 hours away, from your perspective using the weekends for sightseeing/touring the country would be advantageous as a result.
3. There's a wide range of clubs and societies you can get involved in. As Agent_99 said, they're all collectively linked from www.ulwolves.ie Presently there's no volleyball, but there are several others. (The quantity and quality of the information on that site relating to each club or society is dependent on the individual club or society)
When it comes to drinking age, I'm sure you're aware that over here it's 18. This proves to be amusing at times when some Americans are over who consume large quantities of this new found freedom. There are 3 bars (pubs) on campus and another two near by (There's also the lodge... I guess it's part of the experience. Someone else can explain)
If you get involved in Clubs and Societies, a typical day might be your first lecture/tutorial/lab will generally be start around 9am-11am. Depending on how busy/studious you are, academic stuff finishes at around 6pm. After classes/project work/study is when clubs and societies tend to run their activities from ~5pm to ~9/10pm.
While there are cultural differences, since there's no language barrier, there isn't really any issue. We have our idioms and ways of doing things, but the water still swirls the same way here.
What are you presently studying? What has drawn you to considering Limerick?0 -
Thank you both for your answers!
Agent99: I appreciate all of the information about the layout, it sounds great and I'll definitely check out the link you sent regarding the clubs/societies:)
Polar Ice:
1. Strong employment rates...always an awesome thing!
2. I do understand that Ireland is quite a bit smaller than what I'm used to, but I actually love that about it. It will be an adjustment definitely, but I have a feeling it will be a positive one.
3. I am aware the drinking age is 18 I'm sure many americans come over and pass out after two shots..they do the same here sadly. I'll do my best to hold my own haha. You make "the lodge" sound a bit sketchy?
I knew that I always wanted to study in Ireland, as far as why I chose Limerick...the program is highly supported/recommended by Penn State which made me quickly aware of it, but what really drew me in was the size, the good reputation, and it looks like a beautiful campus.
I'm studying Public Relations with a minor in psychology, what degree did you graduate with? Thank you again for your answers, hearing about the campus makes me much less nervous about studying abroad.:D0 -
Ermm...
To introduce,
First Year Phar. & Ind. Chem. in UL.
I myself, am not from Limerick, but living down the road in Cork.
Relatively local, but originate from England,
Which is slightly less local.
I hear there is quite a popular international society,
Haven't gone near it as living here a while,
And many people wouldn't count England as "international,"
As it's a stones throw away...
I picked UL because it had my course,
And looking around Campus as well,
Vast majority of buildings are very modern,
Health Sciences building is a wonder to behold,
As is the Living Bridge at night.
Day to day,
Course dependant,
The majority of a courses modules are in the same 2 or 3 buildings,
So you will get to know these pretty well,
And the time it takes to get from one place to another.
I always thought it to be quite a big campus but really the majority of buildings are quite close together, with a few branching out,
Such as Health Science building, which is an extra 5 minute walk from any other.
Realistically, not too important now, but just to note.
Course itself..
It sounds by your course title, though I wouldn't wager my possessions on it, that your course modules will have quite a large number of people in them for the most part.
Now I could be miles off, but if this is the case, it is best to get to know at least a person or two early on, as lectures won't seem so long and boring then, plus they're a back up to get notes off if you happen to miss a lecture for one reason or another...
I failed to do this and know very few people in my course now as a result,
As there are 250ish people average in 3/5 modules, 150ish in another and 50ish in another.
Realistically I only know people through labs, a few lectures, some clubs & societies and this!
As previously said, career wise,
Without a degree it is almost impossible to get a job full stop.
With one, dependant on your field,
Some sectors are screaming out for people with required knowledge and experience to work in.
Again as previously said,
3 bars/pubs on campus,
Generally very cheap for all drinks,
Student prices,
I'd name them out to you but seems quite unnecessary at the moment as you haven't the greatest of knowledge in alcoholic beverages or the euro as a whole :P
Live a stones throw from The Lodge,
Only late night bar by UL I think,
Been once,
Not a massive fan of the place,
Then again, not a massive fan of dance/techno/house/recent music as a whole, prefer timeless classics (:P) but if that is your cup of tea, it's probably your place...
I think it was closed down for a bit last year for some reason or another, fighting or something like that, not fully clued in, but it's open now anyway...
Again bars on campus are pretty good, much rather them than night clubs, and every now and again you'll get a decent live band on...
Another pub near me, The Hurlers, has a stirling reputation as well,
So is also another place to look out for,
If you do branch out and decide to "legally drink here under the age of 21" :P
There's the city as well,
Very active night life but would definitely go there with someone you know and has a good knowledge of the area too,
Precautionary and all that.
I think that is it actually,
Sorry if I dragged on and missed answering one of the questions.
I must say though,
As a first year I haven't the the greatest knowledge of the area or campus,
But know enough to get me around,
Which as a first year is all you really need to know at first
Let us know if you do end up going here and if so hope to see you at next UL Boards meet up! 0 -
Hey Sarah, I actually just studied in UL for a semester - literally only got back home a week ago. It was probably the best decision I've ever made.
Limerick itself isn't the prettiest place in Ireland. For example, I prefer the city of Galway, but I don't regret my decision to go to UL. It is a beautiful campus. Also the student accommodation is great. I also found that the University is very social, especially in the first month (before reality kicks in and you actually have to study).
There will, of course, be cultural differences. But that is the whole point in travelling and living in other countries. You'll probably find that Ireland is a bit more laid back than what you're used to, which is generally a really good thing.
Anyway, good luck I'd really recommend it myself. 0 -
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Hi Sarah,bluecarolina8 wrote: »1. What made you choose University of Limerick, as compared to say Dublin or another university?
A number of things. My brother went to UL, and spoke very highly of the place, so that was one factor. UL also has a good reputation as a place to do science and engineering courses, and since I wanted to do something with technology I was always leaning to UL. We came to the open day when I was just about to fill out my CAO(application for colleges) and I loved the campus. And finally, the course I wanted to do was only in UL or Carlow, and when it was a choice between those two..... :pac:2. Is the campus fairly diverse, or are most of the students from Limerick or nearby areas?
I'd say fairly diverse. But diverse on an Irish scale, so for example, I wouldn't consider people from Tipperary to be in the surrounding area of Limerick, but I'd imagine if we scaled it to US size it'd be "upstate" (sorry, I watch a lot of crap TV ). But there does tend to be quite a lot of international students on campus as well.3. Are there a lot of extracurricular activities students can get involved in? For example, I play volleyball for my university and would love to participate in a club volleyball program if you have one.
Loads! Think a link has already been posted, but there is virtually a club or soc that will suit everyone. (Volunteer for the radio station too, it's great! :pac:)Finally, if any of you have experience studying abroad in the US or any other country really, I'm really interested in some of the basic cultural differences. At Penn State, a typical day would be waking up at 8 or 9am to begin classes with various club meetings throughout the day. We finish classes around 9pm at the latest and either complete school work or go out with friends. The drinking age here is 21, and as my friends and I are all only 19 we can never go to bars, we just have parties in our houses. I'm curious if this is what I should expect while studying abroad in terms of a normal school day as well as the social scene.
Well classes here start at 9am and finish at 6pm. Clubs and society meetings tend to be after this, but obviously this changes depending on the activity, timetable, etc.
Well the drinking age here is 18 so people do go to bars. But the majority of people tend to drink at home first (pre-drinking FTW!) and then head to a night club.0 -
bluecarolina8 wrote: »Hi everyone,
My name's Sarah and I'm currently a sophomore at Pennsylvania State University.
As of now, my plans are to study at University of Limerick in the Spring of '12. I have a few questions about the campus and what it's like to be a student at UL, so if any of you have a few spare moments I would really appreciate honest answers! (I'm afraid my academic adviser has never stepped foot out of the states..)
1. What made you choose University of Limerick, as compared to say Dublin or another university?
2. Is the campus fairly diverse, or are most of the students from Limerick or nearby areas?
3. Are there a lot of extracurricular activities students can get involved in? For example, I play volleyball for my university and would love to participate in a club volleyball program if you have one.
Finally, if any of you have experience studying abroad in the US or any other country really, I'm really interested in some of the basic cultural differences. At Penn State, a typical day would be waking up at 8 or 9am to begin classes with various club meetings throughout the day. We finish classes around 9pm at the latest and either complete school work or go out with friends. The drinking age here is 21, and as my friends and I are all only 19 we can never go to bars, we just have parties in our houses. I'm curious if this is what I should expect while studying abroad in terms of a normal school day as well as the social scene.
Thanks in advance to anyone who answers, sorry it's long! If any of you are interested in studying here please don't hesitate to ask me-I may not check this often but I do frequent twitter.
Hey Sarah !
I'm not from Limerick, I'm from Cork and I chose Limerick as one of my best friends studies the year above me and couldn't stop raving about the place!!!
Since I have come up there, (3years ago) I haven't regretted my choice once!
As for the diverse of people studying there, my closest friends up in UL come from all over Ireland!! Limerick, Cork, Clare, Kilkenny, Longford, Galway, and that doesn't include my friends from other countries! So UL has people from all over the world!!
UL has one of the most beautiful campus' in Ireland, having been to others I can definitely say that with honesty!!
If you are coming for the Spring Semester, you will have the end of winter, spring/beginning of Summer and that is when UL truly blooms and blossoms!!
UL is very much a 'community' as so many students live in the On Campus villages and those that don't live in the surrounding estates. There is always something to do there, from meeting friends for Coffee, go to the Gym or just hang out!
There are so many different clubs and societies on campus too that you can get involved with! Check them out on http://ulwolves.ie/
I myself am involved with the UL international society and we run events every Friday night in the Stables and they are always great successes, some of them are themed and we always have so much fun at them!! Have a look at our facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/ulinternationalsociety?sk=wall We also go on trips (both day and weekend ones!) and it can be a great way to explore Ireland!
I'm going to stop writing now because there is a danger that I will go on all night with this reply!!! But if you have any questions, drop them here or you can PM me!
Hope I helped! 0 -
bluecarolina8 wrote: »Hi everyone,
My name's Sarah and I'm currently a sophomore at Pennsylvania State University.
As of now, my plans are to study at University of Limerick in the Spring of '12. I have a few questions about the campus and what it's like to be a student at UL, so if any of you have a few spare moments I would really appreciate honest answers! (I'm afraid my academic adviser has never stepped foot out of the states..)
Right, first off, some identification is in order. I'm a first year student in Music Media and Performance Technology, and (hopefully) the new Music Soc President in 2012.bluecarolina8 wrote: »1. What made you choose University of Limerick, as compared to say Dublin or another university?
A number of things, the proximity to home (see below) and the quality of a degree offered being two of them. But the one that really stood out was the course that I'm taking now - it was the only Honours Degree course that perfectly fitted what I wanted to do in life.bluecarolina8 wrote: »2. Is the campus fairly diverse, or are most of the students from Limerick or nearby areas?
Like wnolan1992 said, it's pretty diverse, but on a national scale. I myself am from Galway originally, and for the first week, all I could see was Galway people there (besides the locals). After a few weeks, however, a greater demographic emerged. Now my friends are from all over the place!bluecarolina8 wrote: »3. Are there a lot of extracurricular activities students can get involved in? For example, I play volleyball for my university and would love to participate in a club volleyball program if you have one.
Yes. We have a lot of clubs and societies out there that cater for pretty much every interest out there. A bit of advice, though, only join 2 clubs/socs at most, you won't have time for anything else. I joined the Music Soc, the DJ Soc and the Poker Soc, and I only had time for the first 2!bluecarolina8 wrote: »Finally, if any of you have experience studying abroad in the US or any other country really, I'm really interested in some of the basic cultural differences. At Penn State, a typical day would be waking up at 8 or 9am to begin classes with various club meetings throughout the day. We finish classes around 9pm at the latest and either complete school work or go out with friends.
Classes in UL start at 9am (more or less - we are always a little late by habit!) and end at 6pm officially, but you could end up with only one lecture a day. After 6pm, people either get ready to head out, head to the Stables/Scholars or participate in C&S activities.bluecarolina8 wrote: »The drinking age here is 21, and as my friends and I are all only 19 we can never go to bars, we just have parties in our houses. I'm curious if this is what I should expect while studying abroad in terms of a normal school day as well as the social scene.
The drinking age here is 18, so there'll be a lot of activity in the pubs, particularly the two on-campus bars. There's usually a house party or something going on as well though, so you shouldn't be stuck for places to go.
Word of advice: if someone says that there's a house party going on in Thomond, steer clear. Security there are the worst on campus.
That's the end of my official response to the OP. If you have any questions about anything, just ask on this thread or drop me a PM.
Right, now to respond to some of the other posts.wnolan1992 wrote:Volunteer for the radio station too, it's great! :pac:
bluecarolina8 wrote: »You make "the lodge" sound a bit sketchy?
To quote a friend of mine, it's a ****hole, but it's our ****hole. If you're in it for the buzz purely, then it's usually the place to be. But if you want a decent DJ with decent music, then head into Sin Bin or Angel Lane.0 -
Thanks everyone who replied! Sorry it's taking me awhile to get back to you...I've been away for the holidays and haven't gotten a chance to check this thread.
This is my first post and I'm not sure how to quote anyone directly yet, so I apologize if I'm replying incorrectly but I'll just mention whoever I'm referring to.
@Chris Martin: I think you'd be pretty safe wagering your possessions on there being a lot of students in my major..it's exactly the same way here. They have to instill lovely gpa cutoffs to lower the number of students in it. Don't apologize for "dragging on" I do it all the time (about to now actually ;] )...everything you said was really useful. I also enjoy the classics, what do you know! And I am fairly certain I'll be studying there, you made everything sound too tempting, from the buildings, to the night life...I especially loved your suggestions that I might "legally drink here under the age of 21" :P
@new here: No kidding! Nice to hear from someone who's been in my shoes, glad you enjoyed it! That's always great news
@wnolan1992: Are you involved with the radio station? If so, that's awesome and absolutely something I'd be interested in. Pre-gaming ftw haha, that made me laugh. Thanks for the tips!
@BlueFlowers: I checked out your facebook group-looks great! It sounds like spring is the perfect time to be there, I'm glad I chose that one Thanks for letting me know about how diverse the campus is, that's always something I look for in a school because I think it's so interesting to learn from people with completely different backgrounds. Will you still be in school next year? If so, I might have to look more into your club, sounds like something I would absolutely be interested in!
@OhMSGlive: Nice to meet you..could I really be talking to the new music soc president?!? Is this real life?! Good for you, hope you get it I do what you did...I get involved in too many clubs and don't have time for anything else. I'll try to refrain while I'm over there!
When you say things run a little late, are we talking 10 minutes, or...
Steer clear of Thomand, got it...I'm digging the face, but a little confused on what you're trying to say. I'm not seeing what he did there, hm...anyone want to enlighten me?
Alright i think I got everyone, thanks again! You're all pretty cool people if I might say so myself.0 -
bluecarolina8 wrote: »@OhMSGlive: [1]Nice to meet you..could I really be talking to the new music soc president?!? Is this real life?! Good for you, hope you get it[2]I do what you did...I get involved in too many clubs and don't have time for anything else. I'll try to refrain while I'm over there!
[3]When you say things run a little late, are we talking 10 minutes, or...
[4]Steer clear of Thomand, got it...[5]I'm digging the face, but a little confused on what you're trying to say. I'm not seeing what he did there, hm...anyone want to enlighten me?
[1] Cheers, here's hoping!
[2] Yeah, you'd be better off not to! Come along to the recruitment drive (whenever it is) and see what you really like, then go with that!
[3] Generally, we're talking 5 minutes late, but expect the unexpected. It has happened when a lab didn't start until 15 minutes past the start time.
[4] Good call.
[5] He's one of the residents (along with myself, CJKeane and a few others) in the station. So essentially, he was promoting his own cause, hence the Fry face.0 -
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