Pre-Departure Questions and Concerns

Hey all!
As my bio states, my name is Heather and I'm majoring in Computer and Digital Forensics at Champlain College. For the fall semester of 2009, I'm studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland, and will be keeping a blog of advice, tips, stories, and experiences to give all of you out there a good idea of what its like being a Champlain student here in Ireland.


Both before my departure for Ireland, and during the last few weeks I've spent here in Dublin, my parents and I struggled with questions and concerns that commonly pop up when going through this process. I've decided to make my first post some advice and tips on common concerns to hopefully a) convince you to study abroad if you're still on the fence and b) ease some of your worries/stress (so my first blog mostly goes out to students and parents of students who are thinking of studying abroad - sorry!)

Customs:

One of my biggest concerns during the pre-departure phase was getting all the paperwork together that I would need to get through customs. My best advice for you - Don't panic! Pack your paperwork in an easy-to-reach place so you're not scrambling for it when you go through customs, and always have an extra copy on your person or in your luggage and at home. Be respectful - the customs officer wants it to run as smoothly as you do - and if there are any problems, the staff we have here on campus is incredible and will assist you in getting things straightened out.

Jet Lag:

Whether you've traveled outside of your time zone before or not, you will experience jet lag. For those like me who have never experienced before, the real trick is that you won't even realize that it's affecting you. Exhaustion and grogginess will hit you at the strangest times, which you'll want to attest to the crazy amount of exploring you'll be doing the first few days. Be aware that it can affect you for several weeks, especially if you have a hard time getting to sleep at regular times.

The best way to beat jet lag is to get your sleep schedule on track as soon as possible. This can be difficult because most students arrive pretty tired out from the flight.

Safety:

As a first-time city goer, I feel extremely safe here in Dublin. Just as in any big city, none of us travel alone at night, but Dublin is a walking city so there are always people on the street. This includes a good number of Garda (police officers) on foot, who are very approachable/friendly (very different than back in the States and the police officers you experience on Church Street in Burlington).

Academic Center and Classes:

When you first arrive in Dublin, the mile walk to the Academic Center will seem long. It's not! Dublin is a walking city, and on any trips you take for sight-seeing purposes, you will very likely walk 3x-5x this amount, and not even notice! The first couple of days, my feet protested in agony, but after the first week, I barely notice the distance when I got any where.

DON'T let the idea of walking long distances deter you from studying abroad! I was concerned about this before I left the states, but I don't notice the distance anymore. Studying Abroad is too good of an opportunity to pass up.

As for classes - your professors will be incredible. They are masters in their field, and will bring up challenging topics that will make you reevaluate the way you look at things. They are also great resources when it comes to finding things in the city and the surrounding areas! Just be prepared to attend every and class and show up on time (which of course we all do anyway... ^_~)

Culture Shock / Home Sickness:

For some of us, we may know that traveling away from our homes, family, and comfort zone will be difficult for us. For others, it may seem easy to travel away, and it might be easy. For those like me, it will seem easy to travel away from home, but you will find it more difficult than you originally thought.

I left home prepared to enter a country that was very different from my own, with different cultural norms, accents, hobbies, and food. I left home arrogant in thinking I could adapt very easily.

In my Intercultural Communications course, we discussed how entering a new culture presents us with both challenges and opportunities. One of the lessons I hope everyone can learn when studying abroad anywhere in the world is an appreciation for your home.

After my first week in Ireland, I was amazed by the "simple" food that was difficult or impossible to find. I was stressed by the different teaching styles and expectations of our professors. I was simply shocked at the smallest differences that you notice when you are taken out of your comfort zone.

The differences you couldn't have possibly fathomed will be there, and some will be harder to handle than others. But they are opportunities - not challenges.

The inability to find my regular foods/ingredients have taught me to improvise and experiment. I know that I'll be leaving Ireland a way better cook than I was when I left the States. Our teachers are incredible people and work with our administrators, classes as a whole, and individual students to mold their classes into a curriculum that works for everyone. It can be difficult at times, but if life was easy, college wouldn't be nearly as much fun =)

If you find yourself homesick or struggling with culture shock, talk to someone: your roommate, classmate, people you know who have been abroad before, or one of our administrators, and know that everyone is going through the same stuff you are, albeit in different stages. As Americans studying abroad in a foreign country, we're in this together and people will be more willing to listen and help than you may think.


Most importantly - No matter how difficult any challenge that I face here is, our main staff, Tom, Lilly, and Stephen, are the most incredible and capable people for their jobs. They go out of their way on a regular basis to make life and the transition process more comfortable for us, they provide us with incredible opportunities, and they have a never-ending supply of energy that certainly gets tested by the number of ridiculous questions we ask on an hourly basis.

If you're still uncertain about studying abroad, keep checking back in to hear about some of my experiences and challenges here in Ireland.

Check back in next week for pictures and stories about our trip to Western Ireland!

~Heather~