Why the National University of Ireland, Maynooth Is the Best of Both Worlds

The National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM) is the best of both worlds, in so many different ways. Here’s three of them!

1. NUIM is the second oldest university in Ireland, and yet it is also the fastest growing university in Ireland. The campus is actually split up into two campuses: the South campus and the North campus. The South campus dates all the way back to the early 1800’s. There’s even a castle that’s apart of the South campus! Meanwhile, the North campus has some of the most modern and state of the art buildings Ireland has ever seen.

We Want to Hear from YOU!

ISA, Interstudy‘s partner organization, has had an awesome student blog since 2009. The ISA student blog has served as an open forum for ISA students to explore all aspects of the study abroad experience through stories, photos, and other media, and will now serve the same purpose for Interstudy too! The goal of the blog is to help prospective students get an inside view of what life is like as an ISA/Interstudy participant so they can make an informed decision about which study abroad location best suits their academic and personal goals.

There’s THREE Different Programs in Dublin?!

Yes, you heard correctly; there are three different programs in Dublin, Ireland! Interstudy has programs at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, University College Dublin, and Trinity College Dublin. You might ask why are there three different programs in one city? These three programs might be in the same city, but they could not be more unique from one another!

Meet our New (and Furry) Office Mate for the Week

Meet Interstudy‘s new employee for the week… Cove! Cove is the dog of Interstudy‘s Director of University Relations, Paul Pelan. Cove is a Border Collie who’s FIFTEEN years old! According to one dog age conversion online, Cove would be 83 years old in human years! Cove is from Cobh, Ireland and has lived in Ireland, England, and the US. Cobh, Ireland is a popular tourist seaport town in the County Cork of Ireland, and is actually very close to one of Interstudy‘s program sites in Cork!

Don’t Panic… There’s Still Time!

Forgot or ran out of time to submit your Fall 2013 Interstudy study abroad application? Don’t panic! Many of the application deadlines have been extended!

Meet Your Match: Tips on Choosing a Program

Soon you’ll be headed back to school, and it will be time to start finalizing your plans for your time abroad. Whether you’re thinking about going to the bustling city of London, the beautiful wine region of Stellenbosch, or perhaps the historic town of Galway, Ireland, you’re in for a fresh perspective and wonderful memories.

You might think that coming to a conclusion on where to study is an easy decision. I mean, no matter where you decide to go it is going to be a life changing experience right? While this is not completely wrong, there are still key elements to consider before finalizing the decision of where you want to go abroad. To help, we’d like to share a list of factors to consider when choosing a study abroad program.

Britain and Ireland Bucket List

In just around a month’s time our students studying abroad in Britain, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland will touch down and begin their journeys. So, just as we did for the incoming South African students, we at Interstudy have constructed a new ‘Road Less Traveled’ Bucket List, this time focusing on the UK/Ireland region.

From music festivals, to carnivals, to delicious food, this list will ensure our students’ full immersion into this historic region. Again, this is a rough list highlighting just a fraction of what this part of the world has to offer. Definitely try to check off everything on this bucket list, but be sure to add more for yourselves. Cheers!

1. Take a ride on the London Eye and get a bird’s eye view of the city

Once Upon a Time…

Once upon a time there lived a young girl in the smoldering heat and humidity of Houston, Texas. This girl dreamed of going to a land far, far away, where hills weren’t man-made and castles weren’t built by Disney. I was this girl. Living in Ireland has always been a dream of mine, but nothing more than a dream—as distant and unattainable as my wish to be a Disney princess. It may not seem so unreachable—I can just buy a plane ticket and schedule a weeklong trip—but that’s just it. I never wanted to visit Ireland; I wanted to live in Ireland. I fantasized about living in an Irish apartment, interacting with Irish people, walking down Irish streets, eating Irish food, and sitting in Irish pubs. I wanted to make Ireland a part of who I am, and, in turn I hoped to become a tiny part of Ireland as well. But I don’t have to wish on stars and pennies anymore, I’m going to experience all of these things and more thanks to Interstudy.

A Study-Abroad Reflection

Now that I’ve officially been back in the States for 2 weeks, I’ve run into many people who ask the same question over and over: How was Ireland??? For the first few people I ran into at the grocery store, I tried to sum up my experience the best and quickest way I could without losing their attention. However, I soon learned that no explanation could suffice. Although I can genuinely tell these people that I had a great time and enjoyed my experience, I will never be able to sufficiently explain everything that affected me in Ireland because no one will be able to understand but me. Although kissing the Blarney Stone, visiting the Belfast peace wall and traveling all over Europe played a very big role in my experience, I believe it is more the little things I encountered day to day that will stick with me the longest and will continue to shape how I act and view the world.

The Last of Ireland

As I lie in bed, unable to sleep the night before I return to the States, I think about what I’ll miss most about Ireland. When my Irish roommates asked me the question at dinner, I couldn’t give them an immediate answer.  The truth is I can’t pick out a few aspects of the country that I know I’ll long for once back in the States. Rather, it’s the whole Irish environment and character I’ll miss the most.