Starting Classes, Freshers Week, and Clubs Galore

I am now onto my fourth week of classes, and the work load is definitely starting to pick up, but it feels good to be busy and I think that I am settling back into college life well. I am taking 7 modules (classes) this semester, which adds up to 37.5 credits. Since this is a one year Masters degree program, I think a lot of information is fit into 12 short months, which basically just means we need to really stay on top of things so the work doesn't get ahead of us! I think I listed them before, but the modules I am taking this semester are:

     1. Core Skills for Research
     2. Essay
     3. Freshwater Resources Assessment
     4. Global Change Ecology
     5. Intro to Water Resources Engineering
     6. Widlife Conservation
     7. Field-Based Freshwater Invertebrates

The classes and professors are great, and its been a pleasant surprise how good it feels to be back in school. There are some noticeable differences in course structure from my undergraduate education in the U.S. One very positive difference is the continuity between classes. The instructors for each class are aware of what we are learning in our other classes and how the information ties together.  It has made learning about ecology a much more comprehensive experience because we are able to see the connections from different aspects of each resource we are studying. I had never felt that same sense of continuity in my undergrad. My fellow M.S. Environmental Science students and I all share the same classes, and group projects are a huge part of the program here. Its been great to get to know everyone, and a great benefit to the program is the huge range of backgrounds we each come from, lending to a great global perspective to the topics we discuss. Of the 24 of us, the majority are students from Ireland, and there are also a good portion from China, India, Nigeria, and U.S. (me!)


Another difference I've noticed is in the scheduling. For example, rather than having a particular class every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 am for the entire semester, each week the schedule is different.  The Freshwater Invertebrates class for example, had all of its lectures during the first week of class, 4-6 hours a day, and no more meetings for the whole rest of the semester! There are additional individual assignments still due of course, but no further class lectures with the professor. It was strange at first, but it also makes sense to learn all of the information at once, rather than broken up over the course of 10 weeks. That same class we went on a field trip to Roscrea Fish Farm this past weekend where we had the chance to gain some hands-on experience with various fish sampling methods including fyke nets and electrofishing.


Another great thing I've discovered here at UCD is the huge variety of clubs and societies. I didn't know it before, but UCD is known for being particularity strong in the area of extracurricular activities. Trampoline club, archery, scuba diving...You can check out all the options here:

http://www.ucd.ie/sport/clubs/clubslist/
http://www.ucd.ie/socs.htm

I was pretty excited about the whole thing, and probably went a bit overboard with signing up. There were just too many awesome options, and as anyone who knows me already knows, I am horribly indecisive. I signed up for the International Student Society (they host weekend trips all over Ireland and organize social events so you can meet other international students), the Caving and Potholing Club, The Canoe (kayak) Club, The Mountaineering Club, and the Snowsports Club. There were quite a few more that I had my eye on as well, but I needed to limit myself somehow. Almost all of the clubs organize weekly social events and have weekend trips to various parts of Ireland to climb, kayak, hike, cave spelunk, etc. I thought the clubs would be a great way to get involved in the community at UCD, meet some cool people, and get outside and active! I also signed up for a few of the clubs for the specific purpose of gaining a new skill. Although I've been kayaking a few times back home, I would in no way say I am confident in it, so this is a great way for me to improve! This last weekend I went kayaking in the harbor at Dun Laoghaire (Pronounced Dun Leary), which was great craic (fun) and it wasn't raining!

 Two weekends ago my roommate Colleen and I went on a day trip with the Mountaineering Club to Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains. The hike was about 12 km, and followed a winding path past a beautifully preserved medieval monastery, through a peaceful deciduous forest, and up a steep slope topping out at a view straight down the valley. From there, we followed the valley up, meandered through the open meadows for a bit before heading back down valley to Glendalough lake. The leaders of the group looked at my running shoes with skepticism before embarking on our hike, and I assured them that I would be perfectly fine, but I didn't have the heart to tell them that these mountains would be considered small, perfectly tame foothills back in Washington State. All the same, the hike was gorgeous, we had perfect sunny weather, and it was great to get outside and HIKE! My legs had been missing it :)

Moving to Ireland, week 1

Wow! I can't believe I've already been in Ireland for a month now! Time sure does fly by. Its about time for an update, and from now on I hope to make them much more frequent. So much has happened in the past month, and I finally have some time (and pictures! yay!) to share.


So, to go back to the beginning (and by the beginning I mean my arrival in Dublin of course) between jet-lag and culture shock, my first few days in Ireland were rough. Mom and I were staying in a great hotel/B&B called Paddy's House which provided us a place to stay for the time being, and a comfortable spot to search for housing on the internet. I had been sending out bunches of emails for the few weeks preceding my departure, but I had very little luck. By the time I landed in Dublin, I was more than a little nervous that I would be living in a hotel for my first semester. With nearly 25,000 students pouring into UCD each September, its no wonder the rental market gets bogged down. After two more days of frantically searching for a room to rent, by an amazing stroke of luck, a room opened up in a campus apartment which I gratefully accepted. Mom and I made a trip to IKEA and decked out my new digs :) I have my own room and bathroom, and share a kitchen and living room with 5 other grad students. Somehow it wound up that we are all from either the U.S. or Canada, which has been great because we've been able to go through some of the cultural adjustments and get to know the city together.


So, with my biggest stressor out of the way, Mom and I decided to do a bit of sight seeing and explore Ireland! The tourist offices here in Ireland are fantastic and incredibly helpful in setting up tours, giving directions, advice on tourist attractions, etc. We signed up for the Dublin Bus South Coast & Gardens tour which was only €24, all inclusive (http://www.dublinsightseeing.ie/southcoast.aspx). We boarded the double decker bus, and grabbed ourselves a seat on the top floor. Such a great view of the city! Our tour guide was full of funny and interesting stories, and lots of great historical information as well. We drove from Dublin City Center down to coast through Blackrock and Bray (beautiful coastal towns), past the town of Dalkey, and then onto Powerscourt estate and Gardens. Powerscourt was built in the 1730's, and was everything you'd imagine a fairy-tale countryside estate to be! When we first arrived, I couldn't figure out why it looked so familiar to me, but then I realized that I recognized it from the movie The Count of Monte Cristo! Awesome! Mom and I walked around the grounds which included fountains, ponds, rose gardens, a pet cemetery, and a Japanese garden. Really a beautiful place to spend the day, and there was a great little cafe and shops there as well.

 

 

The following day, we went on another, much longer bus tour, this time to Northern Ireland. Our first stop was in the capitol city of Belfast. Belfast has an extensive history of shipbuilding, and is in fact the city where the Titanic was built. We had heard great things about the newly opened Titanic museum, and signed up to go on the self-guided tour. The exhibits were great and very interactive, and at one point we even rode along on an amusement park ride through the ship building process. It was well-worth a visit, and a great glimpse into the amazing feat of engineering the ship really was, and all the planning and work that went into making it a reality.


After leaving Belfast, we drove further north until we reached the Giants Causeway. The Causeway is made up of thousands of basalt columns; a natural phenomenon caused by the rapid cooling of volcanic basalt 50 to 60 million years ago. Irish legend describes the formation of the columns in a more colorful fashion, which includes battling giants and clever deceptions. I can't do it justice like the Irish storytellers, so google it if you're interested :)  It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and by many considered to be one of the 7 wonders of the natural world. The main site descends straight into the ocean and is surrounded by steep green hills and rocky cliffs, some of which have visible basalt columns as well. It was such a unique landscape, I couldn't stop taking pictures!!

On Mom and my last visit to Ireland, Powerscourt Gardens and the Giants Causeway were two of the places we would have loved to see but ran out of time for. I'm glad we were able to visit them both this time around! It was also nice for Mom and I to spend some relaxing time together and forget about the stress of moving to a new country for a bit. My first week in Ireland went by fast, and before we knew it, classes were starting for me and it was time for Mom to go home to the states. I'm so grateful that she was there with me for my first week for all the moral support, setting up my apartment, figuring out the bus system and much more.

Well, I have so much more to write about starting my program and exploring Dublin, but that will have to wait until next time! Until then :)

Beautiful and rugged Dunluce Castle

Getting Ready to Leave, One week to go!

A year ago I never would have dreamed that I'd be moving to Ireland in a week. As much as I love to travel, and have had my fair share of experiences abroad, moving to another country to pursue my Masters degree is still a huge step for me. I am excited and thrilled for the opportunity, but I am also nervous and unsure completely what to expect my next year to be like. I have never lived outside of Washington State, and part of the reason I think this will be such a great opportunity for me is the fact that it will challenge me to be outside my comfort zone.

I've known for a number of years that I wished to return to school at some point and pursue my Masters degree, and this last winter I finally received the push I needed to make the leap. I spent a good portion of the winter of 2012 travelling and volunteering in India, Nepal, and the U.K, and during this time I met a friend who was herself pursuing a masters degree in London. She loved her experience there, and for the first time I realized pursuing a degree internationally was a possibility for me too. Ireland in particular interested me, as I had traveled there in 2009 with my Mom, had immediately felt right at home and have wanted to return ever since! I began researching, and the more I read, the more I felt that this was the right decision. A few of the things that convinced me were the timeline (a Masters degree in the U.S. would take me 2-3 years, but only 1 year in Ireland), the affordable price, the ability to travel and experience a new culture, and the great reputation of the Universities. I really felt that gaining a international perspective, especially in the science field could be incredibly beneficial to my knowledge base and understanding of conservation and environmental science.

After extensive research on my University and program options, the M.S. in Applied Environmental Science at UCD seemed like one of the best fits for me. Since my interests are so broad, I liked that the module selection still covered a wide range of sciences and didn't just narrow me down to one field. I was offered a place on the program as well as the opportunity to apply for a full tuition scholarship. I was awarded the Government of Ireland Scholarship which not only fully pays for my tuition expenses, but also provides me with an additional 10,000 euro for living expenses. I can't express just how lucky I feel to have received this scholarship. When I got the email informing me of the award, I immediately broke down and cried (happy tears of course), because the financial part of my decision to pursue my Masters degree was the portion I struggled with the most. It was such a weight off my shoulders to know that the huge majority my expenses would be covered. The scholarship also provides me with another great opportunity to serve on the International Board of Student Ambassadors. I think this will be an awesome way for me to get involved and make the most of my time at UCD.

Since accepting a position on the program, life has been a bit of a blur between working full time and preparing for the big move. There are so many details to take care of when returning to school, but even more when that involves moving to another country as well. Some of those things include:

1. Buying a plane ticket
2. Getting international health insurance
3. Applying for a loan to cover additional expenses
4. Signing up for classes
5. Opening a new credit card that will not charge for international transaction fees
6. Putting my car in storage for a year
7. Changing my cell phone plan, and getting an international SIM card for my iPhone
8. Finding a place to live (has proved to be difficult since I can't go see places in person)
9. Getting as ISIC card
10. Shopping for school supplies, travel gear, etc.
11. Opening a bank account in Ireland
12. Registering with the GNIB once I arrive in Ireland
13. Packing
14. And most importantly spending quality time with friends and family before I leave

I am incredibly excited to begin classes. I love learning, and I can't wait to get back into the swing of things. My fist Semester I am enrolled in:
     Core Skills for Research
     Essay
     Freshwater Resources Assessment
     Global Change Ecology
     Intro to Water Resources Engineering 1
     Wildlife Conservation
I know that the class structure will be very different from what I am used to, and hopefully I will adjust quickly to any differences in lecture, testing, or writing styles. Unlike schools in the U.S, classes are not regularly scheduled and each week will be different.

At this point it all still feels like a bit of a dream. I am working at Mount Rainier right up until I leave, and with only one week left until I fly to Dublin it seems like I just don't have quite enough time to fit everything in. The thing that most worries me at this point is finding a place to live. Hopefully, if I still haven't heard back from any of the available rooms I've inquired about, I will be able to quickly find somewhere upon my arrival. I am extremely thankful that my Mom will be flying over with me for the first week to help me get settled in. It's so comforting to know that I won't be on my own navigating a new city and trying to figure out all the odds and ends of moving, starting classes, and getting my new life set up.

I know that this next year will be a fantastic experience and I can't wait to get started. Let the countdown begin! Dublin here I come! :)