Maria Perez

 Studying abroad was always one of my top priorities before even coming to college, but as a pre-health student I found it difficult to find time in my schedule to go abroad. It wasn't until I went to the study abroad office that I found out that there were summer opportunities for even STEM students. I chose to go to Ireland because I had heard from lots of people that it was a beautiful country in all aspects and that people were really friendly.

 The most interesting cultural experience I had abroad was actually interacting with the Irish. They were all super friendly and lively. The Irish were always willing to help you if you ever had any questions and they were sincerely interested in learning more about America and you. It was really cool talking to them about our home countries and learning that both Ireland and America are similar but different in many aspects.

 Since I was involved in a very intensive eight week program, I was worried that I would be consumed with studying and doing work and not being able to see much of Ireland or travel out. However, I made sure that during the weekdays I studied really hard and stayed on top of the material so that on the weekends I could travel and see as much of Ireland as possible without having to worry about school. I was also lucky enough to travel other countries in Europe during the weekends.

 During the week, a typical day consisted of: breakfast (8-9 AM), lecture (9-11 AM), tutorial (11-12 PM), lunch (12-1 PM), tutorial (1-2 PM), and on some days lab (2-5 PM) if it was your designated day. After dinner would be served from 5-6:30 PM. The rest of the day, I was able to go to the gym, study, or even go into Dublin to hangout or study at cafes. On the weekends, I would spend my time exploring Dublin, going out further into the country, or traveling to other countries.

 I took Physics for Life Sciences 1 & 2 which is the equivalent of Physics 8A & 8B at Cal. I took these to classes in the span of only 8 weeks! I think that the courses abroad were easier than Berkeley classes, but were still difficult because they were fast-paced and material heavy.

 The most memorable aspect of my time abroad definitely has to be the friends I made during my stay and the routine I adapted. During my time abroad I made so many friends that included the Irish and students from other UCs. I still talk to many of the people I met and even hang out with them when ever I can. I also strengthened some of my relationships with people I had known before but did't really spend time with. Having such great people alongside me during my trip was definitely a major reason why I enjoyed every second of my experience. Besides having a community, I am also very grateful for the lifestyle I adapted. My academic and social schedules had never been so perfect and healthy at any other point during college until I went abroad. I was able to travel to Prague, England, Amsterdam, and France all while still staying on top of school and going to the gym. Everything just seemed to be a perfect balance.

 Personally, studying abroad in Ireland changed my outlook on how I live my life. Before I studied abroad, I was shy around people I didn't really know and had trouble being myself the way I am with my friends and family. It took time for me to warm up to people and be myself. It just didn't feel comfortable. It wasn't until I went to Dublin that I really opened myself to new opportunities to meet people and really interact with them. The Irish and the friends I made helped me realize that I should be carefree and have more fun instead of studying all day long and keeping to my normal friend groups. The Irish have qualities that I never really saw in people before and it made me realize that their outlook on life seemed to be both productive and more blissful. They always knew how to have a good time and live life which is something I have tried to incorporate more into my own life.

 I 100% recommend studying abroad to anyone who has the opportunity to do so. Spending an extended period of time in a country different than your own is an eye opening experience that no one should pass up on. It's such an amazing feeling experiencing the lives of others and learning more about other people and other countries. If you are in the need of fulfilling your physics requirement, University College Dublin is the place to do it at!