A Summer Well Spent in the Emerald Isle by Marley Fish, Immunology & Infectious Disease major

      The time I spent studying abroad in Ireland this summer is an experience that I will carry with me forever. From the moment I stepped off of my plane, I was met with a thousand Irish welcomes from the people of Ireland’s capital city: Dublin. The organic chemistry program I enrolled in was quite rigorous, as Penn State’s equivalent of the course that is usually taken over two semesters, was completed in just eight weeks at the University College Dublin in Ireland! Between the hours of lecture and lab held daily on Monday through Thursday and a midterm at the end of each week on Friday, I can confidently say that I learned to master my time management skills throughout my summer abroad! Maximizing my time during the week allowed me to maintain good grades and travel throughout Ireland/other parts of Europe during the weekends!

     When I wasn’t studying, I spent the majority of my time exploring Dublin’s city center with my friends and attending field trips provided by my program and the institution itself. I was able to travel to areas such as Glendalough, the Wicklow Mountains, and Belfast. Each of these experiences showed me the beauty and versatility of Ireland and I can’t wait to return in the future. In addition to Ireland, I had the opportunity to travel to London and Paris with friends from my program! Seeing iconic landmarks like the London Eye, The Palace of Versailles, and the Eiffel Tower made my trip even more worthwhile! If someone, such as a future employer, were to ask me the benefits of my study abroad experience, the list would be endless. From learning how to travel to different foreign countries on my own, to building and maintaining new relationships, to evolving study habits to maximize my academic performance, this experience challenged me and allowed me to grow as a person in just the span of two months. All in all, this accelerated program taught me about how to succeed in a science course that many consider to be a “weedout” class. Studying abroad the summer after my freshman year not only allowed me to get ahead on my course load, but allowed me to create new friendships at Penn State that I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to make otherwise! If you ever have any doubts about studying abroad during your time at Penn State, don’t! The world is waiting for you.