Classes at NUIG

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My first day of class at the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) began on January 12, 2015. While there are some similarities, there are also many differences in student life in Ireland than in the United States. As a visiting student, I was able to "shop for classes" for the first two weeks of school. During this time I was able to sit in on classes that I thought I possibly wanted to take but did not have to commit to if I did not think it was a suitable class. I am now registered for five classes that mostly have to do with Irish culture (Irish history, Irish religion and folklore, intro to Irish culture studies, castle development, and sacred places/Christian buildings). Each class meets twice a week for 50 minutes and for my history class I meet an additional time every two weeks for a discussion class. Back home, I am used to meeting many more times per week and having much longer class periods, so this is a nice change of pace. Also, this is my first semester without a pre-nursing course so it is nice to be taking humanities classes rather than intensive science courses. Most students do not purchase books here because most of the professors post any recommended readings online or the library has textbooks available as well. Lastly, most grades, or marks, are dependent on 1-2 essays/exams during midterms and finals. While there are some new differences that I am adjusting to, it is definitely an enjoyable experience living the life of an exchange student in Ireland.

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