First of all, I’m completely and utterly jealous of all the juniors who are planning on studying abroad next semester. The number one item on my Christmas list this year is to jump back a year to when I was preparing for my own semester abroad.
I’m one of the 4o percent of Fairfield students who go or have gone abroad. Last spring, I studied and lived in Galway, Ireland. Even though I may have spent my entire bank account, it was an experience that was worth every penny — or every one euro cent, whichever way you want to look at it.
My time in Galway could play out like one of those Mastercard commercials:
Roundtrip flight between JFK and Shannon Airport: $980.
Weekend trip to Dublin: 75 euro (since Fairfield paid for the majority of it thanks to the overpriced program.)
Pint of Bulmer’s (trust me, Magner’s doesn’t cut it): 5 euro.
Living in a foreign country: priceless.
One of the biggest aspects of studying abroad stressed by the University is the immersion into a different country and its culture. From my experience, you really get to know the locals and become one yourself by the midway point. I now know Galway like the back of my hand — I can give you a list of stores, pubs, restaurants, and clubs to go to on any given day of the week. I even Irish danced with the locals at the pub down the street from my apartment one Tuesday night … I have photos to prove it.
Seriously, though, when else can you say that you took classes at an international school, befriended a number of foreigners, took weekend trips throughout Europe, and actually referred to Ireland as your home?
Yes, I may have missed the Fairfield tradition of Spring Weekend and the Class of 2010’s first Mug Night. But I also got to travel to seven other countries, I learned how to correctly pour a Guinness, and I learned firsthand what it means to live in Europe. I had the opportunity to experience the inauguration of America’s first black president from a completely outside perspective, something I can guarantee I will never be able to do again. By the way, the Irish love Obama.
Studying abroad is one of the greatest experiences I will take away from my time at Fairfield — besides working on The Mirror, of course. The five and a half months I spent in Galway are by far the greatest of my life. Corniness aside, I would not be the person I am now if I hadn’t decided to take that leap across the pond. My independence and character grew due to that one decision I made during my sophomore year.
I know that due to the current state of the economy and high unemployment, studying abroad may not have been the best decision in an economic standpoint. But I guarantee you, it will not be a decision you will ever regret. I don’t care if I have to live in a cardboard box after graduation — it was completely worth it.
Especially if an Irishman shows up at my door to whisk me away to his castle.
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