Ireland: Allie Bacholl (Our Global Classroom)

Differences in Classes

Compared to my engineering classes at UW-Madison, the classes at the University of Limerick have been more hands-on. All three of my engineering classes have a two-hour dedicated lab time. Additionally, there have been fewer homework assignments, but the ones that we do have, mostly lab reports, are longer. So far, I prefer this method since we have longer to finish the assignments and more time to process the content. The professors are also more willing to push due dates back if something comes up since there are fewer assignments. One downside, however, is that everything counts for more. For one class, each lab report is 10% of my grade, and the final exam for all three classes is weighted at 40%. At UW-Madison, the highest weighted exam I had was 28% of my grade.

Learning Outside of the Classroom

One of the reasons I wanted to travel to Ireland is because of its extensive history. There are various Neolithic sites in Ireland, many of them in the southwestern part of the island. One that I have had the chance to see was a burial site (Poulnabrone Dolmen) in the Burren area of County Clare. Additionally, King John’s Castle is located in the center of Limerick. It is a castle that dates back to 1212 and currently there is a great museum located within the castle that explains the history of the castle and Limerick.

 

Allie Bacholl

Hometown: Chili, Wisconsin

Major: Computer Engineering

Program: University of Limerick

While at Madison, I took folklore classes along with my computer engineering classes that I thoroughly enjoyed, so I decided to pursue a certificate in folklore. The University of Limerick offers various classes about Irish folklore and folk music that I look forward to taking and which allow me to finish the folklore certificate.