Ireland: Olivia Williams
Program: Trinity College Dublin Exchange, Spring
Olivia’s Major: Genetics & Genomics
How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?
My program’s academics were very different than my typical classes at UW-Madison. At Madison, I am used to taking science courses with lots of weekly assignments and an exam about every month in each class. However, at Trinity College, there are almost no exams or weekly assignments; the only homework I had on a daily basis was to read different historical essays or books. Additionally, at Trinity, my grades only consisted of one or two essays per class, so it was a lot more pressure to perform well on every assignment. However, with only a few assignments to do per class, I had a lot more free time that I am usually used to.
What is your most memorable experience from your program?
One of my most memorable experiences from my program was swimming in the Irish sea. The Irish sea is very cold, as during the spring the temperatures rarely get above 60 degrees, and it is almost like a right of passage for Irish people. My friends and I decided to do it towards the end of our program once it was a little warmer. I was very scared to jump in the water, as I knew it would be very cold. After a little positive peer pressure, I decided to jump in. It was very cold, but was also very invigorating and made me feel great. It felt really good to overcome the fear and allowed me to see that most of my fears of the unknown are just in my head. It also was a very good metaphor for my whole trip; the overcoming the fear of the unknown can lead to something great, like my study abroad experience.
Just like jumping into the Irish sea, jumping into my study abroad experience was terrifying, but one of the best things I have ever done.
What is the moment you are most proud of?
One of the moments I was most proud of during my study abroad experience was getting my first grade back at Trinity. One of the classes I took abroad was Irish History from 1534-1815, a subject I am not at all familiar with. As a Genetics major, it was a very different course than I am used to, and one where the grade was dependent upon only two essays. I worked very hard to write my first essay and to get help from my TA and the professor. In order to find out our grade for our first essay, we had to talk to the professor to hear some feedback as well. My professor had told me that he was very impressed with my essay, and that I got a very good grade. He further explained that he was impressed with my essay because I was not used to writing historical and analytical essays, let alone one on Irish History. That made me very proud and proved that I could do well in my classes while abroad.