Week two: Freshman year repeat

1/10/12 9:51 PM

By Allison Keene Freshman Year Repeat: Getting Involved on a Foreign Campus My first few days in Galway have felt a bit like the start of freshman year. The combination of new roommates, surroundings and classes can, admittedly, be a little overwhelming.But the mere fact that I’m in Ireland now makes the transition so much easier. Just like freshman year, however, I have realized the importance of taking advantage of everything that Galway and the University provide. Fortunately, both offer opportunities to build a home here almost as soon as students step off the plane. Here's my check list for the next few weeks: 1)  Get to know roommates and other Duquesne Students Dunaras Village, the student apartment complex where I live, won't tell you the...

Week one: Ireland dawned on me

1/10/12 9:12 PM

By Allison Keene The flight from Newark, N.J., to Shannon Airport, just a few hours from Galway, Ireland, was packed with students on their way to study abroad. It would have been impossible to find a seat on the plane more than a row away from a clump of students, all of whom were chattering incessantly and leaning out into the aisle to shout at each other. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and the plane was crowded with strategically overstuffed carry-on luggage designed to hold as much as possible without ripping at the seams. You can never be too cautious, after all, when you're a college student packing for a five month stint in a foreign country. Stepping off the plane, I felt a sense of anti-climax; it was almost like I expected the...