Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

Join Yesenia Dela Sancha as she embarks on cultural and linguistic adventures during her time in UL, all the way from North Carolina! Follow along as she navigates her way through Irish culture.

It’s a given that traveling to a new country is an exposure to a new culture and
environment. I had no idea what to prepare for as I left to study abroad at the
University of Limerick (UL) coming from North Carolina, USA.

Driving

The biggest shock was traffic driving on the left side of the road and not the right side! And what made it even more shocking was the wheel placed on the right side instead of left. This has definitely made crossing the road a little more cautious. It’s also a little comical when you try to enter the taxi on the right side thinking it’s the passenger seat.

Birds

I do not think I have ever heard or seen this many birds, especially crows anywhere! They are loud throughout the day and all night long. It makes walking to class a bit more worthy as I started to listen to the birds instead of music.

Grass

I have never seen grass THIS green in my life. This was definitely a shock I was not expecting. It seems so green to the point I was considering it to be fake. I guess the grass really is greener on the other side (of the Atlantic).

Rain

Living in North Carolina, the weather is pretty unpredictable. But I did not know real unpredictable weather till Ireland. I started to assume everyday it will rain. As much as the wind and rain combo is inconvenient sometimes, I have never seen this many rainbows in my life.

Accent

The accent was a given but did not realize how hard it was to understand at first. It was quite embarrassing having to ask people to repeat themselves but that’s just part of adjusting. Of course, I’ve learned Irish phrases like “what’s the craic”, “that’s grand/class” and “cop on” which have been fun to use occasionally. There’re many differences I have seen in the education setting, like how “course” is technically meaning my “major” and a class course is called a “module.”