Arcadia Ireland

It’s been a busy yet exciting couple of weeks here at Arcadia University in Ireland! As our summer weather seems to be quickly disappearing it can only mean one thing: it’s that time of year again for the fall study abroad students to begin their international journeys! This past week was exciting here at our Dublin centre as it marked out first student arrivals for the Trinity College Dublin Semester Start-Up and the University College Cork Early Start programs, and my first official week as the Student Life Officer. Having the opportunity to experience the orientation session for our early start programs was a great way to begin my journey with Arcadia. Spending the week connecting with the students as they got adjusted to the Irish way of life (whilst trying their hardest to beat the jetlag) made me even more excited for this upcoming semester. 

On Tuesday evening myself and the three students went to go see Riverdance at the Gaiety Theatre here in Dublin. Despite my living here for a few years, I had never gone to see the performance so it was everyone’s first time going! This was a great way for the students to be introduced into the Irish culture and to learn a little bit more about Irish dancing. We were all in awe by the impressive talent that the performers had and it was such a high-energy performance that was thoroughly enjoyed by all of us! What a special opportunity to have gotten to experience Riverdance where it all began in Ireland.

The following day, myself and John accompanied the UCC student down to Cork. I hadn’t spent much time in Cork so I was excited for the opportunity to explore the city center and the campus. The weather was much nicer than that in Dublin which made touring the city even more enjoyable! As most of the UCC students have yet to return, we enjoyed a quiet walk around campus admiring the beautiful buildings and green spaces. I also had the chance to wander around the city and make my way to the English Market which I had heard so much about! I hope to travel back soon to be able to explore more things to see and do in Cork. I’m excited to hear about her experiences over the next few weeks with the Early Start program, and throughout the entire semester as the rest of our UCC students arrive!

This was only the beginning of all of the upcoming arrivals, orientations, and events that we’ll have throughout the semester. We’ll be busy the next few weeks getting prepared for the rest of the arrivals for the fall semester!