Student Bloggers
Almost There
Date
November 26, 2018
These past two weeks or so have been filled with constant paper writing. My UCC finals, for my five courses, consists of two 3,000-word papers and three 1,500-word papers. Never in my time as a student, have I ever had to write so much before. Before I started, I had felt very discouraged. I really did not think it was possible to get it all done. My finals are due at sporadic times throughout November 27th and December 20th; I have really been pushing myself to finish before December hits, and I am almost there! I have finished four out of five of my finals. I have one coming up this week that has yet to be assigned, and I think my goal will be met.
I am honestly quite proud of myself for pulling this off. As I said, I felt concerned before getting into it. Because courses are so different here, I didn’t feel as prepared as I usually do, going into papers back home. But once I had gotten my midterm grades back, I realized I was more capable than I thought I was. All of this school work has definitely meant holding off on some of the trips around Ireland and Europe, but that’s what December is for. There have been more days locked up in my apartment writing than I’d like to admit. I have spent quite a lot of time at coffee houses when I needed a change of scene, especially a less stressful change of scene. I know that the short amount of academic torture I am putting on myself is going to be worth it when I am done soon and can fully enjoy my last three weeks here.
In some more fun news, before finals hit, I did get to spend a weekend in Galway. I actually ended up going with a tour business that UCC recommended to students. I highly recommend using a tour company at least once or twice when you go abroad. It is really nice to just have a weekend and a trip where everything is taken care of and planned for you so you can just relax. I personally find traveling very stressful, so having somebody plan everything out for you and just tell you where to go was great for me.
Next time you hear from me, I will probably be packing up my things ready to hit home. As of today, I have 27 days left in Ireland. I can’t wait to see the rest of what my time abroad has to offer.