Dia duit! My name is Lily Rhuda. I am a junior biomedical engineering major(Class of 2023) here at Syracuse University and I was able to study abroad through the World Partner Program at the University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland.
As an engineering student, people often think that it is super hard to go abroad but I’m hoping that through my experience and what I can contribute to the Ambassadors that I can help change that perspective! I was led to my program by my advising staff and one of my fav professors, shout out Dr. Yung, because while it’s not difficult to go as an engineer we do have to be careful about choosing our program.
I chose UCD because after doing a bit of research, that was my best option for going abroad as a Junior and it was in Europe, which is where I’ve always wanted to go. While sophomore year is ideal for bioeng majors I was unfortunately not able to go because of COVID. Honestly so happy that happened because I would not trade my experience in Dublin for anything!
I spent my semester living and learning at UCD which is just about the city of Dublin. I stayed in the university accommodation which was great because I was able to get much more involved with my organizations and friendships on campus. While I was there I was able to join the women’s club rugby team and the engineering society and both were great craic! The rugby team was an awesome way to meet new people because in addition to all the Irish girls there were a bunch of other international students on the team. It was so great to have the opportunity to bond with them in a team environment like that and now I’ve also got tons of connections for my future travels!
Speaking of travel, that was 100% one of my favorite things about studying abroad. I was able to travel extensively within Ireland and Northern Ireland. The UCD Study Abroad program had several weekends of day trips to famous destinations that were completely free for us, and my friends and I went on every single one of them. My favorite was probably the first weekend where we got to kayak through the Irish sea out to an island, climbed up a mountain(not a crazy hike lol) to get some panoramic views of the coastline, and finally did some cliff jumping at the local baths. In addition to those trips, I traveled with my friend and with my family when they came to visit.
Part of what I loved about traveling around Ireland was that anything could be a day trip. Which gave us so much flexibility. My absolute favorite trip of the semester was taking a long weekend and going up to Belfast with a big group of my friends. We went on a game of Thrones film location tour(One of the best days of my life) and to Giants Causeway. This will forever be one of my favorite trips and I will look back on these memories for my whole life!
I know it sounds clichébut looking back on my time in Dublin I can really say that study abroad changed my life. By traveling so extensively within the country and joining the university organizations I was able to experience so much of the culture of Ireland. I can also say that I have grown so much as a person since I stepped foot in logan airport ready to embark. I also never knew how close I would get to my friends in the short time that I was there. I’m so thankful that I was able to have this experience and I will cherish it forever.
Sláinte!
Lily Rhuda
Biomedical Engineering
World Partner Program: Dublin, UCD
Why did you choose this program?
What’s one of the best experiences you had?
My name is Katie Blomkvist and I studied abroad in Strasbourg, France in the fall 2021. I am majoring in Public Health and Policy Studies and am graduating in Spring 2023. During my time in Strasbourg, I was an intern at the Council of Europe International Co-operation Group on Drugs and Addictions.
The Strasbourg Center had organized trips and activities for us to attend through the entire semester. With the school, I visited nine museums in Paris, dozens of waterfalls from glaciers throughout Switzerland, and Alsatian vineyards in the country. Partaking in these activities and trips was a way to connect with the other students in the program and to experience new cultures. On these trips, we were able to try traditional foods and drinks of the areas we visited. Eating crepes in Paris, fondue in Switzerland, and wine in the Alsatian vineyards was such a fun and unique experience!
In Strasbourg, all students live with a host family. In my family, I lived with my two host parents, Isabelle and Jerome. They have three children who are grown and out of the house but come to visit frequently. I had a very positive experience with my family. They helped me to improve my French and made me feel at home even when family was so far away. We would eat dinner together every weeknight and talk about how our day went. My parents and sisters came to visit me while I was away, and Isabelle and Jerome invited them to come over for dinner because they wanted to meet them. They were very kind and welcoming! My host family lived very close to a bus stop that I would take to school every day. The public transportation in Strasbourg, although intimidating at first, is very easy to use. There are buses and trams that you can take within the city and out to the suburbs as well.
¡Hola! I am Victoria Amado, a junior studying Policy Studies, Information Management & Technology, and Spanish Language, Literature & Culture. I will be graduating in the spring of 2023, and I had the pleasure of studying abroad in the fall 2021 semester in Madrid, Spain. To say it has changed my life would be the understatement of the century.
One of the things that are most important to me in life is dancing. While abroad, I knew I wanted to continue my training and learn new styles from the professionals in Madrid. Anxiously walking into a dance class in a new city was one of the scariest things I did abroad, but also the most rewarding. I ended up finding my home away from home, taking 2-3 classes a week from different Spanish choreographers, and loving every minute of it.
“The most unforgettable and valuable experience of being abroad in Central Europe was the people that I had the pleasure of meeting. We had the opportunity to speak with so many unique individuals who taught us so much about history and culture. One of the most memorable experiences was speaking with the granddaughter of a Holocaust victim. Hearing her family’s story and learning about the history of my religion and culture was so impactful. I will always be grateful for all of the people we had the pleasure of meeting and learning from in Central Europe!”
“Studying abroad was one of the best experiences of my life. Living somewhere new opens your eyes and pushes you out of your comfort zone on a daily basis. I learned so much about myself while I was abroad and had the best time. My most valuable experience was getting to visit so many different cities within France. With Covid restrictions, we were not able to travel to many other countries. I was able to more deeply explore France and all that it has to offer than if I was able to visit any country I wanted. From city to city, you can feel the differences in the way people interact with one another, the architecture, and the food people eat. Even though France is a small country, it feels so much larger.”
“Being able to work at a school in the countryside of Denmark was an amazing experience. This was such a wonderful immersion program that allowed us to gain primary experience in a foreign classroom and see firsthand the difference in teaching strategies between the US and Denmark. Developing a relationship with the students and teachers at this school was such an important aspect of my abroad experience.”
“My most unforgettable experience was traveling around Spain, especially the bullet train trips, because I was able to see many communities outside of Madrid. I was able to go to Cuenca, Granada, Segovia, and many more places. I enjoyed visiting monuments in every city because each city had its own history and monuments that made them unique. As I traveled through Spain, I was able to see and learn about the history and origins of each city and what it had to offer, especially the monuments. My favorite monument was the Aqueducts in Segovia because it looks like it’s in pristine condition and it goes on for miles through the city.”
“My most unforgettable experience in London was attending one of the press nights hosted by the theatre I was doing an internship at. For these events, the staff at the theatre, the family members of the cast, and critics all see the show and then meet at a restaurant to discuss the show and the theatre industry as a whole over wine and appetizers. The second time I went to a press night, I was the only intern there, and it forced me to come out of my shell and make connections with others that were there. I was able to meet a woman who worked at another theatre in London, and I was also able to get to know my supervisor and co-worker more outside of what is discussed in the office. This was such an unforgettable experience for me because this event is what made me really start to feel like I had a home and community in London and it wasn’t just somewhere I was visiting on a quick trip.”