Cork, Ireland

1. Cork, Ireland My tips from my study abroad trip Spring 2009

2. The song you are listening to was popular while I was living there. Jumbo Breakfast Roll—Pat Shortt

3. A Brief History… • Cork is the second largest city in Ireland, and the largest county • It is located in the south western end of the country • Some towns in Ireland only speak Gaelic. Some are an eclectic mix like Cork. • Michael Collins is a very important person in Irish history.

4. What is UCC like? • It is a welcoming place for foreign students • Term is from Jan-March with a month break for Easter then a month for finals in May • Finals are all essay format taken in large groups of mixed classes • There is no homework and no tests • They expect you to study and learn outside of class and express that information in your final exam. • Most classes are held for two hours once a week

5. My Best Advice For Classes • Take extensive notes and research them further outside of class • Speak up in class the teachers love hearing the opinions of foreign students especially how things work where you are from • If there are ever any questions visit the international education office they are extremely helpful and welcoming

6. Victoria Lodge This is a picture of the outside of my apartment complex. The main office is located up front. You can pick up packages and mail as well as buy laundry tokens here. Laundry was fairly pricy and there were no other options(laundry mats etc). There were four washers and three dryers and it was safe to leave laundry there while it washed. It did take about an hour for wash and two hours for drying though.

7. Where do you live? I lived in Victoria Lodge. There were three bedroom, and four bedroom apartments. Each apartment has a lock and each bedroom also has a lock. Each person gets their own heater as well as bathroom. They provide a closet, desk, chair, bed, bulletin board, trash can, lamp, and shelves. You must purchase your own bedding.

8. Bathroom and Hallway The far left picture is a view of the hallway in my apartment. The first door and third door are the other two bedrooms of the apartment. The far door is my bathroom. The other two bedrooms had bathrooms inside their bedrooms. The other two pictures are of my bathroom. The shower was very small but functional. There was also a sink, toilet, and trashcan.

9. Kitchen The kitchen was combined with the living room the four bedroom apartments have larger kitchens than the three bedroom. There was an oven, glass top stove, sink, microwave, fridge, freezer, toaster, and water boiler(which are frequently used to make tea), trash can, recycle bin, compost box, and dinning table and chairs. Dishes and a few cooking utensils are provided.

10. Example of the 4 bedroom apartments kitchen The kitchens are small but functional. The oven is very rarely used in Ireland. Many students buy frozen products and microwave them. The fridge and freezer are much smaller than in the U.S. however because the grocery store(Tesco) is further away you don’t buy as much.

11. Living Room My living room was composed of two chairs, a coffee table and a television. The four bedroom apartments also have a small two person red couch. We had basic cable and got the news and shows like the Simpsons and Friends which are very popular over there. The DVDs are different over seas so do not expect to be able to watch them on anything but your computer

12. Want more information? Go here for information on all other housing provided. I have told you about where I lived but if you live elsewhere this can give you information I cannot. http://www.ucccampusaccommodation.com/stu.asp

13. From me to you… • It is best to take showers in the morning, because that is when the most hot water is available • Tesco, the local grocery store, is about a mile from Victoria lodge • The city center is an incredible place to walk around and shop on weekends • Centra, the local convenience store, is great for quick shopping but is expensive. • Explore ExploreExplore!!! • There are amazing walking trails along the Lee river

14. Some of my favorite views of Cork… *There are two bars on campus as well as many places to eat. *There are multiple computer labs as well as free printing. *Some of the buildings are located around town off campus but people are more than willing to help you find your way.

15. Some houses on the walk to campus

16. Welcome to Campus! This is the main building on campus and shows the incredible architecture of the buildings! This building surrounds the main quad, which is the square grassy area in the center of campus. Lesson we learned the hard way: don’t walk on the grass in the quad! It’s has a spiritual meaning for them because has a path in the middle in the shape of a cross.

17. A view of the quad. The main building is seen here. It is a U shape with the quad in the middle.

18. Another view of the quad. The building seen across the quad is the library. You must have your student ID card to enter but it is a terrific place to study. You have unlimited printing on campus as well.

19. The doors in the main building surrounding the quad are labled to help students find their way. This is the door you go in to get your student ID the week you start classes.

20. This is a view of the main building and the quad. The west wing(seen in the previous photo) is to the left.

21. This is a view of the Student union(far left), the chapel(center) and the O'Rahilly building where many classes are held. These buildings are just past the library off the quad

22. Front gates of campus. These gates lead out to Western Road . If you go out these gates and cross the street to the left(Western Road), there is a path leading to a bridge that goes to the other buildings sometimes used for classes.

23. View looking into campus through the main gates from Western Road. The stop lights have crosswalks with walk signals. They don’t have buttons like the U.S. For theirs you just touch the circle on the box and it beeps faster when you are allowed to cross.

24. View of the walk along the river Lee down to the City Center. The city center is just over a mile from campus and a very easy walk just down Western road. This is also where the bus stop for Ski Link, the bus to the airport, picks up and drops off.

25. This is a view of the English Market. It is in the city center and a great place to shop. It is closed on Sundays, which is when this picture was taken. Normally it is full of people and the freshest food you can imagine! Tip: wander around to find the best prices and best deals in here there are many sellers.

26. In the English market you can find beef, poultry, fish, pork, cheese, fruits, vegetables, pastries, breads, cheeses, sauces, spices, chocolates and so much more! If you want maple syrup this is the only place in town that sells it.

27. This is where you can get the best prices on all of these things. Most often it is much cheaper here than at Tesco(the local grocery store). You must have cash or coin, but there are atms all over the city center. My favorite chocolate store is a very small place on French Church street, just off of St. Patrick Street.

28. You should defiantly go ring the Shannon Bells. They are just outside of the city center. It costs a small amount but is a lot of fun. You can pull different strings to ring different bells to play a song. They have song sheets there to give you ideas. These bells can be heard all over town.

29. center I wanted to include a map of the main areas of the city you will be seeing. “my place” is Victoria Lodge. There are other housing places and most are located along the roads highlighted here.

30. Words of Wisdom Pictured lower left: St Fin Barre Cathedral • This city is best seen by foot • Explore the shops and streets in the city center • Take cloth bags to use for groceries because they charge for every plastic bag(and they are seriously small!) • It rains quite often so pack accordingly.

31. Words of Wisdom • Bring sweats, heating is expensive and you will want clothes to lounge around in. • Bring pictures to put in your room so you won’t feel as homesick. • Bring an Ethernet cord so that you will be able to plug into the internet. • Men wear dressy sneakers, ladies wear boots or ballet flats. • People wear dressy coats like pea coats instead of the typical fleece or winter coats we are used to.

32. Words of Wisdom • Bring something to keep you busy in your free time in your room. ex: books, movies, crosswords etc • There is a library in the city center that you can check out books from fairly easily(you must bring your lease to set up an account the first time) • Black pudding…not pudding! It is a type of sausage made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled…this is very popular in Ireland