Study Abroad Experience in Trinity College Dublin

Ireland and Dublin

I’m getting ready to go back home. So I’m here to record what it’s like to be at Trinity College this year, so read on and give us a nod. Before we talk about Trinity, let’s talk about Ireland and Dublin. Ireland has a maritime monsoon climate like the UK, with short, cool summers and little rain. Winters are wet and cold, and it rains on and off. This is the first thing you must get used to after coming to Ireland. Ireland is tiny, with a population of less than 5 million, so even the capital city of Dublin, in China, is only a small city; the city centre can rely on walking.

Compared to the UK, I think the Irish are relatively humane. I used to chat with the neighbouring uncle on the tram. And some people would greet you on the road when we went trekking. Once, my classmates and I wandered along the beach into a small town, looking at the map to find public transport. A bicycle passed, and the uncle took the initiative to ask us if we needed help. I learned that we were looking for the bus stop, and he called a young man passing by to take us to the bus.

These experiences have always given me a good impression of the Irish. Dublin is a port city with a small city centre divided into two halves by the river. The river is lovely in the evening. The Holy Trinity is located in the city centre. When I first arrived in Ireland, I walked along the river to the Holy Trinity daily to attend classes. However, almost all major transport routes pass by because the Holy Trinity is in the city centre.

Trinity College‘s Campus

Trinity’s campus is quite beautiful and one of Dublin’s attractions. Trinity’s most famous Old Library is on campus, so the school is usually crowded with tourists. I couldn’t wait to wander around the Old Library on my first day there. Visitors must buy tickets, but our students don’t need one and can visit anytime. And there are student discounts for shopping in the gift shop.

Trinity College’s Life

Life at Holy Trinity is very convenient. Firstly, the school is right in the city centre, and at the back door is Dublin’s busiest shopping street, Widow Street, full of tourists and street performers. There are also a variety of supermarkets, including Asian supermarkets, close to the school. So you don’t have to worry about shopping. Some of the attractions in Dublin city centre are also very close to Trinity, such as Dublin Castle and museums. There is a lot of life after school. Of course, the pubs are the most common thing on the streets of Dublin. Walking out of the campus, you can see one every ten metres. After all, this is where Guinness comes from, and I feel like the Irish way to relax is to drink.

Trinity College’s Events on Campus

There are still a lot of events on campus, and whenever there is an event, students will be told about it by email. For example, in relation to Christmas, there will be a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the end of November. Then there is a small Christmas market in the school. Sometimes, there are special sales around the school, with school logos, T-shirts, hoodies, scarves, hats, etc. It’s very convenient.

Trinity College’s Classroom

Because Trinity is located in the heart of the city, there is no way to expand the campus. So many classrooms are outside the school. Of course, they are also two or three minutes away from the school. My major belongs to the School of Computer Science, and we have our lab, which is good because we have a fixed classroom and computer room. So, our class time is fixed, and we can keep our personal belongings in the lab safely, so we don’t need to share the space with other majors. Some of the classes in our major are related to gaming. So, there are PS4 and various VR devices in the lab that you can fiddle with. Our professor also said that if you want to play any game, you can apply to buy it. There are also public Steam accounts for you to download games.

The classroom is in a building outside the school, and the lab is next door to the classroom, with a communal kitchen downstairs. Our daily life consisted of attending class and eating with our classmates in the communal kitchen after class. Then, I returned to the lab to do homework in one building. Although it’s not on campus, I feel very comfortable in winter because the heating is available all day. There is a Tesco supermarket across the road. The location is perfect. John, the security guard in the professional building, is very enthusiastic.

Compared to the UK, there are fewer Chinese students in Ireland. More than 20 are from nearly ten countries, including France, Austria, India, Japan, Poland, Colombia, etc. From this point of view, the study abroad experience in Ireland is still better. At least we don’t have to do group work with Chinese students. And we don’t have to speak English for a year abroad.

Study in Trinity College

Regarding study, our major is still quite busy; often, 5~6 deadlines come together. However, teachers are amiable; if many students request to extend the deadline, teachers are discretionary to consider. However, overall, it is still hectic. In the application interview, the professor said that students are not required to do part-time work and try to focus on learning. Like our major, we have to teach the thesis proposal in December and hand in the thesis in May. At the same time, there is a final project for each course at the end of each semester, not to mention small weekly and group assignments. So the whole year is quite busy, especially from February onwards.

After handing in your thesis and relaxing, you must start preparing for the summer project, where 4~5 people will work on a project in a group. This year, because the epidemic is terrible, our group of five people are from different countries because of the epidemic, one going back to France and one going back to Austria, so our project is remote. There is no way to get everyone in the lab to discuss and write code, which is my biggest regret this year. Luckily, we finished our project well and made a storytelling app. The French lady in our group’s father used to work for the BBC. And she helped us to record the story for free with her broadcasting accent, so it’s not a pity.

All in all, it was a good year at Trinity College. It’s a pity that our professional building is not on campus and has all the facilities. So we didn’t use the other school resources, such as the library. I’ve only been to the cafeteria a few times, but it’s not good. There are many places to eat outside the school, which is very convenient. The school also has a large study room for postgraduate students, and quite a few Chinese students go there to study.

The Holy Trinity campus is quite beautiful and green enough. The building is ancient and has a unique flavour, especially in the evening when dusk is lovely. Usually, after class in school, I walk or stroll in the attractions, especially having a sense of satisfaction.