Hiya! My name is Sadbh, I’m a fourth year Management Science and Information Systems Studies (MSISS) student and I spent a semester at the University of Notre Dame in the US. I hope that by sharing my experiences, I can convince anyone thinking twice about studying abroad to take the leap!

Pre-departure jitters and arriving in Indiana

As Michaelmas term was wrapping up, I was nervous to leave. I had a rocky road organising my international exchange, having pulled out of an offer for the first semester, and instead accepted a last-minute offer for the University of Notre Dame. I had little prior knowledge of the university beyond the fact it wasn’t to be confused with the Parisian cathedral.

Having been denied my first year of college in person due to Covid-19, and as an active member of student societies, I thought I would miss out on too much by going away. My expectations were low and I’ll admit I didn’t have the enthusiasm I should have had before going abroad. “I can manage this,” I told myself.

 “It’s only for a few months.”

So, unenthused and anxious, I set off with enough thermals to see me through a winter in the Arctic! I was already missing my student life in Dublin and home in rural Louth as I occupied myself with runs to Walmart for essentials. Indiana felt more different to home than I had expected, and I wasn’t immediately enamoured by its charms. It wasn’t until my third day in the US that I made it to the Notre Dame campus, and finally felt things were looking up.

I found the on-campus residence hall that would be my home for the semester, and I settled in with surprising ease into my cosy dorm room I shared with a full-time student. By the time I had set up my kettle and tacked photos of home to the wall, I was feeling more content. My fears of not knowing anyone and struggling to make friends also vanished straight away thanks to the communal nature of the dorm system.

Almost immediately, I got chatting to my neighbours – full-time students who had, coincidentally, just returned from their own study abroad in Dublin. Hearing the excitement about their experiences helped me feel more optimistic. They then introduced me to another Irish exchange student who went on to become one of my closest friends abroad.

Adjusting abroad

The early days adjusting to life at Notre Dame still had its challenges, none more significant than class enrolment. I was only able to enrol in one class prior to my arrival on campus, so I had to spend hours trialling combinations on the university’s class registration system, liaising with my course director at home, and knocking on faculty office doors to plead my case for a place in various classes.

I had already completed several study plans, but all the preparation in the world couldn’t have been enough to grapple with all the variables. This was one of the most stressful things about my experience abroad, and I was anxious to secure suitable equivalents so I wouldn’t fall behind.

Fortunately, the Notre Dame academic support were incredibly helpful. I even had one professor relocate her class to a different room so she could increase the capacity and allow me to enrol. By week two, my timetable had been finalised, and all my academic ducks were in a row.

Outside of classes, there was still plenty to learn about life at Notre Dame. I quickly picked up the dynamics of the dining halls on-campus, learning when was best to go and what to avoid (it was a no to the eggs and rotating cake options, but I enjoyed the cereal selection and pancake offerings!).

The move from a busy city campus to a … not-so-busy city campus was also an adjustment. While the university is technically located in the city of South Bend, it’s nothing like Dublin. The campus itself is more like an enclosed city, but outside its perimeter, it’s difficult to reach civilisation without a car. With no good ol’ Luas or Dublin Bus, we relied on Uber to ferry us in and out from nights out.

Luckily, my coffee habit was sustained by on-campus dining options, including a Starbucks located dangerously close to my dorm room (I had never lived so close to a Starbucks, and for the sake of my bank account, I hope I don’t again!).

I was also fortunate to build rapport with other international students, and we were able to share stories of Notre Dame’s quirks that eased the transition.

“Participation”

The biggest difference between classes at Notre Dame and Trinity was the level of class participation expected. Particularly coming from a more STEM-focused degree, I was totally unfamiliar with marks allocated purely for ‘participation’.

While it was intimidating at first, I took well to the open-discourse style of classes, and the level of peer interaction allowed me to meet more full-time students and make some of my closest friends abroad. There was a much greater emphasis on continuous assessment and ‘homework assignments’ than I was used to, but a lower load of contact hours allowed me to accommodate extra library sessions while still maintaining a work-life balance.

Outside of classes, the best decision I made abroad was joining in the student life. Notre Dame is a lively campus with plenty of student activity. From attending formals, taking dance classes, cheering on the university’s sports’ teams (my personal favourite was ice hockey, though school spirit for sports at Notre Dame is high across the board), and participating in dorm-run events, there was never a dull moment.

I even picked up an old hobby I had long abandoned since coming to Dublin: GAA. Despite not playing football or hurling for years, playing with the Notre Dame GAA team was a highlight of my time away. Not only did I play with other Irish students at the university, but I got to see American students learn and enjoy the games I grew up with. Having Notre Dame take home the NCGAA national title in Louisville, Kentucky, was the icing on the cake!

Seeing the States

I was fortunate too to travel a bit around the US. Although travelling state to state was not as easy as I had imagined it would be, I had great highlights including weekends in New York (a dream come true as a lifetime theatre nerd!), Chicago, and a week in San Francisco before I returned home. It was fascinating to see both the huge cities and quieter rural areas across the country – I’ve caught the travel bug, and hope to return to see more of the US soon.

Naturally, there were ups and downs. There were good days and bad days, lessons learnt, wallets lost, old fears conquered (living in a shared dorm), and new fears unlocked (raccoons), a taste for country music acquired, tears, laughter, and everything in between. But, by the end, I had come to love my life at Notre Dame and was in no rush to leave!

I learnt so much from the experience, and as someone who always considered themselves open-minded, it blew open my horizons more than I ever anticipated it would. I was surprised not only by how much I loved Notre Dame but how well I was able to adapt to my new surroundings despite my initial anxiety.

When I think back to this time last year, I can’t believe I was getting cold feet about going! It completely exceeded my expectations, and I would recommend anyone that can should give it a go – you might just surprise yourself!

To learn more about Trinity’s study abroad, international exchange, and Erasmus scheme options, check out the website.