Hi! My name is Emma Stolinas, and I am a third-year geosciences major at Penn State. I completed my first year at the Lehigh Valley campus, and I moved to University Park for my second year. I am currently enrolled in a semester abroad at University College Dublin (UCD) in Dublin, Ireland, and I highly encourage anyone who might be interested in studying abroad or just traveling to do so.
Despite really looking forward to this experience, I knew that it was going to be a big undertaking. From my original program of choice in New Zealand being cancelled to having to get in touch with people across the University, this semester took a little over a year of planning. It was absolutely necessary to confirm that I would be able to fit this into my degree requirements without worrying about not being able to graduate on time. I also wanted to make sure that I would be enrolled in classes that I find interesting and are actually related to my major.
Not only did I have to prepare myself academically, but I had to prepare for this emotionally. Before coming here, I had never flown on an airplane before, let alone traveled outside the United States. This was going to be the farthest I had ever gone from home and my family. I had a lot of anxiety about getting to Ireland safely, getting adjusted to a totally different environment, and making friends. The most nerve-wracking part of it all was that I had to do it all by myself; the support system that I relied on to help me through things was going to be more than 3,000 miles away.
Thankfully, after being here for a few months, I have been able to do everything that I was nervous about before coming here. I navigated the Philadelphia and Dublin Airports alone, got to campus safely, and settled into my on-campus housing. I started classes and was able to get adjusted to the different course structure. Through numerous events organized by UCD Global, I have gotten to meet people from all over the world, learn about different cultures, and make new friends.
Apart from my studies, I have also had the opportunity to see more of Ireland. I traveled to Belfast in Northern Ireland with one of my roommates, and I visited Galway and the Aran Islands on Ireland’s west coast by myself. Both trips were amazing, and I look forward to getting to see more of this country and learn about its rich history.
Through this experience, I’ve learned a lot about myself. Knowing that I have been able to do all of this, especially alone, I am more confident in my abilities as a student and just as an adult. I have tried so many new things, and I think that I am now a completely different person than who I was when I arrived. I plan on making the most of the rest of my time here, and I am very excited to see what’s in store for me.
Emma at Howth Cliff Walk, Dublin, Ireland