Tag Archives: Ireland

Post Grad Planning while Adjusting to Studying Abroad

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Hello Scripps! I apologize for my hiatus this week. As I’ll discuss further in my post, many schools do not follow our standard when it comes to registration, which can make things very stressful and time-consuming, hence my lack of a post.

I landed in Dublin on Friday the 15th and was greeted by a man in a green sweatshirt who ended up taking me and the thirteen other people on my program to their housing accommodations. That first day is truly a blur, as I was running on about four hours of sleep and trying to cram an obscene amount of information into my brain, all important and all regarding my stay in Ireland. One thing to take away from that was to sleep as much as you possibly can on an international flight. Even if you don’t feel tired, you will be so much better off if you’re as rested as possible.

The next few days were better; I could feel myself retaining more of the information that I was given, I was sleeping through the night, and I was adjusting to my new living space. I am living in an apartment with a roommate and two other flat-mates. My roommate and I get along so well and I’m pleased to report that I don’t think we will have any major issues. But, if we do, I feel that Scripps has prepared me well to combat those issues and discuss them in a respectful and inclusive way. This past week was orientation week, where students register for classes and clubs, entitled “Freshers Week” here in Ireland.
As I mentioned earlier, the registration process is much more traditional than what we experience at Scripps, and even though we often find our process stressful, this experience has brought a whole new level of appreciation for the way Scripps handles registration. At Scripps we can register from the comfort of our desks or beds, commiserating with friends as we do so, but here at Trinity, each class must be physically signed off on by the professor teaching the course.

  vs.  This means that much of the day is spent walking to and from buildings, hoping professor will be in their offices and that they will bestow their signature upon your registration sheet. Although it is much less convenient, it was a great way for me to get to know the campus better and to learn more about the departments I would be taking classes in.

I know that there are many stages of the study abroad experience, and I know that I am still in the honeymoon phase. That means that there will be a point where I don’t feel as excited to be here, and I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for when that time comes. Even though that’s very hard to do, I know that I have a great support system here in Ireland, and back home, that will help me through those feelings.

While I’m enjoying getting settled in my new place and program, I know it’s important too keep moving forward on my post graduate plans and have started a pro/con list about Medical School which I’ll share in an upcoming post. 

For those interested in studying abroad, either at Trinity or elsewhere, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to talk to you about it, or put you in contact with someone else who might know more about a specific program.

Perspective

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For the past five months I’ve been studying abroad in Ireland, taking classes in Psychology and Computer Science at University College Cork (you can read my adventures here).  Now, if you’ve ever met me, you know that I am super plugged in to the Los Angeles tech scene, and love nothing more than going to conferences and hearing about the latest trends in the market.  When I was accepted to my study abroad program, I almost considered turning it down because I was terrified of all the opportunities I’d miss by leaving the country.  I’m one of those people who picks a goal and heads toward it at a dead run, ignoring everything on the sidelines.  I was so dead set on being a rising star in the tech industry that the idea of deviating from my path for five months frightened me.  Luckily, I had my father to put it all in perspective. “Alicen, you’re only 20 years old and you’ve got the rest of your life to be chained to a desk, go explore Europe before you put those shackles on”.

Now, my father was being a bit harsh and knows that having a job can be fun and fulfilling if you find the right one, but he was completely correct that I needed to get out and explore while I still could, and Los Angeles would be waiting for me when I returned.  Sometimes when you’re twenty years old, five months can seem like an eternity, especially when we are told as young adults that the job market is awful and we need to be constantly padding our resume if we want any chance of having a career in life.  I feel like I’m constantly sending out internship applications, attending networking events, and updating my LinkedIn profile, praying that I’ll be noticed and have some type of job security in the future.  Forcing myself to let all of that go to leave the country for five months was terrifying.

I’m glad I went, because I believe that removing myself from the LA tech scene actually allowed me to find focus in a way I never would have been able to if I had stayed.  Instead of attending every event and being blinded by the glitz and glam of Los Angeles, I started noticing what really mattered to me.  In LA, there were so many details that I failed to see bigger pictures and trends in tech.  Ireland was like a breath of fresh air, a pause in my life where I suddenly had time to reflect and think critically about what I was doing, instead of working on pure impulse out of fear of missing out.  Even if I won’t always have the time to go to another country for 5 months, I’ve realized that I do need to take the time to pause and reflect every so often, or else I get so caught up in the details of moving forward I miss the bigger picture.

Attending Conferences: What to Expect and What to Do

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I just came back from a weekend conference in Dublin, Ireland and I have a lot to share about conferences in general! 

I went to the Interdependence Conference, hosted by the nonprofit group CivWorld and its founder, Dr. Benjamin Barber, a world-renowned political scientist. This political conference aims to bring people from all over the world to discuss ways in which we are interdependent on each other and how we can best bridge the gap between people and countries. This is a pretty small conference with about 100 participants and 20 youth delegates. Two of the youth delegates were from Scripps, so that’s a big deal!

Youth delegate group photo: I’m in the center wearing the blue dress. Fellow Scrippsie Zoe Jacobs ’15 is in the red jacket to the right. She served as an intern for CivWorld and this conference!

This was my first conference ever so I’ll just share a few nuggets of wisdom. This is what I learned:

1. How do you get invited to a conference?

I got my foot-in-the-door from my friend and fellow Scrippsie, Zoe Jacobs ’15, who is an intern for CivWorld and helped put together the Interdependence Conference. Without her, I do not think I would have been able to go to the conference on my own. I asked other delegates on how they were invited and basically, we all got in because we knew someone in the organization already, whether it was through a professor or their next-door neighbor. Networking is key to learning about conference opportunities! 

2. Receiving Funding from Scripps

I was lucky to have CivWorld cover my housing and meals in Dublin, however, I had to cover the airfare and transportation myself, which was the most expensive part. I looked for funding at Scripps and ended up getting $100 from SAS. Later, I am going to check the Motley for additional funding.

From my understanding, SAS caps all funding to students at $100, so keep that in mind when planning for conferences. Although it is better than nothing, it barely covered the Super Shuttle ride to LAX from Claremont… So when preparing for a conference, make sure you know your budget! Don’t count on receiving a significant amount of money from Scripps!  Although there are limited funds available, Scripps is eager to help they want to see you succeed! Just be persistent!

3. Once you get to the conference… what do you do?

A conference is basically a place where people convene to talk about specific topics. Many are experts in their field, but sometimes you get people who are curious and are added to the general discussion. You are expected to attend as many lectures as you can and participate in conversations through questions.

There are sometimes cocktail receptions and galas with musical guests and entertainment, like the ones I attended in Dublin. Be careful! They’ll serve a lot of wine and food and it is very tempting to get hideously drunk. You are under a lot of scrutiny at these events and it really reflects very poorly if you forget your manners! Believe me, I have witnessed a few adults make fools of themselves there and it’s quite shocking!

Gala dinner on the second night of the conference

Traditional Irish harpists and singers performing at the gala

4. Networking

The Interdependence Conference hosted the mayor of Dublin and Belfast, scholars in art and politics, and business men and women. These speakers are really eager to help anyone who asks, especially if you express interest in their field. NETWORK LIKE CRAZY at conferences! Honestly, this is the sole purpose why people our age attend events like these!

Note: Zoe was personally offered a job by the mayor of Belfast! NETWORK!

5. Never say “No” (within reason, of course)

Bonding with your peers is as important as networking with distinguished speakers! There were about 10 youth delegates from around the world and an additional 10 from Trinity College, Dublin. Every night, we had the opportunity to go out to pubs and events to hang out. No matter how tired you are, DON’T SAY NO.

We celebrated Culture Night in Dublin where the entire city is open until 4AM to celebrate the it’s rich cultural identity!

In the four days I was there, I probably slept a total of 10 solid hours. The point is, you can sleep when you get home. When you are abroad or attending a conference, you need to maximize all the time you have available!

Many of the youth delegates in this conference just finished earning their Master’s degree in their field and are very knowledgeable in giving advice about what to do after finishing undergraduate studies. Just because your peers are young, do not rule them out!

6. Be a good sport

You are not the only one there trying to network. Many might even find you a valuable resource! In any case, be gracious and accommodating to others. Networking is a give-and-take of favors and information, so make sure to reciprocate peoples’ generous gestures the best way you can!

Of course, I cannot speak on behalf of all types of conferences (medical, biology, psychology, etc.), but these are the most basic pieces of advice I can give on the subject. I really encourage everyone to jump on opportunities like these. You really never know unless you put yourself out there!

Good luck and I hope this helps!