Dublin City University
Of course studying abroad means taking courses at a university that you are not familiar with, and having class schedules that are very different than what I have experienced at E&H. I am taking two courses on the campus of DCU, which will transfer back to E&H, and one of them is studying contemporary Irish society. The design and teaching of these classes are much different compared to E&H. I am only on campus on Thursday and Friday each week, and I do not have weekly assignments from the professors. A majority of the learning is left up to us, and is shown through a final presentation or paper depending on the class.
In addition to the two courses at DCU, I had two reflection courses. One of them was online, and it involved a lot of reading and writing. The other class was part online and part on campus. This course also included a lot reading, writing, face to face meetings, and a couple of travel times to go along with topics being discussed. These courses were required as part of the program we were doing through IPSL, which is a service-learning study abroad program. Below are photos of some of the adventures at DCU and travel to other parts of Ireland for class.
If you are interested in more about DCU or IPSL here links to the website for each:
http://www.dcu.ie
http://www.ipsl.org
In addition to the two courses at DCU, I had two reflection courses. One of them was online, and it involved a lot of reading and writing. The other class was part online and part on campus. This course also included a lot reading, writing, face to face meetings, and a couple of travel times to go along with topics being discussed. These courses were required as part of the program we were doing through IPSL, which is a service-learning study abroad program. Below are photos of some of the adventures at DCU and travel to other parts of Ireland for class.
If you are interested in more about DCU or IPSL here links to the website for each:
http://www.dcu.ie
http://www.ipsl.org
Service was a requirement for this study abroad program, and I was also required to complete the bonner hours. I was able to intern with Jobcare to fulfill both requirements. Jobcare is located in the Dublin, Ireland, and it works to help long term unemployed individuals find jobs. There website explains their history, what they do, and the different programs they offer. Visit http://www.jobcare.ie
My time at Jobcare has been one of the greatest service experiences I have had, and this is for many reason. I was able to form relationships with the employees of Jobcare, and through them I was able to learn more about the culture, as well as the issue they were facing. One of the largest issues was unemployment, and I had the opportunity to work with many of the clients. Through this work, I was able to assist and leave an impact on this community.
I would assist clients with their resumes, job interview skills, and provide information about the programs. I also created reports for the organization to use for developing future programs. These reports included going through databases to find the information that would be most useful for them in looking at the future of the organization. I also had the opportunity to work with employees to help organize different events that they would hold to help their clients improve their job searching skills.
Through this time I was able to form relationships with the employees and so many of the clients. It was a wonderful working atmosphere, and I felt that I was making a difference in the lives of these people. I even gained skills for my own job searching. It was an unforgettable experience, and I hope to return some day to visit.
My time at Jobcare has been one of the greatest service experiences I have had, and this is for many reason. I was able to form relationships with the employees of Jobcare, and through them I was able to learn more about the culture, as well as the issue they were facing. One of the largest issues was unemployment, and I had the opportunity to work with many of the clients. Through this work, I was able to assist and leave an impact on this community.
I would assist clients with their resumes, job interview skills, and provide information about the programs. I also created reports for the organization to use for developing future programs. These reports included going through databases to find the information that would be most useful for them in looking at the future of the organization. I also had the opportunity to work with employees to help organize different events that they would hold to help their clients improve their job searching skills.
Through this time I was able to form relationships with the employees and so many of the clients. It was a wonderful working atmosphere, and I felt that I was making a difference in the lives of these people. I even gained skills for my own job searching. It was an unforgettable experience, and I hope to return some day to visit.