When studying abroad, it is crucial to make sure that you research and understand the history and culture of the area that you are interested in before you arrive. Fortunately, I came to Ireland after writing a 3 page paper assigned by the professors regarding a timeline of Ireland’s history. Although this assignment did help broaden my understandings of Irish history, it was assigned to me to be completed by a deadline, and not on my own personal time or interests to research. Nonetheless, as I was completing the paper day by day, I found myself discovering new topics that sparked my interests, but I never followed through with digging deeper into the topics.
Take it from me and learn from my mistake, once you actually hold a deep understanding of the area that you wish to travel to, you will develop a much greater appreciation and love for the culture that you will soon be emerging yourself into. If i had not been assigned to complete the paper, I would have walked right into this experience with a blind eye about how exceedingly proud the Irish are of their land. Little did I know that the Irish have been fighting since the 1880’s to become independent from the United Kingdom, and finally gained independence and became a Republic in 1949, making them a relatively new country.
Not only do the Irish emphasize their historical leaders and their stories, but the are also very proud to preserve and honor the leaders to this day. For example, the profoundly well known Irish Republican Army Regulars army leader Michael Collins signed with the United Kingdom on December 1921 to have Ireland a free state. But in 1922, Collins was ambushed and shot dead. To this day, he is now buried in a very prestige area in Glasnevin Cemetery here in Dublin, where multiple people to this day visit his grave to change the flowers and pay their respects. Although the Northern Ireland is still under control of the United Kingdom, every Irish native takes pride in who they are, and what they have gone through to get where they are today.
Now, I know I sound like a broken record saying this over and over again, but it is the absolute truth! In order to fully emerge yourself further into the country’s culture, you must understand where they came from and how they got to that point. If I would have come to Ireland without previously researching the important history of their independence, then I would not have been able to truly understand and appreciate the culture that I am emerging myself into. Along with this, I would also just be walking aimlessly by the historical buildings here, and taking a picture of it just because it is beautiful, not for what it stands for. The two main buildings that come to mind when I say this is the General Post Office, and the Fusiliers’ Arch right here in Dublin. The Post Office still has the gunshot marks on the columns from the 1916 Easter Uprising, and the Arch was built in 1907 dedicated to honor those Dublin Fusiliers’ lives lost in the 1899 Second Boer War. Since every large city has buildings that are beautiful and built just for tourist’s pleasures, it is important to understand and differentiate between which buildings stand for pleasure or historical sights.
Luckily, I am studying abroad on a program with amazing professors that made sure that we did our research before crossing the border. But for those who have never traveled abroad before and are planning to travel to a location overseas, this is for you. In order to get the most out of your trip abroad, do your research beforehand, and you will be able to add onto the information you have already learned once you arrive at your location. As you spend time in the country, you will slowly but surely find yourself meeting locals and emerging yourself in their day to day activities and culture. For me, I came here absolutely hating dark beer, like Ireland’s Guinness, so I expected to leave here hating it. But now, as I have only spent two of my four weeks in Dublin, I am sitting down for a meal and actually ordering a Guinness! Although it is just a simple change of taste, I found this intriguing since I came here against drinking dark beer, yet alone drinking any beer at all! As a result of branching out from my norms and emerging myself in the Ireland culture, I was able to try something that I was not used to, and ended up loving it!
All in all, the point that I am trying to get across is to do your research beforehand, and branch out beyond your norm to fully get the most experience out of your time abroad. As one of my professors here in Ireland said, “there is a big world out there, you have to see the world.”
Slainte,
Rachel Klun
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Read more from Rachel at https://racheltravelsabroad.wordpress.com/
To see more about the U of A International Business in Ireland program, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/wcobireland.
