My Courses at the University of Limerick

I arrived at the University of Limerick with very little idea as to what to expect when it came to my courses. I had decided which courses I would be taking before my arrival to Ireland, but was not sure how they would operate, how big my classes would be, and how the dynamic of the courses at UL compared to those of my home school, Valparaiso University.

I am a psychology major with a marketing minor, so I took three psychology courses, one business course, and one special interest course, Horse Industry. The first four were larger, lecture-based courses. Our grades were mainly made up of either a final group project or exam.

Throughout the semester, we had very few assignments but were instead expected to either be working on these final projects or preparing for exams. This was a huge shock for me because it would not be uncommon for there to be multiple assignments due weekly for my classes at home. At first, it was difficult to acclimate to this new structure. I was anxious that I was behind because I did not have the assignments to guide me as I was used to. However, after the first few weeks at UL I became much more comfortable with this method. It required more accountability, but made for so much more free time to explore Limerick and have the ability to travel.

By the time I had completed these courses, I felt like I had learned so much and felt fully prepared for the final projects and exams. The fifth course, Horse Industry, was a little different. The class was made up of roughly twenty students– much less than any of my other courses. It focused on the ins and outs of the horse industry as a global force, as well as certain aspects of the industry in Ireland. The class still contained pieces of lecture material, but was primarily discussion-based.

A typical assignment for the week could be reading an article or watching a documentary relating to an aspect of the industry and then coming to class prepared to discuss it. I was the only non-Irish student in the class which was intimidating at first, but I eventually came to enjoy it. I was often asked for my perspective as an American on certain topics. I was able to provide insight on the American agricultural system so that we, as a class, could compare it to Ireland’s.

Not only did I learn so much about the horse industry, I met some of my closest Irish friends in this class. Many of them will come to the United States at some point as International students, and we have already made plans to reconnect once they do! In short, while I was intimidated by the different structure and way of functioning of my courses in Limerick, I came to take so much away from them. Not only did I leave feeling more knowledgeable on the specific course topics, but I came out with a larger cultural understanding, meaningful connections, and a better sense of self.

Blog by Connor Minix, Valparaiso University

Learn more about programs in Limerick here!