As 23-year-olds, there are not many huge life decisions we look back on as if they were decades in the past. However, the decision to study in Ireland is one that has changed the entire trajectory of our lives (for the better).
Coming to MIC as at 19 years old, during a pandemic, still doe-eyed and scared, was the most daunting feat I had accomplished on my own, and to this day, I am incredibly grateful to myself as well as everyone I have met along the way. Mary I’s influence runs deep.
A few essential impacts made were on our personal development, perspectives, and future goals.
Personal Development
Studying abroad is an entirely new level of independence that Julia and I would recommend to any young adult trying to figure out how they work as a person, and how the rest of the world works too!
- Self-discipline as well as self-teaching are vital skills that will be constantly put to the test and improved. While difficult and frustrating at times, we learned to do many things fully on our own. Mistakes were of course made a long the way, but what journey isn’t accompanied by mistakes? Whether it be managing immigration protocols and procedures in a foreign country, understanding international legalities, or deciphering public transport, it is all a learning game we have grown accustomed to.
- Being comfortable with being uncomfortable – you never know what the future will hold especially as an international student. These are unprecedented times regarding international affairs, but you learn to roll with the punches and lean on others in the same boat.
- Be the one to reach out! Your friends and family will miss you and might not know what your new life consists of. Keeping everyone in the loop and making sure to stay connected has relieved much of the loneliness we often face as international students. Plus, sharing pictures and talking about your life in Ireland never gets old (right?).
Perspectives
This is one we were not expecting to change just as much as it did. Coming from diverse areas, both Julia and I considered ourselves very open-minded individuals, that is until you have people from every corner of the world around you and the door to your mind swings open! We have been lucky enough to interact with people from (almost) every continent – Antarctica has proven to be a bit difficult.
I feel as though my time here at Mary I has allowed me to be much more comfortable and curious with other cultures. Aspects of everyday life for some became a source of intrigue and fascination for myself to learn from, appreciate, and in some cases apply on my own life. Friendship has always been a strong asset I hold a lot of value for. Being an international student, you meet and connect with people you may never see again come four months’ time. However, this never held me, Julia, or the rest of our housemates back!
It is only when you have made it so far from home already that you suddenly realize just how close the rest of the world is now!
Future Goals
We have never been people to know exactly what we wanted to be growing up. This answer would often shift every other week from princess to astronaut… then maybe a princess astronaut. Coming to college without an idea for a plan after might not be the smartest but if there is one thing both Julia and I have had to learn constantly, it’s that plans will not work out exactly as you want them to. At the same time, this could also mean the universe has something else in store for you.
We will be graduating Mary I with a BA in Psychology and English and a BA in Early Childhood Care and Education, respectively. Nevertheless, both of us are still not exactly sure what the future will hold or who we will become in five years’ time. What we do know that is that we plan to continue and hold onto our curiosity and love for the world outside of bubbles. There will always be something or someone to miss while studying abroad but it will still be better than to miss out on the world and all it has to offer.
MIC has opened so many doors and crafted an environment every student, local or not, can prosper and learn in. We could not have done it without the amount of help we received from the International Office, where students are truly cared for the second you walk into an office or pop up in someone’s email. Odds are they’ll get you sorted and have you wondering what you were so nervous about in the first place.
-Stephanie Gonzalez (USA) and Julia Nimat Allah (Israel)
