Technology

a)      What phone device are you using while abroad?  Did you purchase one there or did you bring your own?  How much does it cost to use a mobile phone abroad?

Fortunately, I have a few friends that have been abroad. They  told me about the overage and long distance charges for the iPhone while traveling overseas. So what I did before I left was to suspend my service until I'll return at the the end of December. This way, I won't have to pay for service while I'm in Ireland, but I can put the phone into "airplane mode" so that i can imessage my friends, and upload pictures using the wifi here.

Once I got here, Eric, who helps the international students through Carlow College, gave us some donated 'burner' phones that the students had used last semester. We activated them through phone companies here.

Now, the phones that we have are basically for emergencies only, and are only able to text and call. Mine is a Nokia, the kind that was before the flip phone (its sort of adorable) and I'm pretty sure it is indestructible. There are various plans here that you can use, but I chose the second cheapest, which is a 20 Euro plan, just to have some extra juice in the phone if I run into some issues and needed to call someone.

 

b)      What technology is available at your location (computers, internet, printers etc)? 

 

There is wifi pretty much anywhere you go here in Carlow. The pubs, the school, and the restaurants all have internet access, so its very easy to stay in touch with your family and friends. Like I said, I can use my iPhone's wifi to still use imessage or apps. The school library and Carlow City Library still have computers and printing/copying available. 
 

Textbooks and First Class impressions

a)      How did you purchase your textbooks?  Compare the cost to the cost of textbooks you purchase at Carlow University.

 We did not purchase any books for our classes. The actual chosen courses here in Carlow College go on for a years time, and we are only here for a portion (3 & 1/2 months), therefore, the school does not require us to purchase books. However, if we do need information pertaining to the books, the books for classes are available in the student library to either copy or read at your convenience. So, not having to buy required texts is a nice change.

b)      Tell us about your first few weeks of classes.  What are the major differences between your classes abroad and classes at Carlow that you notice so far (class etiquette, teaching style, class size, etc?

The classes here are very small. My largest class only has 17 people in it, the smallest has 5, including myself. Classes here are EXTREMELY relaxed. We do not have homework, or tests, but only a mid-term essay, and a final essay due. Each person's requirement's here are different, depending on what year they are in (in America it would be considered freshman, junior, senior, etc. But here in Ireland its considered first year, second year, third year, etc.). For example, if you are a third year student, like myself, you would be required to type more words in an essay than a first year student.

The teaching method here is more relaxed, and the professors expect less of you here. You're still learning just as much as you do in the United States, the professors just have a more relaxed style of teaching. The students are a big part of the class, because the professors use a lot of feedback to teach, which I really like. Its definitely interesting seeing such different ways of teaching and learning here in Ireland. 
 

 Transportation

a)      Describe how you are getting to and from class.

 The Lennon House, which we live in, is literally right behind the Carlow College campus, so there is less than a 2 minute walk to class everyday.

b)      What is public transportation like?  Explain the pros and cons.  

  The public transportation here is good, but it takes a long time to get anywhere. The buses are super clean and nice, they all have free wifi, and nice seating. They are not like buses in the city where I'm from in Pittsburgh, where as you can get off at any stop. They are more like the Greyhound buses that people take from city to city. The cool thing about the buses, especially in major cities, like Dublin, are most of them are double decker buses, which before I came here was only a thing I've seen on TV, so it was really cool to actually ride on the top of a double decker bus.

 Being as Carlow College is far from other major cities, it takes at least an hour or two taking a bus to places. With that being said, the buses also are bad about timing. You have to plan your trip with a few hours in between where you have to be and the arrival of the bus. Many times, the bus can run late or over time and you can be late to where you have to be if you don't plan accordingly. Unlike home though, the bus is SURE to show up, but, could be late, like I said, they are very relaxed here.

With that being said, taking a bus to Dublin, for instance, which is a little over an hour from Carlow, is going to cost a lot more than a bus ride would cost at home, due to the fact that things are so far away. The average cost of a one way bus ticket is around 12 to 15 Euros, round trip is about 22 to  30 Euros.