Surely,
you’ve all read or heard about this peculiar breed of students who party 24/7,
expect professors to cut them slack, miss classes, ask stupid questions, and, oh
horror, somehow they manage to have it all, while after years you still haven’t
figured out why this one professor never gave you an A; plus you kind of look
like a panda (and a very sad one), struggling to combine not getting expelled
with working and trying to enjoy the pathetic scrambles of social life you do
not have time for... And as if to mock your misery, the EU pays for those
slackers’ beer with the amount of money that you wouldn’t mind making after
graduation.
Okay, I’m
being overly dramatic, but the life of
Erasmus people is surrounded by mystery, and so I too decided to check it out
by spending 9 months at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. It was not so much
greed or laziness that led me to filling out an application, but the
opportunity to spend some time at one of the top universities in Europe and the
chance to take a break and experience a new piece of the world. As a result,
armed with these honorable motives, I arrived in Dublin in early September with
two bags of luggage, a firm disbelief that one cannot survive on 505 euros per
month and with great expectations inspired by erasmusconfession.com.
Immediately
I was faced with the difficulties that would send me and my flatmates into fits
of depression during the first few weeks, because that is the time when newly
arrived ‘Erasmuses’ have to deal with way too many novelties. Everything seemed
way too expensive: sandwiches, coffee, transport, accommodation, heating,
clothes, umbrellas (which, by the way, never last more that a few windy days),
books – the list is endless. Secondly, although I was lucky to have obtained
accommodation with the help of Facebook, many of my fellow newcomers to Dublin spent
weeks at a hostel trying a room without too much luck So, if you’re heading to
Dublin – better start googling weeks prior to your arrival.
A word has
to be said on the seemingly confusing Trinity registrations. The lines at the
academic registry may be long, the building you need – nowhere to be found.
However, if you regularly check your Trinity email (which you are instructed to
obtain shortly after you get accepted) and act on the calls for registration
without delay – the entrance should be smooth. Finally if your passport says
non-EU, the long hours and the fees paid at the foreigners’ police will make
you wish you went somewhere, anywhere else. However, the frustration will pass,
and soon you’ll find yourself giving advice to the newcomers regarding closest
thrift shops, greenest parks and nicest flea markets. Besides, after a few
weeks, apart from the high prices, all the major struggles can be considered
completed.
Although, I
guess I forgot about studying. It is debatable whether studying at Trinity is
more demanding that at FF UK (Faculty of Arts, Charles University). Depending
on the department, there will be tests, essays, attendance policies,
presentations, homeworks, groupwork and even extra hours at the lab. However, I
have to admit, the phrase: “I’m sorry, I’m Erasmus…” worked almost all too well
for me and my fellow exchange students. Naturally, there are limits to
professors’ kindness. You can fail and fail miserably, especially since
cheating on an exam is virtually impossible. The advice to start your papers
early on in the semester is not given in vain and the penalties for late
submission are pretty rough. Rewrites and resubmissions are possible…
sometimes… in a way… better avoid them.
The advantage
of the Trinity exams is that one roughly knows which questions to expect, which
makes the whole process of cramming easier and less stressful. However, as a result, one has to deal with
the professors’ expecting in-depth knowledge of three to five topics in two
hours and about ten pages. But anyways, exams only happen twice a year, so
let’s look at the joys of being on Erasmus in Dublin.
Dublin is
clearly a cultural centre with various attractions that offer students’
discounts like all the Dublin festivals and museums and are sometimes even free
of charge: St. Patrick’s parade, The Book of Kells, discussions at The Irish
Film Institute and the Dublin culture night.
Another
special thing about Ireland is its landscape. Even not being a fan of hiking and
having endured the eternity of the 30-minute battle with seasickness on the
ferry to Aran Islands, I found the cliffs, the forests, the paths and the
stones astonishingly beautiful. And so was every other place in Ireland I
managed to visit.
Nevertheless,
the very epicenter of the social life for Erasmus students at Trinity are the
100-something student societies that make having fun in Dublin affordable and which
accommodate every interest, ranging from
food and gaming to foreign relations. There is a 2 or 3-euro
registration fee, which provides one with year-long access to either free or
discounted food, parties, wine, pub quizzes, trips, classes, guest lectures
(who thought Angela Merkel and Steven Pinker would grace a bunch of university
students with their presence?) and many other forms of entertainment.
All in all,
now, almost seven months after completing my Erasmus, when the daily struggles
with expensive heating have been forgotten and all the credits put into SIS, it
feels like everything was great, even though partying was too expensive to do
24/7, I feel like I worked hard for every A,B and even C – and by the way all
the questions I ever asked were strictly to the point. And yes, the 505 euros did not cover much
apart from noodles and accommodation, but I met wonderful people, recharged my
passion for English Studies, took a sneak peak at the Irish and their
Irishness, got a Trinity email address, and learned to imitate Dublin accent…
even if only in my head. Not too bad for 9 months, don’t you think.
Elena Tkacheva
