CORK, IRELAND
My tips from my study abroad trip Spring 2009
The song you are listening to was
popular while I was living there.
Jumbo Breakfast Roll—Pat Shortt
A Brief History…
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Cork is the second largest city in Ireland, and
the largest county
It is located in the south western end of the
country
Some towns in Ireland only speak Gaelic. Some
are an eclectic mix like Cork.
Michael Collins is a very important
person in Irish history.
What is UCC like?
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It is a welcoming place for foreign students
Term is from Jan-March with a month break for
Easter then a month for finals in May
Finals are all essay format taken in large groups of
mixed classes
There is no homework and no tests
They expect you to study and learn outside of class
and express that information in your final exam.
Most classes are held for two hours once a week
My Best Advice For Classes
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Take extensive notes and research them further
outside of class
Speak up in class the teachers love hearing the
opinions of foreign students especially how things
work where you are from
If there are ever any questions visit the
international education office they are extremely
helpful and welcoming
Victoria Lodge
This is a picture of the outside of my apartment complex. The main office is
located up front. You can pick up packages and mail as well as buy laundry
tokens here. Laundry was fairly pricy and there were no other options(laundry
mats etc). There were four washers and three dryers and it was safe to leave
laundry there while it washed. It did take about an hour for wash and two hours
for drying though.
Where do you live?
I lived in Victoria Lodge. There were three bedroom, and four bedroom
apartments. Each apartment has a lock and each bedroom also has a lock.
Each person gets their own heater as well as bathroom. They provide a
closet, desk, chair, bed, bulletin board, trash can, lamp, and shelves. You
must purchase your own bedding.
Bathroom and Hallway
The far left picture is a view of the hallway in my apartment. The first door and
third door are the other two bedrooms of the apartment. The far door is my
bathroom. The other two bedrooms had bathrooms inside their bedrooms. The
other two pictures are of my bathroom. The shower was very small but
functional. There was also a sink, toilet, and trashcan.
Kitchen
The kitchen was combined with the living room the four bedroom
apartments have larger kitchens than the three bedroom. There was an
oven, glass top stove, sink, microwave, fridge, freezer, toaster, and water
boiler(which are frequently used to make tea), trash can, recycle bin,
compost box, and dinning table and chairs. Dishes and a few cooking
utensils are provided.
Example of the 4 bedroom apartments kitchen
The kitchens are small but functional. The oven is very rarely used in
Ireland. Many students buy frozen products and microwave them. The
fridge and freezer are much smaller than in the U.S. however because the
grocery store(Tesco) is further away you don’t buy as much.
Living Room
My living room was composed of two chairs, a coffee table and a television.
The four bedroom apartments also have a small two person red couch. We
had basic cable and got the news and shows like the Simpsons and Friends
which are very popular over there. The DVDs are different over seas so do
not expect to be able to watch them on anything but your computer
Want more information?
Go here for information on all other housing
provided. I have told you about where I lived
but if you live elsewhere this can give you
information I cannot.
http://www.ucccampusaccommodation.com/st
u.asp
From me to you…
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It is best to take showers in the morning, because
that is when the most hot water is available
Tesco, the local grocery store, is about a mile from
Victoria lodge
The city center is an incredible place to walk around
and shop on weekends
Centra, the local convenience store, is great for
quick shopping but is expensive.
Explore Explore Explore!!!
There are amazing walking trails along the Lee river
Some of my favorite views of Cork…
*There are two bars on campus as well as
many places to eat.
*There are multiple computer labs as well as
free printing.
*Some of the buildings are located around
town off campus but people are more than
willing to help you find your way.
Some houses on the walk to campus
Welcome to Campus!
This is the main building on campus and shows the incredible architecture of the
buildings! This building surrounds the main quad, which is the square grassy
area in the center of campus. Lesson we learned the hard way: don’t walk on the
grass in the quad! It’s has a spiritual meaning for them because has a path in the
middle in the shape of a cross.
A view of the quad. The main building is seen here. It is a U shape with the
quad in the middle.
Another view of the quad. The building seen across the quad is the
library. You must have your student ID card to enter but it is a terrific
place to study. You have unlimited printing on campus as well.
The doors in the main building surrounding the quad are labled
to help students find their way. This is the door you go in to get
your student ID the week you start classes.
This is a view of the main building and the quad. The
west wing(seen in the previous photo) is to the left.
This is a view of the Student union(far left), the chapel(center) and the
O'Rahilly building where many classes are held. These buildings are just past
the library off the quad
Front gates of campus. These gates lead out to Western Road . If you go out
these gates and cross the street to the left(Western Road), there is a path
leading to a bridge that goes to the other buildings sometimes used for
classes.
View looking into campus through the main gates from Western Road. The
stop lights have crosswalks with walk signals. They don’t have buttons like
the U.S. For theirs you just touch the circle on the box and it beeps faster
when you are allowed to cross.
View of the walk along the river Lee down to the City Center. The city center
is just over a mile from campus and a very easy walk just down Western road.
This is also where the bus stop for Ski Link, the bus to the airport, picks up
and drops off.
This is a view of the English Market. It is in the city center and a great place
to shop. It is closed on Sundays, which is when this picture was taken.
Normally it is full of people and the freshest food you can imagine! Tip:
wander around to find the best prices and best deals in here there are many
sellers.
In the English market you can find beef, poultry, fish, pork, cheese, fruits,
vegetables, pastries, breads, cheeses, sauces, spices, chocolates and so much
more! If you want maple syrup this is the only place in town that sells it.
This is where you can get the best prices on all of these things. Most often it
is much cheaper here than at Tesco(the local grocery store). You must have
cash or coin, but there are atms all over the city center. My favorite chocolate
store is a very small place on French Church street, just off of St. Patrick
Street.
You should defiantly go ring the Shannon Bells. They are just outside of the
city center. It costs a small amount but is a lot of fun. You can pull different
strings to ring different bells to play a song. They have song sheets there to
give you ideas. These bells can be heard all over town.
center
I wanted to include a map of the main areas of the city you will be seeing.
“my place” is Victoria Lodge. There are other housing places and most are
located along the roads highlighted here.
Words of Wisdom
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Pictured lower left: St Fin
Barre Cathedral
This city is best seen by foot
Explore the shops and streets in the city center
Take cloth bags to use for groceries because they
charge for every plastic bag(and they are
seriously small!)
It rains quite often so pack accordingly.
Words of Wisdom
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Bring sweats, heating is expensive and you will want
clothes to lounge around in.
Bring pictures to put in your room so you won’t feel
as homesick.
Bring an Ethernet cord so that you will be able to
plug into the internet.
Men wear dressy sneakers, ladies wear boots or
ballet flats.
People wear dressy coats like pea coats instead of
the typical fleece or winter coats we are used to.
Words of Wisdom
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Bring something to keep you busy in your free time
in your room. ex: books, movies, crosswords etc
There is a library in the city center that you can
check out books from fairly easily(you must bring
your lease to set up an account the first time)
Black pudding…not pudding! It is a type of sausage
made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick
enough to congeal when cooled…this is very
popular in Ireland