My Early Start class, Irish Archaeology, began around 9:30 this morning in one of the UCC academic buildings. Navigating my way around campus was, and still is, definitely a difficult endeavor, but I did make it to class on time (surprisingly). My lecturer (as they call it in Ireland), Tomás, seems to be a very nice man. It is apparent that he LOVES Archaeology, which makes the class that much more exciting, because the material seems to be a little dry at times! He began the class by saying that he would split the three hour class up into sections, with one break being extra long for coffee, so that we would not get too tired (he shares my love of coffee, already off to a great start). He also gave a brief overview of the class, including the field trips we would take, as well as our upcoming assignments. The field trips seem like they will be very informative, and fun too! We have a couple of day trips to areas near Cork City, as well as two overnight trips. The first overnight is this Friday to Dublin. I am super excited for this trip because I am finally going to see some more parts of Ireland, and receive a greater understanding of the enormous amounts of history in this country. Our second overnight is in September, and that one is to Galway and its surrounding historical sights. For this trip, the other HC girls in the class and I are going to see if there is a possibility that we could visit the Holy Cross Galway students. It would be really great if we could meet up with them and see where they are living, how they are liking Galway, coordinate travel plans, etc.! When speaking about assignments, Tomás seemed to be very lenient about papers, projects, and exams. Due dates are very lax, and in order to receive an A on an assignment, you must have a 70%. This is going to be a big difference from Holy Cross for me, and I must say, it sounds a little bit more stress-free than HC! Overall, I think this course is going to be a great experience, both educationally and socially, as well as a nice way to ease us American students into UCC life.
After class, I went to the English Market to pick up some makings for dinner this week. Tonight I made salmon, with sides of brown rice and green beans. Dad's help was much needed here! I also had to phone-a-friend for some assistance when Dad could't help (thanks Linds and Mama Mac, you saved my dinner!)!
Later this afternoon, the Archaeology kids had a tour of the Boole Library, which was so beautiful. The library is extremely large, with everything you could imagine. UCC seems to be a very progressive university, and the only five-star university in Ireland! I think it is safe to say that my school is pretty awesome.
I became an official UCC student at the end of the day, receiving my student ID card. This card, most importantly, gives me Wi-Fi on campus! Wi-Fi has been my savior while here in Ireland, enabling me to message and FaceTime people back home, as if I never left. I was lucky enough to be able to FaceTime the entire beach crew tonight while they were enjoying the annual Pizza on the Beach Night. I wish I was there enjoying some much needed, and very delicious, Ray's Pizza. However, FaceTiming in on the action was a great substitute.
Tomorrow seems like it will be a relaxed day, which means more time for exploring! Be back then!
XO
Caitlin
My Archaeology classroom (not like the classrooms at HC!).
The glass building on the left is the UCC student center, and the chapel on the right is the Honan Chapel.
I know there has been one like this before, but it is so pretty!
This tree is located outside of the Boole Library. It s known for being a tree that students come out and punch when stressed in the library. Let's hope that's not an issue this year!
Nicole, Chelsea, and Jane after their first day of Archaeology!
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