Inside Student Blogs

Kate Foley Dublin, Spring 2010

Kate Foley is a junior Magazine Journalism and Graphic Design dual degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She chose Dublin City University direct enrollment for her study abroad experience because it allows her to fully immerse herself in the Irish culture and society by learning and living with Irish students. One of her favorite pastimes is exploring new surroundings and situations, so she plans to travel the country and the UK as much as possible during her time abroad. She has also taken Irish dance lessons since she was 3 years old, and looks forward to using these skills while in Ireland.

Kate's Posts

• Reflections on Dublin – A Year Later

  1/11/11 • (0)

  I simply can’t imagine where the last year has gone. I’ve been back on American soil for over seven months, but it still feels like I was just in Dublin a few weeks ago.

  A Year Later, Dublin, Ireland

• Homecoming: an uncomparable experience

  6/02/10 • (0)

  There’s nothing quite like coming home after four months abroad. My final week in Dublin involved spending as much time as possible with the people I’d be leaving, i.e. my teammates and closest friends during the past months.

  Dublin, Ireland, Post-departure, return

• Riding the Heat Wave

  5/24/10 • (2)

  Yesterday’s highs reached near the 75-degree mark (about 20 degrees Celcius), which is significantly warmer than Ireland’s yearly highs, and we haven’t even made it into summer yet.

  Dublin, exams, Ireland, Spring, Study Abroad, sun

• Visiting Cork: the Rebel County

  5/14/10 • (0)

  It’s the week before final exams begin, so a friend and I decided it was time for one last road trip before the end of semester. Our destination was Cork, where my family originally comes from.

  Blarney, Blarney Castle, Blogs, Cork, Dublin, Ireland, Killarney, Killarney National Park, rebel county, tourism

• A lesson in Dublin slang

  5/04/10 • (0)

  Only then did I realize what she meant — since I’ve been hanging out with a lot of local (read: Irish) students, I’ve picked up a good amount of Dublin slang in everyday conversation.

  Blogs, college, Dublin, Ireland, Language, slang, Study Abroad

• All-Ireland Nationals: my final Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Ireland

  4/27/10 • (2)

  It’s 10 am, and the horn sounds to signal the beginning of the game. Four pitches laid out on St. Anne’s Park’s lawn, lined with boot bags, jerseys, snacks, and bottles of water and Lucozade, have become the center of attention.

  All-Ireland Nationals, Dublin, frisbee, Ireland, sports, tournament, Ultimate Frisbee

• Short on cash, but still plenty to do

  4/21/10 • (1)

  However, despite the depressingly small cash stash, I recently realized Dublin still has much to offer that I haven’t seen yet. Here are some noteworthy sites I’ve yet to visit:

  Blogs, budget tourism, City centre, Dublin, Ireland, sightseeing, tourism

• Procrastination, a universal college survival method

  4/13/10 • (2)

  Classes in Ireland are nothing like what I’m used to at home. Here, classes meet once a week for lectures (usually in a 2-3 hour block) and hardly ever involve more than the lecturer talking at you for the entire time.

  Blogs, DCU, Dublin, essays, exams, Finals, Ireland, studying

• Ultimate Frisbee: a little-known but much-loved sport

  3/30/10 • (2)

  Many of my favorite memories of my abroad experience have been since I joined my university’s Ultimate Frisbee team. The only reason I have refrained from mentioning it much in my posts is because, when I talk about how much I love playing, my enthusiasm is usually met with blank stares.

  Dublin, Ireland, Limerick, sports, Ultimate Frisbee, Video Blogs

• Interviews, internships and planning while abroad

  3/29/10 • (0)

  Though I still have over two months before going back to Iowa, it’s becoming apparent that I need to start planning for the summer and next school year. It will be my final year in college, so getting a good internship is at the top of my to-do list. Fortunately, with a lot of help [...]

  Blogs, Dublin, Internships, Ireland, jobs

• A a trip to Scotland, en route to St. Paddy’s Day in Dublin!

  3/19/10 • (2)

  The last few weeks have flown by, and with little surprise. I can’t believe how much there is to experience over here! The list keeps growing, as the amount in my bank account keeps shrinking. Memory-making isn’t cheap, but definitely worth every penny!

  Blogs, Dublin, Edinburgh, Ireland

• Introducing…Snow! Ireland’s new favorite substitute for rain!

  2/23/10 • (0)

  It’s snowing…again. This is supposedly a rarely-seen phenomenon for Ireland, yet we’ve seen more than enough in the last 3 days.

  Blogs, Dublin, Ireland, Limerick, snow

• A day in the Irish countryside

  2/16/10 • (0)

  After a week and a half in Dublin, three friends and I decided to explore life outside of the city. We chose an easy day trip for our first exploration, and settled on a paddywagon tour through Glendalough and Kilkenny, about an hour south of Dublin.

  Dublin, Glendalough, Ireland, Kilkenny, Kilkenny Castle, Photo Blogs, St. Kevin's Monastery, Wicklow Mountains

• In Dublin’s fair city…

  2/08/10 • (0)

  It’s already been 4 days since I arrived in Dublin. The last week has been a whirlwind of activity with orientation, meeting new people and exploring the city.

  Arrival, Dublin, Ireland, Orientation, weekend

• Travel prep involves more than just packing

  12/30/09 • (1)

  It’s the night before New Year’s Eve, and I’ve been mentally preparing for my study abroad trip for several weeks now. Though my flight to Dublin isn’t scheduled for another month (Irish students start classes in February), I need all the time I’ve got to prepare — both mentally and physically — for four months [...]

  Blog, DCU, Direct Enrollment, Dublin, Ireland, Packing, prep, Spring 2010, Study Abroad, Travel