The Best Decision I've Ever Made

Studying abroad in Cork, Ireland was truly a life-changing experience for me. I had the absolute time of my life and managed to make lifelong friends along the way. It seemed like every week I was experiencing something new, and that was part of the reason why it felt like those five months flew by. I joined multiple clubs at UCC (University College Cork) and picked up new hobbies, such as climbing and olympic lifting. I found plenty of time to travel outside my host country to places like England, Spain, Netherlands, and Italy, while still staying on top of my academics back home in Ireland. It took me some time to adjust to my new surroundings, but I committed myself to putting energy into making friends with the people I traveled to Ireland with and with the Irish students I met through clubs and classes. My move to Cork couldn't have come at a better time, as my family life back home wasn't the best and was causing a lot of stress in my life. Getting away to Ireland for those five months really saved my mental health and gave me a brighter outlook on life. Truly, if I had studied abroad in Cork even a year earlier I would've seriously considered transferring to UCC full-time. I loved my host country and my experience there more than I can put into words. I'll be forever grateful to myself for making the choice to go and to my parents for making it possible.