Study Abroad at Queens University Belfast

I attended Queens University Belfast for their Summer Institute for Irish Studies and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I traveled to Belfast by myself, not knowing what would lay ahead on my journey, but soon realized it was going to be once in a lifetime experience. The Institute is arranged perfectly for the novice traveler or a experienced traveler who has seen the world. The summer school has a wonderful balance of classroom instruction, class trips and free-time. The program gave me a glimpse into all aspects of Northern Ireland, including history, literature and geological foundations. The class field trips looked at different parts of the city, museums and the natural landscape of the country.

I was able to have a great deal of independence and free time while in this new area, but the comfort of knowing Queen’s Belfast has an international staff on-hand incase I needed any assistance. Queens is centrally located in the city; it was just a short walk to the city centre where I could shop, get delicious food and enjoy local culture. One of my favorite things to do while in Belfast was to go St. George’s Market and get fresh baked-goods and locally made crafts. The center of the City also offers various forms of transportation to allow for easy access to other areas of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland or even different countries. During the free weekends, I took trips to Dublin and Helens Bay. There are so many things to do and see in Belfast that you may not want to leave the city!

The living accommodations while at Queens allowed me to to live with and become wonderful friends with those in the school. Elms Village was just a short walk to the main campus and centre city. Elms Village is wonderful because it has a kitchen on every floor that allows for the opportunity to cook your own food or store snacks so I didn’t need to purchase food for every meal. There are numerous convenience stores and grocery stores within walking distance.

It is amazing to look back at the global connections and friendships I developed during the trip, many of whom I am still in contact with today. The Institute allowed me to grow, both intellectually and as an individual. I gained a new sense of wonder while at Queens and the desire to explore the world. I would highly recommend this program to any student looking to expand their horizon and for an unforgettable, life-changing experience. The hardest part of my entire journey abroad was having to go home.

Luckily, my journey has not ended here. After realizing I wanted to get an international masters degree, I looked at my experiences and decided my best option was to return to Queens University Belfast. I am excited to return to the place that I loved and begin a new chapter as a full-time graduate student at Queens University Belfast.

As cliche as this sounds, my semester in Belfast was everything I desired out of an abroad experience and more. The city is small and walk-able, each quarter has interesting nooks and crannies to explore. Queen's Quarter, where QUB is housed, is a fabulous part of Belfast; restaurants (Maggie May's milkshakes, Ryan's banoffee pie, French Village's everything), pubs (Woodworker's craft beer samplers, Filthy McNasty's cocktails), coffeehouses (the Pocket), grocery stores, bus stops, health centers and pharmacies are all just a short walk away which make this quarter easy to live in. The people in Belfast are friendly, funny, and outgoing making it easy to make friends and feel at ease in your new home. Moreover, Belfast is beautiful with greenery everywhere, Victorian architecture sprinkled throughout the city, the iconic Lanyon building at QUB, and a gorgeous nature, countryside-like escape along the Lagan River called the Tow Path.
In comparison to my small, liberal arts college in the States, QUB was much academically less rigorous making it a very easy semester. Despite that, I do feel as though I learned a lot while at Queen's--make sure you attend tutorial since that's where you'll get a lot of the valuable instruction.
What really made Belfast feel like a home away from home were the other international students I befriended. QUB did a wonderful job introducing us by housing us together and providing mixers at the beginning of the term. These people became family to me; we did everything together and a select group of us were actually inseparable. None of my close friends there studied the same subjects as me and most of them were not Americans either which made my friendships a cultural learning experience.
All in all, I cannot put in words how amazing my time in Belfast was. To all thinking about attending QUB, do it. You won't regret it.