It’s the second week of school here at NUIG and we’re (Ebony and I) still trying to get used to the swing of things. The campus, despite hosting 17,000 students, isn’t all that big. The only problem is that all of our classes are on the opposite side of campus from where we live, which means we have to wake up earlier than normal. The best idea we’ve had is gaining access to bikes, which Joe Coughlan graciously arranged. They turn what would be a 20-minute walk into a 5-minute bike ride. The only problem with riding a bike to school is getting caught in the rain with it. I consider myself somewhat decent on two wheels but when the rain starts falling and I forget that people drive on the opposite side of the street over here, it’s made for some close calls already. But hey, it’s all part of the experience.
As for the classes, I haven’t noticed too much of a difference between here and my undergraduate days at Johns Hopkins. If I had to pick one contrast it would be the level of friendliness from the professors and students. The professors are engaging and seem to take interest in the experience of the students. The students themselves are looking to interact and be of aid to one another. It seems like a great environment to be in for the year. It may be because this is a master’s level program so the students and teachers are naturally more engaged, but it definitely differs in that manner from Hopkins. I remember myself and my two good friends, Matt Chiusano and Max McKee, would try to engage with other students and professors but we were sometimes unmatched with our level of enthusiasm for our economics courses. That will certainly not be the case this year.
School is off to a great start, I’m sure it will get tougher as the weeks fly by but we’re enjoying it so far!
