This summer I did an 8 week internship with the American College Dublin, now known as the Irish American University. I came in expecting to have a good time, and to maybe learn a little bit about business, but the experiences and memories from this summer will be remembered for the rest of my life. I met people who in that short amount of time became lifelong friends. I experienced things with these people in Ireland that my friends and family at home will never even begin to understand. There is a special bond that occurs when you get to share such a special time with people, and I am so glad I decided to go and study abroad.
Dublin is an incredible city which is just bursting with energy. The nightlife there is unlike anything we have in America, and it is a very exciting place to be any night of the week. It is also one of the cleanest and safest cities I’ve ever seen in my life. A city like Dublin has so much history and charm which makes it a place for everyone to come and enjoy. This trip opened up my eyes to so many things about different cultures and the way life is in different parts of the world. This experience will help me to respect other cultures, and appreciate where I came from.
We took many weekend trips and traveled all throughout Ireland and it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Since the school is in the heart of Dublin, there are many tours that will take people all throughout Ireland which leave right near the school. Also, after class and work during the week we would hop on the DART for a half hour ride out to the many stops along the coast. We would go off and explore whether it was just lying on the rocky beaches, or hiking up the mountains and seeing incredible sights. We even went to London for a weekend, which can be extremely cheap if you do it the right way. It is very easy to travel around, and the little trips are what made my stay in Dublin so enjoyable.
American College Dublin was a very friendly and personable place to study and work. They provide many opportunities to get to know everyone, and it was a very comfortable environment to be a part of everyday. Almost every week they took us on a trip to get a feel for the city. We went to a Hurling and Gaelic football match at Croke Park, The Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Factory, we did a Literary Pub Crawl, learned how to Irish Dance, and much more. ACD really took the time to make sure we were comfortable, and that we got to experience the many things that Dublin has to offer, which we would not have seen if they had not provided it for us.
My internship in the accounts department at the school helped me get a feel of what it would be like to work in a real accounting job, which is what I hope to do when I graduate this year. I’ve taken classes and learned all the aspects of business and accounting, but to get to use these skills in a real life workplace helped me realize that this is what I want to do when I graduate. The people I worked with were very understanding and helpful when I had questions, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better internship. I got work experience while having the time of my life, in one of the most amazing cities in the world. The internship program could have placed me in many of the businesses throughout Dublin, but I was very lucky to be able to work at the school. The really took the time to help me, and it was such a great experience for me to learn.
Between my internship, the people I met, the city of Dublin, and the American College Dublin I had the most amazing summer of my life. I really couldn’t have even begun to imagine it would have been anything like it was, because it exceeded all my expectations. After this summer, I feel like everyone should study abroad because it is the perfect opportunity to open your eyes to different cultures. Looking back on the whole experience I would have done so much more, but the experiences I had are going to be remembered for the rest of my life.