Case Study A - Elizabeth Sanderson

Katherine is an Education (primary school) & Child Studies and Liberal Arts double major from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She is currently studying in the University of Limerick and has taken some fascinating modules over the course of her yearlong exchange programme, such as Professional Teaching, Irish Folklore and Psychology & Social Issues.

Besides ‘loving’ her courses, Katherine is particularly happy that she made the effort to make new friends. ‘The key to everything is getting to know your housemates – you can’t be a study abroad student and just hang out with Americans. I know it’s comfortable, but that’s not the point of studying abroad. If you wanted to be comfortable, you wouldn’t go anywhere,’ she says. The housemates in question are all Irish, three boys and three girls; ‘They’re amazing and we’re connected at the hip,’ she adds.

Situated in the southwest, Limerick City was established by the Vikings in the 9th century and sits on the banks of Ireland’s largest river, the Shannon. Katherine has developed a fondness for this bustling city; ‘I like Limerick because it’s much more manageable than Dublin, but it’s not too small so you don’t feel like you know everyone you meet on the street either!’

Katherine is convinced of the character-building benefits of studying abroad; ‘Personally, it’s been a huge growing-up time, travelling is amazing. Even if you live off-campus in a US school, it’s just not the same.’ Indeed travel and adventure is second nature to Katherine now; in the short time she’s been in Limerick she has travelled to Dublin, Bantry, Dingle and Belfast in Ireland and Amsterdam in the Netherlands; and she is currently planning trips to London and Prague to visit American friends who are also studying in Europe.