I will study abroad in the fall of 2010 at either the University of Aberdeen, Scotland or the University College Dublin in Ireland. I’m from the midwest of the United States and weather is not a factor in my decision. I’m a Sociology/Anthropology Major with a concentration in Media Studies. I’m not necessarily looking for a strong academic program in these subjects; my main criteria is what the culture of the actual place is like. I want a place that is located within a city or have easy access to it, yet have some accessibility to nature/not-urban-areas. I also plan on traveling around the country and to other countries. I would also like a place where it is possible to be off campus often and meet other people who are not students.
My worries are that Dublin may be too urban for me and Aberdeen may be too small/depressing (are all the buildings actually gray?)
Thank you for any advice!
I would agree that it depends on what you’re looking for. I do not know much about Aberdeen, but University College Dublin is a great school, located in a fun and cultural city. It’s good that weather is not an issue because you’ll see sun, clouds, and rain – depending on the time of day. There is a lot to discover in Dublin. If you don’t want "bland color"- Dublin is best known for it’s "colorful doors." You’ll forget about the buildings when you count how many different colors a front door can be. Yes, it’s urban, but it’s a relatively small city- so it’s not overwhelming. There are also several great (and free) museums to visit. Dublin is a great hub for travel around Ireland as well as other countries. You’re close to two major train stations and only a half hour from Dublin airport. There are great day or weekend trips around Dublin that put you right into nature. Ireland is known for its mountain hiking and the coastal views. Right outside Dublin you’ll find Newgrange, Knowth, Glendalough, and waterfalls near Wicklow. Here’s an article about trips around Dublin (http://www.gullivergo.com/blog/?p=1084).
It sounds like you’ve narrowed down your choices, but if you still need help in your study abroad search, I work for a new travel/study abroad website dedicated to helping students go overseas. It’s called Gulliver (http://www.gullivergo.com). Here are other programs in Dublin (http://bit.ly/4VOpdY) or Aberdeen (http://bit.ly/6WtUJv). Just an idea of what’s out there. When you decide where you want to go, check out our Prepare to Go section (http://www.gullivergo.com/prepare-to-go) to learn about funding, housing, internet, cell phones and other tidbits for your trip. Good luck and Happy travels!
Well, do you want a big city or a small one? It’s difficult to say anything when you are saying one city’s too small and the other is too big…
Yes, just about all the buildings in Aberdeen are grey. That’s the colour of the stone round there.
As far as culture goes, Dublin is world famous. I’m not sure I’d even use "Aberdeen" and "culture" in the same sentence
References :
I would agree that it depends on what you’re looking for. I do not know much about Aberdeen, but University College Dublin is a great school, located in a fun and cultural city. It’s good that weather is not an issue because you’ll see sun, clouds, and rain – depending on the time of day. There is a lot to discover in Dublin. If you don’t want "bland color"- Dublin is best known for it’s "colorful doors." You’ll forget about the buildings when you count how many different colors a front door can be. Yes, it’s urban, but it’s a relatively small city- so it’s not overwhelming. There are also several great (and free) museums to visit. Dublin is a great hub for travel around Ireland as well as other countries. You’re close to two major train stations and only a half hour from Dublin airport. There are great day or weekend trips around Dublin that put you right into nature. Ireland is known for its mountain hiking and the coastal views. Right outside Dublin you’ll find Newgrange, Knowth, Glendalough, and waterfalls near Wicklow. Here’s an article about trips around Dublin (http://www.gullivergo.com/blog/?p=1084).
It sounds like you’ve narrowed down your choices, but if you still need help in your study abroad search, I work for a new travel/study abroad website dedicated to helping students go overseas. It’s called Gulliver (http://www.gullivergo.com). Here are other programs in Dublin (http://bit.ly/4VOpdY) or Aberdeen (http://bit.ly/6WtUJv). Just an idea of what’s out there. When you decide where you want to go, check out our Prepare to Go section (http://www.gullivergo.com/prepare-to-go) to learn about funding, housing, internet, cell phones and other tidbits for your trip. Good luck and Happy travels!
References :
http://www.gullivergo.com