Northern Ireland – GW Blogs from Abroad

The Challenges of Finals Period Abroad

AdminMay 7, 2015December 17, 2018

After having the amazing opportunity to travel to new places throughout Europe during my spring break, I’m now entering the period that all students dread, regardless of what continent you’re on: finals. Tackling finals in a new country, let alone in a new university with a different academic culture than your own, can be a difficult process. Finals period can be one of the most difficult parts of being abroad. As an abroad student, it’s easy to be distracted by everything happening around you. Of course you’d rather check out a cool new place and spend time with your new friends that you’ll be forced to say goodbye to soon. Therefore, I want to discuss the challenges of a finals period when you’re abroad, as well as how I’m currently overcoming them.

I’m studying a the British university of Queen’s University in Belfast. I’m sure you’ve heard how British academic culture is different from American academic culture. The rumors are true. The biggest difference I’ve notice between academic culture at GW and academic culture at Queen’s is the pacing and a greater sense of independence at Queen’s. At GW, it’s typical to have a mid-term exam, at least one paper, and a final exam, if not other assignments scattered throughout the semester. At Queen’s, there’s less assigned work for you to actually hand in, especially in the beginning of the semester. For example, I’m taking one course that requires only a final exam in the form of a 5,000 word paper. However, this one paper will be worth my entire mark. Therefore, there are pros and cons to this system. On the one hand, it may seem like you have a lot less work to do. However, in reality, your professors are expecting you to be working on this one assignment throughout the semester. Like I said, there’s more independence. They won’t be checking up on you or the progress you’re making, but if you aren’t doing any work until the end, it’ll show in you overall grade. That being said, it’s also a less stressful finals period if you are careful not to cram everything at the end. Unlike GW, we have more than a few reading days to prepare for exams. Rather, we have at least a couple weeks, if not more, depending on your exam schedule. Furthermore, each class is worth more credit here, so while I have to tackle five finals at home, I only have to worry about three here.

Therefore, there’s a lot of aspects of British academic culture that, in my opinion, makes for a less stressful finals period. However, the fact that I’m an abroad student makes it more difficult. It’s hard to not become distracted by all of the opportunities and events that seem more fun than spending the last month of your abroad semester in the library. In order to overcome this struggle, I’ve decided that the best approach to finals while you’re abroad is simply balance. You shouldn’t be in the library as much as you might be at GW. Let’s face it- in five years, you’d rather accept a grade that might be a little below your average than miss out on an opportunity that you might never get a chance to partake in at home. That being said, the biggest key to remaining unstressed is planning ahead. Here in Belfast, many students have adopted a ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude. This is a good rule to follow while abroad. Really, it comes down to using you’re study time wisely. When it is time to study, and when you have any spare time, put good use to it. Work hard in the library, rather than waste the time on Netflix or procrastinating. That way when that once and a lifetime opportunity comes along, or even a fun night out with your friends, you can enjoy your time and your abroad semester to the fullest, while also knowing that you’ve got a good grip on your academics.

Murals from "The Troubles"

AdminApril 14, 2015December 14, 2018

By kennatim

While I can appreciate a good work of art, I am not much of an art museum person and would not exactly call myself an art aficionado. Rather, my most exciting experience involving art has been witnessing the giant politically charged murals in the cities of Northern Ireland this past week. The tension is still very much in the air, after hot conflict known as “The Troubles” occurred all throughout the area between Catholic unionists and Protestant loyalists from the 1960s to the 1990s. The violence, bombings, and riots tore the area apart, and neighborhoods are still visibly divided.

Last week I went for a 2-day, 1-night trip to Belfast with each member of my CIEE Dublin program. It was incredibly interesting to tour the City Centre, neighborhoods which had experienced so much violence, and even the dry dock where the Titanic was built. What made it even better was that I got to take it in with 32 friends. The most interesting section to me was the murals and the memorials surrounding the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods where violence took place. They were colorful and diverse in nature: involving memorials for murdered children, hatred towards the other side, people picking up arms, commemorating a bombing, international figures like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., support for Palestine, and general intimidation and territory-marking in what could essentially be considered a turf war.

We spoke in hushed tones during our tour, as the city is still vibrant and the effects still lasting. I could not get over how well done artistically many of the murals were, but also the differences in rhetoric between Catholic and Protestant neighborhood murals. While a Protestant mural might reference a heinous crime by a “republican murder gang,” a Catholic mural referencing the same event might commemorate the “heroic IRA freedom fighters.”

The only thing that could come close in tension to Belfast was Derry. I found Derry (called “Londonderry” by loyalists) to be even edgier, as it was a majority Catholic city in Protestant Northern Ireland. Therefore, the majority that felt repressed by the minority (where the famous “Bloody Sunday” took place) was very active in their speech and action against the British and loyalists. There was no shortage of fiery murals here as well. Included in this post is a picture I took with a pro-British mural, an obvious reference to British dominance and destruction of Catholics in Derry, taken in one of the small Protestant neighborhoods. There were murals of children approaching tanks, men ready for war, of more international peace leaders, etc. Some black & white and some in vivid color, some the size of entire buildings, and some accompanying a memorial garden.

I found Derry to be more interesting than Belfast, mostly because I was given a tour by my distant cousin from Galway, Joe McDonagh, who grew up hearing about new violence occurring in Northern Ireland on the news just about every other day. He gave firsthand insight of the importance of the sites, and helped me to understand how different the environment was less than twenty years ago. I also recently found out that a distant cousin of mine was an MP in English Parliament who fought for the rights of Catholics in Northern Ireland, named Bernadette Devlin.

My two escapes to the North were eye opening. We as young Americans can have such an American-focused view towards the world that we do not realize how much emotion and conflict can consume a country we consider to be well civilized and modern. The many murals in Derry and Belfast helped to give me this insight. I hope it is not the last time I visit the North, and I hope the next time I do, it will be continuing its journey to a peaceful society as it has been for the past two decades.

My Top 5 Favorite Things to Do in Belfast

AdminMarch 8, 2015December 14, 2018

By Shannon McKeown

1. Ulster Museum

The Ulster Museum, located within the beautiful Botanic Gardens, is the perfect afternoon activity that doesn’t cost a dime. Founded in 1821, it is currently Northern Ireland’s oldest museum and features displays in art, local history, treasures from the Spanish Armada, botany, and geology. For anyone unfamiliar with the area, the museum offers a large range of information regarding local history and the history of the unionist & nationalist conflict. The museum also has collection called “Art of the Troubles,” which includes work by artists in response to the Troubles, the time period of the city’s heightened violence that began in the 1960s.

2. Black Taxi Tours

In Belfast, Black Taxi Tours are a main attraction. These tours will take you to different areas of the city, but the most well known tour is of the political murals of the Falls and Shankill. These areas are either unionist/protestant or nationalist/catholic and are completely segregated. The most famous ‘peace line’ in Belfast lies between these two neighborhoods. While many believe that the Troubles are completely over, this wall, taller than the Berlin Wall in most areas, is a reminder of the segregation that still exists. Furthermore, both neighborhoods (as well as sections of the wall) feature an array of political murals, some highlighting their own history and others focusing on international issues.

3. The Giant’s Ring

The Giant’s Ring is a henge monument located just outside of Belfast. It is a man-built circular enclosure that dates back to around 2700BC, predating the Egyptian Pyramids. While the activities that took place inside the mound can only be speculated upon, it is thought that it served as a meeting place or as a memorial to the dead. Just east of the center of the circle is a five stone tomb. Furthermore, a ritual site was excavated in the area adjacent to the site in the early 1990s. These days, the ring is part of a series of paths near the River Lagan and is a beautiful rural site for those who want to escape the urban environment for an afternoon.

4. Friar’s Bush Cemetery

Friar’s Bush is Belfast’s oldest Christian burial ground, with some graves dating back to the early mediaeval period. There is a legend that St. Patrick built a church on the grounds, while it is also said that an order of friars established on the land. This site can be found on a map dating back to as early as the 1500s. Furthermore, throughout the penal laws that discriminated against Catholics practicing their religion in the 1600s, Catholics would often meet in secret for mass at this site. It is also a burial site for many victims of the Great Irish Famine of 1845-51. Taking a tour of this site is a great way to spend an afternoon and learn more about Belfast’s complex history.

5. St. George’s Market

St. George’s Market emerged as long ago as the 1600s, and the present award-winning market was built between 1890 and 1896. Friday includes a variety market, with products ranging from antiques to fresh produce and coffee. On Saturdays, you can enjoy the ‘city food,’ and the craft and garden market, while Sundays include food, crafts, and antiques. It was voted the UK’s Best Large Indoor Market in 2015 and is a great way to get a taste of Belfast’s food and culture.

My First Week in Belfast

AdminFebruary 2, 2015December 14, 2018

By Shannon McKeown

It’s hard to believe that its already been over a week since my arrival in Belfast. This past week has been a whirlwind in the best way possible. I have moved into housing, attended two orientations, met a variety of new people, and now feel ready to take on my first week of classes that start tomorrow.

Upon arrival last weekend, I attended an orientation with other students in my provider program, Institute for Study Abroad-Butler (IFSA-Butler). Since there are only 9 people in this program, it was easy for our advisors to show us a bit of the city and help us begin to get acquainted with the area. On Friday, the night of our arrival, we visited the Crumlin Road Gaol. It is the only remaining Victorian prison in Northern Ireland and holds great historical significance regarding Belfast, as well as impressive Victorian style architecture. Although it was freezing cold throughout the tour and many of us were fighting off exhaustion from our overnight flights, it was a great experience. It was intriguing to learn of the prisoners’ conditions and the prison’s practices, especially in regards to the prison’s internal tension between Protestant and Catholic prisoners throughout the height of the Troubles.

The rest of the week included moving into our university housing, attending Queen’s University international orientation, and a chance to explore the city further. Belfast is an amazing and resilient city. While it is still less of a tourist destination than Dublin, this has been changing in the past decade with the decline of their internal conflict. Around every corner, there is something to do. There is an array of restaurants and shops, popular sites such as the Botanic Gardens and St. George’s Market, and historical sites such as the Ulster Museum and the Crumlin Gaol. I also look forward to exploring the beautiful rural areas outside the city.

While the sites are beautiful here, I have been most moved by the people that I’ve encountered. It is not an exaggeration to assert that every person I’ve encountered here has been the epitome of friendly and has been eager to help in any way possible. As they say here in Northern Ireland, the craic (fun banter) is great. That being said, conversations here are also proving to be one of the greater challenges. The Northern Irish speak fast and their accent can be truly difficult to understand. I spent last semester in Jordan, and it seems to me that an Arab accent is actually easier to understand than the Northern Irish. However, it’s a challenge I look forward to overcoming.

All in all, I’ve had an amazing first week in Belfast. I look forward to starting my classes tomorrow, adapting to and learning about the culture here, and exploring the city further.