As I anxiously waited for the gate to open at Dublin airport, I could not help but reflect on what I had learned and how I had changed thanks to this program. I had seen so many things that I did not think possible or did not believe that I would have the opportunity to do in my life.

I met a lot of great people and some have become life-long friends. Living not only in a different culture but also on a different continent was incredible, and extremely eye opening. There were many things that were the same as home but so many more things that were different.  Something as simple as trying to cross the street became an adventure at first, but we were quickly able to get the hang of it.

The campus was very cool and so full of history. Everyone from the students to the teachers, were the nicest people you would ever want to meet. They made Jordan and I feel very welcome right from the start. The campus environment is pretty much the same as the JIBC, with students running around looking for their classes and hanging out in the cafeteria and library.  I found it extremely interesting to learn about policing in Ireland. There are a lot of differences between not only the officers themselves but also the way things are handled. It was very worthwhile to learn.

Something that I would like to tell the next set of students, who are taking part in this exchange, is to have fun and take it all in. Study hard when it is time but also enjoy yourself and do as much as possible while you’re there.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and is not to be taken lightly.   Enjoy the experience, and although it is important to get good marks, it is also about learning and growing, and gaining valuable life experience which will help you in whatever career path you have chosen.

Finally, if I was presented with this opportunity again in the future, I would take it without any hesitation. Four and half months seem like a long time but it flew by so quickly and I had so much fun. It is something that I will take with me for the rest of my life, and I am very happy that I did it and very proud to have been selected to partake in this program. Good luck to the lucky ones who will be selected to go next semester. It is a huge honor and I know you will have as much fun as we did.

Christian Dungey

Overall, the experience of the exchange program at WIT was awesome. I met new friends, enjoyed and embraced a new culture, and learned to live on my own far away from home. School, although a bit different than the JIBC, was great. Our classmates were very friendly and spoke to us often, allowing Christian and I to become comfortable quickly in a brand new environment. The teachers were friendly as well, and respected that we are new to the learning style and the Irish Criminal Justice System.

The environment of our school was very unique because of the campus. As I’ve mentioned previously, the College Road campus is very old and was once home to nuns. The original tile, archways and smells, really make you sense and feel the history of it.

I really enjoyed learning in Ireland because I had no prior knowledge of policing there. It is fairly different from policing in Canada and it was interesting to learn that there have been dramatic changes this past decade to the Gardai (police). I learned so much about the differences between our two countries, but also about the similarities; it really broadened my mind.

Something to keep in mind for those who will experience this exchange in the future is that the marking scheme at WIT is a little different. Above 70% is an ‘A’, while below 40% is a fail. Most of us that were on the exchange did not know this until after we received our first marks, so don’t be shocked if the marks you receive are a little different from what you’re used to.

I felt that the amount of time we spent in Ireland was just right, especially with summer just around the corner. The WIT exchange was an experience that I will never forget and I am very thankful that I was given this opportunity. I wish future exchange students all the best and I know that they will enjoy their time at WIT.

Jordan Vanderhorst

With 2 weeks left in Ireland, I learned that a friend was coming to Europe, so we agreed to meet up in Dublin. We planned a small trip to Belfast for 4 days, a city that I wanted to visit but did not think I would have time to.

I had never travelled north of Dublin before, so everything I saw on the 2-hour train ride was new to me. With the countryside to the left and the coast to the right, our scenic journey to Belfast was beautiful.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, close to city center. It was a nice hotel, reasonably priced and included complimentary breakfast.  Belfast city center is not very large and it is easy to walk to most of the sights. As we arrived in the evening, we decided to have dinner and an early night as we wanted to get an early start the next morning.

The weather forecast for the next day had a high of 18 degrees Celsius with sun and clouds, so we picked this day to travel north to the Giant’s Causeway. We took a tour that the hotel suggested and the bus travelled up the east coast along the water, with a few stops at some of the castles and landmarks.

The views were amazing and unlike anything I’ve seen in Ireland. Once we arrived at our first destination on the tour, we were awestruck at how beautiful it was. The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge was the first big attraction we experienced.  It is a famous 20-meter rope bridge, 30 meters above the water, connecting the land to a small island. For a small fee, we crossed it and spent around 15 minutes looking at the scenery.

Our next stop on the tour was the Giant’s Causeway. This is one of the most popular attractions in Northern Ireland; it is magnificent. It consists of approximately 40,000 basalt columns naturally formed by an ancient volcanic eruption. The columns are along the water and resemble honeycomb. The small hike we took around the Causeway was worth it and this was definitely my favourite “nature” part of Ireland.

The last stop on our tour was the Bushmills Distillery, where we had lunch. We met two guys (one from France and one from India) also visiting Belfast who had been living in Scotland for four years.  We made plans to have dinner with them back in Belfast at Robinson’s, a local pub. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great – definitely a pub I would like to visit again.

The next day was a rainy one, so it worked out well as we wanted to visit the newly built Titanic Museum and famous dry dock/pump house. The museum was spectacular.  We spent approximately two hours in the museum and then had lunch in the museum’s café. After lunch, we walked along the road until we reached the dry dock and pump house. We got to walk down into the dry dock, which has been closed to ships for some time now, and we were amazed at how incredibly deep it was. We were told that this was the very last place that the Titanic sat on land and that when it sat in the dry dock, it was still taller than the nearest building. To be in the presence of such a historic site was amazing – I absolutely loved it.

I highly recommend visiting Northern Ireland.

Jordan Vanderhorst