In the end…

Experiencing Ireland, spending a semester at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), then departing back home to Canada, was an intense experience that left me with a lot of strange feelings.  This was particularly hard in the last month as I spent my time at the end of the semester meeting up with friends and saying my good byes. It was strange to be leaving all the new people I had met over the past 4 months, many of whom have become great friends and I will be keeping in touch with. There were good feelings within and I enjoyed the company of others as my days quickly went by.

Meeting so many people and experiencing the culture of what Ireland has to offer, really pushed me to learn more about the world. It was not just the Irish people who helped make my experience so everlasting, it was also the international students. Meeting with them, hearing them talk about their own country, and in turn asking questions about Canada, was truly a unique experience.  It was nice to hear that a common response to me being Canadian was that Canadians were so nice. Whenever I asked someone if they would come to Canada, many of them said yes. It was nice to hear from the perspective of others as to why they think Canada is so great and the opportunities that other people want to have. Even more so, it made me realize that Canadians take some things for granted, and don’t appreciate it as much as people from other countries.  For example, in my accommodation at WIT, you had to heat up your water if you wanted to shower, instead of just being able to turn on the tap for instant hot water.

Some of the things that I learned over the past four months are that there are many differences and many similarities between Ireland and Canada. Surprisingly, from what I heard before I left, it rains all the time in Ireland but I found this not to be true for the time I was there. I enjoyed the temperature and there were lots of sunny days that came with the rainy ones. As a literal expression, I found the grass is always greener on the other side, and that majority wise, the people who I met were amazing and a lot of fun to talk with and be around. While my experience with the people and the culture was wonderful, there were a few difficulties with my courses which caused some frustration.  It was explained by the criminal justice program leader that it was a difficult semester for the school due to a lot of changes.  There was one course in particular that I really enjoyed though and that was the Probation course.

For future students going on this exchange, please do not let any negatives dissuade you from taking advantage of this amazing opportunity.  There is so much to learn from the experience, both inside and outside of school.  I do not regret this trip one bit and it has forever changed my life!

James Copping