Deciding to study in another country during a pandemic is a difficult decision but one Judit Garab says she is grateful the University enabled her to make.
The English with Creative Writing student spent a semester at Trinity College Dublin, embracing Irish culture and even picking up some new language skills.
“I am grateful that the Go Abroad team fought for exchanges to go ahead if the student decided to take the extra risk during the pandemic,” she says.
“This allowed us to make the final decision ourselves and the team even provided us with a list of things we were advised to consider when making that decision.
“I felt supported by the University of Aberdeen team throughout the whole process. The online presentations, documents and guides were all very helpful and reassuring. I always felt well-informed about what I needed to do next.”
Judit found the same supportive atmosphere at Trinity with a comprehensive induction programme at which she learned she could take a free Irish language course.
“As lockdown relaxed a little, I really enjoyed exploring Dublin where museums and galleries are free for students. One memory I will treasure for the rest of my life is thumbing through Shakespeare's First Folio in the TCD's Library, which was printed almost 400 years ago in 1623. As an English student, holding such an important piece of literary history in my hand was an experience that I will always be grateful for."
“I can also highly recommend learning a little bit of Irish as it gave me a sense of belonging when I was finally able to decipher some of the street signs, which are now displayed both in English and in Irish."
Judit’s top tip for an exchange programme – particularly during a pandemic – is to take it one day, or one week, at a time.
“Do something every week that makes you happy, something that excites you, something that you couldn’t do in your home country or in Scotland,” she adds.
“Time flies, so try to make the most of your time abroad, but if some plans need to be cancelled, forgive yourself and remember that you can always travel back later and do those things if you really want to.”
Explore the GoAbroad opportunities available to you by clicking here.
