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Allie Bacholl

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Allie Bacholl

<i>Home Institution</i>: University of Wisconsin, Madison <i>Expected Graduation Year</i>: 2025 <i>Academic Major / Minor</i>: Computer Engineering / Folklore <i>Destination</i>: Limerick, Ireland <i>"Hello" in your host country's language</i>: Dia dhuit <i>Program Provider</i>: University of Limerick <i>Demographics</i>: First-Generation College Student <i>Future Career Goals</i>: Pursue a career in computer hardware design <i>Top Three Study Abroad Goals</i>: Meet new people and learn about different cultures; learn about Irish folklore; learn how to travel abroad for the first time

Differences in Classes

Compared to my engineering classes at UW-Madison, the classes at the University of Limerick have been more hands-on. All three of my engineering classes have a two-hour dedicated lab time. Additionally, there have been fewer homework assignments, but the ones that we do have, mostly lab reports, are longer. So far, I prefer this method since we have longer to finish the assignements and more time to process the content. The professors are also more willing to push duedates back if something comes up since there are fewer assignments. One downside, however, is that everything counts for more. For one class, each lab report is 10% of my grade, and the final exam for all three classes is weighted at 40%. At UW-Madison, the highest weighted exam I had was 28% of my grade.

Learning Outside of the Classroom

One of the reasons I wanted to travel to Ireland is because of its extensive history. There are various Neolithic sites in Ireland, many of them in the southwester part of the island. One that I have had the chance to see was a burial site (Poulnabrone Dolmen – shown below) in the Burren area of County Clare. Additonally, King John’s Castle is located in the center of Limerick. Below you will see a picture of the River Shannon and St. Munchin’s Church from King John’s Castle. It is a castle that dates back to 1212 and currently there is a great musuem located within the castle that explains the history of the castle and Limerick.