Orientation

Hey!

My name is Abby, and I am a student from Mississippi State University.  I am in my third year of Aerospace Engineering with minors in Computer Science and Mathematics.  However, this semester I am studying abroad at Queen's University Belfast.  This university is in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, and it was built way back in 1845.  I'll have pictures of the university and city up soon!

I left the USA on Tuesday January 24th and traveled for what felt like forever to arrive in Belfast on Wednesday January 25th.  Upon arrival another girl, Kelsey, and I were picked up from the airport by Paul, our Program Director.  Just to note, Belfast International Airport is the smallest airport I've ever been in.

Kelsey and I, along with three other girls, are the pioneers for ISA, International Studies Abroad, here at Queen's University Belfast.  They have programs all over the world, but ours is the first here in Northern Ireland.  This program comes with a Program Director that is here to direct and help us with anything that we need.

Anyways... After Paul picked us up, we headed into Belfast along small roads through green, lush fields.  The city is fairly small, way bigger than Starkville back home, but small compared to places like London.  However, Belfast is obviously a major city since it is the capital of Northern Ireland and the second biggest city on the island of Ireland after only Dublin.  Belfast as well as Queen's has a good mix of traditional and modern.

Somehow, we both made it through the rest of the day after travelling all night the night before.  Paul showed us around the parts of the city closest to Queen's University.

Yesterday and today were filled with orientation meetings, tours, and such for international students here at Queen's Univeristy.  We've learned all about the University and how it runs.  Our presenters have shown us a lot of information that we will need; anything from what there is to do around town to what classes are like here.  One major difference is the way that courses are taught.  For each class you have one or two lecture periods throughout the week along with a tutorial session with a smaller group, and for some courses, depending on the subject area, there are of course labs.

This semester, I will be taking mostly Computer Science courses to work towards my minor along with courses that will go towards the electives I need for my major.  I am currently enrolled in Artificial Intelligence, Software Development for the Web, Sociology of Work, and Power, Ritual and Symbol: the View from Anthropology.  They sound random, but it works.

My dorm is fairly small, but much bigger than the half of a room I shared in Hull Hall Freshman year at Mississippi State University.  I'll post a picture of it once I have my camera pulled out.

It's about time to go out into the rainy streets again!  I'm headed off to the Ceili!

- Abby