Now that I am in my fifth week of classes at the University of Limerick, I think I am starting to get the hang of things. Overall, classes here are similar to those at home. However, the small differences can add up. Below is all that I have found dissimilar so far.
Each course here has only one possible meeting time for the main class lecture. If this time does not work with your schedule, you cannot take the class. There are two main structure options that I have experienced. The first is that the class meets once a week for two to three hours in a lecture-style meeting. The second structure is that the class meets for only one to two hours in a lecture and has an additional tutorial or lab during the week for an hour. Tutorials and labs consist of smaller groups of students from the main class and occur at different times from the main lecture.
One difference I like is that in tutorial meetings, you usually work in class. I still have some homework and readings for home, but it is nice to at least have some tasks completed in class. Lectures are virtually the same here as at home, though often longer. Not every class has an attendance policy, but most of mine take roll or do random call-outs to track participation. This is different from the typical policies laid out in syllabi at home. Additionally, while in class, students often do not take notes because most professors post slideshows online. I still like to take notes on any additional examples or ideas they have, but it is not rare for me to be the only person typing.
Regarding classroom norms, one of the first things I noticed is that all classes have official class times of exactly one, two, or three hours. However, if your class is from 9:00-11:00, your professor will usually dismiss you between 10:45 and 10:55. Dismissals are not as set in stone as USC classes. This means that you do not have to worry about having back-to-back classes because you often have time for traveling. Additionally, many professors do not mind if you are late because they are used to this system.
Furthermore, the progression of every class is similar to those you would experience at USC. Most classes for my majors assign readings for each meeting, and you are often expected to contribute to conversations. Since tutorials are smaller meetings, you will be asked to participate much more. Some lecturers do not call out to the large classes, but some do. If you need to leave one of these classes for the restroom or any other reason, it is acceptable to just step out.
Submitting the first assignment for a specific professor is an obstacle to overcome every semester, regardless of the country you are in. This is usually challenging because you do not know what to expect yet. I find that this stress is heightened in a new country because you are unsure of the norms and expectations. Some differences I have found in expectations relate to style. Whether that is citation style or writing style, it is different here. UL has its own citation tool that all students use to apply the Harvard Referencing Style. However, some of my professors let us use whatever style we want as long as we are consistent. As a journalism student, though, I am used to using AP Style to write articles. After many questions and searching, I have found that they do not use this same style here, which is odd since it is so regulated in the U.S. There is a UL style guide here, though, but it applies to all forms of writing, not just journalistic projects.
Additionally, the grading scale is different here. Professors, from what I have experienced, stick to letter grading without specific numbers. If they do use numbers, the meanings are different than those at home. An A+ here is an A1, while an A- is an A2, and this applies to all letter grades. However, an A1 is any grade over 75%. A2 is 70-74%, B1 is 65-69%, and so on. This can be startling at first, so remember that if you get a 75, that is good here. Professors tend to grade lower, so do not worry.
On top of all of these slight differences, the Irish accent and different usage of some words can complicate things. Personally, I love the accent and hearing conversations between professors and students to understand language norms here. However, in the classroom, sometimes word usage and pronunciation can be difficult to tackle. Specifically, Irish words are used often and their spellings versus pronunciations are very different for someone who does not know the language. This has not negatively impacted my experience at all, and it is rare that I cannot pick up context clues, but it is something that I am not used to.
Finally, everything is much less formal in Ireland. When you email a professor, you can be more direct and exclude some of the niceties expected in the U.S. I usually still include a greeting and make sure to be polite, but that is not expected here. Additionally, you can typically refer to professors by their first names only. I still feel uncomfortable with this, but every Irish student I have spoken to says that it is normal.
These are all the small differences I have gathered so far, but if I experience any more, I will be sure to let you know.
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