I’ve been living in Limerick since the 2nd of September, having moved here for ERASMUS, and I can honestly say that it’s the best decision I’ve made my whole student career. The fact that I’m living in my own little apartment (albeit with a roommate), that I go to a foreign University with people who aren’t Maltese, the fact that I get to experience a whole different life, it all contributes to the general excitement of it all.
I asked my peers who stayed in Malta what they would particularly like to know about the classic ERASMUS experience, and together, we came up with six main points that seemed to be the most striking.
Culture Shock
While actually still in Europe, I can’t deny that Ireland is different than Malta. For starters, I was completely blown away by the fact that there is grass everywhere on campus, and it’s a totally normal occurrence to see people simply lounging on it when it’s a nice day. The way they speak is also pretty amusing — never mind the accents, you get used to that. I’m talking about certain words that they have. "Banter’ means "good fun’, "craic’ (pronounced crack) is another way of saying "a good time’, and "to shift someone’ literally means "to make out with someone’. The people here also smoke much less than Malta, and everyone seems to ride their bike (or even, in some cases, skateboards) everywhere. There is definitely a more health-aware atmosphere around.
Travelling
My arrival in Limerick was preceded by a two hour car ride from Dublin airport, and so far it’s been nothing but long distances from one town to another. It took us about two hours to get from Limerick to Inisheer (an island off the coast of Galway Bay), and about an hour to get to the Cliffs of Moher. All these, of course, were coach trips planned by the International Society here, that aim at taking international students on excursions. However, it’s a ten minute bus ride both into the city and into the University, in either direction, and a twenty minute walk from my apartment to campus. Compared to Malta, not bad. I can deal with the long travelling times — well, long for the Maltese — when campus is simply a stone’s throw away.
On a side note, I once talked to a group of foreigners about the fact that it takes me an hour to get to University by bus in Malta. Their reaction? “Why don’t you just walk?” Oh, I wish.
Cost of living
To those of us used to the Saturday night out culture, where fifteen Euro gets us well plastered and all we need is about five Euro to get home by taxi, Ireland might be a bit of a shock. Food here is expensive (except if it’s from Tesco. God Bless Tesco.), and alcohol and cigarettes even more so. It’s much cheaper to make your own lunch every day then buy something on campus or from the city — you’d have to be financially well prepared to be able to eat out every week, let alone every day. Most students I’ve met so far live off staple foods — microwavable rice, frozen foods, bread, noodles, easy to make pasta with ready made sauce, the works!
Although, as with everything, the exception to the rule is that, after a certain hour of the day, food on campus becomes quite cheap. I’ve eaten a very filling bowl of curry for three Euro, a take away box of chicken and chips for five Euro, and a pizza slice (big enough to rival Pizza by Luca) and a plate of chips and a drink for five Euro, too. Sometimes, forgetting your lunch at home isn’t so bad.
How to Approach the Locals
I’ve never met a friendlier bunch than the Irish. They’re always happy to help you, whether they know you or not. I’ve had complete strangers overhear my friends and I discussing which way the bus stop was and pointing us in the direction we needed, without asking them first. I’ve had University students who work in the library come up to me to help if they think I look lost, or even lecturers themselves going out of their way to make sure I get what I need. I’ve had local students sit with me at a pub thirty minutes after I’ve met them, laughing over a pint. They’re a lovely people, who love talking to strangers and hearing about all the things you’ve seen and done, and all the places you’ve been. They wish you a good day every time you part from them, and have better manners than most Maltese I’ve met in my life.
A sure fire way, however, of approaching anybody local, is to offer them a drink when they don’t have the money, telling them they can pay for it another time. I’ve tried it; it works. And yes, she did pay me back!
I know for sure that, when I come back to Malta, I’m going to find it very offensive when somebody doesn’t wish me a good day back.
The Other Internationals
I live in a block of apartments invaded by foreign students — they call us The ERASMUS Block. Which means that you’ll never hear one solid accent anywhere. Making friends becomes a lot easier when you know that these people are in the same water as you — no idea where most anything is, and living here just for a few months. I’ve been to quite a few house parties so far, and the most diverse group of friends I’ve made so far involves a Londoner, an Australian, two Hungarians, a Dutch, a Swede, a Canadian, a French, a Finn, a Chinese, and two Germans. We all come from different backgrounds — some even from different religions — and learn something new from each other every day. Probably the most entertaining part of my first house party was hearing an Australian say that she was Jewish. I’ve since learnt a lot about the culture, including the fact that apparently, Jews really love food.
Definitely, ERASMUS becomes a much more pleasant experience when you not only make friends with the locals, but also with others trying to experience the next semester to the full with you.
House parties also become a lot more fun when the whole block is invited, I can assure you.
UOM vs UL
University of Limerick is huge. It takes me a solid fifteen to twenty minutes to cross the entire campus, and I’m still not used to what half the buildings are named.
There are also bars on campus. Like, proper alcohol serving bars that also serve food and organize parties.
There are way more societies and clubs to be a part of. I’ve joined Archery, Fencing, Drama, and Fan Forum (a group for people who watch TV shows, read comics and books and watch movies related to the fandom culture). Everybody here is involved in something — there’s even a Tea Appreciation Society. Go figure!
As I mentioned earlier, there’s grass on campus everywhere. It’s insane.
One big, somewhat disappointing factor, about UL is that there are no cats on campus. I’ve only seen one cat so far on my entire stay here, and that’s been in a small town named Lisdoonvarna. And it was just the one cat.
On the educational front, the two Universities aren’t so diverse, except for the fact that I do way more required reading here than I ever have back at UOM. The library here, however, is one of the best kept resources I’ve ever seen, and employs students for simple jobs as well.
All in all, living in Limerick has been a lesson in a new culture, a new way of life, every day. I feel that staying here, even if for four months, has allowed me to fully appreciate what college life outside of Malta is like, and also what being an adult truly feel likes. Being responsible for yourself is one thing, being responsible for yourself and also having to study at the same time is another, and I’m glad I’m getting to know what that’s like.