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The MU International Office is the first point of contact for international students applying for full-degree, Erasmus, Study Abroad, and Summer School programmes, and supports MU students who wish to study abroad.
We know that taking the leap to study abroad is a big commitment. So we've gathered some photos, stories and videos from our previous students, students from across North America who joined us for an unforgettable summer.
Mikayla joined us from Western Washington University and participated in our MUISS 2017 programme with our partner agency AIFS. Mikayla studied International Marketing and Managing in International Environments, two courses offered by our School of Business.
Mikayla describes Maynooth as "a great balance of rural and small city" and loved "the small, interactive discussions we have in class, talking with students from across the US and hearing about their hometowns and different upbringings. Our field trips have also been great outlets to network with Irish business people".
Mikayla was also smart enough to film her instructors and our summer school staff talking about various unique Irishisms. We've borrowed these from her Youtube channel:
Tea!
The Craic!
Here's her Managing in International Environments instructor explaining the Dublin accent!
And finally...here's her International Marketing instructor wishing you a warm goodbye:
Kaitlyn joined us from UNT for our MUISS 2017 programme.
Kaitlyn's blog https://particularlypostmodern.wordpress.com/ details her time with us and is a great insight into what life is really like when you spend a month in Ireland! Look for posts from July 2017.
Kaitlyn took Ireland and the Great Famine and Modern Irish Literature, courses offered by our History and English departments, visiting sites such as EPIC Ireland, the James Joyce Centre and the National Library of Ireland.
Some of the Modern Irish Literature class with instructor Dr. Andrew Browne at the James Joyce Centre, Dublin.
Kaitlyn speaks about how "What was once new has quickly turned into routine, and I don’t believe that spontaneously going to Dublin or hitting the pubs in Maynooth with my friends isn’t my real life" - a story we hear time and time again from our summer students...
Abby took this beautiful photo of our 'Secret Garden'
Abby joined us from UIndy (University of Indianapolis) for MUISS 2017. Abby admits on her website that her trip to study in Ireland was "full of firsts: first plane trip, first time being away from home for so long, first time abroad". Abby studied Women, Gender and Society with our Geography department and joined us to explore the country.
Abby's final thoughts as she left seem like great words of advice:
"So what is my advice? Do everything. Meet new people; they will help you grow in a way that you can't if you only surround yourself with familiar faces. Try every food; if you're a picky eater, get over it. Step outside of your comfort zone. Work your hardest not to complain; your kindness makes more of an impression than you realize. Never say no to chocolate (applicable everywhere). Understand that some things cannot be given a dollar value, and photos can only capture so much."