I have officially gotten through two weeks of class. I wanted to wait to wait until the end of this week to discuss my first impressions because only 3/5 of my classes started up last week. As of now, I’m attending 4 classes, since the 5th doesn’t start until the middle of the semester (something I’m not at all used to). But now that I’ve gotten into some kind of routine, I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts.

I can confidently say that I’ve experienced my first few culture shocks after starting classes last week. University College Cork (UCC) is an extremely large campus, with extremely confusing buildings, and an unbelievably large student body. There are so many students on campus at any given time of the day that it’s sometimes difficult to get to class because it’s so crowded. The classes themselves don’t start until 5 after the hour- which I didn’t realize until after my first day.

Even more surprising, however, is the lack of assignments throughout the course. Outside of class we are only given readings. This lack of assignments means that my final average for each class will be determined solely by one or two exam grades… which sounds pretty daunting before you realize that the pass/fail mark is 40% in Ireland. So, if I finish with a 60, or a 55, or even a 42, I’ll. Pass. The. Course. The benchmark for an A is 70%. It’s so incredibly different to the U.S that I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around it. And it’s made me reflect a lot on the emphasis we place on grades at every level of education back home.

So much of our identities are wrapped up in our GPAs falling .04 points, or the one failed exam out of the dozens of others we’ve already passed. At least, that’s how it usually goes for me. I never considered myself a perfectionist, but stepping away from the ruthless and competitive academic environment that the U.S has established has made me realize that maybe I do agonize too much over the little things. It’s unfortunate that so much of our future is determined by numbers and letters on an academic transcript. While I’m enjoying seeing and experiencing a more positive outlook of higher education right now, I know it is going to be an adjustment when I get back to the U.S.

So far, I am enjoying my classes. I love getting the opportunity to interact with Irish students and international students alike, as it brings a lot of different perspectives to each course. I’m looking forward to getting into a concrete routine as I continue to settle in and adjust to my schedule.