Studying in Dublin – The city had plenty of amazing spots to sit and work on assignments. This cafe, Books Upstairs, had a second story view of the street, with a bookstore downstairs.

Author: Grace Killian | Major: Biochemistry | Semester: Summer 2023

The Arcadia STEM Summer Research program caught my interest the instant I found it. Two months abroad working in a research lab? There wasn’t going to be a better opportunity to travel while also developing research skills. It was long for a summer program without taking up a semester of classes here at the University of Arkansas, and it would directly contribute to my desire to pursue research and graduate school. In the end, this summer taught me so much more than I expected, both inside and outside the lab.

I worked in a plant microbiology lab at University College Dublin, a.k.a. UCD (not to be confused with Dublin College University, a.k.a. DCU). In the lab, I developed skills in microbiology research, specifically related to fungi and bacteria. This was the first experience I’ve ever had with fungal cultures, and one thing I’ll certainly remember is that fungi are very clingy—it takes some work to coax a sample off the agar plate!

It was satisfying to learn new techniques while putting into practice techniques I’ve used once or twice in teaching labs at the University of Arkansas, and it was highly rewarding to gain confidence in my abilities as the summer progressed. Fungi-bacteria symbiosis is a relatively new and rapidly growing field of study, and I’m thrilled to have contributed, even if only a small part. I loved working with fungi and bacteria, and this experience has encouraged me to further pursue microbiology in the future.

Alongside lab work, I completed a literature review, poster presentation, and brief research paper. By the end of the summer, I felt that I’d had a compact sample of a full research experience. I now have more confidence in my ability to write for a research paper’s style and format, and I learned that making a research poster can be fun, actually. This summer helped me learn to adapt on my own, but I also gained courage in asking for help when I needed it. Sometimes, that means remembering that I won’t know everything on day one, or even day ten.

When not in the lab, I explored Ireland as much as I could. Dublin is a gorgeous city, with medieval cathedrals looming alongside modern shops and apartments, and bridges crossing the River Liffey. For me, living in Dublin was a double culture shock. Not only did I experience living in a new country, but I also navigated living in a big city. Sometimes, I would compare notes with my friends in the program—also from the United States, but not from Arkansas—to determine if something unfamiliar was a result of being in Ireland, or simply a result of being away from my hometown. This made exploring much less intimidating as we all adapted to our new environment together.

I also learned more about my host country than I’d ever thought to ask. After eight weeks in Ireland, I realized how little I actually knew about the country’s history. Through museums and guided tours, I gained a deeper understanding of that history and its impact on the present. By talking with people from Ireland, I had the opportunity to see how my life in the United States has impacted the way I view the wider world.

And, although I spent much of my free time in the city, I ventured into the natural world as often as I could. With dramatic cliffs, fog-frosted seas, and dense, lush forests, the Emerald Isle truly lives up to the title. Hiking through the mountains and on seaside trails, the landscape presented a quiet magic that has stuck with me, even after returning home.

My advice for future study abroad students is to be fearless. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be safe or make wise decisions. Rather, I want future travelers to know that studying abroad can be scary, but it’s also an opportunity to push beyond your comfort zone in lots of ways. You can make new friends, try new foods, explore new places. This is your experience—make the most of it. Make sure to give yourself down time (not every second has to be spent doing something—that’s a recipe for feeling grumpy and exhausted), but don’t hide in your room every day. Most likely, you’ll find other people feeling lost and nervous, too. At the end of the day, you’ll want to look back on this experience fondly, so make it happen.