Letter to the editor: Dealing with culture shock

Dear Editor,

The first few weeks here, I had a difficult time adjusting. It was not that I had so much experienced a “culture shock”, but more so I was homesick, which left me missing friends and family. I didn’t know how to deal with my new living situation, which made me miss home more and more.
However, getting passed the transition from leaving the comforts of home and venturing into a unknown world, I have finally began to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere that Ireland has to offer. The invigorating journeys I will be pursuing and the exciting new places I will be traveling to in Ireland as well as other parts of Europe, I look forward to.
I live in an international student house, which I share with two Irish girls, Aoife and Lorraine, two French students, Morgan and Domo, and another student from Ambrose, Kevin Teriany. I immediately clicked with my Irish roommates and go out drinking at the pubs with them, but not so much with the French roommates.
My French roommates speak decent English so there is not a major language barrier, but their English is not quite up to par so therefore holding conversations is sometimes difficult. Overall, my living situation is all right, but it’s no Ambrose housing, that’s for sure.
Coming to Ireland has made me realize how good we have it in the States and that I have taken it for granted. I see things in a new perspective that I’ve only now discovered from studying in Ireland. The colleges, for one thing, are not as updated as our universities in the states.
At my college here, St.Patrick’s College, there is one computer lab that has only ten computers and it’s not 24 hours, so there is limited access to Internet and typing papers. It’s quite a change from being able to use the computers at Ambrose anytime I want and now being limited to certain hours. Also, if you think Ambrose is small, just visit St. Patrick’s College, which is one building, and the library is the size of some of Ambrose’s classrooms.
From here, Ambrose looks massive compared to colleges in Carlow and I feel privileged to have experienced the luxury of Ambrose.
Since I’ve been here, I have met some friends, who I think I will keep in touch with after leaving Ireland. My two Irish roommates, who I love to hang out with, are friends I hope to stay in contact wit
Also, I have met an Irish lad, James, who plays guitar in a band, and since I could not bring my guitar over here, he has so generously let me borrow his while I’m here. In a way, he has saved me and we constantly talk about music and he introduced me to new bands I would have never heard of if it weren’t for him. I even saw James’ band, Breech, play in Kilkenny and he let me open for his band. I really love it here and I hope all is well back at Ambrose.
Till next time

Sincerely,

Maureen Shulte

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