Undergraduate: Eve's Study USA Experience in North Carolina
Eve McDonnell is a BSc Business Economics student who took part in Study USA at Greensboro College in North Carolina where she furthered her studies.
What areas of your study abroad programme did you find most rewarding?
There are so many aspects of my study abroad year that I found rewarding. A standout would be the cultural immersion of experiencing day to day life in such a new environment. As the only student at my college from Ireland or the UK, I spent my year living as a typical American student. Not only that but moving to and living in a new city by myself helped both my personal growth and broadened my own perspectives.
As well as that I really value the relationships I built during my study abroad year. I am still in regular contact with my classmates, teammates and roommate as well as my international advisor. I know these connections will be lifelong friends as well as professional contacts. I was also lucky enough to connect with Gordon Lyons and his team at the Department for the Economy who fund the programme. The team as well as Invest NI, visited me during my first semester and I was able to share with them the positive impact their investment into the programme was having on my education.
I really feel my studies in the US at Greensboro College complemented the classes I have studied back home at QUB. I studied various business related modules including business law, leadership, current economic issues, intermediate accounting, entrepreneurship and auditing. I also studied elective modules including international relations.
Having a global perspective and understanding of different business practices in the US and how they differ to those in Ireland and the UK will be highly valuable in today’s globalised workplace. Not only that but I am able to prove to future employers that I am able to step outside my comfort zone, embrace new cultures and challenges, show resilience and demonstrate my own independence.
I now also have a set of international professional contacts. The networking skills I have developed by taking part in the programme has been a huge advantage.
What advice would you give to a future student thinking of undertaking a study abroad programme?
I would encourage all students to apply to the Study USA programme. I had such a positive experience during my year in the US. I would recommend undertaking some research and reaching out to other students who have taken part in the programme to get a real understanding of just what’s involved. I also would suggest to thoroughly research the programme and reach out to past students to get an understanding of different locations available, classes on offer, travel opportunities, sports teams and extracurriculars etc.
How did you find the change from studying in Northern Ireland to studying abroad?
I was nervous about potentially struggling with the change but I had absolutely nothing to be worried about. As the participating colleges that take part in Study USA are typically small liberal arts colleges the class sizes were very small compared to Queen's it makes it easier to ask questions and get one on one time with professors. There is also more of a focus on regular continuous assessment in the US with multiple choice tests and quizzes which I found suited me really well.
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