everyday embracements: Classes

This is my last week of classes!! I can hardly believe it. All of my classes end this week except for one that I only have once more next Thursday. As I'm beginning to wrap up my semester in Dublin, I realized I haven't written about what classes I've been taking! 18 credits will be transferred back to UNI, and while 18 credits would usually sound like a long, hard, semester... that is not so much the case this time :].

I just declared a marketing minor last semester, so I took three business courses:
-Introduction to Marketing
-Management
-Marketing Communications

And for my communications major I took two courses:
-Sociolinguistics
-News, Journalism, and Documentary

And finally, all of the American's studying at Dublin Business School this semester were required to take an Irish Life and Culture class. This class was every Wednesday from 6-9pm. A little rough sometimes, but we were given sandwiches, biscuits (cookies), fruit, and tea/coffee/water each time. On every third Wednesday we had a "pub summit" - our professor took us to a different, older/historical pub in Dublin where we each received a free drink token. Not too horrible, huh!

My final grade for each class is based on a paper that was either due a few weeks ago or within the next few weeks. Two of those papers were group papers where I worked with students from France and Germany. They were for my two largest classes, about 80 France and German students in which I was the only American. Intimidating, to say the least. They are all very knowledgable about marketing/business so it was very interesting to hear their points of view during class and while working on our papers.

A few funny stories that occurred during these large classes:
1. The very first day one professor asked if anyone was from somewhere besides Germany or France, so I raised my hand. As soon as I said "the States" about every pair of eyes was on me (I really don't like being the center of attention!). A few minutes later she informed us we would be having a group project and would need to find people to form this group with, and if "we didn't have any friends we should go talk to her." After she said this pretty much everyone giggled...except for me. I really didn't have friends in this class! Knowing this, in front of 80 people, the professor looked at me and said, "Hey, Miss USA, you know anyone in here?" "Nope..." "Will somebody make sure she gets in a group?" Luckily the French girl next to me, Caroline, raised her hand and said I was taken care of. Thank goodness! While I didn't like the few minutes that were strictly focused on me, I did appreciate she said something so I could find a group!

2. On the first day of the other 80 student class we each had to stand up and say where we were from. Upon saying I was from Iowa in the states - my French professor said her first boyfriend was from Boone, Iowa...how ironic! Last week after class I stayed to tell her I would be leaving soon, she told me she hoped I enjoyed the class, I said yes and told her I also hadn't forgotten her first boyfriend was from Iowa - she kind of sighed, smiled, and said - "Ooh yes, he was gorgeous!" We laughed and I told her I was glad she'd gotten a good impression of Iowa :)

Anyways - that is just a little bit about my classes! I have two papers left to write and a midterm tomorrow and then I'm free! Time to start planning my trips for my last month in Europe!

A few pictures from our class trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland a few weeks ago: