Last Saturday marked the commencement of an eagerly anticipated day trip and  final co-curricular event of the semester! Students from UCC, UCD and TCD along with myself were promised a blend of history, exploration, and shared experiences. I'll be honest, I had never been to Cobh and last I'd heard of Spike Island was when it closed back in 2004. I was curious and interested to learn more.  Our rendezvous point was Cork Kent train station, where we assembled with anticipation. It was cold but it was dry, bright and sunny. We left for the short train journey to Cobh and from there, o ..read more

Will you be joining us in Ireland for Summer 2024? The staff here at Arcadia Ireland are excited to meet you! We have a series of co-curricular events on offer this summer to help you explore the country and get to know your fellow students. Sign ups for events will be going live in your Arcadia portal very soon, but you can get a preview of what’s coming up below! A few reminders: If an event is full, sign up to the waitlist to be notified if a place comes available If your plans change please cancel your place through the portal as soon as possible Please be sure to check the dates of your ..read more

One month in and a week left until the mid-semester break. Time has flown by since I first arrived in Aotearoa with my family for a brief family vacation before Arcadia orientation began. After a few weeks of walking around campus and getting lost a few times, it has become a far more familiar place than it once was. Like any study abroad semester, studying comes first. That being said, during orientation and these first few weeks of the semester, it was easy to forget that studying was a part of this journey. The more weeks go by, the more assignments, papers, and examinations pile up. I see ..read more

Moving abroad to study can be an exhilarating yet challenging experience, especially when transitioning from a place like America to a country like Ireland. Amidst the excitement of embarking on a new academic journey, students often encounter various mental health challenges that stem from adjusting to a new environment. One significant aspect of this adjustment is coping with the weather, particularly in Ireland, where the climate can differ significantly from what students are accustomed to. The shift from the sunny skies of America to Ireland's temperamental weather can impact one's mood a ..read more

Running with WoRMs WoRM aka The Wellington Running Club Meetup Group is a running club based around trail running and exploration of Wellington. I ended up going to the “Tuesday Spectacular regular” run. This was located at the Naked Man near the waterfront (On their website, it was helpfully pointed out this was a sculpture and not a real man). The people I met there were incredibly kind. Many of them were from all over the world. I met a man from Ireland who was training for a 50K trail run, a woman from Portland Oregon who was working as an ecologist and multiple badass trail runners. One K ..read more

We hope you are getting excited about your time in Scotland this Summer! We have put together a range of events for you that will get you properly immersed into Scottish culture and maybe trying some new experiences! There is something for everyone and we encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity. Below is a first look at what you've got in store!  Event registration opens SOON in your Arcadia Passport. Don’t forget, if an event is full you can add yourself to the waitlist to be notified automatically if more space becomes available. Remember, check that your program dates ..read more

Exciting Easter Adventures Await in Ireland! Embrace the traditions of "holy week" with your fellow Arcadia Community members or make new friends among the vibrant Irish community! Create cherished memories and start new Easter traditions together! Indulge in the sweetness of Irish dairy milk chocolate with a delightful Easter egg hunt! Explore local shops like Aldi, Dunnes, Tesco, Supervalu, or Lidl for the perfect treat! Immerse yourself in the spiritual significance of Easter by attending a traditional church service across Ireland. Reconnect with nature and embark on a scenic hike through ..read more

Happy Easter to everyone! Easter is a major holiday in Christianity, celebrating the resurrection of Christ and for believers marks a time of renewal and hope. The term Easter comes from the Greek, “Pascha”, in turn from the Aramaic pasah and properly means "to pass over," hence "passage." The Jews remembered the passage across the Red Sea from slavery in Egypt to liberation. For Christians, it is the feast of the passage from death to life of Jesus Christ. The English term Easter, used to name this celebration in Anglo-Saxon countries, finds no direct correspondence in the Scriptures or the n ..read more

Happy Spring! Here are some great happenings to take advantage of as the weather starts to get better and the days longer!  APRIL Edinburgh! Live music venues: Sandy Bells Captain’s Bar Stramash Jazz Bar Sneaky Pete’s Bannerman’s Bar Usher Hall O2 Academy (Formerly the Corn Exchange) Queer Spaces: Paradise Palms-queer cabaret and poetry nights. Drag nights at Subway, CC Blooms, The Street, Planet Bar. HOT MESS at Sneaky Pete’s. Kafe Kweer. Lighthouse Bookshop Edinburgh Radical Book Fair     Music Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra, Liquid Rooms, 6th April 2024. Mitski ..read more

Internships serve as pivotal experiences for students to gain practical skills and insights into their chosen fields. However, for international students who apart from studying are also doing an internship in Australia, adapting to a new cultural and professional environment can present mental health challenges. In this blog post, we'll explore some of these challenges specific to the Australian context and offer strategies to support the mental well-being of international studens and interns. Challenges Faced by International Student and Interns in Australia Cultural Adjustment: Australia's ..read more