University Life: Ulster vs. Susquehanna

University of Ulster-Coleraine campus

I thought it would be interesting to think of some of the differences between university life here at Susquehanna and university life at University of Ulster-Coleraine, where I spent last semester in Northern Ireland.

I think some of the biggest differences pertain to residence life. In Northern Ireland universities, almost everyone goes home every weekend. Though some people at Susquehanna may make some weekend trips home, the vast majority stick around. Staying for the weekend is a rarity in Northern Ireland.  On Friday afternoons, the university parking lots would clear out, and mostly the only people around campus were international students.

Because of this, social life and night life works much differently in Northern Ireland. People go out during the weekdays, since they go home on weekends, whereas here there’s definitely more happening on weekend nights. For instance, I had some friends at home express surprise when I was messaging them on a Wednesday night about getting ready to go out to a night club, but Wednesday was the big night for that club in terms of students attending. They even sent a free bus to the university that night to take students to and from the club.

It was a bit depressing to see campus so empty on the weekends, but this wasn’t too terrible of an adjustment to make—at least for one semester. My flat was all international students, so my flat-mates were still around. Plus, I was able to spend some weekends travelling or simply relaxing, so that was nice.

Despite the fact that students go home so much more, the living arrangements in Coleraine are much more independent than they are here. There were a few places on campus to eat, but only for lunch, and there was no meal plan to purchase. Students have to take care of themselves, in terms of food. Where I lived on campus, Maple Lodge, students also had to purchase their electricity and a lot of other things that are just part of the dormitory package here, like toilet paper and soap.

This was a bit more of an adjustment. My friends and I at Coleraine had weekly lunch dates, sometimes ate our separate dinners we made together, or a few times had group dinners where we shared food,  but eating at Susquehanna is much more of a social event. It’s a time built into my days to spend with friends, whether that’s grabbing lunch between classes in the cafeteria or meeting at Benny’s for dinner.

Plus, there was also that added responsibility of having to make my own food! I’m not much of a cook, and I spent most of the semester making some microwavable meals, some of which were, actually, surprisingly delicious.

In general, my Northern Irish university seemed to expect more independence and take care of less for its students. For example, there’s no free printing there, which is something we have at Susquehanna. Many athletic classes and other organized asked for fees which might be covered upfront by an activity fee here.  During my international student orientation, I remember discussing with one of my American friends how different this would be at an American university and how much more thoroughly we’d be walked through the processes of finding our way around campus, scheduling, etc.

There are also differences in the academics. I spent much less time in class in my university in Northern Ireland. There were also a lot less assignments throughout the semester. I only had to do midterm and final essays for my courses there, while here I have smaller assignments more frequently. For each class at the University of Ulster, I had a lecture once a week and a seminar once a week. The lecture was the entire class, and a seminar was a smaller group discussion, led by the professor. I know some U.S. schools organize their courses that way, but that’s not how I’m used to things at Susquehanna. Here, because of our small class sizes, there’s not as much of a need for smaller seminar groups, and professors often do a combination of lecturing and leading discussion. I also think discussions here are much more vibrant than some of those I participated in while abroad. During my orientation, a staff worker from my program, IFSA-Butler, told me that often American students find themselves talking a lot more than other students in their classes. I found this to be true. American students, in comparison, seem more willing to speak up and participate, and I did find myself talking a lot more than other students in one of my seminars about women writers.

Of course, there are also bigger differences in education that didn’t have as much of an impact on me because I was only there for a semester, but I know that the Northern Ireland system is much more focused. Students come in with a course of study, and I think all (or almost all) of their courses pertain to that field of study. There’s no Central Curriculum or core requirements like we have at Susquehanna. I was talking to the director of my study abroad program, and he seemed to admire the American system because students could explore so much more. I’m really appreciative of the chances I’ve had to study different things here at Susquehanna. That’s how my Religion major came about, after all, and I’m so glad that I’m double majoring now. I can see, though, how the Northern Irish system might be more practical. Also, the typical degree program there finishes in three years, not four.

Something else I found out is that most students from Northern Ireland don’t end up going to Northern Irish universities. Most go elsewhere in the United Kingdom or to the Republic of Ireland for college. Northern Ireland itself only offers two universities—the University of Ulster, which has five campuses, and Queen’s University-Belfast.   It’s strange to think that while students who go to college in Northern Ireland go home every weekend, there are even more students from Northern Ireland who are spending their college years in a different country. It’s also weird to think about what the admissions process must be like. In America, there’s an overwhelming amount of universities to look at and apply to, while, if a Northern Irish student wants to stay in Northern Ireland, that seems much more simplified.

Overall, while I really enjoyed my time at University of Ulster, I'm inclined towards the Susquehanna way of life. Of course, a lot of that must have to do with it being what I'm used to experiencing. If I could wave a magic wand and change American universities to be more like European ones, I think the only thing I would change was giving us their startlingly low tuition prices!