All posts by Manali Shah

I am a Biological Sciences major, with a minor in Global Public Health and Global Studies, studying at Trinity College Dublin this Fall 2022!

Saying Goodbye to Dublin!

With the finals rush coming to an end and the countdown to my early morning flight back to the US waning, it is time to say goodbye to Dublin! In this bittersweet moment, I am happy to be heading home for the holidays, yet still longing for more travel experiences. The past three and a ...

World Cup Frenzy!

I am a football fanatic, and, like pretty much the entire world right now, I am obsessed with the Men’s FIFA 2022 World Cup! I’ve been playing soccer (sorry football!) since I was in 2nd grade. Every four years, I have managed to get locked into watching every match and highlights, following all the stages, ...

Finals are Approaching… A Typical Day of Studying at TCD

While the December chill brings a warm Christmas glow to high-spirited Dublin, Trinity College students are busy motivating themselves to make it through their last week of classes before finals. Trinity’s course structure includes a Study Week between the last week of classes and before Finals Week. In my case, out of my five courses, ...

Global Perspectives in Public Health/Medicine

As a Biological Sciences major on the pre-med track, I knew I was interested in a public health minor to understand more about how social, economic, environmental, and community factors play a role in an individual or community’s health. I decided to minor in Global Public Health during my 2nd year at Drexel University, after ...

Reading Week! – An Italian Adventure

During Week 9 of the Fall Semester is Trinity College Dublin’s Reading Week – a well-deserved, break for undergraduate students in the middle of the semester (this year Oct. 24th to Oct 31st, 2022). Most study abroad students take this time to explore and travel. Along with three other friends on study abroad, I spent ...

Trinity Electives: The Climate Crisis- Why are we stuck?

One of my main objectives in planning my courses at Trinity College Dublin was to expand my academic focus and explore topics of my interest outside of my main field of biology and medicine. An intriguing course I am currently taking is part of the Trinity Elective modules, which are interdisciplinary courses tackling key societal ...

Must See! – Five Attractions to Visit in Dublin

Now halfway through my time studying abroad here in Dublin, I have been able to explore most of the major tourist attractions in the city. The following is a list of my five favorite must-see attractions, spanning both historical museums and beautiful sites! 1. Dublin Castle and Chester Beatty Library An early Viking settlement and ...

History Right Beneath Your Feet (Literally!)

Dublin in Irish is known as Baile Átha Cliath, coming from the old Irish settlement name Áth Cliath – which means ‘Hurdled Fort’. The history of this city dates back to over a millennium ago, and it is crazy to compare the timeline of events in this one city to the timeline of any American ...

The Irish Landscapes: Best Day Trips/Weekend Trips to Take while Studying Abroad in Dublin

Though Dublin is full of an extensive number of museums and places to explore, my weekends are full of touristy trips to other popular cities and towns nearby. It’s been a lot of craic (super fun in Irish :)) In the past five weeks, here is a little snapshot of five of the day trips ...

Philly to Dublin: Things I Wish I Knew Before Studying Abroad

Diaduit! That’s Irish for “hiya!” 🙂 With the one-month mark of my study abroad experience at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in Dublin, Ireland, I am reflecting on changes I experienced at the start of this study abroad chapter. As expected with a long-term visit to a new place or country, I did experience a culture ...