Chen Yang is a Mechanical Engineering student from China. In this blog he shares three great reasons why he chose Ireland and IT Tallaght as his study abroad destination…
Experience new and different cultures
Culture is a kind of treasure and it includes everything from language and literary works to how people think and behave. In short, it’s a country’s shared collection of wisdom. Our own culture can also limit us in ways – providing just one direction or ideology. Therefore, it is important to learn and experience other cultures to refresh our minds. It can be a challenge when arriving in a new country to adapt and understand a new culture and after I studying in Ireland for several months, I’ve realised that there are many differences between cultures and indeed college life in China and Ireland.
The lecturers at IT Tallaght are all responsible for teaching me to problem-solve and they have given me the opportunity… to realise what I want to do.
My major is in Mechanical Engineering and in Ireland, my lecturers often remind me of the importance of learning to problem-solve. They pass on knowledge about factory skill-sets required and the kind of manufacturing technology important to my industry. They focus on the requirements of factory, while in China, lecturers tend to focus on whether the students having a grasp of fundamental knowledge and aim to help students prepare for entering the society and to find a job. In their opinion, if we want to have good achievements in future, it is the basis to be a good student. That is just one respect of difference in the culture in China and Ireland that has been of benefit to me.
Here, I have formed my own understanding of my major and been able to develop a clear target for my future development.
The opportunity to develop as a person
Living in Ireland is my first time living alone. We all have to face this situation at some stage, the only differences is when we will experience this major life change and how. I chose to challenge myself by choosing to live abroad alone which I have found has helped me grow faster and made me strong and resilient. During my first months here, I tried my best to practice and use English to communicate with classmates and different people I met. This was the first step I made to integrate and after that, I managed to adapt to my new college environment. I discovered how to manage my time more efficiently and deal with more tasks while studying. I had to increase my efficiency to finish experiments and reports before deadlines and this has increased my confidence immensely. Now, I have real faith in myself and feel in control and responsible for my own life – it’s a great feeling!
I had to increase my efficiency to finish experiments and reports before deadlines and this has increased my confidence immensely.
The chance to progress in my major
Studying is a custom here which inspires me to search and progress further in my major. Ireland offers a positive environment to study within and IT Tallaght provides me lots of opportunity to experience the latest manufacturing technology. The lecturers are all responsible for teaching me to problem-solve while providing necessary conditions to realise what I want to do. In the process, I have formed my own understanding of my major and been able to develop a clear target for my future development.