Kurt Wong, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2024
Studying OChem during Summer at UCD is an extremely unique and special experience that every STEM student should try. Within 8 weeks, you get to traverse the world of OChem while exploring the enchanting country of Ireland, forming long-lasting bonds.
Daniel Dusevic, Pennsylvania State University, 2025
Being part of the OChem Summer School at UCD in Dublin was an eye-opening experience for both my personal and academic life. I discovered the program through my college's study abroad newsletter, and once I realized I had the opportunity to participate, I didn't hesitate. I entered the program hoping to strengthen my skills in organic chemistry and to gain a broader perspective on what academia looks like around the world. If you are looking to fast track your progress in chemistry while maturing as a student, this program is absolutely for you. The best part of the entire experience was how attentive the instructors were. They genuinely wanted you to succeed, and I have never retained material in any course as effectively as I did at UCD through the OChem Summer School program.
Here's what other previous OChem students had to say:
- "One of the things I loved most about this program was the amount of help that was given. Each TA and professor really gave their time to help which I absolutely appreciated“
- “There were plenty of opportunities to explore Ireland and Europe during the weekends. I was fortunate enough to explore Galway, Cork, Dublin, London, and even Amsterdam!”
- “I highly recommend this program to future US students; I can’t praise enough how this experience has been. It knocked out one of the hardest classes for me AND was a vacation. It was the perfect environment to learn due to the size of the class and engaging learning.”
- “This was the greatest experience of my life, and I would absolutely recommend this to any student. The experience of learning from a prestigious university and amazing professors, while also exploring a new country and making so many new friends, it is absolutely worth it. The biggest challenge would just be learning all the material in such a short amount of time. But with enough focus, it is absolutely doable”
- “I absolutely would recommend. The academic benefits are innumerable, and the experience of being in Ireland is amazing. The structure of the program very well facilitates individuals exploring the country and other European countries on the weekend.”
- "I have loved studying OChem abroad here in Ireland (...) I really loved this program. I’ve grown close to everyone from my university that I’ve never met before and made more new friends from other schools as well. Connecting with other TAs and professors has been quite the motivation and I really loved it."
- "I had a really great summer and I am thankful to everyone in the School of Chemistry for making it happen."
- "I had an amazing experience!"
- "Honestly the classes are great, professors are great, and everything academically is structured in a healthy way. It allows the students to get out and explore the country while dealing with a particularly difficult subject (...)"
- "Everything worked well! Housekeeping was great and accommodations were nice"
- "I liked how nice the housing was it was definitely an upgrade from what I had in my home university. I really enjoyed having my own bedroom, bathroom and a nice common living space (...)"
- "I appreciate the cleaning service, and the individual rooms were nice and spacious (…)"
- "Catering was great, there are many options for lunch and they will not let you go hungry if something doesn’t work out for you"
- "I loved all the food options at UCD. The Pi restaurant had great food and I loved everything in the UCD village, especially Centra since it is cheap and convenient"
- "Food at Pi Restaurant was amazing. The staff were very open and receptive to feedback, went above and beyond to accommodate our needs"