By Jeremy Harper (Staff Writer)

Darren Craig, Northern Irish international student.

Darren Craig, Northern Irish international student.

Upon first arriving at Wesley College, Darren Craig was surprised with the amount student interaction in classrooms.

He has since become used to it.

“It’s better for students to learn with so much interaction and it helps me to stay awake and concentrate during class,” said the international student from Northern Ireland. “The classes in Northern Ireland have a lot less interaction. Mostly, the teacher doesn’t even learn the student’s name. They just lecture and the students take notes. If a student has a problem, they will see the teacher after the class in their office.”

Craig, from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, came to Wesley the University of Ulster in Belfast through the Business Education Initiative program.

Craig has noticed many differences between the U.S. and Northern Ireland.

“Sports are big in Ireland, but not as big as they are here,” Craig said.

The most popular sport at the University of Ulster is basketball. Other popular sports there include soccer, rugby, hurley, field hockey and track and field.

Rugby is sometimes referred to the father of American football.

Hurley is played with a stick and ball and is like an airborne version of hockey.

Craig is part of the Wesley soccer team. He enjoys spending his free time practicing.

Ireland is split into north and south districts. The northern part of Ireland is more modern and speaks English. The southern part is more traditional, and the primary languages are Gaelic and Celtic.

Craig comes from a district in the north and is familiar with American culture.

He is currently taking Public Speaking, Principles of Management, Introduction to Business, Desktop Publishing and Microcomputer Applications.

Before coming to Wesley, Craig majored in Web Page Design, a four-year degree. He’s already completed two years of his studies. His favorite class is Desktop Publishing because it is what he is most familiar with.

“I believe the students in Northern Ireland and the students here at Wesley have the same amount of drive towards education,” Craig said. “The people who go to college are there because they want to be.”

His current goal is to obtain a degree. He has looked into flying with the Royal Air Force of Northern Ireland. But he is unsure about what he wants to do after he graduates.

Craig has tasted the same kinds of food offered in the Wesley cafeteria before coming to America. He enjoys it, especially Mexican food.

“It’s different from what I’m used to,” he said.

Craig says that Irish food is much heavier, consisting mostly of meat and potatoes. His favorite Irish food is the “All-Star Fry,” a type of breakfast platter that comes with fried sausage, eggs, potato bread, and pancakes.

The size of Wesley was a big change for Craig.

The University of Ulster houses about 22,000 students and each class holds about 100 students. In addition, The University of Ulster focuses more on each student’s major and less on general studies.

Unlike traditional American colleges, many students from The University of Ulster commute to campus. Not many students actually live on campus.

Craig found it easy to adapt to the college lifestyle at Wesley. He says everyone he meets is friendly and helps him feel welcome.

“I’m outgoing,” he said. “So it was very easy to meet new people.”