Dublin: restorative and rewarding Past Review
By Caroline W (American Studies/Dance, Barnard College) for
Trinity College - Dublin: Dublin - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My time abroad did not radically change my perspective, it made me one-hundred times more comfortable with myself, my interests, and my abilities. I met the love of life and two friends who are without-a-doubt, lifelong. Dublin is a charming city with many treasures waiting to be found. Sign up for the lecool.com newsletter for arts and culture goings-on and take advantage of the more manageable size of the city and culture scene in comparison to New York's!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Take as many seminars as you can. The lectures are not the most fulfilling. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Terrible hours, poor communications, perhaps not enough staff? Not great at communicating with academic departments. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Was wonderful being in city center and right on campus. Wished there were more international students in Goldsmith Hall, but nevertheless, I met at least three individuals who lived there with me who changed my life. |
| * Food: |
Not the best kitchens to cook in. Oven basically didn't work. Made lots of frozen veggies and ate tuna. Dublin does have a fair amount of nice dining however. KC Peaches is an excellent cafe with wifi and a nice atmosphere for studying. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
So much to see that is historical, natural, and social. SSP is a good introduction. The Irish Film Institute is great too. Aside from orientation, you pick and design your cultural experience yourself. You are directly enrolled at the school so no one is holding your hand. I liked that aspect of it quite a lot. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Health center is fairly good. You have to wait in the walk-in line for about an hour outside (go an hour before "walk-ins" officially start (especially for the afternoon one). The morning walk-in time is a better bet. And the pharmacies there are great! So much better than New York! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Dublin is an expensive city... even for food. Keep that in mind. I ate a lot of frozen veggies to save up for trips which can add up very quickly. Comparison shop when you plan your travels--use Momondo.com |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Independent student. Also check the quality of the department you'll be taking most of your classes in. |
