Great Craic! (aka An Absolutely Amazing Time!) Past Review
By MICHELLE G (Pace University) - abroad from 09/19/2011 to 05/25/2012 with
University College Cork: Cork - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was definitely worthwhile. Studying in Ireland was amazing because of the great people that I met there and the time that we spent together. We were also able to travel a lot which was amazing, especially during our study month in April.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
For an American student taking the same number of classes as I would take at home (5) I did not find UCC to be challenging. There is not a lot of homework, mainly reading. All of my classes had only 1-2 papers, 1 paper and 1 exam or just an exam at the end of the semester. The classes do not meet for a very long time, usually 1-2 hours a week. For studying abroad this was amazing because we had ample time to do other things. I really enjoyed the professors and the way they teach. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We did off campus housing which is a walk to campus but right in the city center. I would definitely recommend this. Internet was usually bad but everything else was good. |
| * Food: |
Ireland is not known for its food but the grocery stores are good and so are the sandwich shops etc. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We took classes with all Irish students and met a bunch through roommates. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It is free to go to the student center but you must get there really early in the morning to get an appointment or schedule one days out. |
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| 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) |
Ireland can be pretty pricey, especially if you are going out a lot. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100-200 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't be wasteful |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That I would love it so much that I stayed for the year instead of just the semester. I would have made it easier with the immigration card. |
