Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

4 Months in Dublin- 4 best months of my life Past Review

By (Washington State University) - abroad from 01/16/2017 to 05/20/2017 with

API (Academic Programs International): Dublin - University College Dublin

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a new found independence. I valued the days where I hopped on a bus and got off at a stop in the city and wandered looking for new sites and new food. Hands down my favorite semester in college. I have been home for a month and with each passing day my heart longs harder for Dublin.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Gillian, our host program leader was excellent! Treated us as the adults we were while giving us helpful advice to navigate our new country. Could not have asked for a better on-site director.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Lived right on campus with a 2 minute walk to the main building where most of my classes were. Most study abroad students lived in my complex and the ones surrounding. Nice to be able to meet people from all over. The drawback to this was hard to meet an Irish kids.

* Food:

Living situation had a kitchen with small fridge and freezer. Food options such as Starbucks, Subway, Chopped, etc. on campus.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Most of the classes I took were with other study abroad kids. My roommates and everyone living in my building were study abroad as well. Hard, because it is a part commuter school with 70% of Irish kids living at home and taking the bus to school everyday. Limited interaction with them during school hours. However, quite easy to be integrated once get out into the city center.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

On campus doctor and pharmacy that made it easy to transfer prescriptions/ get any cold medicine.

* Safety:

Never felt unsafe on campus or in the city of Dublin.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I could not have asked for anything to be improved for my program. They took care of all the stressful details such as airport pickup, housing, cell phone SIM card, etc. I met some great friends from the program and they took me to one of my favorite cities I visited while abroad.

Finances

* 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)

Studying abroad costs a lot of money. About $250 a week. You will travel A LOT. This includes air fare, housing and food. You want to be able to immerse yourself into everywhere you go. Trying new cuisine, buying local at the markets, etc. To spend less money would mean to experience less.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $250/300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Start saving money as soon as possible. If you have an inkling that you want to possibly study abroad then save, save, save. Apply for any scholarships that you qualify for- you never know what you might get.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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?
  • Freedom
  • Hospitality
* What could be improved?
  • n/a
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The only thing I wish I knew before going is that purchasing a SIM card in the host country is SO cheap. Wait until you get to your host country and go to a phone store and purchase one there.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.