Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An amazing and enlightening five months in Galway Past Review

By (Math, Fairfield University) - abroad from 01/04/2012 to 05/18/2012 with

Fairfield University: Galway - Semester or Year in Ireland

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about myself, what I can do and what my limits are. It was extremely worthwhile. I find myself a much more confident and adventurous person after study abroad.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

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)

* 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? Probably around $250 a week.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Trying new things
  • Learning about and exploring Ireland and more about myself
  • Meeting great people
* What could be improved?
  • More meetings with an advisor
  • More help setting up housing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The semester goes by faster than you can imagine. Do everything you want to do throughout the five months. Don't put anything off until the end, you may not get a chance to actually do it.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

HI 229 Medieval Europe
Course Department: History
Instructor: Dr. O Croinin
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The professor was very funny and kept the attention of the class easily. He was accessible for extra help and advice, as well as very clear about his expectations.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

AR115 Celts, Vikings, and Normans
Course Department: Archaeology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was taught by three different instructors, each teaching for one month at a time. I found this too disjointed. Also, the visiting students were not included in the tutorials, which might have been helpful in understanding the content of the module.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

MA342 Topology
Course Department: Mathematics
Instructor: Dr. Cruickshank
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The professor was very accessible and provided extra help when asked for. The course was extremely challenging. There were only a few homework assignments with multiple choice answers accessed online as well as a final, which was a different type of grading than I was used to for a mathematics course.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

CC321 Latin Texts of Medieval Britain and Ireland
Course Department: Classics
Instructor: Dr. Bisagni
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course consisted of translating texts for the most part, but I especially enjoyed that the professor often delved into how words became the way they were. He explained the root of the word in another language or Latin, and how it transformed in various locations to become the word seen in our specific version of the text.
Credit Transfer Issues: