Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

UCD was incredibly hard, and super worth it! Past Review

By (Architecture, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/01/2015 to 12/19/2015 with

FIE (Foundation for International Education): Semester/Year with University College Dublin (UCD)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned to rise to the challenge and demand control of my own life and work. I learned to stick up for myself, my ideas, and set my own pace.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

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?

N/A. Did not use health care

* Safety:

Dublin is exceptionally safe

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Dublin is a very very expensive city and there are lots of hidden fees from the school.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~€100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy a student leap card

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

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local 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?
  • I learned a lot
  • I got to travel in Europe
  • The students are downright awesome
* What could be improved?
  • Middlebury needs to get on the same academic page with UCD in terms of grading, workload, and intensity
  • The studio atmosphere can be very intense
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how much harder than Middlebury academically it would be.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

ARCT20010
Course Department: Architecture
Instructor: Many
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Studio II was completely awesome but took me for a really wild ride of a semester. The learning curve was very steep and the workload was 3 times as much as might be expected from a Middlebury architectural studio class. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that. A Middlbebury studio course meets for 5.5 hrs weekly, while the studio II at UCD meets for 14.5 hrs weekly. However, I have calculated the actual time in studio at ~36 hrs weekly
Credit Transfer Issues: This question does not apply.