To Study Abroad in Ireland was Amazing! Past Review

By A student (Loras College) - abroad from 01/07/2013 to 05/24/2013 with

IADT - Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology: Dun Laoghaire - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was worthwhile. I would do the study abroad again in a heart beat. I gain more knowledge about the world. I gain insight about my self, how other perceive America, and European culture.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Extremely rigors to the point of confusion on grading. The class from Loras professor was interesting. The Irish was easy and informational.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The class were easy; however, it was hard to make friends due to several factors: the students already had their friends and was hard to jump into a group of friends.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The housing was great, very clean, a lot room, nicely furnished ; however, several things broke on us which was surprising due to the state of house. The house was new.
* Food:	Dublin the city had many place to get american food, and other international food. Ireland food is bland in general; however, their is more food to eat in Dublin. The sea food was extremely good!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	The culture was extremely fun!. The pub are the place to be. I felt like a local enough to get upset on St. Pat that there was too many tourist, which is typical Irish attitude. I still use some of the slang.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	The healthcare was easily accessible; however, my friend had to wait in the emmergency room for 10 hours before being admitted. I did not need extra vaccines that I did not already need. The local healthcare system is worries than America in terms of care. If I lived longer in Ireland the healthcare would be cheaper than in America
* Safety:	I was extremely safe in Ireland. There was no threat of get stolen, rapped, or having things get stolen.
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)	Euro is expensive. At the time the conversion rate was 1 euro to 1.3 usd. Dublin can be expensive. Some things were more expensive than others but overall not bad. It really depends on what the person whats to spend in Dublin. The monthly train tickets were expensive but still save money in the end.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	If we were traveling that week about 200. If I was not traveling less than 50.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Plan trips weeks in advance, the plane tickets, hostels, and tickets for other things will be a lot cheaper.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	First year of college public speaking and writing course
How many hours per day did you use the language?	10+

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	Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Ireland Field trips to Galway, Derry/LondonDerry, Belfast Able to travel
* What could be improved?	School location; be closer to other international students have less classes with all the Loras students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I can't say I wished I knew something before hand. Learning how to deal with certain experience on the spot is , what I feel, part of the study abroad experience.

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 Avid Adventurer The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Cross Cultural Psychology
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Dr. Grinde
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Yes it was challenging. It offered relevant field trips to the subjects. She well knowledgeable and well-prepared. I participated every day in the class and that would be my average at home as well. She assigned papers, exams, etc; however, it became a hindrance to exploring Irish culture. Her grading was too harsh.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no problem with transferring credits.