IFSA Queen's University, Belfast: Amazing Semester Abroad!! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Educational system is very different from the system in the states. You have less classes during the week, but much more outside work that you are expected to do on your own; whether it's additional readings, research, or writing. Your overall semester grade is made up of 1 or 2 essays and a final exam, there are very little assignments to help boost your grade. A lot of students don't show up to the lectures often, and tend to wait till the last few classes to come to hear what is going to be on the final exam.

On-site administration of your program

IFSA-Butler was extremely helpful throughout the entire process, before, during, and after my time abroad. The office members in Ireland were very nice and always available to answer questions, solve problems, and give suggestions, advice, or direction for anything I needed while I was in Ireland. Each member was very knowledgeable about the specific University I was studying at, the country, and the rest of Europe, as well as the differences between education systems in the states and Ireland.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

IFSA-Butler arranged the housing for me, and they use one of the nicest group of dorm buildings in the university housing neighborhood. In my building I had my own bathroom with shower and shared a kitchen/common area with 8 other students. The housing neighborhood (Elm's Village) is very safe with 24hr security and entrance gate. It is about a 20min walk to the main campus where most classes are held and 5min walk from the 2 main pubs that students go to. Before arrival I was able to purchase a duvet and pillow set through Elm's and IFSA but had to buy sheets, extra pillows, towels, and kitchen supplies at the store upon arrival.

At Queen's you provide and cook your own food. The food in Ireland is a bit bland, but they do make some delicious meals.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

IFSA-Butler has 2 main group trips that were amazing. One was a trip up to the North coast of Northern Ireland where we got to see the breath-taking Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, and walk across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge with meals included and a comfy bus ride. The best trip was the Killary Adventure weekend where we went to Kilarney and spent the weekend in a Adventure Centre and got to participate in all kinds of outdoor activities such as tubing, rock climbing, zip lining, lazer tag, and many more. It was an absolute blast that I will never forget, and probably one of my most memorable trips. In Belfast there are lots of pubs/clubs that students go out to every night as well as trips around Northern Ireland and Belfast that the housing program put together for students.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Belfast has troubled past of fighting between religious and political groups. The Troubles concluded for the most part about 12 years ago, however there are still occasional incidents and threats within the area while I was there. That being said I never ran into any issues, and Belfast actually happens to be one of the safest cities in the UK and Europe. As long as you don't create a problem and speak badly about either religious group you should never run into trouble. The city has the typical dangers as most American cities where you need to be wise and cautious about where you go and what you do at night, and should always go out in groups after dark. IFSA-Butler provided great health insurance for my time abroad through there program fee, I never had to use it, but knew that all would be well had I run into any health issues.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• International Students
• Local Students