A Once in a LIfetime Experience: Culture, Adventure, and New Understanding Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The educational system is interesting here, leaving all the work at the end. It makes the first part of the semester seem insanely easy, but at the end you have a bunch of assignments that are due all at the same time that are worth most of your course grade.

On-site administration of your program

Helpful, tried their best to answer our questions.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved where we were able to live. I lived in a flat with six other Americans. We each had our own rooms with a desk, full sized bed, chair, mirror, dresser, and our own bathrooms with a shower, toilet, and sink. There also was a flat kitchen in our hallway. The kitchen was great, with a sink, fridge, freezer, oven, stove top, dining room table, 8 chairs, and tons of cabinet space. One of the nicest parts of the kitchen was that there were some dishes and cooking utensils already in the cupboard for us to use so we didn't have to pay for it. Also, once or twice a week a lady would come through our kitchen and clean everything, as well as come into our rooms and give us new bed sheets and empty our our personal trashcans, even cleaning our bathrooms and giving us all toilet paper. It was a pretty great situation overall.

During this program I was provided with breakfast and dinner by the on campus cafeteria, The Chatz. While it definitely wasn't the best food you have ever tasted it wasn't bad at all. I am not a picky eater at all, so I was fine the entire semester. I do wish I could've gotten seconds on things. You can only go through the queue once and you are limited to how much you take.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Belfast is such a student city when it comes down to it. Just filled with college students. It's easy to have a good time. The city also puts on countless festivals in the fall so it was wonderful to see the history there. The Christmas Market is wonderful. Everything about Belfast is charming and friendly, just like the people.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I thankfully never had to deal with healthcare in Belfast, and was able to stay fairly healthy the entire semester. If something did happen though I knew I would be in good hands.

I felt so safe in Belfast all the time. Like I said, pretty much everyone is nice. You just need to be smart, and apply any rule at home that you would need here too. I have never heard of anyone being pick pocketed in Belfast during my time here. Cab drivers are usually great, you have to pay attention though because sometimes (very rarely) if they hear your American accent they'll assume you don't know where you are going so they take you the long way to raise your tab. I have walked countless places by myself and felt completely safe. Obviously at night you would want to walk with someone else and not by yourself, but that is just common sense and something I would do in any city.

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

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Local Students

• Getting to work in an Irish classroom and getting to know those students
• The planned weekends set up by IFSA that took us to Dublin and on an Adventure Weekend

• Letting students know the set up program weekends farther in advance

The Avid Adventurer