Galway: My new home away from home! Past Review

By Matthew K (HISTORY., Providence College) for

IFSA: Galway - National University Ireland

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

I loved my year abroad in Ireland. I would do it again in a heart beat. I learned so much from my tie abroad, made great friends, and gained a new perspective on things that I would never had gained if I had not studied aborad.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The mid-term and final periods of the semester were the only periods when the workload started to become heavy. This is because mid-terms and finals for the courses I was taking were graded by extended essays. So if you keep organized and make a schedule to make sure you have enough time to research, write, and edit the essays, it is very manageable.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	I felt very comfortable while studying abroad and it was because I trusted my program administration and was very well supported by them. They were knowledgeable and very easy to communicate with.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The apartment I stayed was about a ten minute walk to the campus and fifteen to the city center. It was in a safe area, it had a posted security guard and it also had a locked gate around the perimeter of the complex. The only thing I needed to buy was a duvet cover and sheets everything else was provided. The apartment were clean and spacious and had a nice mix or international, local and visting American students.
* Food:	The food was pretty good. You can find cheap grocery prices at Tesco or Aldi.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Galway had a variety of festivals and markets which were amazing. The Christmas market had great shopping, food, and musical performances. There is a weekly farmer market on the weekends which is also great for local produce and crafts. In April there was the Galway Food Festival which was also a lot of fun.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Galway was a very safe city. I did not experience any problems and felt very safe during my time aborad there.
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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Make a budget and stick to it. It can be easy to spend money at the beginning of the semester when first meeting friends and attempting to experience the night life, but that money might be better spent travelling later in the semester.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students International Students Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The Field Trips The Support of the Program Staff The Housing
* What could be improved?	Maybe include a meal plan at the University
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Make sure you take the time to review your options and learn a little about you countries culture and history before you commit to spending a semester or more abroad there.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	The two Irelands in the 20th Century
Course Department:	HI 208
Instructor:	John Cunningham
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was very interesting and provided an in depth assessment of the recent history of Ireland, which gave a new perspective to my study abroad experience.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I did not have any issues.

Course Name/Rating:	Medieval Ireland 5th-9th Century
Course Department:	HI 211
Instructor:	Daibhi O Croinin
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was very interesting and Prof. O Croinin is a great lecturer very entertaining and knowledgeable.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I did not have any issues.