Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Painting in the Culture of Ireland Past Review

By (Drawing and Painting, SUNY Purchase) - abroad from 05/27/2012 to 06/24/2012 with

Ireland Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I worked on more technical skills that improved my painting, learned about a new culture and how to live and function in a foreign country.

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.

It was a great way to push my artistic skills, but the work days were unstructured and they could have budgeted hour time and learning more efficiently.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

We always had good feedback, but they did not come on site with us and were not readily available for help as much as the instructors should have been.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

It was up to us to cook, no expenses were aided in groceries.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Some of the other students had issues, but they were able to see a doctor and get the help they needed.

* Safety:

Safe, except the walk into town with the high speed traffic.

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)

We apparently had cab fare worked out, but our driver missed some days and didn't show up a few times and the fare we would have to pay did add up.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Roughly $200

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Location
  • Workload
  • Culture
* What could be improved?
  • More structure
  • Pre-req art courses required
  • More planed trips
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew more about the climate, that we would not have as many planned trips so i would have planned to travel more ahead of time.

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!