Ireland - The World's Friendliest Country Past Review
By Ali S (Art, University of Rhode Island) for
ISA Study Abroad in Dublin, Ireland
It was definitely worth while for me. Although I did not do as well academically as I had hoped, I had an amazing time and met the most interesting people from all over the world. I've never been in an environment where being an American is a huge minority. It was very interesting to see what other people thought about America/Americans. I created some strong relationships with the people I met there, and got to see so much of the world that I never got to experience. It was challenging at first to get settled and meeting new friends and seeing who you click with, but once you do, it's extremely rewarding. Additionally, studying abroad in Ireland specifically was amazing because the people are the nicest I've ever met. All over the country, no matter what profession or class they are in, they are the friendliest people.
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Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Teaching system was very different from what i'm used to. I'm usually in all smaller classes at my home university and all classes I was in abroad were lecture style. It was also very confusing for me personally to follow the courses online because thats not what i'm used to. I would have liked to have a better understanding on the online part because it made me fall behind a lot. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The help and support provided while in ireland was organized very well. I always felt like i had someone to go to if I had any problems, and someone that would help me out. It was very comforting having it there at all times. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved being able to live with the irish students while abroad. I'm glad I wasn't with any other americans, it made the experience much more enriched to be a part of their culture. However, I am also very glad that I chose to live with all girls, I know there was cleaning problems with boys being involved. |
| * Food: |
Try all the ethnic food you can! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All of the experiences I had with the Irish culture were very memorable. The trip to Killarney provided by Interstudy was a lot of fun because it was a time to meet up with kids that are like me traveling there from the states. I enjoyed staying at the hostel with the other people from the program as well because it brought us closer together. It was also nice to have dinners/outings every once in a while in our host city (Dublin) with all of the other kids from Trinity as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I always felt very safe and comfortable in Dublin and on campus. I had a bad cold a few weeks after I got out there and saw a doctor at the University asap, and they sent me to the hospital for blood work and gave me a prescription right away. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | You really have to be open to a lot of different things when you go abroad. You have to learn to adapt to and accept different cultures and people, and be patient with making a life where ever you are. It was challenging getting started, but once you are, it is worth the struggle. I think the type of person that would enjoy the program at UCD would be someone who is not very time oriented, and very open to new things and changes. Time doesn't seem to be as important to life there and it may be hard for some people to adapt to. Give everyone that you meet a chance, everyone is different and unique in their own amazing way. |
