An amazing experience I wish I could do again! Past Review
By A student (English Literature & Art History, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/14/2013 to 05/25/2013 with
Trinity College - Dublin: Dublin - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to live on my own in a city, and work with a budget. I became more self-sufficient, and learned to balance my work and commute. It was absolutely worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My accommodations were wonderful, HOWEVER, I had to find and rent for myself, with no aid from either my home institution or Trinity College. I felt completely isolated in that aspect. |
| * Food: |
The food on campus was fine, but I didn't each much of it as there was no meal plan I could join and had to pay out-of-pocket every time I wanted to eat there. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt extremely integrated with the local culture, perhaps because I was living with 4 other Irish girls, and I participated in on-campus organizations. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never had an issue feeling unsafe or being pick-pocketed in my city; I may have been an exception. I knew of several students who had had their [phones or wallets stolen. My neighborhood was not in a great area, but no one ever bother me, except the occasional once-over. |
| 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) |
Dublin is an expensive city and I was very lucky I found a house with very cheap rent! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $175 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | plan out in advance how much you want to spend each week and stick to it! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How expensive everything is! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
The Troubles: 1968-1998 |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Ciaran Wallace |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was challenging, likely made more so by the fact that it was a historiography course, and I had essentially no background in the history of the Troubles, so I at times I felt lost or confused about the subject matter. However, the lecturer was good at making sure everyone kept up and would take time to explain anything I or other visiting students didn't understand. I participated about as much as I would have at Wellesley, despite the high concentration of men in the class. There was a short paper due in February, and a longer, final paper due at the end of March. There were readings for every class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Contemporary Irish Fiction |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Paul Delaney |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Although I enjoyed this class over all, I didn't find it particularly challenging. We were asked to read a different novel every week, and then attend one lecture about it, with little to no class participation. I think the lecturer did a good job with making sure there were common threads and themes to talk about in each novel and it was certainly helpful in writing the final paper, our only assesment. |
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| Course Name/Rating: |
Popular Literature |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Bernice Murphy |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course was interesting but not very challenging. The weekly lectures were mostly well developed, although the weekly conferences did not add very much to my experience of the class. While there was a new novel to read every week, I didn't feel as though I fully understood all the components of the genres we had been discussing. We were assed with an exam at the end of the term. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Children's Voices in Early Modern Texts |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Amanda Piesse |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was challenging, but incredibly fun and exciting and interesting. The lecturer was both well-prepared and knowledgeable, and worked hard to make sure that all students were participating and understanding the material and class discussion. I participated in this class more than I would have at Wellesley, particularly due to the small number of students in the class (8, including myself). We were assesed through a 15 minute presentation and a final exam paper. |
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| Course Name/Rating: |
Art Writing |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Tom Walker |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course was challenging, included reading of one book or several readings per week, class discussion, and several response papers. I participated less in class discussion than I would have at Wellesley, as the class was male-dominated both in number and is discussion. The lecturer was knowledgable but a bit esoteric. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | n/a |
