Trial Run on Adulthood Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/16/2017 to 05/26/2017 with
Trinity College - Dublin: Dublin - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained a sense of perspective about my home institution, both in terms of it's relative size, and relative rigor. I learned about Irish politics and concerns among Irish university students, about social movements happening in Ireland right now, and what Guiness should actually taste like. I gained a better sense of myself and my capabilities through living independently, and most importantly, I was able to take a break from my home institution, try things I wouldn't normally do there, and return to the US better prepared for senior year of college.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was less work overall than a semester at my home institution, but I also spent every day in the library studying during exam period. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Trinity is a large university, so there is very little in the way of hands-on administration for incoming study-abroad students. On the one hand, I was able to meet more Irish students and integrate into campus, but I also never had my emails responded to in a timely fashion as I was preparing to leave which was extremely frustrating. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived on campus, it was clean, the kitchen appliances worked, and I had no trouble with my roommates. |
| * Food: |
There isn't really a dining hall, just a cafe/restaurant. The food there is kind of pricey, but there are lots of grocery stores in the area (Tesco, Lidl, Aldi) which have good prices, and plenty of cafes restaurants. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got sick with pink eye during term and I was unable to get an appointment at the health clinic on campus, which meant I had to go to a local walk-in clinic and pay 60 euro to get antibiotics. I found this experience extremely frustrating and would have liked to know about the on-campus health clinic's policies on walk-in appointments before I needed to go. I did not need any vaccines for this program. |
| * Safety: |
Aside from one very late walk back from the regional bus station, I never felt unsafe at night in Dublin. The city is well-lit around campus, and generally one of the safest in Europe. Bike theft does happen, so make sure you have several locks for your wheels if you buy a bike. I also experienced more street harassment in Dublin than I had in the U.S., but overall I was never concerned for my safety. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I'm glad I chose to go to a larger university than my home institution because it was very different. The campus isn't as cohesive, and the friends I made were largely through the LGBT society. I didn't have as much of a chance to participate in lectures as I would in my home institution, and the workload was heavily focused on exams instead of multiple assignments over the term. Going to Trinity has allowed me to articulate what I like about my home institution in terms of classes and social life, as well as what I actually prefer about Trinity. |
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) |
Food was absolutely my biggest expense outside of travel, but by buying most of my groceries on sale/store brand and trying to be judicious about eating out, I was able to keep my budget around 50 euro per week for all of my expenses, and 10-15 euro for groceries. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy store brand grocery items, make sure to ask about student discounts everywhere you can, and shop at places like Lidl, Aldi, and Tesco. Try to avoid taking the bus, Dublin is a very walkable city, but if you need to take the bus or train, a student leap card is much cheaper and worth the 10 euro fee. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Everything regarding living expenses, housing, courses, and travel arrangements will work itself out in due time, but you may have to send some emails. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
