I had an amazing experience in Ireland May 30, 2023
By A student (Biological Sciences, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/16/2023 to 05/19/2023 with
University College Dublin: Dublin - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained experience traveling/doing things on my own, I lived on my own and budgeted for groceries and other activities for the first time, I learned a lot about Ireland and its history. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teaching style was definitely different from Wellesley, but I really enjoyed learning in new ways and it was a great experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very accommodating to international students and I always felt supported. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived on campus, which was very convenient and took away a lot of stress of finding housing. The housing was a bit far from the city centre, but I knew that going in. |
| * Food: |
I was not provided food by the program, there were kitchens provided for me to cook for myself. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
They did a great job of having Irish music, dancing, and other cultural events for international students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not experience any health issues. |
| * Safety: |
I overall felt very safe in Dublin and on campus, with only one or two minor incidents. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved Dublin and Ireland, it was great meeting students from all over the world at UCD, I was able to find a good balance between school work and having fun, and I learned a lot. |
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) |
I spent under $50 on groceries/week, public transportation was very inexpensive, and there were always free activities or student discounts available. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Ask for student discounts at any museum/other tourist place, get a student transportation card, use the train instead of the bus for traveling within Ireland. |
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
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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? | On-campus housing is great, there are lots of things to do in Dublin and Ireland, there are new things to be learned in the classroom and just be exploring. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
