Liberating and Enlightening! Past Review
By A student (International Business., The Sage Colleges) - abroad from 01/17/2012 to 05/17/2012 with
AIFS: Limerick - University of Limerick
It was completelyyyy worth it! I cannot stress enough the many benefits that studying abroad has had in my life already now that I am home. I am now more globally minded and feel more self aware and independent.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
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 |
very prompt and responsive. was happy to give additional insight and information on cultural activities |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved living in Plassey Village. It housed mainly international students and freshman Irish students. The village was always full of engergy and excitement. Houses were recently redone. Most apartments housed 8 students although there were a few 4 person apartments as well. Individual rooms, a bathroom on each floor, and a shared common area and kitchen made for a great home away from home! |
| * Food: |
If you like stew, lamb, fish, and potatos you will have no problem finding something you like. Fresh eggs and milk were delicious and I highly reccommend trying a full Irish breakfast at least once during your stay. It was also very easy to find familiar foods from home to enjoy as well. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was very easy to get involved in the local culture. Not only living with Irish students helped but also easy access to the city center made it easy to partake in cultural activities and experience Irish traditions. Uni also was highly active in making opportunities for students to get involved. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any medical needs while I was abroad, however I did hear good reviews from those who needed to seek medical care during their stay. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe in Limerick. It has gotten a bad reputation in the past however if you travel with normal precausionary measures in mind you will be fine. Locals were always very friendly and happy to help with directions. I also always felt safe on buses and in taxis. Some of the most memorable conversations with locals happened while taking a trip to the city center through the city transportation system. |
| 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) |
AIFS supplied meal checks and I was able to eat very well shoping at the local grocery stores for most of my meals. This allowed me to have extra funds to occastionally enjoy a meal at a restaurant on campus or spend a night out in the city. Meals were decently priced on campus and I would also reccommend going to the city's "milk market" to save on fresh produce. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
There were courses to take in Gaelic however the language was rarely used. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
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 differently the academic system is structured. It was easy to get used to but there was a need to switch my normal study habbits to adapt to the European acedemic system. Also the way you were evaluated was different (weighted on very little-most classes only had 1 or 2 exams and a big final paper/presentation) so there was a need to apply yourself more intensely from the beginning or else you may fall behind come finals. |
