Study Abroad at University of Limerick Past Review
By Kelly H (Sociology., University of Northern Colorado) for
AIFS: Limerick - University of Limerick
I loved being in Ireland. I learned a lot about myself and a different culture.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Limerick |
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academics are nothing like those at home. There are no quizzes or tests during the semester. Most classes had you submit one "big" paper, or about 2000 words, and then had one final at the end of the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
AIFS is pretty disorganized when it comes to helping individuals with their questions. They are good at organizing trips for you to go on around your country and one surrounding one. However they don't offer many trips, and it would have been easy to organize it myself. They are not helpful when it comes to anything academic and make you go to the international office. The people in the international office are very rude. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms AIFS places you in are like town houses. It's Plassey Village. You do get your own room. But you live with 7 other people, each 4 people share one bathroom. All 8 people share one living-room/kitchen/dinning room-all one space. It's crowded, loud, and really dirty. Oh and Laundry, there are only three washers and two dryers for the whole village, and it's really expensive! <br /><br /> While the people in housing are really nice, they can't do anything about the fact that you're stuck living with 18-year-old boys who are dirty and loud. |
| * Food: |
I was able to cook whatever I wanted, which was nice. The only part that wasn't good was that the kitchen was constantly dirty and I would have to clean before cooking. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There is always something to do or see. The city centre puts on some cool things. There are farmers markets every week on campus and in the city. AIFS brings you to London and a few places in Ireland. I liked going to the places, but I would have been just fine putting the trip together for myself. But if you're the kind of person who likes people to arrange things for you, it works well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
AIFS didn't do anything to make me feel healthy or safe, but when I was sick I went to the UL health center, they were great. it was free to see a doctor and the prescriptions are reasonable. There is a saying about Limerick, people call it Stab City. But I never experienced any issues. The University is safe, and if you travel out to the city centre at night just don't go alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I think how much money you spend depends on how much you travel, how much you eat, and how many souvenirs you buy. You can keep it cheap by not traveling as much to other countries, or finding the best deals possible. If you cook all your meals you'll keep your expenses down. You'll spend more than you think you will. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Give yourself a budget and stick to it! Remember when you pull money out of the bank that there is an exchange rate along with a charge for pulling it in a diff country than yours. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
They speak English, and it wasn't hard to understand them |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Only use AIFS if you want someone to check in with and hold your hand. If you like doing things on your own, use someone else. |
