A once in a lifetime experience with the most craic! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took a course on the Great Irish Famine. My professor, Dr. Ciaran Reilly, was a charming and educated individual who provided a lot of insight on this pivotal event in Ireland's history. The course also included a trip to Castletown, where a mansion that was once home to a landlord during the Famine has become the main site for preserving documents from that period. We were able to read these preserved documents including newspaper clips and written letters. This enhanced our learning by adding an experience-based component and apply this to what we were taught in the classroom.

On-site administration of your program

The on-site administration could not be more friendly and accommodating, and I always knew that if anything was bothering me they would go out of their way to help. Especially since it was my first time in Europe, their hospitality was something I was really grateful for throughout my trip. The majority of the on-site administration was peers who we got to spend a lot of time with. They were really great at suggesting places to see or travel to, and different activities to try. I still keep in touch with the people that made my experience in Ireland even better, and I hope to visit them again!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The dorms are set up in a co-ed manner, which was a new living situation for me. If this is something you're not comfortable with, the on-site staff would be more than willing to change your housing arrangement. It turned out that I was originally assigned to live with one boy and two girls, but I changed my room to live with other girls. The rooms are set up in an apartment-style complex with a kitchen and small living room area with two bathrooms and four separate bedrooms for each person. As a side note, make sure you always have your id card on you because there were many times I had to walk back to the main office to get a new one made to let me into my room.

To be honest, this was the probably the worst part of the trip. The cafeteria food was very much like things served in American cafeterias. I was hoping to try more foods that were more oriented with the Irish culture. Aside from the meal plan, there were a lot of really cute places in Maynooth that had great food! So if you don't mind spending the money to dine out, you won't be disappointed. I also highly suggest trying O'neills in Dublin. The sandwiches are absolutely amazing!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The Irish are incredibly friendly towards Americans and they also speak English, so I did not feel the infamous culture shock during my time abroad. The on-site administration did a really nice job with incorporating activities such as hurling and Irish dancing into our program which was a really nice way to immerse ourselves in the Irish culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I used a local healthcare system to get a TDAP shot. I'm not sure if it was required or not, but I got one anyway. Fortunately, my classmates and I did not have any health issues during our time abroad. Since there were no health issues in Maynooth, we did not need any vaccines specifically for the program. We were given an insurance card

There was no point in time where I ever felt unsafe in Ireland, which is something I can't even say about living in the states. Maynooth is a small and quiet, family-oriented town so there isn't a lot of commotion going on. We were given the, so in any case of emergency, we can contact them. One thing that I really enjoyed was their responsiveness. Whenever I had to contact someone, I received a response within an hour, and most of the time it was quicker than that. As long as you act responsibly and have your friends with you, you will be fine.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The prices of food and drinks in Ireland are roughly equivalent to the price of that in America, so you have to budget accordingly. Obviously, it is not feasible to go out every night. AIFS includes a meal-plan to help with the cost of food. There is also an ALDI store a block off of campus so you could go buy food or snacks. Because of the difference in electrical wiring, you would have to purchase hair dryers and straighteners when you get there but they're pretty inexpensive. Drinking water is very hard to come buy, so I would also pick up some water while you are at the store because you definitely do not want to become dehydrated.

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