Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Dublin Becomes Home June 29, 2026

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/05/2026 to 05/03/2026 with

Arcadia: Dublin - Trinity College Dublin

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I became much more comfortable traveling, meeting new people, and exploring local cultures. It was definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My experience was met with fellow students who lacked a similar value in education. Tutorial sessions, especially at the 200 level, were sparsely attended. Some professors were wonderful and intellectually engaging. Others were mainly focused on their research rather than teaching.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Arcadia was extremely helpful with immigration issues, housing, and general adjustment to Irish living.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had no complaints about the living arrangement itself, however there were some standard apartment issues with fire alarms going off at odd hours and a few unresponsive staff members.

* Food:

Groceries were cheap and the accomodations were very near a grocery store. We mainly cooked for ourselves.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I cannot really speak on this as I was lucky to remain healthy while abroad and did not have to use their healthcare system.

* Safety:

Dublin felt very safe compared to my experiences in U.S. cities.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I loved Dublin and though I had some issues with the academics I am grateful for my time abroad.

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Arcadia support
  • Location
  • Access to travel
* What could be improved?
  • Academic Culture preparation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the housing and community was mostly international or study abroad students and you had to go out of your way to get to know locals.

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 Linguist
You 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!