Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Irish American in Ireland Past Review

By (HISTORY., Providence College) for

Arcadia: Galway - National University of Ireland, Galway

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Studying abroad has made me want to travel more but it did make me realize how much I associate myself with where I come from and how I want to primarily stay there.

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was a lot easier. I took six classes and I only had to write two midterm papers. For my finals I had four papers and two exams. The class sizes were a lot larger, which made for very little class participation.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

There was only about 25-30 people in my program which made it a lot easier to make friends. It also made orientation and program activities more personal.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I needed to buy bedding but cookware was provided. The supermarkets were only about a 5 minute walk down the street. It took about 15-20 minutes to walk to campus, as well as to the city centre where the pubs, clubs, restaurants, and shops were.

* Food:

The best place to shop for food is Tesco. It is reasonably priced and close to Gort na Coiribe. The best place to get food while on campus is Wards Corner Store. It has the most amazing sandwiches for very cheap.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The weekend trip to Belfast was great because it allowed just the people in the program to come back together as a whole for the first time since orientation.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt very safe in Galway.

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

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Exchange fees and foreign ATM fees added up significantly.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The trips that were planned for us.
  • The housing that we were placed in.
* What could be improved?
  • Split up orientation in Dublin and in Galway.