A fantastic place to spend a semester! Past Review
By A student (Biochemistry, Barnard College) - abroad from 08/31/2015 to 12/18/2015 with
Arcadia: Galway - National University of Ireland, Galway
I valued the opportunity to see a different culture and a different educational system from my own as well as the opportunity to travel throughout Europe on a budget.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were not difficult compared to the courses at my home institution. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Arcadia was supportive and available and the trips that it offered were great opportunities to see different parts of Ireland without the stress and time involved in planning a trip. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
While our housing complex itself was fine, our roommates were quite disrespectful, making it the worst part of my time abroad. Many of my peers had perfectly polite flatmates. |
| * Food: |
Groceries are inexpensive and food in town is mostly reasonable. The farmer's market is an excellent place to get great food and meet locals! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While I definitely made friends with the other Arcadia students, I felt less connected to the NUIG students. Getting involved in clubs is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture. I found the rowing club to be a welcoming environment that helped keep me in shape too! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The staff at the student health center is nice and helpful, but are limited to focusing on one problem at a time, so you have to prioritize. Additionally it is sometimes difficult to get an appointment. I did run out of a medication half way through my time abroad which was unavailable in Ireland and I would have had a two year wait to see a specialist, but fortunately my family was able to send it to me. |
| * Safety: |
Galway was incredibly safe! I returned from trips very late and never felt unsafe walking back to my apartment. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | I wish I had known that Irish students really drink as much as you think they do. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
