Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The land of sheep, sights, and beer Past Review

By (Education Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/01/2017 to 05/11/2017 with

Arcadia: Galway - National University of Ireland, Galway

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Being able to live on my own, meeting new people, understanding politics in a different sphere, international travel experience. Yes

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Very different and more relaxed approach to education there, but I liked the school a lot!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Bad apartment choice. Most if not all students in the program agreed

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Location of apartment made it hard to not interact with almost entirely American students, but still made Irish friends

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

I really enjoyed most of this program, and although I would like to further immerse myself in Irish culture next time, this was nice as someone who was new to traveling

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Save up money ahead of time, and chart your spending

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

  • Local Students
  • 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • the city and county of Galway
  • people I met
  • city life/pubs
* What could be improved?
  • apartment choice
  • apartment choice!!
  • more effort to integrate with irish students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Traveling is always expensive even when it's budgeted so stay true to the plan!

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 Adventurer
The 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.