Limerick, Ireland: Life Changing Experience! Past Review
By Karah G (History/Sociology, Austin College) for
Arcadia: Limerick - University of Limerick
As I expressed in the above box, I learned a lot about who I am as a person and what I want from life. I believe this experience will change you for the better.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I think it was a decent workload, just challenging because your grade solely depended on two projects/papers for the majority. The grades did not get back to you very quickly so it was difficult to tell where you were in your class. Other than this, I liked the educational experience and enjoyed the classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The strength was that the program really looked out for you and you had an almost mentor-like figure who was there to talk to if you needed them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We were provided with all the necessities and only had to account for our own sheets, towels, and toiletries. |
| * Food: |
The food is far more fresh here and it is easy to always find something to eat. The campus itself had two spar grocery stores and several places to dine at. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Cliffs of Moher is an incredible experience and a breathtaking view. Also just traveling in general throughout Ireland was incredible. And definitely a rugby game! I learned so much about the people and the culture at games. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The UL campus had campus security constantly on patrol, so even if you had to walk home alone on campus you still felt secure. The city overall felt like a safe place and I never once felt threatened or uncomfortable. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | On average most of my friends and I spent about 30-40 euros per week on food. It is important to keep in mind that food is fresh here and does not contain the same level of preservatives as the food in the US, so it spoils quicker, so you have to buy per week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Watch how much you spend on your evenings out! |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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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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 would give the advice to go in with no set expectations and a completely open mind. Be ready to try anything, even if it is somewhat out of your comfort zone. Get involved and learn to mix with people. I recommend this for students who want a better understanding of who they are as an individual. I believe that this experience has taught me so much about who I am and what I want in life. It has been one of the most beneficial experiences of my life. |
