Galway: City of Tribes Past Review
By M T (Public Relations, Rowan University) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Galway, Ireland
Best experience I have ever had. Definitely recommend it to anyone thinking about it. If it has EVER crossed your mind -- JUST DO IT. Don't second guess yourself. Just go.
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. |
The grading is tough, but if you only have to pass (like I did) to receive credit you should be fine. Also, most students rarely (sometimes never) attend class. Definitely not the focus for international or local students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our group leader was named Brian. He's dependable, very easy to get along with and really went out of his way to show us a good time. He was probably the best CEA employee I came in contact with through the whole experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The complex is called Corrib Village. It's awful. I had a great time and I loved MY experience, but I wish someone would have warned me going into it. The place is disgusting, it's all first years (the equivalent of crazy freshmen) and the people who run it treat you like they are your parents. We even had security which meant we were not allowed to have overnight guests --- even if it was someone who came to visit from the United States. Meanwhile, we find out other programs are in accomodations that are actually better than we're use to at home. Free to come and go as they please, right in the city center, laundry in their individual units. By far the worse portion of my experience -- though it did not ruin it by any means. Still had a great time. |
| * Food: |
The food in Ireland is fun for a while, but it gets beyond repetitive. It's also good to find fresh fruit and vegetables. However, I ranked this as a five because the "liquid" diet is varied and delicious! Remember, Guinness is good for you. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Galway is a great city. Lots of culture and lots of partying. Seriously couldn't have picked a better to stay in. On top of that, the trips our leader took us on (Brian) were awesome. Well planned, interesting and fun. To me, this is the most important part of the experience and I think it deserves a five out of five. That says a lot. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safety is not a major concern in Ireland, especially Galway. I felt very safe the entire time -- much safer than I do at home. The statistics speak for themselves. As for health issues, I get the feeling it would have been easy to address if I looked into it but finding a doctor or something was never really explained to me. I kind of just got through any sickness I had because it was easier than trying to figure out how to fix it. Probably more my fault than CEA's, though. |
| 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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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Galway is a great city. I definitely, 100% recommend studying there over any place else (and I have travelled a bit and talked to other people who have studied abroad). I would DEFINITELY choose Galway as the city if you are set on Ireland but thinking about Dublin. Galway is much better. That being said, I am 50/50 on CEA as the provider. I wasn't crazy about the accomodations (Corrib) and I am unimpressed with how they are treating me now (not responding to my emails). On the other hand, the group leader was awesome so if he is still doing it (call and find out) that is a huge bonus. I heard they might be changing from Corrib soon -- if that's the case, that makes a huge difference. And if you have to go CEA for some reason, ignore what I said and still go to Galway. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Imagining Modern Ireland |
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| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I definitely suggest taking this course. It wasn't advertised very well to me, but I got lucky enough to stumble into it. It's only for international students and it really gives you an understanding on how Ireland has developed in a relaxed/no pressure type of way. By far my favorite class! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
