Why you should study abroad in Dublin Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was pleasantly surprised with how interesting the courses were. The professors were really fascinating and knowledgeable, they absolutely knew their stuff. The work load wasn't too bad, definitely manageable. It was nice- I truly didn't mind waking up and going to class in the morning. And the trips you take as part of the courses are really awesome, I didn't expect to be able to see and experience as much as I did.

On-site administration of your program

The program administration was quite good-- the program was well-run and well-organized!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments at Blackhall Place were spacious, and having a private bedroom with only two-three people per bathroom was nice. The location is an easy walk to class, and the shopping/bar areas. It's also close to Phoenix Park, which is really beautiful, and my window had a rad view of the Guinness Factory. Nice kitchen accommodations, with all the essentials. On some particularly warm days, the rooms would get a bit hot when the sun was up, because there was no air conditioning, but it was easy to adjust to!

I did a lot of my own cooking, and prepared lunch to bring to class. One of the great things about Ireland is they have really fresh produce and groceries, and you grocery shop in much smaller quantities than in the U.S. I really enjoyed this, because I love cooking and eating fresh food. There's also a cost for plastic grocery bags, so you would use a reusable shopping bag or backpack, which I found to be really progressive and of course eco-friendly. I I probably grocery shopped and cooked more than most of the people on my trip, but I found it more cost effective. But there were also great restaurants and café's all over. We ate out at some really delicious restaurants.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I took advantage of my time in Ireland by trying to expose myself to the culture as much as possible. The Irish people are incredibly friendly and are wonderful at making you feel welcome, so we would always make friends and ask around for advice on good places to go, or things to do. We spent a lot of time walking around and exploring, and we went to a lot of open mic nights and band performances. And the wonderful people from FIE and DBS can give you great recommendations on things to do to make you feel more like a Dubliner.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I ended up having this really weird dislocated jaw issue from a yawn-gone-awry during my time in Dublin, and someone from the program picked me up from Dublin Business School right away and brought me to a specialty health center. I ended up being seen by a nurse, and I didn't have to pay any fees, it was fantastic. I didn't have to get any vaccines to travel to Ireland, and there weren't any prevalent health issues in the country.

I felt extremely safe in Dublin and in the cities we traveled to, but of course when you're in any place that's foreign to you, you have to be smart in your decisions. We would never go off on our own without letting others in the group know where we were going-- I'm a runner, and I would always just give my housemates a shout when I was leaving the apartment to go for a jog alone. And it's great to make new friends, especially with Dubliners, but we would always be safe and smart when we talked to people outside the group. And having a travel phone is very inexpensive, and extremely helpful for security and being able to find your friends.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It's definitely easy to lose track of your spending while abroad. Between food and shopping ("I have to get it, no one in New York will have this sweater!") I went a bit crazy at first. But once I collected myself, I kept a firmer leash with my cash. It can be doable on a small budget, if you're not as impulsive a shopper as I am.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The people I met, and friends I made, including the professors
• The places we traveled to (in Dublin and elsewhere)
• The experiences I had, encompassing everything from Causey Farms to that one club in Belfast.

• The windows in Blackhall place should open more.

The Outright Urbanite