Experience Ireland Past Review
By Larne S (Rangeland Manangement, Eastern Oregon University) for
GEO: Dublin - Study Abroad Programs in Dublin
I learned about the Irish culture and really enjoyed it! Coming from a small rural town, I gained confidence in navigating the city and using the transportation systems and made some new friends. It was a great experience!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I thought it was a fair amount of work to easily complete but yet have enough time to go explore and do your own thing as well. The grading system was fair and pretty similar to the US system. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the advisor's were so helpful and always available to help you with anything at any given moment. Very welcoming and made you feel comfortable. The size of our program was perfect. There were about 40 of us total, so we got to know and interact with everyone. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The place where I lived was safe and located right next to a park. The bus stop was literally right off our front step which allowed us to get around town easily. Our host family was very nice and welcoming. Everything was provided for us like sheets, towels, cooking ware, etc. |
| * Food: |
Pretty good food. We mostly ate American dishes while we were there.(hamburgers, spaghetti, tacos, etc) I would have liked to try a few Irish dishes, but any bakery shop or pub had the traditional Irish meals so it wasn't a major downfall. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved our excursions we took every week. They gave us a chance to learn about Irish history and culture while experiencing it ourselves. All of the places we visited were very interesting and I think the staff did a good job at picking them out. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I always felt very safe within the program and also in the whole Ireland trip itself. If you needed any health attention, there were plenty of people willing to help. (host family, staff, pharmacy) |
| 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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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 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? | Be open and have fun. The public transportation system can take you pretty much everywhere you need to go(buses and trains). There are chartered buses that can take you on longer trips if you want to get out of the city. I thought the Irish people were very friendly and helpful so don't be hesitant to ask someone if you have questions or got lost. I think everyone can benefit from this program. I was an Agricultural Major but I still enjoyed taking the film and history classes offered. |
