Valuable Past Review
By Natasha H (Social Work, Marist College) - abroad from 06/14/2015 to 08/08/2015 with
Global Experiences: Internships in Dublin, Ireland
I have gained so much more knowledge about the professional world and will always remember this experience as I move forward in my future career endeavors. Personally, I have developed a greater sense of independence just by being able to navigate a different city and explore freely on my own.
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. |
Because this program was an program for internships abroad, there was not much academic rigor. However, I was at times challenged at my internship, which helped me to learn and improve on a professional level. Also, my working environment was very casual and slow paced; therefore, my internship was lower in intensity until I became busier. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
While I found the staff supportive, I also found that the local program staff could have been more organized in terms of providing information to interns about social events and other activities. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
For the most part, I cannot complain at all. I wish that my housing were more suitable for cooking, but generally, the housing was more than adequate. The location of my accommodation was ideal, as it was very close to the city centre. |
| * Food: |
I really enjoyed a lot of the food that I have had here; however, it could be quite expensive at times. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The people in Ireland for the most part were very friendly and I felt very welcomed. I really felt at home at my internship, which was a nice feeling. However, I would have liked more social integration in my Global Experiences program because personally, it was difficult for me to meet and connect with people in my program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health issues to address to local staff in my program. However, when there were issues prior to my program, I informed my program adviser who made sure to include them in my profile. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Ireland, much safer than I do at my own college! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
Not very easily, but did my best to make sure that I did not spend too much too often. There were times when I spent more than I should have, but did anyway. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About 150 euros, but costs varied per week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Create a budget for yourself and stick to it. Keep track of how much you spend. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| 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? |
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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? | Looking back, I wish that I could have tried to get into contact with people before the program. I saw that many people already met and knew each other before the program, which made me feel like I could not branch out as much as I would have liked. Other than that, I still tried to be myself and make the connections that I could make. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
