Changed for the Better Past Review
By A student (English Language and Literature, Loras College) - abroad from 01/05/2015 to 04/22/2015 with
IADT - Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology: Dun Laoghaire - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to be an independent person without the ability to just Google the answers or call my friends or family for help/advice. I learned how to be fully present and not perpetually attached to my phone. I learned how to accept things when they don't go as planned, and I learned how to handle the people who can't accept those things. I learned that the world is a much bigger place than what I know, and I learned that that doesn't mean I can't be a part of all of it. I learned that my wanderlust isn't a passing phase. I learned that walking 19 miles in Converse in one day is possible, though possibly not advisable. I learned the value of a dollar, euro, pound, and koruna. I learned the difficulty of budgeting with savings alone (no income). I learned the limitations of traveling with friends - and the beauty of going it alone. This experience was a double-edged sword. I am a much better person now for having studied abroad. Worth every struggle - financially, mentally, emotionally, physically - that could have ever popped up ten times over.
Review Photos
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 course I took while abroad was a third-year course with the difficulty of most introductory courses. I absolutely loved what I learned, but felt that I was not being pushed very hard. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Absolutely bare-bones accommodation, less than clean, less than functional, but the location MORE than makes up for it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
For an urban accommodation and a suburban school location, I never felt more safe traveling from one to the other, nor living in the city. |
| 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) |
If students shop at the grocery store instead of eating out, there should be no reason for being unable to live on a student budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About $100 including eating out/pubs |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Seriously, STOP EATING OUT. Most of what we ate when we went out was pizza and burritos anyway, and it is SO cheap to buy your own food in Ireland. Fruits and vegetables cost peanuts. Give yourself a separate budget for going to the pub. For socializing in Ireland, this activity is instrumental, but one pint every time you go meet your friends adds up more quickly than you think. Student discounts abound. Find them. Food, public transportation, museums, etc. all offer student discounts. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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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| 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? | I wish I knew not to live with the people from my program. I wish I knew that the apartments would be so bare-bones. I wish I knew which countries/cities it was safe to travel to alone. But mostly, I loved the not knowing. I loved having to figure it out on my feet, that's why it was such a learning experience. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
