The most eye-opening and life-changing experience of my life. Past Review
By Lisa S (English, University of Iowa) - abroad from 09/01/2015 to 12/12/2015 with
IES Abroad: Dublin - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
Aside from learning a lot about Irish history and culture, I also learned that I am capable of living and surviving on my own in a foreign country. Before traveling to Ireland, I had never been out of the States, and I had never really traveled alone, so just going there was a huge step for me. Now that it's over, I feel like I can do so much now. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The semester I went abroad was the first semester they did my program, so they were still experimenting with what worked best. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The IES staff at the centre were encouraging and helpful. They were welcoming and friendly, and I always felt supported by them. By the end of the program, they had become our friends. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived in a beautiful apartment that was completely furnished. Everything we needed, we had or were able to request. We lived in a safe part of Dublin, and we lived right about a grocery store which was convenient. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt like I really got to learn about Irish history and culture; however, because I was in a program with only Americans, it was hard to become friends with the locals. While I feel like I integrated with the culture, I don't feel like I integrated as much as possible with the people. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any health issues while overseas, but from what I heard from other people, it wasn't hard to see a doctor. |
| * Safety: |
Before I went to Dublin, I kept reading that I should beware of pickpocketers, but that never ended up being a problem. Dublin is like any other city: there are bad parts and good parts, and as long as you make educated decisions, your safety will never be in jeopardy. I always felt extremely safe in Dublin, even at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved IES Abroad, and I felt safe and satisfied with them. The staff was friendly, and the people in my program were great. I felt like I got really close to everyone involved in my program, and if I had a chance to meet the same people and experience the same experiences, I would 100% take the opportunity again. |
Finances
|
* 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) |
I was able to live on a student's budget as long as I watched how much I was spending. It's easy to spend a lot of money eating out or buying souvenirs, but I mostly bought food to cook at home. The food in Dublin seemed to be cheaper than food in the States. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $20-50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Fly RyanAir because it's most likely the cheapest airline. Also, don't eat out for every meal. I only ate out about once or twice a week, and it saved a lot of money. If you have a group of friends to travel with, use AirBnB to find places to stay because splitting the cost amongst you will make it a cheap option and you will get a house or apartment all to yourself. Also, if you don't need to use public transportation, walking helps save money instead of spending it on bus or tram fares. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The dominant language in Ireland is English, so it would have been strange for the staff to encourage us to speak Irish. However, Irish is all over Ireland, and if you want to understand a little bit of it, learning Irish will help. Of course, the signs are also in English, so it doesn't matter either way. I did take an Irish language course, and it was interesting to learn the language, especially since Irish is a very important part of Ireland's history and repression. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew all that I would get to do so that I would've known when to take opportunities to see things I didn't end up seeing. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
