IES Abroad Dublin: My Home Away From Home Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Amazing teachers, entertaining classes and helpful classes, I just wish there were more options.

On-site administration of your program

Extremely helpful! My mom came to visit at the end of my program and her back went out on her. The program administration was able to send us to a doctor and my mom felt great the rest of the trip. They were the perfect balance of giving us our freedom but being there for us when we needed it.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We had our own bedrooms and bathrooms which was super nice. The building was pretty new and was in great shape. It also had a gym which was really nice.

We cooked for ourselves but we were in a great location to get what we needed easily and cheap. The food was tasty at the grocery store and when we went out for dinner.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Since we were living and going to school with other American students, we did not get a ton of interaction with other Irish students and the community. We just had to do it on our own. But IES did give us ideas on how to integrate ourselves. But when I went out I felt very welcomed by the community. Everyone was so kind!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

As stated earlier, my mom had to see a doctor and IES was fabulous in helping us out. I know some of my friends had to see a doctor too and IES found them the doctors, helped set up an appointment and if you wanted someone to go with you a staff member would.

I felt incredibly safe. Honestly safer than I do in the US. My housing had gates to keep us safe at home and I felt comfortable walking around the city. This was something I was pleasantly surprised about.

I completely fell in love with everything about Ireland. The people, the culture, the landscape, EVERYTHING; but the best part about the trip was how much I grew as a person. The most amazing feeling in the world is having the confidence that you can do anything, and that is what IES gave to me. I totally feel that I can take on the world. I know that I would not have had the incredible experience that I had without IES. IES does the perfect amount of giving you your freedom while being there for you if you need anything. The IES staff on your program truly care about you and treat you like equals. They are just like your friends that you go to when you have questions because they know the area better than you do. I had my confidence that I could take on this experience but it was comforting knowing that there were people there for me if I needed them. I cannot speak more highly of this program and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

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

There were definitely ways to live in a budget and IES gives you a list of ways to do so. So it is up to you.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

There was an option to learn Gaelic, but since the primary language in Ireland is English it was not pushed. But people did tell us if we really wanted to learn about the culture this would be a great way to do so.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• We were supported but not babied
• We learned a lot of different aspects of the culture
• Everyone was so kind and you could tell they loved what they do

• Class selection
• Integration with the locals
• Nothing else, the rest was amazing

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer