Never a Dull Moment in Dublin, Ireland Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The IES professors seemed to give a comparable workload to the workload at my American university (Indiana University)--the courses required daily readings, participation and a few presentations and/or papers. The grading system was a little more frustrating because my professors seemed less focused on the importance of grades; I have been home for more than 6 weeks and have yet to receive my final grades. Yet, the grades that I have received seem fair to me. Again, the teaching methods at the IES Center are comparable to teaching methods in the American educational system. My professors employed a nice mix of presentations, lectures, powerpoints, fieldtrips, and discussions. I thoroughly enjoyed my courses.

On-site administration of your program

All of the faculty members and professors were available whenever I needed to speak with them, or email them. They offered a lot of support for living, traveling, homework, and other general questions. I feel that they always assisted me in a timely manner. Additionally, they were very knowledgeable about their own country, and they were very passionate about everything it has to offer as well. They seemed to know a lot about American higher education as well (e.g., they know what a typical classroom experience is like and that American students tend to be more concerned with grades). The program size was perfect--my classes were usually about 15 students so we were able to have great discussions, ask questions and get to know the professor more intimately than a larger lecture would have allowed. In the program in general, there were about 50-60 students. My expectations were greatly exceeded.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Before departure, we submitted information about ourselves and the program subsequently placed us with roommates whom they thought we would get along with. I lived with 3 other girls that were my age or close to me in age. We were all Americans. My neighborhood was extremely safe. Although I was a 30 minute walk from my classes, the walk was enjoyable because it was along a canal through the city. Also, we were only about a 10 minute walk from the nightlife, restaurants, shopping, and museums. I did not have to buy any items to settle-in, other than toiletries and the like.

The food was typically "pub grub" (i.e., fish & chips, burgers, fries). Although I enjoy that food, I kind of missed more variety after I had been there a while. However, there were also great cafes located all around the city, and they served wonderful sandwichs. Also, it was easy to cook our own food in our apartment.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I loved the social life in Ireland. There was always something exciting to explore on any given day. The museums, shopping, pubs, and restaurants were all very fun to explore. Additionally, my roommates and I regularly took trips out to the country, and there is nothing more beautiful than the Irish countryside. I particularly liked travling to Bray (located less than an hour from Dublin) for the day and climbing Bray Head. Also, my program arranged a fieldtrip to Galway, on the West coast of Ireland. The fieldtrip was fantastic! We stayed in a 5-star hotel, got to see the Cliffs of Moher (infamous scenery), go to the Aran Islands (one of the places in Ireland where Gaelic is still the primary language), and experience the nightlife in Galway. Overall, the trip was phenomenal. Plus, while I was in Dublin I got to be part of the breaking of the Guinness World Record for the most Waldos/"Wallys" (from Where's Waldo?) in one place at one time. It was a great experience that coincided with the Street Performance World Championship. This event was just down the street from my apartment and it was a great experience! Honestly, there is never a dull moment in Dublin, Ireland.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Dublin is a very safe city overall. If the program faculty members had any concerns they made sure to inform us of them as soon as possible. For example, there was some violence in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the time I was there (Summer 2011) and they immediately advised us not to travel there. Also, if we traveled anywhere else, my program faculty made sure we registered our travels with them and had a working mobile phone with us at all times. I never felt like I was in any danger. Overall, Dublin seemed pretty crime free.

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

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• Apartment

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• Americans