Trinity College Dublin May 22, 2022
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/17/2022 to 05/08/2022 with
IFSA: Dublin - Trinity College
I learned how to travel independently and work in a system that I was not used to.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Irish education system is very different from the United States. Grades are often calculated based solely on final exams and classes have very few or no interactive components. Six classes is a normal course load. I learned a lot for sure but the system is very different and if you want support you need to be very proactive about it. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IFSA did very little for my semester besides provide housing. The housing I was placed in was great, but the other housing option was not as good. We had only two short events over the semester planned at very late notice. Staff were accessible but not helpful in my experience with any issues that came up. There are apparently normally overnight excursions and more events but even though Ireland had no Covid restrictions by February, we did not have these cultural experiences. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Highlight Student Accommodations. This housing is amazing and would definitely recommend if it's an option. Highlight Thomas St. is about a 20 minute walk from campus and is right near grocery stores and restaurants. Close enough to city center that you can walk almost anywhere but far enough to be quiet and not crowded. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I joined the Trinity Ultimate Frisbee team and I would definitely recommend joining societies to make Irish friends. This is really the only way that I felt able to integrate since I felt many people are not looking to make new friends in classes by third year. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
Groceries at budget stores (Lidl, Tesco, etc.) are extremely affordable and there are restaurant options that are very reasonably priced. My top expenses were food, travel (my choice), and my bus pass. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you are able to find friends to cook with, buying groceries and cooking is cheaper and easier for multiple people than for one. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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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? | How different Irish education systems are from American ones. |
