Ireland: Study Hard, See the World Past Review
By Julia T (Theatre and Public and Community Service, Providence College) for
IFSA: Dublin - Trinity College
absolutely! i learned a lot about how to study and i'm more independent, and it prepared me for the busy senior year i have ahead of me
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The differences in the educational system made this a very difficult experience for me- I worked the hardest I have during college while at Trinity, but none of that is represented in my final marks. The lectures were sometimes difficult to get through because there was not a lot of discussion, and it was hard coming in as an American student not having taken Irish history classes my whole life. I was expected to adjust right away but it took a few weeks, and it was very overwhelming. The library system was difficult to adjust to as well, since it's only open til 9:45 each night and most of the books cannot be removed from the library. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IFSA-Butler got things done quickly, set us up with great housing, and took us on good trips. They were readily available to answer questions and provided us with assistance as soon as we needed it, even coming to our flat on a Saturday on more than one occasion when a washer broke and we had a leak. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
very safe and close to classes and nightlife, most cookware was provided as well as sheets and plates and utensils, great location, but it made it harder to make friends with irish students since we were somewhat isolated. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
it's very safe as long as you are smart about walking around in a city, be nice to the garda, and are respectful |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
|
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | dublin is very expensive- find student pubs, stay out of temple bar, find markets for food since it's better for you and cheaper |
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 |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be prepared to work hard! You have to be focused and determined and fairly independent to begin with |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
American Drama |
| Course Department: | DR |
| Instructor: | Nick Johnson |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was challenging, had a very appropriate workload, and actually helped me to learn over the course of the term. It prepared me for the exam, provoked interesting questions, and made me appreciate the subject more. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I won't know for another few months |
