I want to live there in the future June 21, 2025
By A student (Anthropology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/06/2025 to 05/10/2025 with
IFSA: Galway - National University Ireland
Took amazing classes, got to experience the city and travel so much - exposing myself to so many different cultures
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
interesting material, some professors were great at explaining while others were more difficult to work with, grading system is difficult to understand |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
not around much but helpful if you reached out |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was supposed to receive medical accommodations for my housing and those were never addressed and I was given housing that did not meet my needs despite bringing this to the attention of my program (IFSA) and the university |
| * Food: |
self-catered, cheaper than in the US |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
it felt hard to get to know local students because everyone goes home on the weekends, but everyone was friendly |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
on the housing side, poorly I ended up going to the student health center as well as the emergency room and everyone was very kind and helpful |
| * Safety: |
felt very safe on campus and in the city be careful when going out - usual risks apply |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I don't know. Might just directly enroll? Could be easier |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Irish is used occasionally but mostly in written communication, less spoken |
| 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? | spanish 4, but this was Irish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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? | You have to ask for support or clarification etc if you need it. People want to help but they don't know until you reach out. |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Supporting Children with Diverse Needs |
| Course Department: | Children's Studies |
| Instructor: | Devon Goodwin |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Challenging but so interesting, the professor was invested in making sure everyone understood and was engaged. Film studies or teaching placement as additional learning facilitated my class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
