Beautiful Ireland! Past Review
By Rachel G (Equine Industries Management, University of Minnesota - Crookston) for
IFSA: Limerick - University of Limerick
It was amazing. I actually chose to take some classes abroad versus at my home university to give myself a better global understanding and my adviser agreed. My friend and I loved that Ireland was a gateway to the rest of Europe for weekend trips and you never get bored of looking out your window and seeing remnants of castles on the hills.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The fact that some classes were based solely on the final exam was a major difference and that students are not expected to get high percentages in the class as it is based on the professor's knowledge. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program has been hosting American students for many years and would set up a family stay weekend and took us on two different sightseeing trip weekends around the country. They gave us a two day orientation of what we needed to do with registering with the police for our visas and it was all very well handled. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived in the student villages though they could have mixed us up a little better I thought. In my house alone there was 7 Americans and 1 Irish girl. Of the 7 Americans, 4 of us were from the same state and 3 from the same home University system. |
| * Food: |
We could eat at the many food courts on campus or make food at home. Unfortunately, there is only a mini-fridge for 8 people so we would take frequent trips to the local grocery store. It is best and more cost efficient to buy in small amounts as there are less preservatives in their food, so bread can mold and turn powdery pink over a weekend so if you aren't a big sandwich eater, buy a half loaf. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our program took us to Northern Ireland for a weekend where we got to tour Belfast, Giant's Causeway, and learn about the Troubles in Derry. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The campus always felt very secure and we never had a problem in town neither. Upon arrival you register with the Garda (Irish police) and are given a card that says you have registered in case anyone asks. There is a nurse on campus for general health care. There is a pharmacy near the student villages in case you need to have any superscription filled. |
| 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) |
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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Bring plenty of waterproof clothes and have your family mail you waterproofer (scotchgard etc.) you cant buy it in Ireland. |
