Ireland: My True Home Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Obviously it is a very different system than America. Personally, having the majority of the class grade based on exam scores is something I have negative feelings about due to the fact that I am not such a good test-taker. However, because I left prior to exam time, I was given a writing assignment instead which better suited my preference. This made it possible for me to write my papers as soon as possible so that I could enjoy my time with friends. It also made it possible for me to skip classes as needed (not excessively) to travel and such. The negative side to the system is that class participation is non-existent which makes focusing much more difficult. I would have loved it more if lecturers had wandered from the classic lecture method.

On-site administration of your program

There was an international office that helped out a lot behind the scenes

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in an apartment on campus which had great accessibility to all of my classes and town- it was just a quick walk. It made night-time activities safer. Living with Irish students was perhaps the greatest part- I felt integrated rather than out of the loop. I am glad that I befriended more Irish and international students than Americans because that was my goal. Because I had brought a rubbermaid container with all my sheets, towels, etc, I did not need to buy much. All I needed were pillows for the couches, posters, and other accessories to add to the apt to make it feel homey, which worked out well.

I did the shopping and cooking myself, as opposed to having a dinning plan like back here in the States. The town has an Aldi discount supermarket in town which I was familiar with- doing most of my shopping here definitely saved me a lot. However, when I craved an American brand name, it was really easy to go to Dunnes or Tesco and pick it up. Fast food was also readily available for those lazy nights.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Every weekend, the Irish students would go home and I would use the free time to travel. Interstudy had some great events for us as well- a trip to Cork was included. Also, the international society at NUIM held trips which were great fun. Overall, the biggest cultural difference was the fact that students go out on weeknights rather than weekends in Ireland.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Resident assistants were really helpful and the Guarda seemed to do their job safety-wise. I think this is because Ireland as a whole seemed safer. I myself did not get too sick and did not need to follow through with my program's health procedure so am not in the position to comment.

(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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• Local Students