Semester in Ireland - It's a Small World Afterall Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload for the Irish system seemed the same regarding the 100/200/etc. levels in America. The lectures were a lot less formal and there was more joking between students and professors. The class times at home are usually at the same time, in the same room every week, and the Irish system was more complicated and spread out.

On-site administration of your program

The Study Abroad facilities at Longwood were always very easy to access and open for any help or questions I had. Their knowledge about my specific program was very high, even though I was the only student to travel to Ireland in a few years.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was in an apartment that was recommended by my host school, called City Campus. It ended up being a TERRIBLE place to live! There was one facility manager for over 30 apartment complexes, and it was hard for him to check on every apartment, so when we had a problem it didn't get fixed for weeks at a time. Our heating didn't work in Nov/Dec, the internet frequently cut in and out, at one point there was only one working washer and dryer out of 12! Even though it was a close walk to school, it was not a pleasant experience.

Eat locally and buy locally! Super fresh and quality food is everywhere.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There really weren't any programs that the school put on just for the internationals, but a class I was in that was specifically pointed out by the Irish study abroad office hosted a field trip in October. We traveled around to see thousand year old shrines, native structures, and museums. It was such a nice trip with no planning on our part! We had a nice end of the year meeting with the president of Mary I, and some traditional winter Irish food and mulled wine. It was such a nice final get together with the faculty members.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had any direct instances of needing health care, but a few other international students did and they receive good care. There was a lot of care taken to make sure we were all street smart and didn't drive or walk home alone or in a taxi at night.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

There was an Intro to Gaeilge class specifically for International students, which was a big advantage I think. Being in an Intro class with Irish students, I would have felt very behind and lost. I practiced with native Irish speakers, and spoke a bit around the town, even though most people spoke English.

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• Apartment

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• International Students