NYU Dublin was the best summer of my life! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My time with NYU Dublin gave me the opportunity to explore both things I never knew I would be so interested in, and things I never had the time for in school. My Modern Irish Literature class was so exciting because every few classes the author of the book we had just read and discussed would join us in class! It was such an amazing opportunity to engage with the text with person who created it. I also took Creative Writing, so joining the exposure to authors with the experience of being in another country created such an amazing environment for writing.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was unlike anything I've seen before. Private, sizable rooms attached to a spacious kitchen and living room - what more could you ask for? I guess you could also ask for the tennis courts, beautiful lawns and courtyards that Trinity has to offer as well. We adored being so centrally located within Dublin, but having a peaceful, quiet environment within the gates of Trinity to spend out time in.

Trinity doesn't supply you with food of their own, though they do have a small coffee shop where you can grab a quick breakfast before class. Grocery shopping was a great way to save a few bucks, and there were so many locations to choose from right around the school. Then, obviously, the dining outside of campus is phenomenal and also really cool!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We were right in the center of Dublin, so we were able to engage with the incredibly friendly residents of Dublin. I can't think of a day I spent in Dublin where I DIDN'T speak to a local and have an in depth and interesting conversation. The city itself is teeming with the friendliest people on earth, who are open and interested in a chat!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

"Your worst enemy is the desire for a cool Instagram photo." In the wise words of our program director Conor Creaney, we were constantly kept alert to any physical threats to our wellbeing when on hikes along cliffsides. However, within the city, I never felt unsafe.

Spending my summer with NYU in Dublin was one of the better decisions I've made in my life. Traveling around Ireland is unlike any other experience I've ever had - from hiking along cliffs covered in puffins, to listening to a trad session in a pub in Miltown Malby, to exploring the city with my friends, every moment of the 6 weeks I spent there was worthwhile. The friends I made from the program are some of the best friends I've ever had, and we've remained friends long since. There's nothing quite like traipsing the countryside in beautiful but wet Irish weather to bond a group of friends! Dublin is the perfect size for a six week study abroad program because it gives you just the right amount of time to feel like you really did live there. The culture of the city is pretty much based on a lovely sense of friendliness, so I felt welcome by anyone I spoke to while I was there. There really is no place quite like Dublin, and certainly no place quite like Ireland. The program really allows you to feel like you lived in and explored both!

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

Budgeting was tricky personally, but there are certainly ways to make sure you can save on food and activities! The nice thing about Dublin is you can avoid spending money on food by buying groceries at one of the several grocery stores nearby, and by choosing free day to day activities over museums that cost money or movies or things like that.

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• Dorm
• Hostel

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Traveling around Ireland on the various trips you go on as a group.
• Feeling so immersed in the city itself, and really gaining the sense that I lived there.
• The classes were always fun, interesting, and closely linked to the country and city you're in.

• There was one hostel we stayed in while we were visiting Letterfrack that left a little to be desired, but I also think that was a brilliant improvisation on the part of our director when a hostel couldn't accommodate us, so if that's the only thing that could be improved, it probably will be down the line anyhow!