Trinity College Dublin: Cultural Immersion and Academic Travails Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I really enjoyed my time abroad. Though Trinity is a very prestigious school, I did not feel overwhelmed by the coursework or the classes. For the most part what you put into the class you got out of it. Unlike American universities, they expected most which meant you would be given a list of "suggested" reading and it was entirely up to you to get it done. Which in some way was nice, but was also challenging not being actually assigned reading. They also have different expectations for papers. I ran into a little trouble there because in my one class (on American history) the assistant felt that I did not have enough citations. I also felt that there were times when the professors were more interested in a paper that just explored what other scholars have written than in my own interpretations (backed up by scholarly research). Another challenging aspect was the fact that the only assignment you turned in for most of the classes I took the big paper and then the final. This made it hard to get a handle upon what the teacher was looking for (especially when it was graded not by the professor but by a graduate student).

On-site administration of your program

I absolutely loved the IES Dublin staff. They were all very friendly and helpfull which any questions, both pre-arrival, during the program, and post-program. I felt that they really made an effort to get to know all of us and what we were doing. The field trips they set up were very well run and fun.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We were in a safe neighborhood and fairly close to both college, the IES center, and the grocery store. If the house had any issues (which we had a few maintenance problems) the IES staff were very prompt about getting things fixed and someone was always with us if we did have a person over to fix things. I didn't really participate in much of the nightlife, but we were close to many pubs, which made it easy to go out on a friday night for a few pints.

For the most part I just ate the food I cooked, but if you want to go out to eat, I definitely suggest looking around a bit first. Dublin can be an expensive city, but it is possible to find cheaper establishments. Also, don't be afraid to go farther afield for food - I walked 30 minutes to the grocery store because it was a lot cheaper than the one only 10 minutes away.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Irish music in a pub is definitely a must for any future students. Irish pubs are a great improvement over American bars. I really liked the atmosphere (I am not much of a drinker) and I loved the music sessions. IES Dublin also arranged a trip up to Northern Ireland and the Giant's Causeway, which I really enjoyed since I probably would not have made it up there myself. IES Dublin also always picks the best restaurants to eat at. I also really liked the plays that IES Dublin took us to.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Dublin is a very safe city as far as big cities go. Pick-pockets are a bigger issue than in many American cities, but you just have to exercise commonsense and be aware of your surroundings. I did not need any healthcare or vaccines while in Dublin.

(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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• Americans

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• Local Students