Northern Irleand Past Review

By Andrew P (History And Political Science, Nebraska Wesleyan University) for

Ulster University - Belfast: Northern Ireland - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Yes, I learned a great deal about myself and also about what people think of Americans in general. It was great to get to talk to people from different cultures that have a different understanding and perspective of the world than I do.

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place:	Spring 2009

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	It did not challenge me intellectually like my home university but I became a lot better at motivating myself to get things done due to the amount of independent study I was given.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	There was an orientation at the beginning, but after that I had no contact with any members of the International Education Office.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Housing was great. I lived in a dorm style complex that I shared with 9 other people. I had my own room, there were bathrooms on each floor and a community kitchen <br /><br /> It was a good living arrangement where I was in close proximity to other students and the classroom.
* Food:	I went to the market and bought my own food. It was cheaper this way.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Ireland was a very social culture where people regularly go to the pub for a pint and some traditional Irish music. I had the most fun doing this type of thing because I had a chance to meet locals and have fun with the other international students.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I had no issues while I was abroad, but I know that my friends that did have health issues were taken care of.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

Finances

* 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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	I normally spent about 30 to 40 dollars a week on food. This was without going out to eat. If I went out to eat, I normally would spend about 10 to 15 dollars more. Also, I had to allocate money for the nightlife in Ireland which was about 20 dollars a week or more.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	The amount of money for public transportation was more than I thought it would be. I would recommend getting a public transportation card as it would have saved me quite a bit of money.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Fluent
Language acquisition improvement?	It was in English

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Ireland speaks for itself culturally and geographically, but your experience here will be even better than what you have heard.