Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great Craic! (aka An Absolutely Amazing Time!) Past Review

By (Pace University) - abroad from 09/19/2011 to 05/25/2012 with

University College Cork: Cork - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile. Studying in Ireland was amazing because of the great people that I met there and the time that we spent together. We were also able to travel a lot which was amazing, especially during our study month in April.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

For an American student taking the same number of classes as I would take at home (5) I did not find UCC to be challenging. There is not a lot of homework, mainly reading. All of my classes had only 1-2 papers, 1 paper and 1 exam or just an exam at the end of the semester. The classes do not meet for a very long time, usually 1-2 hours a week. For studying abroad this was amazing because we had ample time to do other things. I really enjoyed the professors and the way they teach.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We did off campus housing which is a walk to campus but right in the city center. I would definitely recommend this. Internet was usually bad but everything else was good.

* Food:

Ireland is not known for its food but the grocery stores are good and so are the sandwich shops etc.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We took classes with all Irish students and met a bunch through roommates.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

It is free to go to the student center but you must get there really early in the morning to get an appointment or schedule one days out.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Ireland can be pretty pricey, especially if you are going out a lot.

* Was housing included in your program cost? No
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100-200 euro
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't be wasteful

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • You didn't have to stress about school and could focus on other things
  • Meeting Irish students and Irish people in general
  • I loved how laid back Ireland is
* What could be improved?
  • Internet could be better in housig
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That I would love it so much that I stayed for the year instead of just the semester. I would have made it easier with the immigration card.