Study Abroad in Cork: Memorable Experiences Past Review

By A student () for

University College Cork: Cork - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

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

It was undoubtedly worthwhile. I learned more about international issues and am aware of problems outside of the U.S. I found out more about myself and who I want to be as I get older. I am already looking forward to the next time I can visit Cork, Ireland.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	I didn't have a program but support services were available through the University and they were fairly helpful.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I was able to travel and see many amazing countries in Europe. I will always remember the sights I saw and STRONGLY encourage anyone abroad to take advantage of any opportunity to travel. You will not regret it.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	During our orientation certain aspects of health issues were covered and we were informed about where to go if we were having problems.
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)

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Go into this program with an open mind. Take in every sight and sound and be willing to try new things. Students who are social and outgoing will embrace the Irish culture. Travel as often as you can.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Aspects of Irish Folklore
Course Department:	Folklore
Instructor:	Dr. Margaret Humphreys
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course covered topics of the history and culture of Irish storytelling and folk tales. I wasn't sure if this would be a class worth taking but it proved to be very interesting. The professor did a good job of providing historical as well as contemporary depictions of different aspects of Irish folklore.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Introduction to Irish History
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Multiple Instructors
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was a very interesting course. It covered many different aspects of Irish history beginning with the Celtic civilizations all the way up to contemporary politics and culture. This was the largest lecture style class I was in with about 300 international students. Not a very hard class - the midterm was a 1500 word essay and the final was 2 in class essays that took no more than an hour to complete.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Ireland During the Union
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Dr. Andy Beilenberg
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was my hardest class. It was all lecture and there was very little interaction between the instructor and the students. It was a very fast paced class and covered an extremely large amount of topics. That being said, I definitely learned the most from this class. As it was an upper-level history class many of our lessons covered in-depth analysis of certain political and social issues in Ireland.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I received history credit for my major. I do recommend it.

Course Name/Rating:	People, Places, and Politics
Course Department:	Geography
Instructor:	Dr. David Butler
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was a blend of history and social geography. It covered topics related to Christianity, Catholicism, social reforms, political movements, etc. The goal of this course was to show how Ireland's social, religious, and political landscape has changed over time. We also had field trips that consisted of touring around Cork City and discussing the city's layout. All in all it was a fairly interesting course and I'm glad I took it. I learned more than I though.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I received credit towards my Conflict Studies major. I recommend others take it.

Course Name/Rating:	Introduction to Irish Traditional Music
Course Department:	Music
Instructor:	Mary Mitchell-Ingoldsby
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was one of my favorite courses. The instructor talked about various musicians, composers, and collectors who were influential to the history of Irish music. She played us a lot of clips from different musical styles and exposed us to many different artists. My favorite part of this course was that she required us to go out into the city and experience traditional music sessions on our own. This was a great way to see what we were learning about in class applied to contemporary times. Irish music is great and this class allowed me to better understand it's history.
Credit Transfer Issues: