Take Me Back to Ireland Past Review
By Christie D (Creative Writing and History, SUNY Purchase) for
University College Cork: Cork - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to meet new people in a place where I knew absolutely no one, and that is something I know I will live with for the rest of my life. I taught myself how to get around foreign countries armed with only a map, and I learned a lot about myself in the meantime.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I felt as though the workload was much lighter than at my home school. Also, the fact that, for some classes, my grade is based on solely on one exam is a little daunting. I don't really know what to expect my grades to look like. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very helpful for me, and were always keeping in touch with us via email. Although, the long lunch breaks in the middle of the day could be really annoying. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really loved the two girls that I lived with, and our apartment was great, but I had hoped to live with non-Americans during my time abroad, so it was a little bit of a letdown. |
| * Food: |
The food on campus was not very good, but it was very cheap. Buying food at the English Market in the city center is a must. Also, I lived across the street from a Tesco, so that was really nice. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Queen came to Cork while I was there. Also, St. Patrick's Day was amazing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safe in Cork for the most part. There were a couple times where walking home at night from the city got a little ugly, with drunk guys screaming at us, but no one ever actually tried to harm us. Just walk in a group at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Ireland is a beautiful country, and Cork is an especially great city. However, future abroad students should note that there are over 400 American students who go to UCC every semester. So, if, like me, you expect to meet lots of international students maybe a different country would be a better choice. |
