Ireland: An overall excellent and life changing experience. Past Review
By Jenna L (Community Health and Preventive Medicine., University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for
University of Galway: Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was definitely worthwhile. It opened my eyes to a whole new world out there and was just a great travel experience. The Irish culture is very similar to our in a way, but there are differences which were definitely noticed.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | National University of Galway, Ireland |
| 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. |
The experience overall went very well. We were taught by wonderful teachers from the UW-La Crosse. The homework got overwhelming as we wanted more time to explore the city we were in. We didn't experience much of the Ireland teaching system at all. It would have been nice to have been exposed to it. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program size was about 34 students. Wouldn't have minded it being a little smaller. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We didn't always feel very safe which was somewhat un-comforting. The housing was slightly disorganized and we were spread out from others in our group. Although we lived with our peers, we also experienced rude neighbors in the apartment-like setting. The only items we had to buy were sponges, dish soap, and other cleaning supplies since it was not cleaned well before we arrived. |
| * Food: |
Food was great, had to walk to the grocery store or restaurants which were quite a hike, but otherwise good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had many memorable events and attractions. We went to Kylemoore Abbey & Connemara, The Cliffs of Moher, The Aran Islands via a ferry, and traveled to Dublin where the Gay Pride Parade was held. These were by far the best experiences from the trip. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I did not personally use the health system, but my roommate did. The only trouble was finding a doctor and their location. Otherwise I think it went fairly smoothly and was not very expensive. I went to the pharmacy with her and they were very friendly/helpful. The prescriptions were very cheap as well. No vaccines were needed for this program. The overall safety of the city was fair. We didn't always feel safe especially at night because since we were an all girls group we were harassing often by locals or strangers. |
| 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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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
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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? | I would recommend it. A laptop is definitely useful to have. You would benefit the most if you are apprehensive about studying abroad or looking to only study abroad for a short period of time. It is only a month long and since you are with your American peers and teachers it's a very comfortable situation. |
