Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Breath-taking trip of a lifetime! Past Review

By (University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 05/16/2012 to 05/30/2012 with

University of Northern Iowa: Capstone in England and Ireland

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned and was able to experience the culture in England and the culture in Ireland. What was especially great about Ireland was that I was able to see the culture in a place such as the Aran Islands in comparison to a culture in Dublin. I learned about the environmental efforts that England and Ireland put forth. I learned about history, which is interesting to me! And the most interesting thing that I learned on this trip was about how a king became a king and how a queen became a queen.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was required to attend 7 sessions during the spring term that were on Friday afternoons for an hour. We had 12 one page article summaries due by the time we left for the trip in May. We also had one powerpoint presentation that you were required to do on a topic dealing with the environment. The articles that I was required to read, the powerpoint presentation and the trip itself is where I actually learned about the environment. During the class sessions, you watched a movie or listened to Dr. Kashef talk about the environment but I never learned much from that. I do not feel that most people learned about the environment on the trip unless you were intentionally making yourself aware of your surroundings and what the environmental efforts were that England and Ireland were doing. The trip is lots of fun and the coursework isn't difficult but overall it is a great class!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We stayed in 2 hostels and 2 hotels. One of the hotels was very nice but the other three places we stayed were decent.

* Food:

You were on your own for food most of the time. You have one group dinner and that is it.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We were given free time every single day so I was able to immerse myself into the culture and go off with a small group of people to view things on our own! I didn't feel like a tourist once I was able to be on my own!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No one really got sick but my professor never made us aware of any health issues either.

* Safety:

I felt very safe in every place that we were except for Dublin. I felt as if our hostel was in an unsafe place and the people just seemed suspicious.

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)

I spent between $400 and $500 on this trip. At least $300 of it was on food alone and I always ate at very cheap places and ordered the cheapest thing on the menu every time and drank water.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* 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? $400-$500
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? To save money on food, buy groceries and make your own food if you can. If you cannot, just keep prices in mind and look for your best buy. I spent $200-$300 on souvenirs, which you can avoid completely!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Other
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?
  • I loved seeing the sites! The Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bathe are beautiful places to visit!
* What could be improved?
  • The communication from the study abroad center to the professor and the professor to the student assistant and the professor to the students. I felt as if no one was ever on the same page with what was going on both here in the U.S. and abroad.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Where Abbey Road was and where the olympic stadium was and how to get to those places. I wish I knew what was acceptable behavior in England and Ireland such as do you tip or not?