The Greatest Experience I Have Ever Had. Past Review
By Cassidy (University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 06/09/2014 to 07/04/2014 with
University of Northern Iowa: Dublin - UNI Six Sigma Green Belt Certification in Dublin
In terms of my working career, I am directly using the skills that I acquired while overseas. As a matter of fact, I probably got the job I currently have because of this experience. On a personal level, I learned a lot about myself and I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to learn so much about the culture, how to travel, how to live without a phone, and meeting excellent people.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Everyday we would go and work hands on with our appropriate business sector then once a week we would meet on Trinity Campus in the middle of Dublin for a class lecture. The information learned in class applied directly into our work and we were able to provide examples immediately. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The course was very well put together even with it being the first time that our location had been used. Everyone was friendly and open to suggestions and ideas. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The room was nice, but it was separated from the Wi-Fi and the common living arrangements. |
| * Food: |
Very nice international spread of food all within a block radius. If you miss your home country's food as well you can walk and find it nearby. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The culture was brilliant. The accents were thick and difficult to understand at first, but by the time we left the country a month later we found our own speech altered to fit their style. There was food, tourism, history lessons, and everything that you could think of. Thinking back, it is hard to believe everything that we did in less than a month. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not experience any health problems while overseas. I did take a couple of vaccinations prior to leaving, evidentially they worked. |
| * Safety: |
It is a large city so I would not feel 100% safe walking around by myself, particularly at night, but walking with a buddy took away any potential problems. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
From the work to the travel and from the people to the cuisine - the motto of the trip was Work Hard, Play Hard. We would put in a solid day of work then be free to go out and explore and see a new part of the world that many of us had never seen before. It was an excellent experience and I would be thrilled to go back. |
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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you go to a restaurant, there is no need to tip. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I took a weekend and flew to Paris to visit my host family. The language component was not required, but it was nice to have the freedom in my schedule to be able to leave the country for a weekend. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 6 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Get to know the people you are travelling with before getting on the plane. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
