Cork- Academic Year Abroad Past Review
By Michele G (Global Studies, University of the Pacific) - abroad from 09/14/2012 to 05/31/2013 with
USAC Ireland: University College Cork - Undergraduate Courses
I'm taking many lessons back with me from my time here but one thing I really think impacted me was the level of responsibility so much freedom has. You have to manage your time and money all while exploring a brand new country away from everyone you know. And it's totally worth it.
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. |
Classes here tend to be big lecture halls with little to no student interaction. There aren't many assignments during the course but finals are the biggest chunk of your grade. As long as you keep up with the class reading and go to class you should be fine when exams roll in but classes aren't rigorous. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone is very sweet. And all on-site administration are very easy to reach and never hesitate to lend you a hand. If you ever a have question (even a small one) or you're trying to fix stuff with courses everyone is super helpful and will help you see it through. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing at Leeside is at an excellent location in terms of proximity to school and the city center but management isn't always on top of things. If you have problems in your apartment you have to constantly be reminding the management because if you only email them or tell them in person a couple of times they are never going to fix it. You have to be constantly going in person. |
| * Food: |
There is a lot of variety of food here, even if you won't find everything that is easily available at home. Food is more expensive here though so it can get expensive. The only food under 10 euros is breakfast food and the occasional lunch special but otherwise food gets pricey. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
If you really want to be integrated in UCC culture and makes friends with locals join one or two major clubs at the campus. Keep in mind though that most members go out to drink together after meetings and that's where the real bonding happens. So be prepared to spend some money. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally didn't have an experience with healthcare other than a couple of trips to the pharmacy. That being said a lot of medicine you'd find back home in an aisle you might have to talk to pharmacists, not for a prescription but because they keep the medicine behind the counter. |
| * Safety: |
Cork is a very safe city for the most part and you can walk around at night without much danger. There is some pickpocketing problems sometimes during the day so make sure you keep your wallet close or if you're a girl buy a purse with a shoulder strap and always have your purse to the front of you and not the back. |
| 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) |
Food in Cork is a bit expensive but it is easy to live off $100 (USD) a week if you buy very basic food and don't eat out everyday. If you plan on going out every weekend you're going to need a lot more money since drinks stack up and eating out is expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook your own food as much as possible. Eating take out is very tempting but you save a lot of money on making the majority of your food. I would also limit the number of times you go out in the city during the week since drinks can get pricey too. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? |
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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? | Better course descriptions because some of the classes I took are not anything like what I had read about in the course descriptions. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
