UCC Spring Semester Past Review
By Megan (University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 01/07/2016 to 05/06/2016 with
USAC Ireland: University College Cork - Undergraduate Courses
I learned that people are more alike than they are different, that there are much more important global issues than the ones Americans tend to focus on politically, and that traveling isn't as scary as you may think. My experience abroad was 100% worthwhile.
Review Photos
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. |
Courses were taught by experienced, credible professors who were welcoming and helpful. The academic rigor of the courses was not as intense as in American colleges, because grades for each course were made up of one final exam, or one exam and a project/essay, with no homework assignments throughout the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The UCC International office was extremely helpful, well-prepared, experienced, and friendly. The 2-day orientation program before the start of classes explained everything we needed to know about student life at UCC, as well as encouraged students to get involved with clubs and sports on campus and provided us with resources to do so. The USAC program advisor, Mary, made all of the USAC students feel welcome and prepared by organizing group dinners and day trips, and answering any of our questions at any time. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing suggested by USAC was not on campus, because there are not many on-campus options, and typically only first-year students live on campus. Each of the apartments that USAC students lived in were about a 20-30 minute walk from campus. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Joining clubs or sports teams at UCC is a great way of making Irish friends and learning more about the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
As a science major, I was able to take specific classes, in english, that I needed to take that semester, while also being abroad and experiencing another culture and another university, which is exactly what I was looking for. |
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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About 50 euro, not including weekend travel |
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? | That there are more housing options for international students to take advantage of than the ones suggested by USAC, like renting a room with a local family or an apartment closer to campus with Irish students. |
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! |
