Galway: Small City, Amazing Experiences Past Review
By Meghan A (Finance, International Business, Villanova University) for
Villanova University: Galway - Irish Studies Program
Studying abroad in Galway allowed me to learn and immerse myself in Irish culture. It also allowed me to experience an entirely different education system. My experience abroad has led me to consider working abroad in the future.
Personal Information
| 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 educational system in Ireland was structured much differently than the system in the US. I had much less work to do throughout the semester. Since most classes are not based on continuous assessment, the workload fell during the last 3 weeks of my semester. For most of my classes I had 2 papers or a final exam. The classes were all much larger than my classes at Villanova. While I felt that I was not being academically challenged as much as I am at Villanova, I did enjoy learning in a new environment through a different perspective. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Mary Madec, the woman who served as both our professor and adviser was very helpful and accessible. I felt much better that someone was in Ireland to help us adjust and answer any questions. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Gort na Coiribe Student Village. The living arrangement was great and allowed me to meet a number of Irish students while still being close to those people in my program. While the apartments were very nice, the reception and administration was a bit unorganized. |
| * Food: |
I enjoyed the food in Ireland. All of the pubs served very good food. My favorite places to eat in Galway were the Cellar and the Front Door. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Galway is a great city. There was a Christmas Market from the end of November-December that sold great food and fun gifts. I also really enjoyed the program trips to County Mayo and Dublin. Bike riding on the Green Way in Mayo was an incredible experience and allowed me to see a lot of Ireland. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt that Galway was a very safe city. Since it is a very small city, I never felt unsafe when walking around and I knew my way around the city very well within a week or so. |
| 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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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live 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? | I think that the Galway program is perfect for all students. Studying abroad in Galway exposed me to Irish culture by allowing me to easily travel around the country and live with Irish students. Being in Galway gave me a much better idea of what Ireland is like, as opposed to living in a larger city like Dublin. Being enrolled in the university with Irish students was also great. I highly recommend studying abroad in Galway. It is a beautiful, small, active city. I absolutely loved my time abroad and would not have chosen anywhere else. |
