A More Closely Linked World in After Study in Ireland Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Waterford Institute of Technology's educational experience is far different that Illinois State University. Instead of focusing on covering up to ten or twelve chapters worth of material they primarily focus on going in depth about several topics. I definitely feel that there was more of a qualitative approach to learning rather than the quantitative method found at ISU. In general, I did enjoy learning in this fashion because instead of just skimming the surface of a subject I felt as though I walked away with more technical information about the material that was acquired.

On-site administration of your program

The class size in all my courses were relatively small, at 10 to 50 students, but I found it to be a more personal experience. There were also around 220 international students in my program and it became relatively crazy for the small WIT international staff to deal with. Although it is a stressful job for them I felt that they loved what they did and met all of my needs in a quick amount of time. I was extremely satisfied with the International Office at the Waterford Institute of Technology and felt they did a great job.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing provided by Riverwalk Accommodation delivered all of the necessities for a study abroad student. They provided us with cookware, a security service, bedding, sheets, laundry, dryer, and showers. However, we were given the worst internet service which I have ever dealt with. It would work extremely slow during the hours of 8 to 4 and then outside of those hours would barely work, if at all. Some nights I could not even access the internet when I needed to for class, projects, or to get in contact with someone. Riverwalk also did not provide a TV in the apartment as was listed in the contract. As was stated before, they could not provide me with a refund of my overpaid money because it was in a locked account. Riverwalk truly provided the basic necessities for an international student. However, I lived in a complex filled with only international students so I found it very beneficial to meet people from foreign countries.

I primarily ate average food purchased at grocery stores, such as Aldi, in my apartment but in Waterford City I would recommend eating "pub food" at Revolution Bar or at Geoff's Pub.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I traveled to nine different countries with my roommates and felt that each country offered its own unique positive aspect that I enjoyed. Students who study abroad in Ireland should be encouraged to utilize Ryanair and travel as often as possible, while maintaining strong academic standards. My program also hosted several events which were fun and allowed students, both international and domestic, to meet each other. I met several good friends through these programs.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not notice any major health or safety related issues or incidents as my program school had an on-site health facility for students. There is a Doctor and nurses on-site and I believe it is in the range of forty Euros to see him or her. I would just recommend that students receive a flu shot prior to departure to avoid illness.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Apartment

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• Local Students

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• Culture
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• Organization at WIT
• Differences in Education