I studied in Waterford, Ireland my senior year of high school. It was a decent overall experience. I made some good friends and got to immerse in the culture through school. However, the first host family that I was assigned was very verbally abusive and when I went to the local coordinator, she was dismissive of the personality difference and said it was my fault and that I was in culture shock. For months this employee would continually pin the blame on me and make me feel even worse in an already horrible situation. Halloween night my host mother yelled at me to the point that I had a panic attack and was hyperventilating, for the first time in my life, rather than just leaving me crying as was the usual. My parents were able to force my movement from their end and I went to a family that was already hosting a student. After I left, she went through almost the same thing as she tried to leave that family. The company has a good base structure, but it is poorly implemented where it counts.

Greetings everyone, my name is Melissa Gallant, and my semester abroad in Ireland altered my life indefinitely. Forming a bond with a lovely family, exploring the rolling landscapes, and delving into a new school system were just some advantageous aspects of studying abroad, especially in Ireland. Recently, as I entered senior year, my mind turned to studying abroad again -- for college! I aspire to study at Jacobs University, which is in Germany.