Why did you choose this program?
Before choosing this program, I first knew that I wanted to live abroad. Because of my major being specific to my university, I figured it would be hard to find equivalent classes at different schools around the world. I also wanted to be able to graduate on time, so I knew that I preferred to travel during the summer.
With all of this in mind, I was on the hunt for a summer internship abroad. I figured that gaining work experience would be even more beneficial than studying abroad.
I have also always wanted to visit Ireland, so coming across Stint was the perfect opportunity for me. It was everything I was looking for in my experience abroad.
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Stint was very helpful before, throughout, and after my program began. All of the information provided on their website is very straightforward, and reaching out to them was very easy. Through the program, Stint was able to provide me with housing as well as put me in contact with different companies that I was able to interview with for an internship.
They were extremely personable and always there to help you with anything you needed throughout the program.
Some of the things I was responsible for included food and entertainment, and transportation throughout Dublin. They placed me in a house that was super close to my internship location, however, so it was only a 10 minute walk to commute to work.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
The main piece of advice that I would give someone traveling abroad in general, is to save your money! Before my trip, I tried to calculate about how much money I should have saved up for the two months that I would be living in Ireland, but it ended up not being as much as I hoped. There ended up being a bunch of fun things I wanted to do while I was there that I never calculated into my budget. I also planned on traveling around Europe while I was there, which is even more money.
I think it's important to overestimate the amount of money you will need for your trip in order to ensure the best possible experience. That way, you won't have to say no to any fun experiences. it is a trip of a lifetime after all!
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
An average day for me during the program looked something like this:
- Wake up at 9 am and get ready for work.
- Walk to work and start at 10am.
- Take pictures, do a bit of marketing research until 1 pm.
- Take a lunch break 1-2 pm.
- Come back and finish up work (or attend a work event) and end around 3:30-4 pm.
- Eat dinner at home.
- Finish the day by going out to a pub with some of my housemates for a drink and some live music.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
My biggest fear was moving to a new place and not knowing anyone. Once I moved in, however, I quickly realized that this would not be the case.
There were 10 other people who were also doing the same program and living in the house with me. I got to know all of them, and we spent a lot of time together inside and outside the house. I still keep in contact with them today and plan to visit some of them after the program has ended.
I was happy to always have people willing to go out and do things with. Knowing that we were all there with the same goals and interests was really comforting.
What was your favorite part about Dublin?
Definitely the craic! Everyone I met in Dublin was so friendly and laid-back. It was a refreshing experience. It's also impossible to ever have a bad experience in any of the pubs in Dublin.
