Why did you decide to study abroad with ISA?
Colleen: I decided to go through ISA because at the time, there were only two program providers that offered Ireland at my school. ISA looked so welcoming and their website was extremely interactive and gave me a comforting feeling that they would do a wonderful job at helping me to get abroad.
What made this study abroad experience unique and special?
Colleen: I think what makes ISA so unique and special is that they strive to make your study abroad experience the best you can have. What sets them apart from other program providers is their Bridging Cultures Program. During this, ISA employees guide a 4 to 5 day excursion in the country you will be living in. It is extremely helpful in getting settled into your new country and learning the social standards of the culture. It is also very comforting because you meet other students right away who are in the same boat. The bonding experience definitely helps to ease yourself into the life you will be living for the next 4 or so months.
Describe an example when your program went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure you had a great experience abroad.
Colleen: In every country you study abroad in, ISA provides a Residential Coordinator: someone who lives in that country and is very familiar with it. What is so wonderful about this is that even though you’re on your own, you still have a wonderful support system to contact if you’re having any type of trouble or even if you just want to know of some good places to eat, travel, visit etc. Going above and beyond in that way made everything reassuring. Also, even before I left for my trip, my coordinator at ISA was so attentive with answering all my questions and helping me out with everything. The process can be scary and confusing but the whole ISA team is sensational at helping students have the best experience.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Colleen: Professionally, studying abroad has actually changed my whole life around. I always wanted to go into broadcast journalism as soon as I graduated. However, after studying abroad I decided that I wanted to go into the field of International Education. I had such a positive and life changing experience abroad that I now have an overwhelming desire to help other students feel the same.
Highlights: School was very challenging but in a good way. At University of Limerick, the grading system was different than what I am used to at my home university. Your grade is based off of one or two assignments, and the work is very independent so you have to make sure that you make time to get it done. I took a total of 5 classes while I was there. I took 3 media related classes and 2 Irish courses. Taking Irish Language and Irish Folklore was so interesting and really helped me to feel apart of the culture I was living in. I enjoyed going to class every day and looked forward to learning more. My campus was breathtaking and I loved my long walk to class everyday. My apartment sat further back on campus so I had to cross of the River Shannon to get anywhere onto the main campus, I always had a wonderful view of the swans and ducks swimming around the river.
There were so many places to eat and hang out on campus, which definitely filled my time between classes. Being in Ireland was such a new and different experience for me. I commute to my home school so I had no idea what it was like to live away from home and I had never been out of the country. Traveling to non-English speaking countries was one of the most challenging things I did while studying abroad. Having to learn some of their language and get a feel for their culture definitely put me out of my comfort zone and showed me how to adapt in a whole new manor. Studying abroad was the best decision I have ever made because it opened new doors and opportunities for me. I made life long friends and created a whole new network in a country I know I can go back to and have a support system in. The Irish culture is so warm and welcoming, you can walk down the street and be completely lost and everyone around you will be more than willing to help you. The hospitality I felt from everyone there will stay dear to my heart for the rest of my life.
Morning: During the morning I would wake up and check my email and Facebook right away to see if any of my friends or family tried to contact me while I was sleeping. I would get ready for class and then head into the kitchen, where some times I would find a roommate or two (I lived with 5 total) eating their breakfast. We’d chat about what classes we had and what our days were like and then head out to class.
Afternoon: In the afternoon I would most likely be in class or if I weren’t in class I would be getting lunch with my friends or sitting in a quiet place doing schoolwork. On Tuesday afternoons we had the Farmer's Market come to campus so I would stop and buy my weekly produce and other odds and ends, they always had the most delicious desserts too!
Evening: In the evenings I would cook dinner or my friends and I would go to the local pub in town, O’Connell’s, for a buy-one-get-one-free dinner! It was awesome for us penny pinchers. Sometimes we would stay at the pub till it closed, go to other bars or we would all just hang out in one of our apartments.