CSB was really great with setting us up with FIE. They coordinated all of our housing and accommodation once we got there. Leading up to the semester, CSB gave us a handful of informational meetings, letting us know what to expect as far as people and the school goes. We were given a list of classes that we were eligible to take and we only had to choose the ones we wanted.
FIE was in charge of our internship placements which was very helpful. It would have probably been near impossible to find one on our own. We were responsible for booking our own flights and other travel. There were two weekends when we traveled in Ireland with our FIE directors, but otherwise we were in charge of our own plans. Food, laundry, and other cleaning supplies were not supplied; however, most of us were provided with leap cards (bus/train pass) to get us to and from our internships.
A little bit cliché, but don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and explore everything! It’s so amazing the kinds of places that you’ll find yourself in and everything will make for a good story. When you fully immerse yourself somewhere else, you set yourself up to learn so many new things. New things about whatever country you’re in, new things about the world, and most importantly, you’ll learn things about yourself that you never would know without putting yourself half way across the world in somewhere unfamiliar.
Additionally, to really be immersed in a culture and truly understand the society around you, learn as much as you can about their history - especially the major events or the things that students would learn in their early education. This will help you understand the people, the perspective, and the culture in general. I guarantee your global awareness will be exponentially greater, and you will appreciate your abroad experience so much more.
And also always be willing. If you’re only doing a semester abroad experience like me, it will go by so fast and you may not ever have this opportunity again. There were a handful of times when there were activities that weren’t of my particular interest, but they ended up being some of my favorite nights because we made the most of our time.