great place, if you can handle the weather :)

Ratings
Overall
4
Academics: 5
Support: 4
Fun: 4
Housing: 4
Safety: 5
Review

I loved Ireland and the culture. I made many friends that I have kept even now that I'm home. My only qualm was the weather. I went in the Fall semester and it mostly rained...all the time. Obviously Ireland is synonymous with that kind of weather but coming from a place that is rarely that miserable out I had a tough time adjusting. If I could do it again, I might have gone in the Spring or even for a Summer semester.

Accommodation was okay. I shared an apartment with 7 other students--male and female which was different for me. And all 8 of us shared 2 bathrooms and one small kitchen/living area. I had good accommodation at my home university so this was tough for me to get used to. With that being said, it's very easy to make quick friends in a house with 7 other people. I had Irish, Norwegian, Swedish, German and American roommates. I had friends who lived in other apartments with only 2-3 other students so I guess it was just luck of the draw. It was nice to be able to have locals to make friends with and we all quickly became friends with their friends as well. They brought us to the local bars and showed us where to go. They also showed us other parts of the country where they came from as well.

Support was great. We were given a monthly sum to cover the cost of food and had meetings frequently to be sure everyone was well. When we went away we gave travel information to be sure that we were there safely and would have help if anything were to happen.

Ireland is a great hub if you want to travel to other places in Europe. I was able to make it to 5 other countries in the few months that I was there. Shannon airport is a short drive and there are budget airlines who with take you to many other countries for as cheap at $40 round trip! Sign up for their alert emails and you'll be first to know when they're having a fare sale!!!

As I said before the culture is what made it such a great trip. Irish people were some of the friendliest and most warm and welcoming group of people I had ever met. Limerick is absolutely beautiful and there are pubs and restaurants/cafes on campus so you never have to go too far for a drink or some food. My classes were challenging and all of the professors that I had were great. If you like going to the gym, they have one of the biggest and most awesome gyms I had ever seen on a college campus.

Would you recommend this program?
Yes, I would
Year Completed
2010