Arcadia University - National University of Ireland Galway

My favorite things about Galway were Shop Street and all of the buskers there, the Spanish Arch (Sparch), the farmer's market every weekend, Boojum, and the fact that my little apartment felt like home by about a month in. I traveled around Europe on the weekends and one of the best feelings, even though I love going new places, was when my plane touched down in Dublin and I rode the bus back home to Galway. It is such a beautiful city, the people are wonderful, and I would do anything to go back. Studying abroad was hands down the best decision I have made in college. Try new things, do what you love, enjoy yourself!

I absolutely adored my time abroad and with Arcadia. Galway is the cutest, most quaint little town you will ever see. It is very easy to get to know and navigate. Through Arcadia, you are directly enrolled in NUIG and you take classes with Irish students! I lived in an apartment (in a place called Gort na Coiribe) with 1 other student from my college and 3 Irish lads...it was definitely an interesting experience! They loved to party and weren't the cleanest but I still enjoyed living with them. Living with the guys really helped me to dive into the culture hands on and learn how they live, talk, etc. Getting to know the Irish people and how they live (especially people our age) is one of the best parts of my study abroad experience I think. They are all so friendly, kind, chill, and hilarious.

The social life is absolutely fantastic! There are tons a pubs to go to (if anyone asks you if you want to go to the Silent Disco at the Rosin Dubh, GO! Other great pubs include the Kings Head, the Front Door, and Taffees (but you'll find this all out when you go CAUSE YOU SHOULD TOTALLY GO TO GALWAY).

It was nice because our program was made up of about 60 students from colleges all over the U.S. We had orientation for 3 days in Dublin before we got bused over to Galway.

As the title states, I had the best five months of my entire life in Ireland. Arcadia staff prepared us before we even left the United States, and continued to support us throughout our time in Galway. Ann Monahan was a great mom figure to anyone who had any questions or concerns. I met students from all over the United States through the program. We had the opportunity to not only attend classes with the Irish students, but we placed with Irish students in our residence halls. My roommate showed me around the city and was always there for advice on places to go out or grad a bite to eat. The nightlife is a blast with all of the nightclubs and pubs, whether you're looking to paint the town red, or have a quiet night listening to trad music. The cost of living was relatively cheap compared to other places I traveled visiting friends. Classes were taught differently than in the US, but it was refreshing to have a different learning module than I'm used to. Overall, I would (and do, all the time) recommend studying abroad in Galway to anyone if they get the chance! I still cry once in awhile when I think about my time there.