CIS Abroad - Semester in Dublin - Dublin City University

I spent this last semester in Dublin with the CISabroad program and I loved every minute of it. The CIS staff was amazing through the process and so ready to answer any and all of my questions. And our on-site program director was absolutely amazing! He was always there to check in on us and if we had any questions he was one phone call away at all times. He also knew so much about Dublin, and Ireland in general. He was like our Irish dad, always watching out for us. The university that I attended was also really nice, they had a large number of international students and a lot of events and clubs tailored towards all of us. I got to meet people from so many other countries through their events. The university also had a variety of classes available for me to take, and it was cool because I was in classes with other Irish students. For a couple classes, I was the only international student there. So I was really able to learn from those Irish students, and see what their courses are like, how their schedules work, and how their programs are set up. The best part of my time in Ireland was definitely the friendships I made with my other CISabroad program-mates. There weren't many of us, but we all became so close. I still talk to many of them everyday and I miss them all so much. I would highly recommend this program, or any CISabroad program, to anyone wanting to study abroad. You will be well prepared to go, well taken care of while there, and you will be with some of the greatest people you will ever meet!

Dublin is such an amazing city. It's very multi-cultural, so you'll run into and get to know people from all over the world. I met people from South Africa, Brazil, fellow Americans, and people from all across Europe. Everyone in Ireland is extremely welcoming and friendly. They love to hear all about you and tell you all about themselves. They're truly fascinating people. CisAbroad did an amazing job at making sure that the students would be helped in making sure that we had everything we needed to do or have before we left, when we were there, and even helped us to re-acclimate ourselves to being home. CisAbroad has on-site advisors in each of the countries it has programs in, which is very helpful in case you have questions about certain things or need a guide for figuring out the city. The program also provides cultural excursion trips which let us visit different places in Ireland with the safety of a group and guide. Our on-site advisor in Ireland was great and such a friendly guy. My time in Ireland was the most memorable time of my life thanks to the help of CisAbroad.

I loved my experience in Dublin, I though both in my advisors were very helpful. John and Lisa both kept in touch with us through out our experience and were kind and fun when they brought us in the excursions and anything else we did with them. I also really enjoyed the campus of DCU me and the friend I meet enjoyed going to the campus bar and other cafes on campus after classes. It was also convenient because our houses was so close to canous. Lastly I loved the overall experience of being aboard I was lucky enough to meet great people and do some traveling.

Going to Ireland was a life changing experience for me. While I had been abroad before, I’d never been in a foreign country for that long, and I’d never done it alone. Being in Dublin and knowing no one really helped me grow as a person. It challenged me to go out and meet new people and it got me out of my comfort zone. CIS helped me see the country and was hands on, as well as giving us our space to travel without them. Since being back I’ve told as many college and high school students as I possibly could, to study abroad. I had such a good experience and I want others to experience it as well. I’ve advertised for CIS, as well as being asked to be an advisor for them on my college campus. I didn’t have to know a foreign language to go to Ireland which was helpful, but even so I had to do my research. We were confused by the bus system, so ahead of time we looked into it so we wouldn’t get lost around the city. Ireland also felt very safe and we had no problems walking around at night. The thing that was weird to get used to was the time change, and when I’d call home and realize I was calling them at 2am.

While I was in Dublin, the experiences and people I met were fantastic! I love the excursions and meeting local students in the classes I took. The communication between Zufan and all of us was absolutely unacceptable, however. She wouldn't respond to any emails with important questions about how registering with the country's embassy worked.. Which was incredibly important, but not to her. She was a huge stress causer because of her lack of effort for this program's students. After the first semester of drama, about a third of the way into my second semester there was a different point of contact assigned to the Ireland students. She was amazing! Actually responded to questions and if she didn't know the answer right away, she would always respond saying she'd get the answer and get back to me. What a difference that made in my experience for the remaining time I spent there.

CISabroad is the best decision for Dublin! I compared all other programs offered by my school and this was the least expensive by far. However you aren’t missing out on anything. My friend who did API in Dublin paid significantly more than I did and did not get any excursions. We had 3 excursions built into the semester that are apart of the initial cost. The staff is extremely helpful. They organize everything for you and tell you everything you need to do and when. They answer any questions you have as well. On site staff was great as well. Housing was eh, but i wasn’t expecting much either. But you really can’t go wrong with Dublin! Amazing city, friendly people, safe environment.

Ireland was a country I'd always wanted to visit and this program gave me a chance to not only live there for a semester, but also provided four trips to the four corners of Ireland with our on-location contact, where we were able to meet other study abroad students at the University of Limerick, and also were able to visit incredible places that many of us might not have known about otherwise. The university was interesting and fun, although the layout
of the buildings took some getting used to. Dublin itself was an amazing place to learn and explore, and this program was good at giving us an introduction that worked as a starting point to prepare for our own adventures. Staff at CISabroad was also very good about touching base with us in case of potential emergencies and was easily available to help with ensuring we had everything we needed up through the day we returned home.

I cannot begin to explain how amazing my 4 month experience was in Dublin, Ireland. Lets just say that I couldn't get enough because I now go back 2-3 times a year to visit my incredible and loving host family in Raheny, Dublin.

The CIS staff is just amazing in helping students and making you feel safe and at home before, during and after you travels to Ireland. John, the on-site director is there to help whenever needed and can give you advice on anything in the country.

Dublin City University is a very modern college, with plenty opportunities for study, and fun! I can't rave enough about how beautiful the country is, and how friendly the locals are. I am forever grateful to CISabroad for giving me the experience of a lifetime in my favorite country ever!