Cinema Studies in Dublin, Ireland

I couldn’t have asked for a better study abroad experience! Living with a host family was definitely a daunting prospect but my host family was so incredibly warm, welcoming, and hospitable and really made Dublin feel like a home away from home. One thing that is amazing about this program is how much exploring is already organized for you within the weekly excursions. Even if you don’t do any extra traveling outside of the trips you take with your classmates every week, you still get to explore a ton of different places in Ireland. I also loved how the assignments incorporated familiarizing yourself with the Dublin area and engaging with the locals so that you weren’t just stuck at home writing a paper, but that you really got to learn about the place you were staying in and the people you were staying with in a tangible, hands-on way. One of the highlights of this program is getting to watch everybody’s short films and hearing people’s scripts being read aloud at the end of the five-week period. It’s a really fun celebration of everybody’s hard work and we all grabbed dinner and drinks together afterwards. I definitely recommend this program for anyone who is looking for an immersive cultural experience and has an interest in film production or global cinema.

Ireland was my first time visiting Europe, and it did not disappoint! The small coastal town of Dun Laoghaire where we lived, a suburb of Dublin, is super charming and beautiful. Irish people are so friendly and welcoming and I absolutely adored my host family. The program offers a perfect balance between academic work and giving you the chance to explore the country and its culture. We had classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and Wednesdays were for excursions. You really get to know the faculty and staff on a deeper level than in a traditional setting and by the end of the 5 weeks, you become pretty close with the rest of the students. Dublin has a great night life scene and tons of pubs where you can relax, meet people, and listen to live music. On one of the weekends, the class takes a trip to Galway for the Galway Film Festival, which is definitely a highlight of the program. You have the chance to talk with the people who acted in and made the films you're watching and check out another part of Ireland. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who is remotely interested in cinema and looking to immerse themselves in a different culture that feels familiar and doesn't involve learning another language, but is different enough where you still get a new, transformative experience by the end of it.

I spent this past summer in Dublin, Ireland attending a comprehensive film course at the Institute of Art Design and Technology (IADT). I had never been out of the country prior but I always knew I wanted to go abroad, I just never really imagined it possible. This particular course caught my eye, for one Ireland, I think for many is a dream destination to visit and second, having the opportunity to study film with professionals is a once in a lifetime experience. Aside from attending the course, traveling around Ireland with a new group of about 20 friends is pretty awesome. You meet new people and see new things around every corner. One of the highlights was heading down to the forty-foot after class to swim and bum on the beach, not something you'd picture for a typical day in Ireland!

Never before have I left the country. Ireland was an incredible first destination abroad. The scenery and culture were incredibly beautiful and enlightening. This experience was unique for I experienced it with several close friends; together we made the most of our experiences by exploring the landscape as well as a multitude of intriguing historical sites. Culture shock is often a fear for many before traveling abroad. I can assure potential students that the culture shock was very minimal as Irish culture is extremely welcoming, understanding and accommodating of students studying abroad. This was a life changing experience that I will never forget as it has opened my eyes to the fascinating world beyond the United States.

The Republic of Ireland is rich in history and culture. The city of Dun Laoghaire is coastal and lively. The Saturday market is a great place to get a feel for Dun Laoghaire and experience the food culture and art of Ireland. The scenic views throughout Ireland are unforgettable.

The trip advisors and professors were welcoming, helpful and supportive in every way possible. The assigned homestay ensured the students time in Ireland was authentic and homey. I loved staying with my family. Family dinners made my stay across seas a little less daunting.

I Couldn't have asked for a better summer.

It was really fun and I learned a lot
about Irish culture and film as well as
filming techniques and gained
valuable connections. I really enjoyed
my time in Ireland. The host families
were very accomodating and helpful
and the staff at IADT were very kind
and also the breakfasts were great.
I especially enjoyed the excursions
to more rural parts of Ireland. I wish
it could have been a longer visit.

One of the greatest nights on the trip was in Galway pub hoping with the group. Every single pub had an incredible band playing in them, with hundreds of people in each of these clubs attending which made it great for talking to random Irish/European people in them. There was one particular club that we went to where the band was playing so many of our favorite songs, including Blink 182's All the Small Things and the whole group went crazy when they started to play, as this song was sung at random times the same week by us on bus rides, random moments, etc. So the odds of them playing this song was so weird but amazing! Many of us went so crazy that we stood up on tables and started to really rock out, which I'm sure everyone in the pub enjoyed seeing. Choosing one moment on this five week trip was extremely difficult, since every day was a new, fun, humorous adventure, but this was definitely one of my favorite moments from the trip!

One of my favorite days in Ireland was during the last weekend when the Irish sun decided to make a long awaited appearance. A few students from my program decided to lay out on one of the harbor beaches near the Dun Laoghaire Pier and make the most out of the last few moments together. My host family even made an appearance with some family friends and joined us. While the sun was setting we decided it was finally time to conquer the 40 Foot Pier, which was a popular jumping and swimming hole with the locals. I'm absolutely terrified of heights but it was fun to have the students from my program and random locals cheer me on as I finally made the plunge into the ocean. It was one of those "perfect days" that I'll remember forever. This is a program I would recommend to anyone, anywhere, a thousand times over.