AIFS Abroad: Study Abroad in Ireland

I studied abroad at Maynooth University for an entire Spring semester. Maynooth grabbed my attention because it was the perfect mix of a big and small university. My home university in the US is extremely small so I wanted something a little bigger, and at Maynooth University you get the perfectly sized university in a lovely walkable town that's only 30 minutes from Dublin! Being able to walk down to town from my dorm within 5 or so minutes was extremely convenient and always a fun time with friends. The classes were also very well taught and class size could range from small to large. I really enjoyed the classes that I took at Maynooth, I noticed a lot of differences in terms of perspectives and information in comparison to what I have been taught at my home university. Their grading system is also a little different, so if you get a 60 on a paper, DONT PANIC! That actually is a very good score in their grading system.
In AIFS's program, it was required that we lived on campus in the dorming apartments. These apartments are shared between 5 people, everyone has their own room (with a lock) and a bathroom and a common area that is shared with a living room and kitchen. I absolutely loved this dorming style because I had my own space while also being able to go out and interact with all my roommates! While living on campus, I made friends that will easily last a life-time. Two of them were my roommates in our apartment, and the other one lived right down the strip of dorm buildings that we met while at a pub! It took me a minute to gain the courage to talk to new people, but once I realized how polite everyone was, I got settled in and forced myself out of my shell which made making friends a lot easier than I thought.
Another huge perk to going abroad is the amount of little weekend trips you can easily take to new areas in Ireland, and all around Europe. The trips I took ranged all over, I went to Italy, France, Scotland, England, Germany, and Spain. Having the ability to travel so easy like that started my love for traveling and my yearn to learn about new cultures. The fun outings and activities AIFS had set up for my program also helped me be absorbed into the rich culture Ireland has. When you get to Maynooth, you will have a university contact who will help you through the culture shock, adjustment of living in a new country, and will be there for any questions and concerns you have. They're there to help you feel comfortable!
Overall, studying at Maynooth made me gain a lot of independence in my day-to-day life. Because I was alone in a country I was not familiar with, it forced me to make decisions for myself and learn to live by myself. The experiences I had, the new perspectives I learned, and the variety of cultures I encountered opened my mind and educated me more about the world I live in. I fell in love with Ireland and I think it will always have a special place in my heart because of this semester I studied abroad and I would not go back and change anything. Some advice I would give anyone wanting to study abroad but is currently nervous and scared, its nowhere near as scary as your mind is making you think. At the end of the day, the journey of being abroad is what you make of it, your in control of how you want to spend your time while abroad! The opportunities are endless. And if you're debating on attending Maynooth for a semester, DO IT! It will be the best decision you will have ever made.

Going abroad was the best decision I’ve ever made. Dublin offers so much to explore: efficient and affordable transportation lets you easily reach the beach, farms, or charming new towns. The local area is vibrant with endless activities, and the locals are incredibly friendly. I’ve never felt safer walking at night than I do here. The group trips were fantastic, and our advisor Sharon was always available to assist with any issues or offer great recommendations. Every day brings a new adventure in this amazing city.

I studied abroad at Maynooth University during the spring semester of 2019. I chose Ireland because I wanted to explore the country my grandparents grew up in and to meet my relatives that still live there. I chose Maynooth because of it's proximity to Dublin and I am so glad I did! It was so easy to get into town and explore Dublin! There's buses and a train that leaves right from Maynooth and takes you right into town. There's also a shuttle that leaves from Maynooth that takes you directly to the airport. As part of the AIFS program, I got a LeapCard, which was essentially a public transportation pass. It came preloaded with 100 euros and was super easy to refill as necessary. The initial amount lasted until about halfway through the semester, but I also went into town a lot!
For the campus itself, Maynooth is STUNNING. There are two halves to the campus, North and South. The North Campus was made up of the majority of the class buildings, the gym, the dining hall, and the dorms. It was constructed fairly recently and the campus had a very modern feel. The South Campus is much older, but not like an American old. The South Campus has that authentic Irish feel. The buildings are beautiful and are updated on the inside to keep up to 21st century standards. There is a massive old church that looks like it's right out of Harry Potter, a gorgeous backfield area that has walking paths, a cemetery on campus (so fun to explore!), and an old castle just off of the campus grounds that students can go in and visit. Both halves of campus connect to the town of Maynooth, which was so homey and welcoming. There are two grocery stores within a five-minute walk of campus, multiple barbershops and food options, and the town has walking paths and trails all over it! One goes through the golf course, which many people utilize, and another follows the train, which is situated along a canal, and the trail leads almost all the way into Dublin.
While there are recommended courses on the AIFS website, I was able to take any course I wanted at Maynooth, with approval from the head of the department. Maynooth is a big international school, so there were lots of courses offered for just international students, which included students from all over Europe. Maynooth offers an Irish Cultural Heritage Certificate in which one takes four classes and revies this certificate. There is one required history course and the rest of the courses offered covered Irish history, Irish literature and folklore, and the Irish language. These classes all included field trips to Irish monuments that international students otherwise wouldn't see, such as Newgrange and Clonmacnoise. My favorite out of these courses was the Irish language course. I was able to have a (basic) conversation in Irish with my grandparents when I came home!
The AIFS program included trips to different locations in Ireland, such as Cork, Galway, Belfast, and a traditional Irish farm. A two night stay in Dublin is also included as your first two nights in Ireland and that experience is a great way to see Dublin for the first time. There's a guided tour of the city and the resident director, Cliodhna, showed us the best time. She was absolutely incredible as an RD. She was always available on campus and went on all the AIFS trips with us. She truly went above and beyond in her position and the semester would not have been the same without her. The AIFS trips were an incredible way to see the country.
Overall, my semester in Ireland was incredible due to the location and provider I chose. I would not have learned as much as a did about Ireland or had seen as much of the country as I did if I had not chosen Maynooth University. I would not have had such an enjoyable and wholesome semester and experience if I had not chosen AIFS as my provider. I made lasting memories and friendships due to both of my choices and I would highly recommend that anyone interested in studying abroad in Ireland do the same!

My semester in Limerick, Ireland was better than I could have ever imagined. I felt comfortable with no language barrier, but also was able to experience a culture completely different from my own. Throughout the semester, I learned so much about myself and how I handle situations different than ones that I have been in before. I learned a lot about my awareness (of my surroundings, culture, and myself) that I hope will make me a more valuable employee after my approaching graduation. Being a business major, I am setting myself apart when I say that I took economics and IT classes in Ireland. I wouldn't change my experience for anything and I wouldn't want to go through any other provider either. AIFS really seemed to value the idea of support when abroad. Whether that support be for me as a student, or for my family at home, who were so far away from me for the entire semester. I never felt alone and everyone question I had was answered with the help of the on-site director who was like our mom away from home. They also planned amazing excursions that helped us see more of the culture and helped us bond as a group. Living on campus with students was another huge plus for me on this program, since I do not know how comfortable I would be in a host family situation. I really did have an adventure of a lifetime!

My semester in Limerick, Ireland was better than I could have ever imagined. I felt comfortable with no language barrier, but also was able to experience a culture completely different from my own. Throughout the semester, I learned so much about myself and how I handle situations different than ones that I have been in before. I learned a lot about my awareness (of my surroundings, culture, and myself) that I hope will make me a more valuable employee after my approaching graduation. Being a business major, I am setting myself apart when I say that I took economics and IT classes in Ireland. I wouldn't change my experience for anything and I wouldn't want to go through any other provider either. AIFS really seemed to value the idea of support when abroad. Whether that support be for me as a student, or for my family at home, who were so far away from me for the entire semester. I never felt alone and everyone question I had was answered with the help of the on-site director who was like our mom away from home. They also planned amazing excursions that helped us see more of the culture and helped us bond as a group. Living on campus with students was another huge plus for me on this program, since I do not know how comfortable I would be in a host family situation. I really did have an adventure of a lifetime!

This semester was the only good time for me to study abroad, and my time in Dublin has given me the chance to live and experience a different culture and lifestyle, from the people I met and connected with to the amazing historical places within the city itself. My favorite memories were seeing the Book of Kells, where I got to learn about the history of its making and being able to explore Trinity College's Old Library; go and take pictures of the Cliffs of Moher and explore Belfast, and took part in a two day festival for Chinese New Year at the Irish Emigration Museum.
For future participants, I would check if the housing accommodation lets you barrow bedding items and like as I did not know about my accommodation offering that until my final day. I would also recommend using the tram luas alongside the public buses as the former gets you to places more quickly and easier to understand compared to the buses, but using both the luas and buses can help you get around Dublin (though keep an eye on how much money your spending on them). I would also recommend in exploring the city as much as you can, especially by joining groups of your interest or just going out to the bars and nightclubs.

Spending a year at the University of Limerick through AIFS was the best year in college that I have experienced. Within the program I had my housing and flights arranged for me as well as transportation arranged to take me to and from the airports. That alone allowed for less stress upon arrive to Ireland. AIFS offered weekend excursions and activities all throughout the semester. They ranged from going to Belfast to learning how to make Irish Coffee. The classes offered at the University of Limerick range anywhere from Irish studies to Chemistry. With AIFS we lived in Plassey Village a University housing village. We lived eight to a house and with each house having two bathrooms and a shared kitchen. In Limerick City there are lots of shops and museums to go to. As well as Kings John Castle and the Milk Market there are always plenty to do. The university is a 15 minute bus ride from the city with deals on students tickets on public transportation.

I went to the University of Limerick in the spring of 2016. I chose this program because it was in an English speaking country and was a in a quieter part of the country. I loved living in Limerick. The college is actually in Castletroy and you have to take a bus to get into the actual city but it's not that bad. There is a convenience store located within 5 minutes of all of the dorms including one on campus so if you need something and don't have time to go into the city you can just pop over there. The professors were all really understanding of the fact that I was an international student and not used to their school system and worked with me on getting the coursework right. There are several places to live on campus. I lived in Plessey which is about a 10 minute walk to the actual campus. I ended up living with 7 other American girls. Just because I lived with Americans didn't mean I didn't meet international students. I would recommend joining international society. That is where I met a lot of my friends from other places in the world. They also sponsor trips every weekend which I loved going on. They are about 10 euro each but you are gone for the entire day in a different part of the country. Totally worth it. From where I lived it was about an hour to the Shannon airport. This airport is nice because it's small and there's not much going on. They fly pretty much anywhere you would want to go. Flights are so cheap over there that it's so easy to just fly to London or Barcelona for the weekend. The on site staff were amazing. It was 2 Irish women. They gave us their phone numbers and told us to contact them if we were ever having any problems. I took advantage of that many times. They were so nice and helpful. They would come with us on the AIFS sponsored trips. One of them even brought along her family for one of the trips, which was really fun. I loved my time in Ireland. The people there are nice and helpful. It's a really fun place to be.