University College Dublin-IFSA Butler

Going abroad is something that will forever be apart of who I am, not only from the experience but the memories and friendships will be cherished throughout my life. I ventured to Europe for the first time by myself to study abroad and I could not have asked for a better experience. I attended Indiana University, where many students go abroad, but decided to take on the journey alone in a foreign country (which I highly recommend!). As a social work major there were not many options to programs so I conducted a lot of research on my own, as study abroad had always been a dream of mine. IFSA-Butler provided so many resources throughout my entire stay in Ireland with access to information about traveling, safety, shopping, restaurants, academics, and social life activities. The orientation that was provided at the beginning of the semester allowed everyone to meet other individuals and feel more comfortable with the support that was being provided. During our stay at UCD there were two weekend trips that were provided through IFSA-Butler to different parts of Ireland. These trips allowed me to see more of Ireland with experienced locals (our program directors) to understand the local culture and history of the country better. In regards to the education at UCD it was very similar to my courses at IU, with fairly large lectures, potentially smaller discussion meetings, midterm and final exams/papers, and instructional assistants in the courses for additional support if needed. The tricky part for me was the grading system as it is extremely different than what is used in the United States but once again, IFSA-Butler gave us access to this information prior to the program and answered questions that I had throughout. The housing accommodation was very similar to a dorm or apartment, each individual had their own room and we shared common spaces like the bathrooms and kitchen area. Since the native language is English I truly believe that helped me transition to living in Dublin and succeed in my courses as it eliminated the language barrier that some of my friends were experiencing.

Overall, I would highly recommend this program or any program through IFSA-Butler, as it was truly the experience of a lifetime! I made lifelong friends through the program that I still visit and talk with daily. I was able to feel comfortable traveling to new places and adjusting to life in a new country.