Never Want to Leave

I attended a semester abroad at the University of Limerick and never wanted to leave. From the day I arrived in Ireland the Arcadia staff met us all at the airport, showed us around Dublin, taught us Irish slang, had us meet with the Gardia(police), gave us traditional Irish food and really helped prepare us for the semester ahead. The orientation was a great way to interact with the other students I would be with and gave us a connection so that we could rely on each other later on. Arcadia staff was always available by email or phone and were extremely helpful in multiple situations including during an unplanned trip to the dentist. We had a coordinator that was like our Irish Grandmother while we were there who showed us around the University campus, taught us how to take the bus routes into the city, showed us around the Market and city and even took us to dinner several times. Arcadia also planned a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Castle for us and provided all the transportation and everything for only 10Euro. They also planned a huge weekend trip to Belfast for all of the students across Ireland. This made for a great weekend where we could reconnect with everyone we met at orientation and learn about the history of Belfast while exploring the city and the Giants Causeway. Arcadia even supplied with with a turkey and all the fixings to celebrate Thanksgiving while we abroad. Even though the Arcadia office was 2hours away in Dublin I never felt disconnected from them while in Limerick. The University of Limerick was a wonderful place to study as the campus was beautiful and set outside the city so you could be with all the other students but still only a half hour bus ride in to everything. There were numerous activities and clubs to get involved with that really helped me bond with Irish students and others from around the world. The on campus housing was better than any American Residence Hall I've seen. Suites were set up so that six people shared an apartment with a shared kitchen and living room but that each student had their own room and bathroom with a closet and even a double bed. Overall University of Limerick through the Arcadia program was a wonderful experience that I would do again in a heart beat if I could.