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Studies > Ireland > Galway > National University of Ireland, Galway > Review by Diana  
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National University of Ireland, Galway

117 reviews
4.12 / 5 based on 117 reviews
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Diana
Loyola College, Baltimore, United States
History, Undergraduate, through Arcadia University
Academic
Course recommendations
English lectures are very big and the only requirement is a 2500 word essay for visiting students, so I would suggest taking as many lectures as possible. English seminars were also pretty good. Classes are for the most part, very boring, but class is by no means mandatory.
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My academic experiences
Quality of courses
Variety of courses
Access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
The end-of-year essay was the way to go, you get a choice of about 7 different questions and therefore only need to study one particular section in order to pass. In-class exams were quite difficult in my own opinion. I can't say I learned too much at this university, but I had a great time anyway. Class is not a priority for most visiting students!
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
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Diana
Loyola College, Baltimore, United States
History, Undergraduate, through Arcadia University
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Language difficulties
Social
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Personal comments
It was fine, I got used to the Irish accent pretty quickly. Everyone is extremely nice and helpful.
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Diana
Loyola College, Baltimore, United States
History, Undergraduate, through Arcadia University
Overall
I wish I had known...
Whatever you bring, you will end up wearing all the time and will get very sick of it, so don't stress too much about packing!
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Academic reasons
2
Culture
4
Costs
2
Activities
4
Campus life
4
Party / people
4
Weather / location
4
Personal recommendation
Galway is one of the most fun cities I have ever visited. While the school itself is not fantastic (the facilities are lacking and it is very overcrowded), the city and the people more than make up for it. You don't spend too much time in school anyway!
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
4
Traveled
4
Improved language skills
4
Met people from other countries
4
Became more independent
4
Partied a lot
4
Experienced a change in life
4
Advanced my studies & career
3
Final comments
Try to go through a university instead of going independently. I met all of my friends through the program I went through. The weather is not as bad as most people think it is! If you are looking for a completely relaxing, fun, and memorable semester, come to Galway. It is the best decision I ever made!
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Diana
Loyola College, Baltimore, United States
History, Undergraduate, through Arcadia University
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings<br> A private grant
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
Food is about the same price as home. I bought a cell phone and had to use that for all outgoing calls, which got very expensive. But using a calling card helped. Drinks are about the same price as home... but since I went out more often, I spent a lot more. I travelled for 2 weeks consecutively around Europe during spring break.
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Telephone, Nightlife, Overall, Travel:
was more expensive than at home.
Food:
was the same price as at home.
Housing:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Personal comments
I didn't realize I would be grocery shopping once a week, usually costing me about 30 euro per week. The refrigerators are very small (like dorm fridges) so I couldn't buy a lot at once. Using the computers on campus are free, but I had to pay 10 cents to print each page. You have to pay for everything on campus with cash, whereas at my home university, I use a swipe card and pay at the end of each month. I couldn't find any secondhand books. There are a decent amount of ATMs, I didn't find it necessary to open an account in Ireland. Be prepared to spend a lot of money on nightlife!
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Useful  |  3
Diana
Loyola College, Baltimore, United States
History, Undergraduate, through Arcadia University
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Home university
If returning, I would choose: On campus
Why?
I met a lot of students through living in Corrib Village, the on-camping housing arrangement.
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Personal assessment
Cost
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Personal comments
Our room was an en-suite apartment with 4 single rooms and 4 bathrooms. I had a private room with bathroom and it was great! We had a kitchen and common room with TV, which was a definite plus. It is close to campus but far from town (about a 15 to 20 minute walk.) However it was worth it because I never thought I would have a single. And it was easy to cook in the rooms, which saved money.
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Diana
Loyola College, Baltimore, United States
History, Undergraduate, through Arcadia University
Student life
Describe host city:
Student life dominates the city
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Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Activities, Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Activities
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Personal comments
Most of the pubs are great and have a good crowd every night! Kings Head, Bazaar, The Quays, Front Door, and Monroes are all great spots. You can have an excellent night out any night of the week. Try the sandwich shop Delight for lunch, its the best in town.
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