AIFS Abroad in Limerick, Republic of Ireland: Semester

Studying abroad in Limerick with AIFS was an incredible experience. Elaine Keane, who ran our excursions and made sure we were settled in, was absolutely amazing. The group of students who went with AIFS that semester was fairly small, and we had lots of opportunities to hang out and become good friends. We got to go on several excursions to various sites around Ireland, including the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and the Aran Islands, and for those excursions, AIFS provided the accommodations and some meals, as well as activities such as bus and carriage tours. Outside of the excursions, Elaine met with us weekly to check on how our classes were going, how our living situation was, whether we were finding everything we needed, and to answer any questions we might have. The University of Limerick has a gorgeous campus (lot of walking though!) with good faculty who were understanding of the fact that we were studying abroad. UL has a large base of global students, so their global office and accommodations for those students are well-developed. I learned a lot about Irish culture while studying here, thanks to the many fun classes UL offers. The university is located just outside of Limerick, with several bus routes from the school to the city, and there are several shopping centers near the university as well. It was definitely worth going in to Limerick every so often- one of my favorite parts was the weekly Milk Market that happens every Saturday. I was also able to get a card at the Limerick Library and borrow books instead of buying them, which was awesome. Limerick also has bus routes to Shannon Airport, which I recommend if you want to travel outside of Ireland; Dublin Airport is your other option, which is much busier but it is also fairly easy to get to (you can take the train from Limerick station and then get on the airport shuttle at the Dublin station). There were a lot of cheap flights that I was able to get, so I could travel to places like Edinburgh, London, and Amsterdam on the weekends and over breaks. The only not-so-great part of the experience was the accommodations at UL, due to a combination of the random roommate assignment (which was unfortunately just my bad luck and outside of AIFS's control) and the facilities at Plassey, the student village I lived in (the laundry, for one, and some of the design choices for flooring and furniture made the houses seem dirty no matter how clean they were). However, this one aspect was a small price to pay for the opportunities I got on this trip. I was able to travel around Ireland and parts of Europe on the weekends, while learning about Ireland's culture and history during the week on a beautiful campus. I also made friends that I am still in touch with, and that I hope will stay lifelong friends thanks to our experiences together. Overall, I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in studying in Ireland- Limerick may not seem as exciting as Dublin or Galway, but I promise this city has a lot to offer you. I'm really glad I chose to do this program.

Spending a semester in Limerick was one of the best decisions of my life! Limerick is a great location and is less expensive in terms of cost of living and less touristy. It is very easy to travel all across Ireland via the green bus and internationally through Shannon airport. There were no downsides other than the first week or so of adjusting to a new country and being far from everyone. But adjustment period is normal and expected with study abroad. The resident director Elaine is absolutely fabulous! She made sure everything went well and took us on a lot of amazing trips! Classes in Ireland focus more on exams than in the U.S. and they only meet for 2 hours a week. There were a nice balance of classes available for my stem major as well as fun cultural classes such as Irish music and folklore. The nature on campus and throughout Ireland is so beautiful. I miss going for walks along the Shannon, on campus. There are so many great things about Limerick and study abroad in general. I would recommend Limerick to anyone who is considering it!

Although moving to a college four hours away from home was a big step on my path to independence, I knew there was always more room to build my own autonomy. Something that would really test my ability to successfully be self-sufficient. Studying abroad felt like the most appropriate way to test this. I then decided to participate in the AIFS Semester abroad in Limerick Program. Although many insecurities and fears arose about not being able to achieve this newfound independence or not being able to successfully live in a new country I had never been to on my own, I took the leap of faith anyways. As my father drove me to the airport for the most influential trip of my life I recall saying, “I think is the craziest thing I have ever done.” All the unknowns and questions of making the right decision or not flooded my mind. I can now proudly say, when you take a leap of faith you are indefinitely rewarded for it, and this is what study abroad has shown me. Since studying abroad in Limerick I have walked away with an immersed experience of being a student at the University of Limerick, walked away with numerous friends from all over the world, and most importantly, a more enhanced and independent version of myself. If you ever have doubts or concerns about study abroad, I want to remind you. When you take a leap of faith you are indefinitely rewarded for it, so go for it and take that leap of faith. You will never know the opportunities and friends you will have for life until you do.