Semester in Ireland - University of Limerick

Overall, I would highly recommend Limerick, even though it is a place in Ireland that not many people have heard of. It is a huge site for Erasmus (European Study Abroad) students, so you will get to meet a lot of people from places you may have never even been to and get to share cultural experiences. My roommates were from all over, and it was so nice getting to know so many people during my time there. On the academic side, my experience was overall pretty good: my professors were nice, and their classes were engaging; however, the grading system at UL is different from what I'm used to in the States. At UL, specifically in the English and History departments, there were not many assignments that made up your grade; there were only 2-3. This wasn't too much of a problem for me since I just needed credits to take what I wanted, but if you have major-specific classes you need to take, this is something to keep in mind. The professors are happy to help, though, if you need extra assistance, but just keep in mind you will need to make sure you're keeping up with the assignments, as there are so few per class, the major ones can creep up on you if you are not careful. Other than that, though, I do not have any other complaints, and I honestly wish I were back there now with all of my new friends.

Limerick was a beautiful, welcoming city where I never felt like I was truly on my own. The University of Limerick was the same way— and full of new experiences, challenges, and people who played a huge part in my study abroad experience. I met amazing friends, found ways to get involved, and had the opportunity to see some amazing sights around Ireland. I quickly found my footing in Ireland and used the experience as an opportunity to greatly increase my independence. I feel as if, thanks to this program, I changed so much for the better in such a short period of time. I would 100% recommend!

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My experience in Limerick, Ireland with CIS was amazing! The housing that CIS put us in was amazing and they took care of us every step of the way. Our onsite director, Karina, did such a good job making herself available to us. Karina planned excursions for us to help us live the local life and become familiar to Ireland. The experience I had at the University of Limerick was made exponentially better by the dedication given by CIS. I recommend Limerick to anyone. It truly is a beautiful place with overwhelming amounts of culture.

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Everything about my experience at UL was absolutely wonderful! I met so many amazing people from Ireland, around the world, and even some from my own state that I still keep in touch with. I was also able to fully immerse myself into the Irish culture by exploring most of the country through trips the university itself or CISAbroad planned for me.

My semester in Limerick was absolutely amazing, I have so many memories that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. I, like others, was nervous about going abroad, but the support I received both before and during my program was outstanding. CIS Abroad really makes sure that you are doing ok, and checks in often. If I ever needed anything, I didn't hesitate to ask! I am so happy that I chose the Limerick program because it was a more authentic experience in my book. Don't get me wrong, Dublin was really cool, but I personally liked being in a smaller city. I felt like I could really connect with the locals. The University of Limerick was great, I really loved all of my classes. It was a little confusing at first because the Irish education system is a bit different than that of America, but I got the hang of it pretty quick! The awesome thing about being an international student at UL is that you get several weeks to try out your classes before registering for them. I liked this because I could go to a few that I was unsure about to see how I felt before committing to them. There are also a lot of opportunities, both with CIS Abroad and the University, to travel around Ireland. Let's face it, while it is so tempting to start traveling to other European countries right away (although I highly recommend you do) it is nice to get to know your country as well. CIS Abroad has onsite directors that organize meals and excursions around Ireland, so you get an insider's look at the beautiful country. I loved that these excursions were an option for us, because it allowed me to see Ireland while taking away the stress of planning the trip. Overall, this was an amazing program, and I wish I could have stayed longer!

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I did the CISabroad Semester in Limerick program during the Fall 2019 semester. It was an incredible experience and I loved it so much that I am hoping to go back for graduate school. Some of the positive aspects of going to the University of Limerick through CISabroad was the assistance with pre-departure stuff, advising throughout the semester and after, and having a separate orientation with just CISabroad students. CISabroad made preparing to leave for Ireland so easy. They emailed you many times with detailed instructions and made sure you understood everything that was required before leaving to study abroad. They gave you specific times to book flights, took care of health insurance, paid your deposit, and got on campus housing for you. This was all so helpful and I felt like it made departure a lot less stressful and allowed me to worry less about leaving my home country. They even arranged for a bus to pick us up from Shannon airport and drop us off at our accommodation. I am thankful that we had CISabroad staff available for help throughout the semester as well to help with any questions. It was nice to know I always had a point of contact. The separate orientation was helpful as well, because although it felt like we had learned most of the information at University of Limerick's orientation, it was nice to hear it again in a smaller group setting. Meeting with other CISabroad students also allowed me to quickly find friends and to have more people to contact if I had questions. Where I felt CISabroad fell flat was with the planned excursions. Although the program did provide us with a few free meals and CISabroad dinners, the students in my program were under the impression that CISabroad would plan trips for us. We were told that there were 2 students in Dublin who would come on these trips with us, but that never happened. Granted, our on site advisor got another job, and we can't blame her for accepting a great opportunity, we felt that CISabroad didn't offer a good solution to this. We were provided a new advisor, however, they did not work for CISabroad and were instead a member of the University of Limerick staff. There solution for providing trips for us, was to cover the cost of any trips we went on through the University of Limerick's Student Life. While it was nice that these costs were being covered, it didn't add up to much. Trips typically were around 30 euros and we usually had to pay for our own meals while on these trips. The cost of food wasn't covered so, overall, we didn't feel we got our money's worth. Plus, these trips were open to the entire school, so we didn't feel like CISabroad followed through with planning trips just for us. Aside from the planned excursions, I feel CISabroad did their best in trying to come up with a solution to a problem that arose so quickly. It was an unfortunate situation, and we felt a little cheated out of excursions. That being said, I still was able to travel a lot and saw plenty of places on my own. The planned excursions would've been nice, but sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and adapt. Me and a few CISabroad students ended up planning trips amongst ourselves. It wasn't ideal but it turned out to be very fun. I will always be grateful for my time abroad and I have found a new love for travel. There are so many more countries I want to go to and I don't think I'll want to ever want to stop seeing new places. I didn't get everything I wanted out of CISabroad, but I do think it is a great program. They help a lot with advising, planning, and answering questions. I felt much more comfortable using a third party program than planning on my own. I'm sure excursions have been better in the past and will be better in the future. CISabroad did what they could given the challenges of trying to find a new advisor last minute. Things happen and they tried to offer a solution. I would recommend CISabroad for someone looking to study abroad because of how helpful they were and how easy they made transitioning into life in Ireland. Overall, whatever way you end up studying abroad, you'll have an amazing experience regardless.

My semester at the University of Limerick was absolutely amazing! The University is great, and all of the lecturers are so nice and always willing to help. The really cool thing about being an international student at UL is the fact that you don't have to decide on your classes right away! You get the first 2-3 weeks to test out your classes before actually committing to them. This way, if you have to potential classes that you can't decide between and they meet at the same time, go to the first on one day, the other the next day. This is really cool because you get to be 100% sure before you sign up. In terms of student living, there are multiple options to choose from! There are several on-campus apartments that you can rent for the semester/ year. You get your own room, 6-8 roommates, shared kitchen/ living area, and either a shared or personal bathroom depending on which one you choose. Limerick is a city full of history and culture, so don't write it off without knowing a little more. Don't get me wrong, Dublin was really cool, but I really enjoyed staying in Limerick because it was smaller and more intimate; I felt like I could really connect with the locals, while also experiencing the best Ireland had to offer. I highly recommend studying at the University of Limerick, it has impacted my life for the better and I loved every second of it!

Where do I even begin? I had an absolute blast. Don't get me wrong, I had my share of struggles while abroad. Like being in the Cologne airport in the middle of the night, by myself, with no phone and no idea how to speak German. But, I was able to take away valuable lesson from every hardship that I faced which only made the trip that much more meaningful. I loved the program that I was on for so many reasons. First of all, I was able to integrate with other study abroad students outside of my specific program, as well as native Irish students. UL is awesome at opening up to study abroad students and making them feel very welcomed. I also loved that those of us in Limerick would meet up with the people studying in Dublin to travel around Ireland together. John Hayes, our fearless leader and on-site coordinator always made sure that we were safe and comfortable. I was actually traveling through Germany when the Brussels bombing happened, and John had called me to make sure that I was alright before I had even heard of the news. I have gained so much personal growth from this trip. I was able to become much more independent as well as confident in myself. I can't wait to go back again, and strongly suggest that anyone who is able, go abroad!

I had a great experience on this trip. I love the group I was with, I also loved John Hayes. He was helpful and kind and he was always will to help. The updates and the photos he posted also made it fun.

CIS abroad was not organised well. I got more help from University of Limerick International Office than I did from CIS. It was still a great experience and I am so glad I took this opportunity. I am still abroad, but this time I enrolled directly through the University.

I had an amazing time in Limerick. I did not have an amazing time leading up to my departure. My adviser in America was less than helpful when it came to answers. She was not have a while lot of knowledge on the program and it was very difficult to get a hold of her. It was also very inconvenient that our excursions were not planned ahead of time. It made it very difficult to plan other trips when we would have very little notice about when excursions we had already paid for would take place.

CIS was a great company to go through for study abroad. The home offices in the United States are very good at responding to any questions in a timely manner with knowledgable answers. While abroad, I had a great CIS representative who took us on four excursions and was always accessible if we had any questions. The international office at UL was very friendly and had many opportunities to immerse with other students. My living conditions were average although we had our own rooms which was nice. Traveling from UL is easy enough, although we mainly flew out of Dublin Airport because it was cheaper. I would recommend UL to anyone interested in studying abroad in Ireland. Although it is not as big of a city as Dublin, the people and scenery was great in Limerick.

Ireland, for as small as it may seem at times, has an infinite amount of unique places to travel to, things to see, and people to meet. Studying abroad in Ireland is not just about living in Ireland, it's about living in Europe, and you will meet people from all over Europe also studying in Ireland. Who you hang out with will shape your time abroad, so it is important to put yourself out there as soon as possible and not stay in your room every night. Limerick has a good nightlife, with lots of clubs and cool pubs. It is busy with shoppers during the day, and it is easy to get around by bus. Academics: Classes were challenging and career-oriented. However, since my particular major at my home university does not have a direct equivalent at UL, I had to pick classes from different majors at UL, making scheduling conflicts common due to the way their courses are scheduled together. Living Situation: No complaints about my room, but my roommates were messy and my neighbors around me were very noisy late at night. Cultural Immersion: Most fun I've ever had meeting with people. Other erasmus students were particularly interesting because they have their own culture but are attempting to immerse themselves in Irish culture in the same way you are. Health and Safety: You may hear a lot of people talk about Limerick being safe, but I had no problems during my semester abroad. Social Life: Most fun I've ever had.

I loved CIS.

The time I spent in Limerick was absolutely unforgettable. The people at UL were so kind and willing to help you with whatever you needed. I think what truly made my experience was getting involved with as many clubs as I could. There were so many activities available to the study abroad students, you just need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and do them. Academics: The classes I took were challenging, but fun! Since they do their degree program differently they were eager to help the incoming study abroad students. Cultural Immersion: I was able to immerse immediately. Everyone was extremely friendly. Social Life: The pubs and clubs around town were awesome. And a good time was always found at the stables pub on campus

What really made this experience the most memorable was the people that were along for the ride with me, and helped show me the way. You learn more from talking to people than you ever will from a class, which by the way were phenomenal as well. Ireland is the most beautiful country in the world, and I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to study there. Living Situation: Accomodations were great, but I had messy and loud roommates. Cultural Immersion: Some of the best folk and culture in the world Program Administration: Kelli Malone was wonderful in every way. Glad to have her. Health and Safety: Great security system on campus Social Life: Greatest people

This study abroad experience was something that could never be forgotten in my life. I've fallen head over heels for this beautiful country of Ireland, and without the time taken to arrive, settle and go to courses, the real taste of the culture cannot be appreciated without staying in a new land for at least a semester. A new perspective and respect will be developed and loved at the end of the stay abroad and those that really participate will feel as though they've lived here for years Academics: This program was fantastic. Courses were challenging and provided lots of new information for students looking to broaden their horizons Living Situation: Thomond Village was absolutely perfect. At first it was tough to adjust to walking so far from campus, but the views from our balconies are the BEST on campus. CIS should be proud to have access to these buildings for students and overall, they aren't the farthest accommodation, so that becomes even more appreciated in the end. Cultural Immersion: Limerick University and CIS was on top of their programs about getting international students incorporated into a new country. Program Administration: Answered all questions when needed and provided PLENTY of information Health and Safety: Never, ever felt harmed. Since Ireland doesn't run on Wifi and I didn't have a smart phone, sometimes panicked when I couldn't use my phone to help me get from one location to another; it was more of a feeling of being lost Social Life: Hard to really get into the "inner circle" of the Irish students as they know you're leaving in a year or semester, so they don't invest as much time. However, most of the study abroad students cling together at first and eventually dissipate into the crowd of other students. Everyone seems to make one or two really good friends they'll have forever

Limerick is grand! The people are so welcoming and the university is fantastic. There's always something going on. The city also has a great location so it's pretty easy to take day or weekend trips anywhere in the country.

I had the time of my life over here. Living Situation: I loved my apartment! It was way better than I could have imagined Cultural Immersion: Irish are very welcoming

I loved my study aborad experience. I didn't leave the country with any kind of expectations, and that's the best way to do it. I enjoyed my time abroad because I was up for anything, I had friends that came with certain expectations - such as the difficulties of classes and the easy immersion into the culture - and they had a difficult time abroad. Just be open minded and have fun! Academics: The course offered here were much different than in the USA. They do not use continuous education, instead they usually have one paper and one test per semester. Living Situation: The accommodation I was given was my least favorite out of all of the villages available. I did not get a choice in where I lived. Cultural Immersion: The people were very friendly. Program Administration: I had no idea what I was supposed to do once I was dropped off at the University. The international office staff were not very helpful throughout the semester. Health and Safety: I felt safe in Ireland, but Limerick is known as "stab city." Social Life: There was only so much to do if you didn't want to drink every night.