IFSA University of Galway Partnership

One of the most common phrases you will hear is “what’s the craic?” It is a common phrase throughout University’s to discuss the level of fun one is having (ie. average, good, great). How did I learn this? Upon arrival, our IFSA resident director immediately introduced us to some of the common Irish phrases and words. Not only did our IFSA resident director tell us what they were, but we also had to practice them in context. This simple gesture helped guide us into our cultural immersion in another country while giving us the confidence to engage with fellow Irish classmates. This is what IFSA is best at - ensuring their studying abroad students succeed academically, personally, and professionally. Before enrolling in courses, IFSA held an orientation through what to expect when enrolling in courses. This more in-depth explanation actually led IFSA students to become a resource for other international students who did not get an in-depth orientation as we did. Furthermore, they promoted personal growth by encouraging us to immerse ourselves in the culture. For example, they encouraged me to learn Gaelic and live with a host family for a weekend. This is an experience I never would have done without the encouragement of our resident director. Finally, they held a meeting at the end of our study abroad experience about how to talk about your study abroad experience in a professional setting. In discussing what skills I learned and the different ways I could frame my study abroad experience, I have the confidence to talk about my study abroad experience in an interview. If I could do another study abroad experience, I would definitely choose to go through IFSA again.

Studying abroad in Galway was one of the best decisions I've ever made. For one, the city of Galway is absolutely incredible! There's so much history, and culture, and color, and I really felt like I was part of the community there. While abroad, few things would make me feel happier than taking a walk down to the Latin Quarter, grabbing a coffee at a cafe, and listening to the buskers performing on the street. My classes were really great as well. Naturally, school is school no matter where you go, but I was really lucky to get into some awesome classes on Irish culture, history, literature, and language. A few of my classes even included field trips up and down the west coast of Ireland. IFSA was a great support for me while I was abroad, thanks in large part to my on-site advisor, Rachel. She was like our big sister! And she clearly loved the city as well -- we'd often see her walking around downtown too and it was so nice to see a friendly face in an unfamiliar city. In short, this is the best program ever and you should totally study abroad with IFSA NUI Galway!!

NUIG is a very large university - and with a large university comes large opportunities. But luckily, I wasn't thrown into it. I took the group flight IFSA offered, so when I arrived I was greeted at the airport with other American students. We went through two days of IFSA orientation - learning about our apartments, the walk to the grocery store (and how you have to bring your own bags), the walk to campus, the city centre, etc. After two days of thinking I had the hang of cooking and meeting new people (all 15 of them) I got thrown into a huge orientation at NUIG, with hundreds of international students there for the semester. Wow was I glad I had already gone through some of the stuff so I could get to know what campus was like! With this I joined multiple clubs on campus, went to some sporting events, a live comedy show, and so much more. I felt immersed in the Irish culture and my Irish university, but I couldn't have done it without IFSA!

Ireland has always been on the top of my bucket list of places I wanted to travel. My family has a lot of history rooted in Ireland and I have always loved the music, culture, and places I could travel. Planning my semester abroad, I knew immediately I wanted to study in Ireland and narrowing it down to studying in Galway wasn’t hard. I studied at the National University of Ireland in Galway, or NUIG, and took six classes ranging from culture and history to music appreciation. The university was amazing and gave me a lot of guidance on how to handle the differences in schooling and how to get involved in the student life in Galway. One of my main goals while abroad was to branch out and immerse myself as much as possible into the local culture and the university, so NUIG was a wonderful place to help complete that goal. The university and the students support the culture of joining student organizations, which at NUIG were nicknamed “socs”, which is short for societies. I joined two socs during my semester and remained very active in them. Through those socs, I was able to go on three different trips at a reduced rate that I also didn’t have to plan. I joined Traditional Music Soc and the Music Soc, which was an a cappella group. I was able to travel to Cork with the Music Soc and compete with Irish students for NUIG, which was amazing! I also got to go camping on one of the Aran Islands, travel and meet different music groups in Dublin, and had a steady group of Irish students to hang out with throughout the semester. Another one of my goals while abroad was to experience as much of Ireland as I possibly could in the short time I was there. IFSA was an amazing program to study through because the staff was helpful in not only planning successful program travels and helping me plan my own travels and navigate the semester in general. I had an amazing student advisor in Galway who was always available to answer any question I had, meet me for coffee when I was freaking out, and support me in any activity I wanted to do. The IFSA sponsored trips were run so smoothly and I had a blast! The biggest trip was the trip to Belfast in Northern Ireland, which I am so thankful was planned by IFSA. Northern Ireland was on my list of places I had to make it to while abroad, but I was unsure how I was going to be able to do everything I wanted to while most likely traveling alone. Going through IFSA, I didn’t have to worry about anything. Housing, tours, and several meals were planned by IFSA and hit all the places I planned on going. The other sponsored trip to Kilkenny was awesome too because housing and a few tours were already planned. Kilkenny was a city I hadn’t planned on going to, but I am so glad I got to experience. Plus, I was given the opportunity to learn to hurl! The IFSA staff also made sure I was safe whenever I traveled by having me check in my travel plans and my student advisor helped me plan my solo travel as well. IFSA was an amazing program to study through because not only was the staff amazing and the sponsored trips amazing, but almost every other detail I was concerned about before going abroad, and that came up while abroad, were already covered by IFSA or were quickly answered. Everything from flight plans to housing was covered through my program cost and through IFSA, which made my process so much easier than anticipated. My older sister studied abroad and had to figure out her own travel plans and housing plans, so I was prepared to scramble to find housing once accepted to the program. Finding out IFSA already took care of all of that was a huge relief. The apartments I lived in weren’t the greatest, but it was in a decent location (within walking distance of the university, city center, and necessities like groceries) and wasn’t the worst place to live. The apartments were decent student apartments so they weren’t anything luxurious, but they were great for a semester of study, especially living in an apartment complex with other university students. My semester abroad was everything I ever dreamed of and more. I was able to spend time getting to know amazing Irish people, experience the Irish culture, and explore the country I have been dreaming about since I was young. Adventuring through the Irish countryside was everything I ever dreamed it would be. I was able to make lasting friendships with Irish students, which not only made my semester amazing, but will continue to connect me to the country I fell in love with. Being an ocean away from everyone I know and love and away my main support system can be incredibly intimidating, but through my program and my organization involvement, I didn’t feel so alone. I had always heard from other people who studied abroad that they left a piece of their heart in the country they studied in and now I can relate. Ireland will always hold a piece of my heart and I will always be ready to hop on a plan and relive my dreams again.

I loved my experience abroad at NUI Galway and IFSA-Butler made the transition easy!! With their staff in Dublin, they headed to Galway to help us register for classes, adjust to the culture, walk to the store, and understand more about the classes and culture. We were immersed with Irish students in our apartments, and although my roommates didn't keep it clean (AT ALL), everything else was great! And going through the class grading scale compared to American Universities was very important!

I was so incredibly surprised at how quickly Galway became a home for me. So many factors contributed to the ease of transition: the charm of this quintessential Irish city, the attentiveness of IFSA-Butler staff and immersion trips, and the kindness of the locals. The city of Galway itself, although smaller than Dublin, was constantly bustling with activity. Street performances, talkative shoppers, and old friends catching a pint on Shop Street could be found all day, everyday. The IFSA-Butler staff offer orientation that allows you to interact with the city for the first time with some guidance. This program also offers immersion trips, one to Kilkenny and one to Belfast, that further engage you with your new host country. Staff is also just a text or call away if you're facing any concerns or have any questions. Also, the people you meet in Ireland are some of the friendliest in the world. Locals would constantly strike up conversation and be genuinely interested in getting to know you or helping you out. You may have been told not to talk to strangers, but definitely do not follow that rule in Galway! Overall, study abroad was easily one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I hope you have a similar experience!

Studying in Galway has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I lived with a mix of American and Irish roommates, both valuable in terms of homesickness and also exploring my temporary home. And there was much to explore! Galway, though smaller than Dublin, is full of culture, history, and people and surrounded by beautiful Irish countryside. All of Ireland is accessible from Galway, and the country's largest airport in Dublin is only a bus ride away, making the rest of Europe just as accessible. The program size when I attended was relatively small compared to some study abroad programs, but this ensured that the program leaders were able to give every student individual attention and we were able to quickly form friendships. Overall, I had a great time in Galway and wouldn't change a thing (except maybe bring a better raincoat).

The program in Galway Ireland, through Butler University was excellent. I lived in the Menlo Park Apartments with apartment mates from Sweden, Ireland, Canada and the US. In terms of getting to other locations around Europe, Dublin is only a 2.5-3 hr bus ride from Galway, so it isn't unreasonable to take a bus to Dublin in order to catch a flight to the continent. The nightlife in Galway is excellent and most places have live music most nights.

So far this experience has been rewarding. For a history student studying medieval Irish history, there are classes that simply aren't available in America, and the only down side is that a lot of the classes on medieval archaeology and Celtic culture won't count towards my history degree at home. If you're studying something in this vein and you're devoted to academics, this is the program for you. Not only are the classes interesting, the lecturers are friendly, open, and helpful, and the courseload is relatively manageable whilst still allowing you to take a wide cariety of courses. The living situation at Menlo Park isn't ideal (the laundry machine often gives us difficulty and it's about 1/2 an hour from school by foot) but it's still a nicely furnished apartment much like what I live in at my home university. The school itself is right outside Galway, a short walk away, and Galway is a great city- really relaxed, really pleasant. The locals are wonderful, and the atmosphere is great. Definitely a semester worth the paperwork it took to get here! Social Life: The societies on campus are a great way to meet people and they have an incredibly wide variety to choose from. Sign up for as many as you wish and you're bound to meet people you like!

Butler offers you two living options: Gort Na Coiribe and Corribe Village. I lived in Gort Na Coiribe with one American and 3 Irish girls. Having Irish flatmates really made my experience amazing. My friends on the program living in Corribe Village didn't have nearly the same kind of exposure to the Irish college kids (b/c they were living only with Americans and other international students) and they all regretted that living situation. Galway is a fantastic college town with tons to do, lots and lots of fun. All Irish students go home on the weekends, so you'll want to find a group of friends from your program to go traveling with. Getting to places in the continent can be more of a challenge because of Galway's more remote location, but we never really let that stop us.