22 days, 3 weeks, countless memories.
From May 21st to June 12th, 2019, I studied abroad in Ireland at the University of Limerick. Overall, I had an incredible learning-filled and adventure-packed experience taking my 3 credit course and exploring Ireland. Personally, this short summer program was a great fit for my scheduling needs, but there were a few compromises. Upon reflection, I observed some key benefits and downsides from choosing a short-term summer study abroad.
PROS
#1 SIMPLICITY: As a student with packed busy schedules during the fall and spring semesters, choosing a summer program was logistically simpler and more feasible to arrange. Instead of trying to find 4 to 6 courses that could transfer, I only had to for 1. This was especially beneficial for me as an Exercise Science, Pre-Occupational Therapy student because many health science courses can be difficult to find equivalents for at other universities.
#2 ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT: My summer program allowed me to take a special topics upper division directed elective in my major. This was a really enjoyable and unique learning experience in a course not offered at TTU!
#3 LOWER TOTAL COST: From a financial standpoint, my short summer program cost less than the total cost of semester-long programs. This made it more feasible for me to study in Europe as I had dreamed to!
#4 STUDY & ADVENTURE BALANCE: Because I was only enrolled in 1 course, I could balance exploring in the beautiful new country and culture with my studies and class time. Dividing my time between both valuable components of the study abroad experience was simple and allowed me to make the most of my 3 weeks in lovely Ireland!
CONS
#1 LESS LOCAL CONNECTION: In my short summer program, I did not get to know many locals well. The University of Limerick is a 20 minute bus ride or 60 minute walk from downtown Limerick, so I only had a few opportunities to meet and get to know locals outside of the campus. Although I hoped to dive into the culture more, I did get to have some really pleasant and interesting conversations with my International Studies Abroad guide and local vendors at the Saturday Milk Market and a Gaelic bookstore.
#2 NO IRISH PEERS IN CLASS: Before my program, my expectation was to study among a mix of Irish and international students. However, in Ireland, none of the local Irish undergraduate students take classes during the summer, so I did not learn among Irish peers. Rather, my fellow summer school students were from various universities across the United States. On campus, I did have the opportunity to interact with my Irish instructor and excursion guides, which I really enjoyed and learned from!
