Some positive aspects of 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 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 helpful and it made departure a lot less stressful. 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. 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 other CISabroad students also allowed me to quickly find friends and to have more people to contact with questions. Where CISabroad fell flat was with the planned excursions. Although the program did provide us a few free meals and CISabroad dinners, CISabroad was supposed to plan trips for us. 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. 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.

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 insiders 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!

I didn't know how much I needed to go to Limerick until I got there. Originally, I had thought that I wanted to study abroad in England, but I changed my mind because this program sounded better than the one my school offered in England. I am so happy

that I changed my program and studied with CISAbroad at the University of Limerick. UL is the perfect size, and there are so many student organizations that you can join, it's so easy to feel involved on campus! I got to live with students from all over Europe, take classes with Irish and International students, and explore Ireland. CISAbroad was attentive and helped me adjust to Ireland, and I always had someone to ask questions to when I needed help. I would absolutely recomend studying through CISAbroad at Limerick!

While abroad I had many amazing opportunities to get to know the local students. There are even a few that I stay in contact with and will soon visit again. I also was able to explore the city I was in as well as the rest of the country. Four months seemed

way too short. I was able to get a good feel for the culture and even be immersed in it, but I wish I had just had more time to spend there, like most other study abroad students.