Exchange Report (International Office´s )

BASIC INFORMATION

General information

Surname Hedman

First name Sara

Exchange Hedman, Sara - 2017/18

Exchange country Ireland

Exchange city Galway

Duration of the stay

Academic year 2017/18

Start semester/term Spring semester 2017/18

Duration in semesters/terms 1

Your exchange in brief

Level of studies at the exchange Undergraduate / Bachelor

Subject area Political Science

Your studies at Uppsala

What are you studying at ? Economics

How many years of study had you completed 2 before going on exchange?

STUDIES

Studies/Semester description

The text field will expand to allow you to write as The biggest difference between NUIG and Uppsala University was for much as you like me that at NUIG you take six courses simultaneously, while in Uppsala it's usually just one or two. That means you have to balance a lot of different subjects at the same time, and in my experience end up with more work during and at the end of the semester for exams and final essays. It can be a bit confusing sometimes, but once you get into it it's not a big problem. I experienced that I spent more time on my studies in Galway than in Uppsala, but the level of the studies was quite similar. Perhaps a bit higher at Uppsala. I studied courses mainly in Political Sciences, but also in Economics and Philosophy. I can highly recommend taking courses in political sciences, they keep very high quality and most of the teachers are very engaged and easy to listen to. My favorite ones were 'Principles of Political Theory' and 'Smart & Liveable Cities and Suburbs'. The first one being quite challenging, but also the one that I learned most from during my semester. Another tip is to maybe mix courses that have exams at the end of the semester and courses with solely seminars. If you end up with six exams at the end of the semester it can be quite stressful.

ORIENTATION AND RECEPTION

Orientation and reception

Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. Me and another girl from Uppsala University decided to travel to Galway together and stayed at an air-bnb the first couple of days. We realized quite soon, through fb-groups, that a lot of other Erasmus- students had already arrived as well so we met up with them at different pubs during the first week before school began. Highly recommend to try to find these fb-groups first thing on arrival! And also to arrive a couple days earlier than the start of the semester. The orientation through the school turned out to be close to non-existent 'socially-wise'. You get a good tour of the courses and how to put your schedule together (you do this at the beginning of the semester and it can be quite tricky), but other than that I was a bit disappointed (coming from Uppsala University where you usually have a lot during 'welcoming weeks'). However, it was no problem to find friends and do stuff because all the Erasmus students kept in contact frequently and organized stuff almost every night. So really it turned out to be no problem. The school also has a lot of and clubs, that are presented during orientation days, that I recommend to try out or join. They even have a called 'nothing in particular-society', which tells you a little bit about the range and amount of societies and clubs NUIG offers. I for example tried hiking and yoga, but would have loved to do more. Try to find time for it if you can! I also recommend the events that the International Society sets up during the semester.

ACCOMMODATION

Your accommodation: I arrived a couple days early to try to find accommodation. First of all, I do not recommend looking at (private) accommodation before you go. There are a lot of scams in Galway so always try to be in the city and view properties when you're there. Of course you can try to arrange viewings before you actually leave, so that you have a couple houses to view right away once you get there. However the housing market moves quickly and there's an on-going housing crisis in Galway, so chances are your prospects will be gone by the time you get there. I will however say, try not to worry about accommodation too much. Since the market moves so quickly, you'll most likely find something suitable very quickly once you get there. All of me and my friends did. The facebook-groups are your best options. Keep notifications on for all posts and write as soon as you see something you think might suit you. I ended up living in a house with four other girls my age, three of them also being students. We lived in the area Lower Salthill, which I highly recommend. Close to town and the beautiful ocean walk. A bit of a walk to but it's a nice walk along the canal so for me it was worth it. I was very happy with my accommodation and became good friends with my housemates. I payed 400 euro for a spacious double room which I would say is a fair price for Galway, but more expensive than back home maybe. There are also student accommodations available, but they are quite hard to get and a bit expensive. YOUR FINANCES

Your finances: The rent was higher in Galway than in Uppsala. The food was about the same price. Going out was about the same price. I definitely found CSN and the Erasmus grant adequate. I traveled a lot during my time in Ireland, which was made possible because of the Erasmus grant. Ireland is a great country to travel when you're on a budget, since they have good cheap bus transport everywhere and a lot of fair priced hostels. I did not have to undertake part-time work in addition to my studies.

FREE TIME

Your free time: I spent most of my free time in the pubs Galway has to offer, along with the other Erasmus students. I also spent a lot of time with my housemates, at home and around town. I really enjoyed walking the Salthill promenade situated next to my house that leads into the city center, strolling the town listening to the buskers in the street and going to concerts and gigs. Galway is a great city if you are into , and there are always live acts to catch in the pubs in the evenings. Another great thing about Galway is that there is a strong community spirit so for example there is always some sort of going on in town. It makes the city very vibrant and a fun place to live in. As I mentioned earlier, I also traveled a lot around Ireland. Me and some other students started traveling the first weekend and kept on doing so throughout the semester. Ireland has incredible landscapes and interesting cities and it is possible to see most places in one semester since the island is not that big. The areas around Galway, such as Connemara or the Burren or Cliffs of Moher, are also amazing to explore and easy to reach by either car or bus. I can honestly say that of all the places I visited in Ireland, Galway was my favorite one. One thing that I wish I did more is take part in the activities organized by the different societies and clubs at NUIG.

YOUR EXCHANGE ON THE WHOLE

Please choose the alternative that best describes 1. Fantastic your exchange on the whole

Please describe your impressions of your My exchange exceeded my expectations. I expected I would enjoy exchange: going abroad, studying and meeting new people, but I didn't expect to find a 'second home'. Galway is an amazing city and I hope to come back here again in the future, and to stay in contact with the people I have met. I believe this exchange will be good for my future academic and professional endeavors, but maybe most importantly for my ability to take on new challenges in all aspects of life.

Please describe how you have developed as a Through this exchange I have gained more self confidence and person during your exchange: independency. I have also, through some of the courses I have taken, acquired new insights which I believe are important. Living in another has also challenged my inherent views that I have come to grow up with. Finally, why do you think a future student should First of all, going on an exchange is very fun and fulfilling. It is good go on exchange? for your personal development and can be beneficial when applying for jobs or further in the future. To experience a different culture than the one you've grown up in is something I think is very important, and to meet people from a lot of different countries as well. Since the Erasmus+ exchange is made so easy and beneficial, I highly recommend taking this opportunity to study abroad to all future students.

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