Five Ws of Study Abroad

Jul 21, 2019
4 min read

When searching for insight as to which program to choose for a study abroad, what to do once I was there, and reviewing how much it was going to cost I had difficulty finding honest and transparent reviews. So, here is the who, what, when, where, why, and how of my two month long journey of studying abroad in Ireland.

First things first, select your program. There are so many to choose from. Due to my Second-year Transformational Experience (STEP) fellowship (which I highly recommend), I was granted $2,000 to put toward a final project. I selected my final project to be a study abroad option, and was then tasked with choosing an approved program. There were several key elements I wanted out of my study abroad and that helped me narrow it down even further. Those were:

Longer Than Two Weeks – Many study abroad programs are only for a week or two. I wanted to truly immerse myself in another culture and country. Therefore, I wanted a program with some length. However, I only wanted to be abroad for the summer, as to not affect my graduation date.
Credit – I wanted to receive academic credit for my work/ classes taken over the summer. Therefore, I had to review what classes I still needed for my degree and see what programs offered these courses or ones that would be similar enough that I could make an argument as to why they should be counted as such. I ended up receiving six international studies credits, which will count toward my international relations and diplomacy minor.
Travel Flexibility – I was looking for a program where I could have long weekends to be able to travel to other countries with new found friends.

I went ahead and took this information to The Ohio State University’s Office of International Affairs and asked what program could align with my goals that were STEP approved. They gave me several options! I was then able to take them home and dive further into researching them.

I ended up selecting Arcadia Study Abroad Internship Program- Dublin, Ireland. This program requires an application through Ohio State University and Arcadia University. Once you are admitted through Arcadia University, you are automatically accepted through Ohio State as well.

The moment has then come, after all of those applications, to *drum roll* put your money where your mouth is! Arcadia University offers a comprehensive cost breakdown of this trip on their website that totals to an estimation of $9,790.

Here is what I actually spent…

Bare Bones:

Tuition and Orientation: $3970
Tip: This includes International SOS Insurance (Arcadia requires that you have this insurance)
Room: $1980
OSU Program Fee: $150
Tip: This includes GeoBlue Insurance (OSU requires that you have this insurance)
Flight (USA to Ireland, Roundtrip): $1057.71
Tip: Be sure to use Kayak.com to price check

Flexibility/ Choices:

Food (Eating out and grocery): $500
Tip: Cook at home and shop at discount groceries. I spent about $60 a week on groceries and was never hungry. I also still got to go out with friends!
Phone: $40
Tip: Purchase a SIM card when abroad. You can not buy SIM cards in your home country for another. You can connect with people back home using WhatsApp.
Shopping: $350
Cash Expenses: $300
Travel (In/ around Ireland, Excursions, Outside Ireland): $950
Tip: Stay in hostels, take cheap flights (travel to countries close to you), don’t drink a ton of alcohol, walk everywhere
I traveled all over Ireland as well as Northern Ireland, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Croatia

Total: $9,297.71

Scholarships I Received…

STEP: $2,000
Arcadia University Study Abroad Scholarship: $500
Tip: Apply for every scholarship you are eligible for. You can typically submit the same essay! I applied for over five and received two. You can view a list of potential scholarships on this page.

Grand Total Out of Pocket: $6,647.71

During the time before you leave, it is important to fill out all required forms from your home university as well as the program that you have selected. Often times, there will be roommate questionnaires, health forms, permission to participate forms, etc.

I also advise searching for any Facebook groups related to your program and join them for the session that you will be in attendance.

When you get to your location, do your research. Here are a few things that I was able to find/ use to save money in Ireland and the countries I visited:

Student Leap Card (Local Transportation)
Aldi (Grocery Shopping)
Ryanair (Cheap Flights)
Hostel World (Hostel)
Tip: The top things I looked for were cleanliness, proximity to what I wanted to see, free breakfast, and of course cost
Eurolines (Bus Travel – Potentially Country to Country)
Use your network. If you have a friend studying abroad, visit them! They can offer you a place to stay and show you where to get tasty and cheap food.
Always ask if there is a student discount, wherever you are.