8. What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Philosophy. 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Cultural Entrepreneurship, BA

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1 Person 8 Basic Information 1. Name Olivia Rehnström 2. address: ollierehn@hotmail.com 3. Exchange university National university of Ireland, Galway 4. City Galway 5. Country Ireland 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish spring semester (VT) 7. Academic year 2014/ What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Philosophy 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Cultural Entrepreneurship, BA 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 1,5 Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... When you choose your courses you choose six ones with 5 ECTS. They do not study one and the same field or subject during one semester and the courses all have different examination forms, some are essays, some are written exams and some are continuous assessment. This is important to know when you choose your courses so you are not stuck writing lots of essays or vice versa to have a balanced study tempo. What also differs is that they usually examine all of the courses or modules as they call them in the end of the semester so everyone are studying for the exams at almost the same time. The library during this period is really full and there is unfortunately not a lot of areas where you can sit as a group and study. This was probably the downside with the campus that you felt that you needed to be at home to study because there were not a lot of computers available either in the library and so forth. The teachers were otherwise very good educators and helpful towards their students. You could send them drafts of your essays and they would comment your work. The relationship with the lecturers was relaxed and you felt that you could ask them anything. The classes could though be very big in some cases. The Irish students felt also younger as they go directly from secondary to university so you could sometimes notice a difference in maturity level. I studied Philosophy courses which was hard but very giving. I would not recommend anyone to take all their courses in the same field if it is not required because then you have all the essays and exams at the same time and Philosophy required a lot of writing and reading but the Philosophical department was really great, the lecturers are so knowledgeable and accommodating so I would recommend to do two courses there if you are interested in the subject. It is important that when you choose courses to try to have not all the examination Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 22 av 164

2 forms in essays or exams, I would recommend you have a little of everything. But the thing is then that you have to yourself make sure that the timetable works out and you can t do this online or anything, it is up to you to literally draw or whatever. Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. Galway is not a big city so finding your way is not too hard which is nice when you are new in a place. The campus is though very big, the buildings and lecturehalls are not very logically organized so I would recommend finding your lecture halls in advance and otherwise you can always ask someone. The first days there is a lot of information about the campus, like tours and the courses you can study. They also inform a lot about what you can do in Galway, what not to do and the societies and clubs that are available. The University organizes a lot of events in the beginning but I frankly did not have time to join societies or clubs, they seemed nice but I rather just do my own thing and such. Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? I shared a small apartment with two other girls in the city centre. It was a bit expensive but very good standard compared to where other students ended up. I am happy I lived in a normal apartment and not in a student accommodation because then you could have a break from University life and you only had to share with two other people rather than a whole lot others. I would recommend joining Facebook groups like House hunting Galway and Erasmus groups to find somewhere to live, you could check daft.ie but it was hard finding something cheap and good enough and if you do not have anything then you can find while you are a place and maybe others to share it with. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? The rent was kind of the same as Uppsala, maybe a bit cheaper and the groceries were a bit cheaper if you went to places like Lidl or something. I had the grant and CSN which was sufficient for living expenses and some travelling and some shopping. But I also had my own saving from working the summer before. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? As said the University organized a lot of events. Otherwise Galway has a lot of happening every weekend so there is always something to do. You can for example go hiking every Sunday which I heard was fun. I myself did some travelling some weekends, Ireland is very small so you can see the whole country in one semester if you have the time and money. There are a lot of tours you can do and a lot of nature to experience. Culturally Galway and Dublin had a lot to offer so you are never out of things to do! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 23 av 164

3 Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. I had a great time at NUIG and in Galway/Ireland. There is always as said something happening in the city even if it is small. I thought it was nice that it wasn t too big the city, it felt safe and friendly. Irish people are very friendly even though it was hard to get to know the Irish students, it felt like they did not really open up for conversation or were interested. This was maybe a down part but otherwise I was very satisfied with my semester. The food and pub culture is a also a wonderful experience in Galway. Tips for future students is that you should take weekend trips, it is worth it and you do not need a whole year, a semester is enough to see almost all of Ireland! Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s. There is a little from outside Galway, the Connemara, Cliffs of Moher and the University building. 21. Publishing of pictures I approve of my pictures being published only in this exchange report (web/printed) Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 24 av 164

4 Enskilda enkäter för Exchange report/utbytesrapport Person 4 Basic Information 1. Name Adam Hultberg 2. address: Adam.Soderholm Hultberg.1119@student.uu.se 3. Exchange university National University of Ireland, Galway 4. City Galway 5. Country Ireland 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT) 7. Academic year 2014/ What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Archaeology 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Archaeology 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 2 Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... Differences are marginal between countries like Ireland and Sweden. Whilst life, both civilian and academic, is very easy to adjust to, there are some subtle differences. I was lucky ending up in a small department where the lecturers were readily available should you have questions or need advice about essays or studies in general. In this way it s quite similar to the more intimate conditions of the campus in Visby, which I m grateful for. The university as a whole on the other hand is, compared to CGo, enormous. But once you get settled in, find all the classrooms and theaters that is only positive. There is a great selection of courses offered in the various departments of the college of arts, should you want to try something outside of your major. The way courses are selected and taken is one of the differences from the way it s done back home. Registration for courses or modules is not done until something like the second week into the semester, so before that you re free to sample whatever you find interesting. Classes are almost exclusively 5 ECTS and all run parallel through the semester. This means that come exam times the workload can get quite intimidating, if you haven t been keeping up. It s been hard for me to accurately judge the academic level compared to Sweden, the fact that modules are worth less credits and that I was free to do classes normally offered to second, third and fourth year (master), means that it was all quite varied, just like always. But I was never disappointed since the material cover was all new to me due to the geographical differences having such an impact in my discipline. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 9 av 396

5 Enskilda enkäter för Exchange report/utbytesrapport Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. I ve moved around quite a bit, all over the world, so for me this was no problem. But I will say that Galway is a very easy town to settle in, and for people moving abroad for the first time the whole exchange situation makes it even more so. People are very open and friendly and there are loads of visiting students and foreigners around so everyone s used to people coming and going. Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? I got lucky with accommodation. After calling a handful of places advertised online, none of which were still available, I got through to a guy that offered me a viewing. Because of the market at the moment and the location of the flat this guy could afford to be quite picky with who he rented to, but he took a liking to me and offered me a room. I d arrived under the impression that finding somewhere to live would be fairly easy as long as you were flexible, this year however, there was an unprecedented shortage of student housing and quite a few friends of mine ended up staying in hostels for the first few weeks of the semester. Many of those who did find places, did so at the outskirts of town making a bike or a bus-pass essential. As with any city it s easier to find places once you re there, though I would advice trying to line something up in advance. The place I found I shared with two locals, one of them a master student at the university. It was in the very center of town and overlooked the river and the bay. I would t advice staying in the student villages since almost all students staying there are fresh out of their mother s house and not really used to looking after themselves or living with others. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? Finances can be quite personal and it s hard to say how much you ll need. I allowed myself to be a bit more liberal with my spendings than I would have been back home. It s more down to what you do and what you eat than local costs. My rent was 365 a month, the bi-monthly electricity bill normally came to about 50. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? The amount of social activities, in the form of clubs and societies, on offer is vast. I myself opted for the hiking club and did weekly trips to the mountains north of town. You re gonna be hard pressed to get out of the erasmus-crowd and get a chance to mingle with the locals. Because of this I chose to do most of my traveling and socializing outside of the organized activities though such were on offer. Theres about 200 different clubs and societies ranging from chess to kayaking, so finding stuff to do won t be the problem. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 10 av 396

6 Enskilda enkäter för Exchange report/utbytesrapport Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. Many people going on exchange see it as the adventure of a lifetime, my advice would be to take a more relaxed approach. Not for risk of being disappointed, if an adventure is what you want that s probably what you ll get. But the experience of actually living your everyday life in a new place, speaking the language and getting used to all the subtle differences can make the experience all the more rewarding. This also allows you to get the most out of the lectures and the courses, something people often give a secondary priority in these situations. The feeling of being taken out of your comfort zone and realizing that you ll land on your feet can be very valuable. I had an amazing time, but as always it s down to what you make it and the people you meet. I found the studies very useful for my future academic endeavors. Writing academically in a new language and on tighter deadlines is good practice for what ever you ll attempt afterwards. Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s Publishing of pictures - Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 11 av 396

7 Utbytesrapport National University of Ireland, Galway Jag heter Michelle Alm Engvall och läste hösterminen 2014 vid NUIG i Galway, Irland. Staden i sig är känd för att vara en kulturstad där du varje dag medan du går ner huvudgatan i staden kan se gatumusikanter och andra busking-akter i vartenda hörn. Det finns även ett stort utbud av konserter och kvällar med traditionell irländsk musik på de lokala pubarna. Många restauranger och pubar har veckovisa open mic-kvällar med riktigt bra lokala komiker, singer songwriters m.fl. och där du även kan testa på hur det känns att gå upp själv inför en välkomnande publik om du vill känna hur det är att stå på en mindre scen. Hursomhelst så läser jag själv till en kandidatexamen i kulturantropologi med etnologi som biämne och min utbytestermin gjorde jag under termin nummer fem. Medan jag var här så läste jag kurser inom kategorin Arts som inbegriper väldigt många olika ämnen så som juridik, språk, historia, politisk studier m.m. Själv läste jag bland annat kurser i europeiska genusstudier, en kurs om globalisering och prostitution, en genusinriktad ekonomikurs samt en väldigt rolig kurs som hette indigenous arts och riktade sig till erasmusstudenter. Under den sistnämna kursen fick vi varje vecka en kort föreläsning innan vi tillsammans gick på en lunchkonsert i en av universitetsbyggnaden där olika irländska akter hölls inom traditionell musik, sång, poesi och teater som vi sedan fick recensera. Kursen avslutades sedan med en uppsats om traditionell irländsk sång. Jag passade även på när jag var här att läsa en kurs i irländska för nybörjare där man kunde åka på en helgutflykt till ett område i Connemara där de endast talar irländska. Alla mina kurser var tredjeårskurser förutom de som var ospecificerade och riktade sig till internationella studenter. Studiesättet såg väldigt annorlunda ut från Uppsala Universitet då man istället för att läsa en kurs med olika moment per termin läste flera parallella, vanligtvis sex stycken, under hela terminen. Kurserna var därför inte lika stora som här men de examineras alla runt samma tid vilket gör att det kan bli mycket i slutet av terminen. Är man dock med ordentligt från början så är detta inget problem. Jag föredrar nog själv det svenska systemet men tyckte att det var väldigt givande med omväxling och känner att jag lärt mig väldigt mycket om både de olika ämnena samt min egen studieteknik. Terminerna på Irland är kortare än i Sverige vilket gör att man har tid under jul och nyår att verkligen vara ledig och njuta av allt vad man kan göra i ett annat land eller åka hem och fira jul om man vill så. Eftersom att man inte går med en och samma klass hela tiden så har man inga direkta klasskompisar. Stämningen i klasserna kan se väldigt olika ut och vissa består av endast små grupper medan andra är väldigt stora. Detta är du dock inte ensam om och om du börjar prata med någon i dina kurser så är det väldigt lätt att lära känna folk eftersom att alla är i liknande situationer. Jag upplevde det som att lärarna är väldigt hjälpsamma och tillmötesgående så om man behöver hjälp med någonting är det bara att mejla och fråga. Om man ska titta till kraven på kurserna så tyckte jag själv att de låg något under de vid Uppsala Universitet. Det finns inte samma möjligheter att exempelvis göra en omtenta men detta tror jag inte att det är många som behöver göra ändå. Lärarna är även väldigt förstående emot utbytesstudenter och är vana med elever som kanske inte tidigare skrivit längre uppsatser och liknande på engelska. Praktiska hjälpmedel så som datorer och skrivare finns tillgängliga på Universitetet. Det är sällan man måste köpa egen kurslitteratur och biblioteket har ett väldigt bra utbud samt platser att plugga på.

8 Innan terminen började hade vi en heldag med information speciellt för utbytesstudenter där man också kom i kontakt med ESN som anordnar aktiviteter där utbytesstudenter kan lära känna varandra. Jag har hört att dessa var väldigt bra men måste själv erkänna att jag bara deltog vid en utflykt till julmarknaden i Dublin i december. Det var väldigt lätt att lära känna människor ändå så jag tyckte aldrig att det behövdes. Vad gäller boende så går det att få hjälp via universitetet. Sättet de flesta får boende på är dock via internet. Jag använde mig av en facebook-grupp som heter House Hunting Galway (for sound people). Jag hade bokat en säng på ett hostel för min första vecka men redan efter ett par dagar hade jag hittat ett boende med två irländska tjejer ca 30 minuters promenad från Universitetet. Jag betalde 175 euro/månad i början innan vi gjorde om hyrorna emellan oss och priset steg till 200 euro/månad. Detta var dock fortfarande väldigt lågt och jag skulle tro att snittet bland mig och de andra studenter jag kände kanske låg på Detta beror dock självklart på hur kräsen man är med avstånd och boendeskick. Vi tre bodde i alla fall i ett hus tillsammans med ett varsitt rum, delad toalett samt kök och vardagsrum. Mitt rum var ganska så litet men det gjorde ingenting då jag nästan aldrig var där. De jag bodde med kom att bli två av mina närmaste vänner under min vistelse och vi har fortfarande god kontakt. Jag jobbade ingenting när jag var där och studiemedlet räckte till gott och väl. Priserna är ganska lika hemma, något lägre. Det finns en bar på campus med billig öl, nästan i klass med nationspriser, men i övrigt så ligger priserna på just öl lägre än på en vanlig pub i Sverige så det går att klara sig. På fritiden var jag med i en studentförening som hette Choice Society där aktiviteter anordnades för att sprida information om abort (som ännu inte är lagligt på Irland) och genom den fick jag lära känna många andra socialt och politiskt engagerade människor. Om detta inte passar dig så finns den en hel hög andra klubbar och studentföreningar att gå med i där du bland annat kan åka ut och hajka och se Irlands vackra natur, dansa, spela ett instrument, ägna dig åt litteratur, improvisationsteater, kajakpaddling, klättring, gå på galopprace, filmvisning och mycket mer. Som tidigare nämnt anordnade ESN även aktiviteter speciellt för utbytesstudenter. Jag är mycket nöjd över min utbytestermin och kan glatt delge att jag kommer att flytta tillbaka till Irland efter sommaren. Antingen för att läsa en master vid ett annat universitet eller så återvänder jag till Galway och det liv jag startade där. Om du har mer frågor gällande min vistelse eller mer praktiska bitar är du välkommen att kontakta mig på min mejladress melle.engvall@hotmail.com. Stort lycka till under dina kommande utbytesstudier!

9 Person 9 Basic Information 1. Name Mikaela Granath 2. address: mikaela.granath@live.com 3. Exchange university National University of Ireland, Galway 4. City Galway 5. Country Ireland 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish spring semester (VT) 7. Academic year 2014/ What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Philosophy 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Bachelor Programme in Cultural Entrepreneurship 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 1,5 Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... You choose the courses after youve arrived, its up to you to look up their timetables etc so that theres no clash between them. I had to choose another subject than I first thought, try to be flexible. At NUIG its most common that the students take courses from about two different areas, while I took them all within the same field (six courses á 5 ECTS each in philosophy). That meant more workload but since I wanted to count it into my carrer after the mobility, the requirement from my faculty in Uppsala was to take them all within the same area. It depend on what you wish to do with your credits afterwards. As examination I had to write four essays á approximately 2500 words each, some midterm assignments and also two written exams. I found the academic level a bit difficult in the beginning but it went easier the more time that passed. The teachers were all great and very helpful, they held tutorials and were most willing to meet in person if theres something you need more help with or so. Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. Theres a lot of information and things you have to do in the beginning, orientation programs, paperworks, finding accomodation etc. It can take a little while to learn for example how everything works at the university since it can differ a bit from your home university. Even if it can feel a bit stressful in the beginning I guess thats how it is in everyday life too, and theres more people in the same situation as you. The univeristy has a lot of societys for students, sport clubs and more, which is a great Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 25 av 164

10 way of meeting people. The erasmus society arranged some events at local pubs, which were nice too. Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? I found my accomodation through a finding accomodation group on facebook. I shared a small flat (two rooms and a kitchen) close to the city center with two other girls. I really liked it there even if it may have been a bit overpriced, but it was a clean and nice place. I would recommend future students to do some research and look in advance for accomodation. The university have some students accomodations to offer but I wouldnt say they are too good, it depend on how you want to live, most people I know lived in shared houses or apartments. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? I think the money, CSN + Erasmus grant, covered the expenses well. In the beginning and in the end there are always a bit more expenditures such as travels etc. The rent for our flat were 950 euro, gas excluded, then two of us also had to share one bedroom. So for me alone I would say that the accomodation every month costed about 400 euro in total. Its kind of the same as in Uppsala, but as mentioned, this place were smaller. I would say that the food, alcohol, clothes and so on are about the same, maybe a bit cheaper. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? As mentioned, the university has a lot to offer such as societys, sport clubs etc. Though, its also nice just to experience what the city has to offer, theres always some festival or something going on, trad music at pubs, theatres and more. Galway is a very small city but theres a lot of things to do and many beautiful places to visit close to Galway as well Connamara, Aran Islands, Cliffs of Moher, other cities such as Cork (and Ring of Kerry), Dublin, Belfast, Donegal Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. In total, Im very happy with my stay. I went on the exchange through the International office and not directly through my faculty, which meant that I was more free to choose what subject I wanted, something I appreciated. At the same time, this was also a bit more struggling as mentioned, and Im not sure if I would have choosen all the courses within the same area if I would have known what it would take. Theres so much you want to do aside of the studies - experieces, meet new people and more, and I think it is important to find a balance so that you have time to do all those things youve looked forward to. Even if all the paperworks and bureaucracy also can be really tiring, dont let it get to you cause in the end the experience is what you make of it, challenging, developing, and something youll always remember. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 26 av 164

11 Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s. The photos are from Galway, the university, Connemara, Aran Island, Kilemore Abbey and a tour down Giant s causeway. 21. Publishing of pictures I approve of my pictures being published and used in Uppsala University s marketing of international exchanges Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 27 av 164

12 Person 8 Basic Information 1. Name Olivia Rehnström 2. address: ollierehn@hotmail.com 3. Exchange university National university of Ireland, Galway 4. City Galway 5. Country Ireland 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish spring semester (VT) 7. Academic year 2014/ What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Philosophy 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Cultural Entrepreneurship, BA 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 1,5 Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... When you choose your courses you choose six ones with 5 ECTS. They do not study one and the same field or subject during one semester and the courses all have different examination forms, some are essays, some are written exams and some are continuous assessment. This is important to know when you choose your courses so you are not stuck writing lots of essays or vice versa to have a balanced study tempo. What also differs is that they usually examine all of the courses or modules as they call them in the end of the semester so everyone are studying for the exams at almost the same time. The library during this period is really full and there is unfortunately not a lot of areas where you can sit as a group and study. This was probably the downside with the campus that you felt that you needed to be at home to study because there were not a lot of computers available either in the library and so forth. The teachers were otherwise very good educators and helpful towards their students. You could send them drafts of your essays and they would comment your work. The relationship with the lecturers was relaxed and you felt that you could ask them anything. The classes could though be very big in some cases. The Irish students felt also younger as they go directly from secondary to university so you could sometimes notice a difference in maturity level. I studied Philosophy courses which was hard but very giving. I would not recommend anyone to take all their courses in the same field if it is not required because then you have all the essays and exams at the same time and Philosophy required a lot of writing and reading but the Philosophical department was really great, the lecturers are so knowledgeable and accommodating so I would recommend to do two courses there if you are interested in the subject. It is important that when you choose courses to try to have not all the examination Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 22 av 164

13 forms in essays or exams, I would recommend you have a little of everything. But the thing is then that you have to yourself make sure that the timetable works out and you can t do this online or anything, it is up to you to literally draw or whatever. Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. Galway is not a big city so finding your way is not too hard which is nice when you are new in a place. The campus is though very big, the buildings and lecturehalls are not very logically organized so I would recommend finding your lecture halls in advance and otherwise you can always ask someone. The first days there is a lot of information about the campus, like tours and the courses you can study. They also inform a lot about what you can do in Galway, what not to do and the societies and clubs that are available. The University organizes a lot of events in the beginning but I frankly did not have time to join societies or clubs, they seemed nice but I rather just do my own thing and such. Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? I shared a small apartment with two other girls in the city centre. It was a bit expensive but very good standard compared to where other students ended up. I am happy I lived in a normal apartment and not in a student accommodation because then you could have a break from University life and you only had to share with two other people rather than a whole lot others. I would recommend joining Facebook groups like House hunting Galway and Erasmus groups to find somewhere to live, you could check daft.ie but it was hard finding something cheap and good enough and if you do not have anything then you can find while you are a place and maybe others to share it with. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? The rent was kind of the same as Uppsala, maybe a bit cheaper and the groceries were a bit cheaper if you went to places like Lidl or something. I had the grant and CSN which was sufficient for living expenses and some travelling and some shopping. But I also had my own saving from working the summer before. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? As said the University organized a lot of events. Otherwise Galway has a lot of happening every weekend so there is always something to do. You can for example go hiking every Sunday which I heard was fun. I myself did some travelling some weekends, Ireland is very small so you can see the whole country in one semester if you have the time and money. There are a lot of tours you can do and a lot of nature to experience. Culturally Galway and Dublin had a lot to offer so you are never out of things to do! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 23 av 164

14 Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. I had a great time at NUIG and in Galway/Ireland. There is always as said something happening in the city even if it is small. I thought it was nice that it wasn t too big the city, it felt safe and friendly. Irish people are very friendly even though it was hard to get to know the Irish students, it felt like they did not really open up for conversation or were interested. This was maybe a down part but otherwise I was very satisfied with my semester. The food and pub culture is a also a wonderful experience in Galway. Tips for future students is that you should take weekend trips, it is worth it and you do not need a whole year, a semester is enough to see almost all of Ireland! Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s. There is a little from outside Galway, the Connemara, Cliffs of Moher and the University building. 21. Publishing of pictures I approve of my pictures being published only in this exchange report (web/printed) Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 24 av 164