E-mail: J.W.J.A.Pasmans@tilburguniversity.edu
Study Program: Master Social Psychology (Economic Psychology)
Exchange semester: Spring 2014
Academic year:
2013-2014
Host University: University of Limerick
Country: Ireland
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
The University of Limerick is located in Castletroy, the largest suburb of Limerick city,
which lies 5 kilometers from the city center of Limerick. Limerick is the regional
capital of the Mid-West Region of Ireland which consists of the three counties
Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary. This region is part of the province of Munster.
Limerick city is the third most populous city of the Republic of Ireland and lies on the
estuary of the River Shannon. Limerick is a medium sized city with roughly 100.000
inhabitants and therefore comparable with cities in the Netherlands like Delft and
Venlo. Because of its size and reputation (which is mostly based on false media
discourse) it is not the most vibrant city to live in, but at least everything that is
needed in a city can easily be found in Limerick (shops, bars, restaurants, markets,
cinema’s, parks, etc.). Thereby, with some active exploring even some trendy and
very comfortable places can be found within the city. My favorite hang-outs were
Nancy Blake’s, Cobblestone Joe’s and Dolan’s bar and every Saturday (9am – 1pm) I
liked to go to The Milk Market. Activities in Limerick are is also stimulated by its title
to be Ireland’s first National City of Culture in 2014. Due to this title a lot of cultural
events are organized over the year which boosts the vibrancy of Limerick. Thereby
the city (like most places in Ireland) is surrounded by beautiful nature and locations a
few steps away. A 20 kilometer (bus)drive would already bring you to the
characteristic village Adare, a small lake called Lough Gur or the lakeside town
Killaloe.
Limerick City and the River Shannon
As noted, the University of Limerick is located in a suburb of Limerick city and
is connected with the city center with a 20 minute bus ride. The campus occupies an
80 hectares sized area on the riverside of River Shannon and is fully covered with a
lot of green fields, trees and sports fields. This makes the huge campus feel very
quiet and peaceful. Spread over this area different buildings, very diverse in
architecture and years of construction are located to provide all facilities. The
university has a capacity of roughly 15.000 students (undergraduate and
postgraduate) and provides programs for a wide variety of disciplines. Each semester
there are over 400 exchange students studying in Limerick, of which almost half of
them are on an Erasmus Program and a huge majority is from the USA. All needed
study related facilities are easily available for both full-time and exchange students.
Studies are divided in six different faculties; Business, Arts, Humanities & Social
Sciences, Education, Health Sciences, Engineering and Sciences. Programs are partly
divided in various buildings but students of all disciplines are very much integrated
all through the campus and meet in the many communal areas. Students and
professors easily interact in different pubs, canteens and the courtyard at the
campus. Every Tuesday a farm market is organized on the courtyard and several
events are organized in the pubs (e.g. traditional music evenings, open mic nights
and international nights) on campus.
Furthermore, the University of Limerick
is well known for its sports facilities. A
large sports arena offers facilities for a
broad variety of sports and many clubs
and societies are organized by students
(UL Wolves) to get people involved with
a wide range of sports. UL Wolves is a
highly active organization that also
provides societies and clubs for many
other things like music, literature and
debates.
Traditional
Music night in Scholars (pub)
Different than in Tilburg, students from a broad variety of programs are clustered
and study and live together with a very active social life on campus. Most students
(both local and exchange students) live in different accommodations on campus or in
the various accommodations very close to the university. During the spring semester
most students arrive after the Christmas break, that lasts until the last week of
January and stay around campus till the end of the semester, after finishing the final
exams. Over this period, a lot of Irish students return to their parental home during
the weekends.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
The first contact I had with the University of Limerick was at the beginning of the
2013/2014 study year. I was sent a booklet with information about all the modules
(courses) that would be given during that year. Since I went to Limerick only for the
spring semester, I had plenty of time left to figure out which courses to pick. The
only requirement before departure was an online application for an Erasmus
program at the University of Limerick due to the end of October. After this
application I already received my student ID for Limerick and I already started to feel
involved with my host university. The next few months I only had to figure out which
modules seemed to be interesting. I could pick three modules related with my own
faculty and two (or more) modules from any other faculty. These courses had to be
approved by the Exchange Coordinator of both my home and host university. Then,
three weeks before the beginning of the spring semester new information was sent
to me about the final enrolment for the semester at the University of Limerick,
followed by information about an orientation program and other relevant
information related to the arrival in Limerick. Altogether, no difficulties occurred at
all. Relevant information was always offered by the University of Limerick in time
and every question was answered very politely and quick.
Visa procedure and arrival
Since Ireland is part of the European Union, no visa was needed for me to move to
Limerick for this exchange program.
I flew to Dublin from Eindhoven airport which is a short flight, taking only an hour
and a half. From Dublin airport there are busses leaving every hour towards Limerick.
Dublin Coach offers the cheapest (€15,00) connection from Dublin to Limerick, taking
two and a half hours with only one transfer in between. This bus drops you directly
at the University of Limerick and at the bus stop there are other busses leaving or
cabs waiting to continue your tour. I took a cab from that place to bring me and all
my luggage to my off-campus accommodation. I took one day for myself to explore
the neighborhood and to set up my room. Then the first time I went to the
University of Limerick was for the orientation program. All exchange students were
warmly welcomed and it was clearly explained what was expected from the students
to complete administrations. Some forms had to be filled in during the first few days
but no problems occurred at all. For uncertainties there were students available
from the University of Limerick that were specially recalled to guide new students
during the first week.
Orientation/Introduction activities
One week before the beginning of the spring semester there were several activities
organized for exchange students. For the early arrivals there already was a movie
night and a traditional Irish music night organized before the official orientation
days. Therefore, some exchange students had already met each other. During the
two official (compulsory) orientation days a lot of information was provided by
several speakers related to the University of Limerick, a tour given to explore the
campus and a communal diner was organized for all exchange students. Finally, the
first of the weekly recurring International Party Nights in Stables (one of the pubs on
campus) took place, so enough opportunities were given to socialize with other
exchange students. Some local students were involved with these orientation days
as well to guide the exchange students and to provide them with any requested
information about Limerick and the University of Limerick.
Additionally the University of Limerick organized a ‘Buddy-program’ to link any
exchange student with a full-time student (either Irish or international). I did not
take part of this program myself, but I think it can be a good back-up to have a
Buddy whom you can always approach in any circumstance. However, most other
people I’ve met at the university were very helpful and open to contribute too.
Housing
A lot of information about possible accommodation on and around campus was
provided by the exchange coordinator of the University of Limerick. The organization
of your exchange program is very much concerned about you having a safe and
comfortable accommodation, so it was often emphasized that it is important to
manage your accommodation in time. In advance, several accommodations are
suggested by the exchange coordinator that are located either on- or off-campus.
The main differences between these accommodations are based on the price and
the distance from the University of Limerick. Most available residences are student
complexes, but it is also possible to find privatized accommodation by a
landlord/landlady. However the latter should be found by yourself (via former
exchange students or proper research) and are not specifically suggested by the
university. As far as I’ve seen are all student complexes (both on- and off-campus)
very livable residences. Individual preferences should guide choices between the
alternatives, differing in the preference to live nearby campus, nearby a grocery
store, in a low-priced accommodation, etc. I have chosen to live in Groody Student
Park, an off-campus accommodation, suggested to me by a former exchange student
that went to the University of Limerick. I was pretty much satisfied with my
accommodation since it was lower priced than the on-campus accommodations, it
was nearby a cheap grocery store (10 minutes’ walk to Aldi) and it was provided with
a free washing machine and dryer. Furthermore my private room and bathroom
were comfortable as well as the shared kitchen and living room. Unfortunately it
takes a 20 minutes’ walk from Groody Student Park to go to campus, which is often a
rainy one! For approximate €100 there are second hand bikes for sale via students
which makes this easier to bridge. The reservation and payment of a room in Groody
Student Park has to be made in advance and can be done online. The advantage of
this prepayment is that you don’t have to be concerned about payments of your rent
during the semester.
Private room
Shared kitchen and living room
Living Costs
When I was planning to take part of an exchange program I took into account that I
needed to save money on forehand to finance this period. Especially since I would
not get an income from a side job during the semester. However, a major part of the
costs I made during the exchange program was actually financed by several grants. I
received an Erasmus grant of €220,- a month, a student grant of €270,- a month and
public transport allowance of €100,- a month. Together, these grants could finance
most of my monthly expenses during my exchange period. Additionally I had money
from my savings to back up shortcomings. My monthly expenses were quite
comparable with my expenses when I live in Tilburg. Everything is approximately
equal priced in Ireland, so that did not make a difference. I only spent more money
on travelling during this period than I usually do at home. For some trips the costs of
public transport is quite high, therefore it could be advised to join the International
Society (UL Wolves) to make cheap trips through Ireland. On the other hand, some
specific connections between cities are pretty cheap for students (e.g. Limerick to
Galway for €9,-!!) and cheap hostels can be find everywhere. However, like
mentioned above, the prepayment of the rent of my accommodation decreased my
monthly expenses so I came out pretty good with my finances.
As followed a rough overview of my monthly expenses:
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


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Housing: €425,- (prepayment of €1700,- for the entire semester)
Food: €150,Transport: €150,- (busses to Limerick (á €1,90 ) and travelling)
Books: €0,Miscellaneous: €250,- (Pubs, Coffee-bars, entertainment)
Academic Calendar
I arrived at Limerick on 21 th of January, two days before the orientation days. During
these days some activities had already been organized for early birds, but I took my
time just to explore the neighborhood and settle myself in Groody Student Park. The
(compulsory) orientation days were at the 23th and 24th of January. After that
subsequent weekend the semester and the first lectures started on Monday the 27 th
of January. After eleven weeks of lectures Easter Break started on the 14th of April,
lasting for one week. After that mid-term break there was only one more week of
lectures and one study week to prepare the final exams. The examination period
starts at the 5th of May and ends at the 19th of May which is the official end of the
Spring semester. During the semester some special events took place: St. Patricks
Day on the 17th of March and RAG-week during the last week of February, which is a
week full of fundraising events on the University of Limerick.
The International Office
The is an international office located in the main building of the University of
Limerick. This office is immediately shown to you during the orientation days, so
from the first moment you’ll know where to find it. The exchange coordinator(s) and
other people working at the office take care of every question you have concerning
your exchange period. They are open all day, very friendly and willing to help you.
Exchange promotion
I did not explicitly promote exchange to Tilburg University at the host university
while there were not really opportunities to do so. However, during social
interactions with students that are interested in studying abroad I often spoke about
the possibilities and advantages of studying at Tilburg University.
Social Activities
At the University of Limerick most activities for students are organized by the UL
Wolves, an organization run by students that provides more than 70 different clubs
and societies that fits with almost every imaginable hobby or sport. At the beginning
of the semester UL Wolves provides (inter)national students with a lot of
information about the organization and offers everyone the possibility to sign up for
any club or society for a small amount of money (€5,- or €10,-). This gave me the
opportunity to continue with doing sports that I used to do in Tilburg, so I joined the
Boxing society. Furthermore it gave me the opportunity to try out some new sports,
so I joined the Surfing Society which provided weekly paddling trainings in the
swimming pool and exercises in Pilates . Thereby they organized several surf trips to
several different beaches.
Especially focused on exchange students is the International Society. Most exchange
students joined this society which organized a lot of different trips during the entire
semester (e.g. Cliffs of Moher, Cork, Belfast and much more). These trips were
relatively cheap and gave a lot of opportunities to travel almost through the entire
country. However these activities were pretty attractive and I heard a lot of good
stories about them, I preferred to travel by myself so I didn’t join much of these
trips. Another thing that is organized by the International Society is the weekly Thank
God It’s Friday evenings in Stables where most exchange students meet each other.
This provides a very good opportunity to get in contact with a lot of people (both
local and international) and to have a good night out on campus.
I spent most of my time with some international friends I’ve met during the
orientation days. Together we made some nice trips to several places in Ireland (see
below). We mostly travelled by public transportation.
1.Killarney, Ross Castle at Lough Leane
2.Wicklow National Park, ‘Guinness Lake’
3.Adare, Co. Limerick
4.Inch Beach, Dingle Peninsula
Culture and Language
In general the Irish culture is not that
different from the Dutch culture.
Therefore I did not experience a
culture shock during my exchange
period. However, there are several
things I’ve learned about the Irish that
are very characteristic. Irish people
are very friendly and will always greet
one another. People are very talkative
and are open for spontaneous
conversations with both
acquaintances and strangers. This
characteristic merges with a vibrant
pub life in which all kinds of people
come together for drinks (delicious
pints, e.g. Guinness!) and talks and
where live music is very much
respected. In almost every pub you
can find musicians playing together on
most days of the week. Irish
traditional music is still very much
5. Dingle Peninsula
emphasized, but the life-music scene goes much beyond that. With its rich history,
Irish culture is propagated proudly by most Irish people. For example, famous writers
(e.g. James Joyce, Oscar Wilde) and musicians (e.g. Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher,
U2) are honored in many ways. Thereby, Irish people like to talk about Ireland
themselves and like to hear about your opinion of it. Ireland’s original language,
Gaeilge, is also kept a Ireland’s first language. It is educated in primary school for
several years and traffic signs are still lettered in both Gaeilge and English. However,
on a daily basis almost everyone in Ireland only speaks English. Although these
cultural characteristics are very interesting and all have its beauty, I also recognized
some things of Dutch culture that I really missed during my exchange period. A big
contrast that I noticed was the difference between the ambitious, progressive
attitude prevailing in Dutch culture, which I mostly know from the educational
system. I missed a lot of motivation and passion of my Irish colleagues at the
university, but also from other Irish people I’ve met. Thereby there is a big difference
between the (very!) liberal attitude of most Dutch people towards a lot of social and
political issues and the attitude of most Irish people I’ve met. However it is hard to
generalize these notifications, since it is possible that I’ve just met some specific
people with a less liberal attitude. Still, these were two contrasts between our
cultures which I strongly experienced during my exchange period.
Furthermore it was pretty easy to adapt to Ireland and the Irish culture because, as
said above, it is not that different from the Dutch culture. Also, Ireland offers a lot of
things that are hard to find in the Netherlands. Especially the beautiful nature and
diversity in the environment were very attractive to me. I also didn’t find much
difficulties with adapting to the language since I could speak English with every Irish
and international person I’ve met. On forehand I wasn’t much aware of my English
language skills, but while I spent much time with a lot of international students it
became clear that we’re very well educated in English language in the Netherlands.
Therefore I did not follow any additional language course during my exchange period
to bridge a language gap.
Personal Development
During my exchange period in Ireland I obtained a lot of knowledge of the Irish
culture, but also about many other cultures because of the interactions with a lot of
international students. This broadens your horizon and puts your own culture in a
new perspective by which I appreciate it more. It has taught me better to take
individual differences into account during social interactions. This skill is beneficial
for both my career and social life.
Furthermore I think I became a bit more independent of my stable social
environment and I learned to be completely on my own. By putting myself in a new
situation in a new environment I was forced to see myself from a new perspective
and overthink my self-image again. It was very comfortable for me to take my time
to do this once again. Finally it was very pleasurable to get more respect for my
situation back home and the people around me.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic level at a host university
All modules offered at the University of Limerick, except some language modules,
are given in English. I did not have much difficulties in keeping up with the modules I
took because of the language, since most of the modules I took at Tilburg University
were taught in English too. The only barrier was due to the strong Irish accent some
lecturers had, which took a few weeks for me to understand sufficiently.
The level of education at the University of Limerick is quite comparable with the
level of education at Tilburg University. While I followed some modules from my
own faculty and some modules from different faculties I did not have too much
problems with keeping up with the level of education in some modules and I
experienced enough challenge from other modules. Also the workload for every
module was very comparable with modules at Tilburg University. The only significant
difference for me was to be found in the grading system. To pass for most modules
or assignments you have to be correct for at least 40% of the test, while the grading
system at Tilburg University often requires 60% or more.
The teaching methods used in the modules I took differed per module. Some
modules were mostly theoretical and based on the discussion of scientific papers
and lectures. Others were mostly practical and required only individual and/or group
assignments. Then other modules combined lectures and group assignments. This
diversity was very pleasurable and fitted for most modules.
At the University of Limerick, but maybe in all educational systems in Ireland, there is
a very open relationship between students and the teaching staff. I think this is
mostly due to the friendly and talkative attitude of Irish people. Before, during and
after lectures or tutorials students and lectures interact a lot in a very friendly way to
discuss either study related or non-related issues. All together I experienced my
academic achievements as very satisfying for these reasons. I learned a lot of all the
modules I took and they were educated in a very satisfying way. Thereby, I liked
taking modules in a different educational system with (slightly) different methods.
Exams
I had to sit three final exams for the modules I took and these were very different
from the examination I was used to at Tilburg University. However, on forehand they
were properly discussed by the lecturers so I knew what to expect. All three exams
were based on the same structure. Several topics discussed in a module were
pointed out at the beginning of the exam. Then a selection of two topics had to be
made to write an essay about. You get two hours to write both essays, which are
expected to contain +/- 2.5 pages per topic. For a proper preparation to write these
essays most topics were already outlined during the final lectures.
Other
The library at the University of Limerick is easily accessible for all students during the
entire week (also in weekends). The library provides workplaces with and without
PC’s, however most PC’s are often occupied so there is often a line to wait for a free
workplace. However in several other building on campus there are public computer
available which are less often occupied. I often went to Kemmy Business School for a
workplace.
Description of Courses
Course
PS4108
Approaches to Social
Identity
Course
level
Ba
Grading
ECTS
Comments
30% group debate
70% written exam
(essay questions)
6
High level social psychology course.
Very theoretical (based on scientific
articles) but applied in relevant case
studies.
Very practical exercises of (e.g.)
statistic part of psychological
research.
PS4034 Empirical
Psychology II
Ba
50% report quantitative
research
50% report qualitative
research
50% group assignment 6
50% written exam
(essay questions)
MK4014
Branding
Ba
MK4006
Marketing
Management (nonBusiness)
Ba
50% group assignment
50% individual
assignment
6
SO4078 Inequality and
Social Exclusion
Ba
100% written exam
(essay questions)
6
Relevant marketing insights. Well
balanced implementation of
theoretical insights and practical
applications. Very appealing
examples of branding strategies.
Very practical application of
evaluating marketing strategies and
writing a marketing plan. High
relevant marketing for marketing
laymen.
High-level sociology on very
interesting topics, accessible for
non-sociology students. Insight on
relevant and applicable social
issues.
Tips for the future students:
I would definitely recommend an exchange period since it can truly broaden your
horizon and offers you highly individual experience. You really spent your time based
on your own motivations. It is a really unique chance to go abroad and get integrated
in a community of (international) students so easily. This allows you to experience to
adapt to a new social and natural environment without giving up anything of your
regular daily life. The threshold to make a step and take this opportunity is much
lower than I’d expected and it is really worth it. I would recommend people to go to
the University of Limerick, especially if you’re really interested in the Irish culture
and nature. It is easy to further explore Ireland from Limerick which compensates for
the city that can quickly become boring. Thereby, the campus and its study facilities
offers you a very comfortable place to study.
Finally I would say to potential Erasmus students that it is not that scary to take a
leap of faith. It is an opportunity that is just in front of you and is worth taking.