Student’s Name: James Connolly
UL Course: International Business
Academic Year: 2016 / 2017
Semester: Autumn
Host University: University of Massachusetts Boston
Host University Code: UMASS
The following essay discusses my studies and experience in attending college in the University of
Massachusetts Boston. I will discuss the main differences between life at UMASS Boston and the University of
Limerick academically, socially, financially and also reveal some tips for moving there.
Before departing to Boston I first had to write a letter stating my reasons for choosing this particular
university. This letter was very short/informal and just gave a general gist of what my reasons for studying
there was, I don’t think this affected my acceptance and was not graded or ever presented to me again.
Following this I had to fill out some forms with my details such as home address, date of birth, transcript for
college, passport photo etc. (it also included information such as social security number, visa and other travel
based stuff but this did not really apply to me as much as I was a U.S. citizen). I was then sent a form where I
had to select my modules choices. Although I was not really sure which level the courses were I was given
some advice from my course director and we had access to the UMASS Boston web based portal where it
showed the name of courses to choose from and who was teaching these courses. I was mainly focused on
economics and finance and was advised by my home university to choose microeconomic theory and
macroeconomic theory. Based on personal ideas I choose financial accounting and a communications course.
I had never taken an accounting module and considered Erasmus an opportunity to take an interest in the
topic and see how it panned out while the grades were based on pass/fail. I would advise to take great care
when selecting courses. The microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory courses I learned after some
time during my experience were renowned as the most difficult modules in the college. Although I did pass
both modules other students in the class were failing badly and large groups of students would meet up
regularly just to try and understand the material, with the more difficult grading scale (60 and over to pass) it
is not worth taking the more difficult options, the other two modules were very manageable and resulted in
good grades. The international students adviser (Lulene van Buren) who you will probably be dealing with a
bit before and during your time there was quite unhelpful. Staff in the college were generally very nice and
attending to your needs so if you are stuck and cannot get in touch with Lurlene I would recommend asking
other members of staff.
Student life at UMASS Boston was very separate from that in my home university. It began on orientation day
where all of the incoming international students were brought into a large room and given presentations
about student life, what to expect, how to behave and cultural differences commonly found for students
coming over. There were very few natively English speaking students with the vast majority coming from Asia
and most of the rest from South America. UMASS Boston had has approximately 35,000 students and quiet a
large campus. One of the main differences between itself and UL (University of Limerick) was that it was a
commuter college. This means that there is no on campus or nearby accommodation and most students
either take the train or drive to college. I took the train which was quiet expensive but worked for the whole
city and you could buy monthly passes. The commuter college identity meant that going to college itself
tended to be for academic reasons although there were many clubs and societies within UMASS and a very
active student population. In terms of integrating into the new school there wasn’t much organized activities
other than orientation. We didn’t get a tour of the campus so I would recommend exploring it a bit before
attending your first day. Also there was no real events for the international students to get to know each
other so the best opportunity for socializing really came in the classroom or within clubs and societies. I joined
a fraternity and a few sports clubs which helped a lot for making new friends and meeting new people,
especially when mixing with locals. The social aspect is quiet similar to that of Ireland. People were generally
very friendly and welcoming of international students particularly within clubs and societies. In terms of
academics (which I briefly mentioned above) the biggest difference was the grading scale. Over 90 was an A
and anything below 60 was an F. The modules generally tended to be much less focused on a final exam and
more through coursework, presentations and midterms.
While I was there I had great difficulty finding a place to live. If I were to advise someone on what to do in this
scenario my best recommendation would be to get in touch with Irish centers over in Boston. I got in touch
with the Irish immigration center, GAA teams, the Irish pastoral center and a few contacts which I generated
from home. Also to ask the people you get to know, I eventually found somewhere through 3 Scottish friends I
met on orientation day so getting to know your peers early is important in that regard. Accommodation was
very expensive so be realistic when searching for properties but make sure you aren’t being overcharged or
living somewhere unsuitable.
For the exams they were much more laid back than in UL. The tests generally took place in classrooms
without inspectors just your own teacher o one other one. The tests aren’t particularly different to home
though they tend to be worth less percentage of your overall grade (not the scenario for all courses). Again
the grading scale ranges from F or fail (less than 60) to A (93 and over) but the format of correcting and
degree of difficulty is taking into account when giving a final grade. For certain modules the test scores,
attendance, participation and course were taken into account and an overall grade was decided by the
teacher based on comparison to other students. The teachers were also pretty lenient when it came to
changing exams. I changed my flights meaning I had to change nearly all of my exam times to earlier in the
exam week and this was fine once I could find a convenient time for the teacher and gave plenty of notice.
The classes run from 7am to 9pm to facilitate students who are both in college and working full-time but the
layout allows you to choose your module based on what time they are on and who is teaching them. To see
the quality of teacher a surprising amount of students use ratemyteacher.com in UMASS Boston and evaluate
teachers on degree of difficulty of course and strength of teaching ability.
In terms of cultural experience a language barrier did not exist in my case. In general the U.S culture was very
similar to that of Ireland so there wasn’t really any culture shock in that regard. Being there during the time of
the U.S. election meant we got to witness some political disagreement along with protests and debates but
this wasn’t anything especially strange. The food was quiet similar with a few basic, expected exceptions. The
biggest cultural difference was the age difference for legal alcohol consumption, being under the age of
twenty one meant that I went from legally allowed to go out to no longer being able to so that I something
that needs to be taken into account before coming over if you are a someone who likes to go out a lot.
As mentioned early for getting verified in your modules, getting a student card etc. you must bring a passport
and visa or evidence of residency. Some other little things such as extra ID photos, bank statement and
passport photos may come in handy as well. For travel outside of the country you must get a form signed by
your international studies coordinator (Lurlene van Buren), even if you’re just going back home to Ireland.
Transport in the city is very useful and efficient. Although it can be quiet expensive the trains run all around
the city and are very easy to use. There is also bus services around the city but the trains extend to the
outskirts and tend to be quicker and easier. It was a little bit cheaper to buy weekly or monthly passes than to
buy individual passes each time but the difference between weekly and monthly was marginal. Although it is
quite expensive (around 80-90 dollars per month) I believe there is a way of getting a student discount for the
trains but you must register before a deadline which was a few weeks before coming over (I recommend
contacting the international coordinator about this as early as possible as she did not inform us of this
possibility). When travelling around rush hour, particularly from the city or UMASS the trains get extremely
full so try to avoid the 5:30 trains.
Boston is full of things to do. There are lots of sports between American football, soccer, basketball, baseball
etc. Boston has very successful sports teams as well so even if you don’t have a great interest it is well worth
checking out. There are lots of beaches and lakes also. Cape Cod is where most go during the summer so if
there is an opportunity early on in the semester it’s a great place to see. The main tourist attractions would be
going to the top of the prudential and looking out on the city, going to the J.F.K museum, Salem, particularly
during Halloween, where the witch trials took place and the church of Scientology. There is plenty to do like
shopping, bars, clubs, bowling alleys, museums and parks which get more and more can as you get closer to
the city. There is also a great Irish heritage in Boston so lots if Irish people and Irish American people are
around as well as Irish pubs, pastoral centres, GAA teams and restaurants.
My advice while on Erasmus in Boston is to travel. Boston is an amazing city with lots to do but I’d definitely
recommend getting out of their at least once or twice for a trip. The fraternity offered a great opportunity to
travel as we got to go to Syracuse and met other young people both from Syracuse and at UMASS as well as
see the area and experience the social life of one of the highest regarded colleges for sports, academics and
social life. Buses run from Boston train station to New York, Washington D.C and Philadelphia and although
they can be quite lengthy if you book well in advanced they turn out to be very cheap considering how great
these places are. During my time there I also made a trip to Toronto with some of my friends from college.
Getting the Canadian visa was very cheap and easy, while only taking about 24-48 hours to process and come
through. Living in America is an amazing opportunity to travel and the visa only lasts for so long so you should
definitely make the most of it while you can.
Another tip for Erasmus at UMASS Boston is to save before coming. The city is very expensive for basic things
like food, travel, housing etc. and if you want the opportunity to travel outside of Boston you will need to
bring a lot of money over. I didn’t receive a grant whilst in Boston but did an internship the summer before
going so I had lots of money saved up and it went much quicker than expected. Also legally no student is
allowed to work during the first semester of their college life in the state of Massachusetts so although jobs
were available working is not an option. The only exception I can think of is if you get a job within the
university but I did not apply for this so again I recommend contacting the international students coordinator
and ask in advance about this to give yourself the best opportunity to get the few jobs available. There is also
a UMASS Boston fee which cannot be wiped by the university of Limerick for around 500 dollars which should
be stated in the contract. Beware as upon arrival this cost had risen to close to 700 dollars despite the contract
stating otherwise.
Lastly I would recommend to pack for 2 climates. The weather changed drastically over the four months.
During the first month and a half or so it was very hot and sunny. It would reach around thirty degrees on a
daily basis and was very humid. Take this opportunity to do outdoor based activities like swimming or boat
rides around the city and days on the beach. The Winter was freezing. By mid-October it was very cold and by
November it was below zero. There was lots of snow and blizzards during December so definitely bring plenty
of layers and very warm clothes. Also bring good shoes as the roads and footpaths get very slippery. Although
the cold weather is generally not convenient but Boston is about two hours away from skiing and
snowboarding areas so this could be a good trip for the cold weather.
In summary my main advice for Erasmus in UMASS Boston is to take every opportunity to travel, budget with
your money and prepare for the differentiating weather. Be careful when selecting modules and try to
organise accommodation before travelling, if possible.