Dublin is a place of positive growth Past Review
By Emily S (D'Youville College) - abroad from 05/23/2014 to 07/20/2014 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Dublin, Ireland
I learned so much about living on my own, who I am as a person, who I want to be, etc. Being so far from home and living with four strangers really teaches you patience and pushes you outside your comfort zone which will only make you grow as a person.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Griffith college offered classes in the summer that really focused on Irish culture and their lifestyle. The classes were both informative and helpful in that they gave me a better understanding of the place I was living in and the interactions with locals. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CAPA is an amazing program. The people that work for CAPA, no matter the department, are all so helpful and friendly. When living abroad and in a totally different culture it's important to feel like you are well taken care of and I felt that way the entire time I was there. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living arrangements were nice. I liked my room size and ended up becoming best friends with my roommate. The only slight negative thing I could comment on would be the showers. The hot water was broken for a period of time, but the college worked to fix it within a timely manner. |
| * Food: |
The food on campus was really good and the people working in the food service on campus were always really friendly. The prices were cheap too! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Within the first couple of weeks I felt like I was definitely part of the Irish culture. I catch myself still saying phrases the Irish use. The whole population as a whole is really welcoming and were always quick to ask if I needed help. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I started my program really ill and informed my CAPA leader on campus that I needed medial attention. She called and made the appointment for me and everything. I went to see the doctor and although it was a different experience then what I am used to at home, I received the medication I needed and was healthy again within the week. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe in every area of Dublin. The city is deemed to be "sketchy" or "dangerous" on the Northern side of the River Liffey but I always felt safe. The city isn't super big and really easy to navigate and memorize after a few weeks. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
I was able to live on roughly 150 euro a week. I did a lot of exploring on the weekends with the local tourism places but I did save myself money on buses/taxis by walking most of the program. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Walk instead of taking the Dublin bus. It's good for you and it'll save you money. Bring a certain amount of money when you go out or go drinking so you're not tempted to keep buying drinks all night. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I would've realized that I didn't have to bring as much as I did. I also wish I would've went knowing more about the conversion and the best way to pay for things without throwing a ton of International charges on my card. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
