Abroad in Dublin Past Review
By Luz A (Communication and Media Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst / UMass) - abroad from 01/23/2015 to 05/23/2015 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Dublin, Ireland
I gained so many new life skills from this program! Being able to intern in another country helped me learn so much, and will definitely boost my resume.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academics were a little different from the US, so it took some time to adjust. The professors definitely know what they are talking about, though. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our advisor was located in an office on campus, and always kept her door open for students who had issues or simply wanted to talk. We received weekly emails from CAPA giving us updates on events around the city and any type of advice. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really liked that the living arrangements were right on campus. The campus is small, so you are always centrally located to classrooms and the dining hall. However, the apartments were on the smaller side (especially the bathrooms). |
| * Food: |
I was pleasantly surprised with the food not only on campus, but in the entire city of Dublin. The authentic Irish food was delicious, as well as tons of other varieties of food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Griffith College campus is very international. There were some Irish students, but it was primarily students from other European countries. The bulk of my integration happened from traveling off campus (within not only Dublin, but all of Ireland), as well as at my internship placement. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I always felt safe in Dublin, and never encountered any issues that compromised my safety. As with any city, you just have to use common sense. People do tend to say some areas of the city are seedier than others, but I personally never came across this. |
| 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) |
It is very difficult to advise on what someone's budget will be like, because it all depends on how/where you choose to spend your money. I thought of this time abroad as a once in a lifetime experience, so probably spent more money than the average student. However, overall, I would still say Dublin is a little more on the expensive side. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $170 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely try to make a budget, but be open-minded to spending a little extra. Because you will be in a brand new place, you will probably go out to eat more than you would at home. You will want to try new experiences around town, and this might be more expensive than your average day-to-day experiences at home! Also, try to plan out where you want to travel to in the beginning. This way, you can try to estimate how much money will be spent through traveling. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I took an Irish Language course. I was encourage to use the language in the classroom, as well as on field trips we would take. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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 had a better idea of how much money I would be spending. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
