The most amazing 4 months of my entire life Past Review
By Maggie M (Communication, University of Massachusetts Amherst / UMass) - abroad from 01/23/2015 to 05/23/2015 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Dublin, Ireland
I evolved so much as a person and became so much more independent and mature. I now know that I can do anything I set my mind to and have the ability to do whatever I want.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I definitely learned a lot educationally while I was abroad, but I found myself treating the classes with less seriousness than I would at my home university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CAPA Dublin provided the best staff right on campus ready to answer any questions we had! The staff made my transition to Dublin so easy and I am so thankful for them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in dorms in Dublin which I haven't lived in for over a year. Although they weren't what I expected, I liked how close they were to my classes and that all the CAPA students were together. |
| * Food: |
Dublin has the best food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Irish people are so thoughtful and kind, they always made an effort in reaching out and engaging in conversation. I also loved the fact that I got to take classes with real, authentic Irish kids and that for once I was the minority. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There was never one moment where I felt in danger in Dublin. |
| 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 am very smart with my money in general and tried extra hard while I was abroad. There were times when I needed to call my parents for help, but I never wanted to let money dictate what I could or could not do |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $85 if I was not traveling, but approx $350 if I was spending the weekend traveling |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Think before you buy souvenirs! Are you really going to need that 30 Euro T shirt in a year? Save the money for something worthwhile! |
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 had explored my host country more than traveling to other cities around Europe. |
