Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Utterly Amazing. Past Review

By (Hood College) - abroad from 01/28/2016 to 05/27/2016 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Dublin, Ireland

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much about myself and others. Particularly about meshing with the culture of others around me and embracing peoples differences. Yes, 100% worth while.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My classes were wonderful abroad. There were some issues with the courses I had planned to take, but CAPA quickly helped me find alternatives.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The staff on site at CAPA Dublin were a major highlight of my experience. They were helpful and reliable and a wonderful resource for anything and everything I needed abroad.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

There was an incident with my housing due to an incompatible roommate situation and some small downfalls of Griffith College itself, but nothing CAPA could have prevented. However, they did everything they could to remedy the situation.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Not only did we live in Dublin like residents, but we were exposed to the true bones of the city and its immense history through the CAPA's Exploring the Global City: Dublin course.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Griffith College is extremely safe. They have various security measures both for entering the campus itself and in the housing accommodations.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

CAPA Dublin was one of the best experiences of my life so far and I would do it all over again if I was given the opportunity.

Finances

* 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)

Dublin is not an expensive city. There were reasonably priced food options close by, plus a grocery store and a fully equipped kitchen in all of our apartments which made cooking for ourselves very easy. Also CAPA inclusion on the bus card in our program help me more easily get around with remaining on budget.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Have a plan on how much you are going to spend on each things, Food, clothes, souvenirs and especially outside travel you are going to do and then add some more on top of that. It is very easy to travel cheaply in Europe and you never know what deals will come up that you want to take advantage on.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Staff
  • Location
  • Overall Experiece
* What could be improved?
  • Communication with Griffith beforehand regarding class schedules
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That it was going to end and I was going to wish for it to just be beginning. I would have embraced every moment even more.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.