CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Dublin, Ireland

This past summer I traveled to Dublin, Ireland with CEA CAPA. I had an overall wonderful experience and found the staff both pre departure and within my host country to be very helpful. They were quick with responses and assisting in any worries that I might have had. While there, we had two CEA CAPA planned trips that were very fun and a good chance to explore the country. I met so many wonderful people on the trip too. Over all my experience was really great!

I studied abroad In Dublin, Ireland, with CAPA, and it was the experience of a lifetime. I went for my spring semester of 2020, so my experience was cut short; however, I did get to go for about 50 days. To start, the people at CAPA were so helpful before and while I was there. Any questions you have, they can answer, which helped relieve my stress. CAPA is a great company that wants to make the transition as easy as possible. The city is absolutely beautiful, and it is easy to get around! Dublin is filled with history, culture, and amazing people. They have an excellent public transportation system as well, and you can walk everywhere. As a hospitality major, it was fantastic to take classes from a different perspective. I met some of the nicest people while I was there, and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

An experience of a lifetime! CAPA supported me from the moment I applied to the moment I arrived in Ireland. CAPA made me feel safe and kept me engaged and informed while I was in Dublin. Anyone who wants to study and learn about the culture of Dublin is the place to visit. I learned so much about the history and the culture of Ireland. Be apart of a family and go with someone who will connect and show you the ins and out of the country CAPA is the program to go with!

I am so glad that I spent my summer 2019 abroad in Dublin, Ireland. It was without a doubt the most fun and adventurous summer I have ever had in my life. The program I was in lasted ten weeks. CAPA did a great job coordinating both my classes and my internship. CAPA was instrumental in setting everything up beforehand (where I would be staying, where I would be taking classes, etc.) as well as maintaining the same helpfulness after we had arrived. Studying at Griffith college was an amazing opportunity and a new experience for me, as I had never taken classes outside of my home university. The university is only about a mile away, which doesn't seem very far after the all of the walking you will inevitably be doing around Dublin. I was also very happy with my internship. CAPA asked me a few questions beforehand regarding my interests and where I would like to be placed. I really enjoyed the company I ended up working for. CAPA also provided everyone with detailed directions on how to navigate the city and get to your internship site, along with bus fares if needed. Lastly, the housing accommodations were very nice. Staycity apartments, where we stayed, is a very nice apartment complex that typically holds four people in two bedrooms, a kitchenette, a small living room, and a balcony.

I studied in Dublin in the fall of 2019. I was the only student from my college, and I was completely terrified. I had never traveled further than outside the New England area, much less out of the country. In addition to this, I was a first semester senior. So I knew going in that this may be one of my most challenging semesters. Especially in a new academic environment, different from any other I had been exposed to. Most of my worries and fears stemmed from this. I was petrified that I wouldn’t be able to handle my course load. Since I was a senior, my home institution required that I take 5 courses, as well as an internship while in Dublin. I had already known that I had good time management skills. At home I had taken five classes and worked during one semester. I knew I could do it at home, but I was worried that the cultural differences would make it difficult for me to succeed. I have never been so happy to be wrong in my life. They say that studying abroad changes you in ways that you’d never imagine. I can say from first hand experience that they are absolutely true. My semester abroad was the best that I have ever had. I ended up becoming friends with everyone in my program! This made my transition and adjustment so much easier. In addition to this, I had the endless support of the CAPA staff in Dublin. If ever I had a question, comment, concern, or just wanted to share something I had learned, they were always there and more than happy to listen. My courses were some of the best I’ve ever taken while in college. Each lecturer made their class filled with new knowledge in ways that I can apply to my career. We analyzed problems for real-life scenarios, then worked as a group to find real life solutions. As a business major, with hope of one day starting my own business, this is incredibly useful. My internship was one of my favorite places to be during the week. I worked 15 hours, going to my site four days out of the week. My internship was at a startup Irish fashion company called Tonn. They make specialty T-shirts themed with the beauty of Ireland. I learned so much from being there. The company itself is only made up of four to five people, so I was able to see first hand the ups, downs, joys, and struggles of owning your own business. Here I learned how to plan for the unexpected, when and how to cope with frustrations, as well as when to walk away. In the U.S. I feel we sometimes struggle with this. Sometimes we take on more than we can chew, or get so invested in what we are doing that we can forget how important it is to take a break. My internship and my courses taught me that walking away and taking breaks are essential to success. While we would love to complete a task all at once, it is important to remember that we are not robots. We cannot run, continuously, forever. We are all human, and that is what makes us unique. They say that studying abroad changes you in ways you can’t imagine. I can say that they are right. My time abroad allowed me to learn more about myself than I ever had before. It allowed me room to grow as a person, and find myself in places I’d never thought I’d be. I have made relationships that will last a lifetime, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

In the Fall of 2019, I studied at Griffith College with approximately 20 other American students, and it was an experience I will never forget. For as much as you grow in college, nothing matures you faster than a semester abroad. You are pushed out of your comfort zone, but in the best way possible. Through CAPA's program, I met such amazing friends from across the country, some hailing from L.A., NYC, and everywhere in between. I was challenged academically in a way much different from the U.S. Rather than having the daily, rigorous demands of homework and lectures in stuffy halls, my CAPA classes such as Global Cities required us to go into the city and immerse ourselves with the people, with the culture, and most importantly, the unfamiliar. A semester abroad will mostly be filled with experiences that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable. However, those moments of uncertainty often grow into the best moments and without a doubt, the most educational. For instance, my suitemates and I learned to cook for ourselves, which although was sometimes disastrous, it led to some of the most unforgettable moments from my semester. We learned to take public transportation using the Dublin Bus system, we became comfortable with traveling (especially with the wonderful accessibility of flights through the Dublin airport) and began to seek out new experiences. We became comfortable with the unfamiliarity that we experienced, and that's something you don't always have on a college campus in the states. Before I departed on my flight for my semester abroad, I felt terrified. I was unsure as to whether or not I would enjoy the semester, if I would feel terribly homesick, or if I would make true friends while away for four months. I was so fearful of what I was about to embark on. But now, I would jump on that plane and redo the semester in a heartbeat. I feel as though I grew so much throughout my time there, as I made decisions on my own, branched out and made new friends, and most definitely lived outside the bounds of my comfort zone. Even though I did get homesick at times, or was unsure of how to go about things in Dublin or at Griffith, CAPA had an amazing team on call to help with any issues. The CAPA Representatives present (Hayley, Darren, Suzanna, and Anna) truly made the semester flawless and enjoyable. As they hosted trips to the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Belfast, and even some delicious meals in between, they made you feel self-assured and confident in your abilities while abroad. It was a decision I have never regretted in my life. CAPA Dublin was a once in a lifetime experience for me, and I will forever look back on it as the best four months of my life. Coming from a girl who was so nervous and shy before her semester, this program allows for GROWTH and RISK in the best way possible. Take that chance, apply for the program, and hop on that flight. You won’t regret it!

I studied abroad through CAPA’s Dublin program for an entire semester.My two favorite things about CAPA’s program is their opportunity to do an internship and the attention they put towards making you feel like you’re truly apart of a community. There was only about 22 people in the program so we all bonded very quickly. CAPA organized so many events so that everybody could become a second family. From walking tours around Dublin on our first day to weekly lunches, movie and game nights, to thanksgiving dinner to side trips to places like Galway and Belfast. CAPA really put effort into making Dublin feel like a second home. Our three advisors were always there 24/7 to make us feel comfortable and safe our group always called them our Irish mom, dad, and big sister. When I think back to why I loved all of my experiences abroad it’s because of the people I was with. By far the best part of being in Dublin was my internship. Before going abroad students send their resume and a general cover letter to CAPA and they set you up with a skype interview with an internship.I interned for a non profit organization called Fighting Words which was founded by popular Irish author Roddy Doyle. Fighting Words holds daily creative workshops for primary and secondary students. Students come to Fighting Words on a field trip. In the morning we had a class of primary school children and I took turns with the other interns to teach the workshop where I would go through the basics and foundations of what a story needs such as a main character, title, plot. The kids worked together to come up with the story and they came up with the funniest things like a main character who is a french fry who’s greatest wish is to get a pet unicorn and is afraid of being dunked in ketchup and then they would break off into tables of 3 to 4 where an intern would sit with them and help them finish writing the story and create illustrations. In the afternoon the secondary school students came and we’d give them a situation such as you’re both in trouble in the principal’s office but only one of you actually did it and then we’d have them improv a scene. We’d type out their dialogue and then we’d get the class to fill in the gaps and create a story and then they’d also break up into groups with an intern to finish writing their own stories. There was honestly no better feeling than getting a hug from a kid or to hear them walking out saying they wanna come back here everyday. It solidify my future career goals to be in education and work with students. For doing this internship I got 6 credits and I worked 20 hours a week. Once a week CAPA held a night class where we discussed our internship. We learned how to “sell” our internship during interviews and we had to write reflections on our internship and what we learned about the culture. At the end of the semester we had to do a mock interview where we talked about abroad experience. These assignments and the class were where we earned our 6 credits from. CAPA requires you to take a minimum of 12 credits so I had to take two classes along with my internship. I actually loved my internship so much that I wished I could’ve done it full time but I really enjoyed my classes as well. The first class I took was called Irish History & Culture. We met once a week for three hours. Each class was a 40 minute lecture about Irish history followed by a 2 hour field trip with in Dublin. These field trips included walking tours, visits to Trinity College, ChristChurch Cathedral, Dublin Castle, the Dublina museum, and the Irish Emigration museum. We were graded on our weekly reflection that were 800 words where we had to tie in the lecture from class to our experience on the field trip. The second class I took was a film studies class that also met once a week for 3 hours. We had an hour long lecture and then used the rest of the class for screening of that week’s film. We went through different units of various film genres such as Italian neorealism, French new wave, and road movies at the end of each unit we were assigned a paper where we picked a film to focus on and show how it exemplified that genre. Being in Dublin was a memorable, life-changing and magical experience.

I got the opportunity to study abroad in Dublin, Ireland Summer 2019 with the CAPA and the University of Florida. Upon my arrival, they placed me in the best internship of my life. I got the opportunity to intern for IP Telecom, which was one of the main reasons I loved this program as much as I did. I learned so many qualities and skills I could not have if I stayed in the states for a summer internship. The CAPA representatives in Dublin are amazing, from tips on how to live to where to travel in your free time. They provide you with great living accommodations, a weekly memo of interesting things to go to, and a few events through the program span. All and all, this program was amazing for me and I recommend fully.

I had the opportunity to intern abroad in Dublin this summer as a part of the CAPA Dublin -Summer program. Before it was time to leave, CAPA staff sent out plenty of resources that made me comfortable and prepared to go on the trip. The phone calls and emails were very much appreciated. When I got to Dublin, the CAPA staff embraced the students' independence and gave us a lot of freedom and little structure upon arrival. Our housing arrangements in the Staycity apartments were very nice although the cleaning staff did not clean the aparthotels as often as they advertised. The internship placement was very interesting and made me really excited to go to Dublin when I was first informed about where I'd be interning. Unfortunately, the summertime at my internship is a dry season so there was not much work to do. There were a lot of days where I barely did anything. I only had one other co-intern and we worked in a tiny office space with enough space for the two of us, so we did not have much interaction with the other employees. My experience exploring the city and engaging in the culture was amazing. CAPA offered plenty of resources to find things to do in the city! Overall, I would love to go back to Ireland again with some friends.

The reason I recommend choosing CAPA is that their students are their number one priority. Safety, accommodation, and communication were their three main objectives. The course content for our classes were so interesting and fun including the Exams! Studying abroad itself is a huge step and CAPA makes every effort to make that experience a valuable one!

I studied abroad in Dublin at an international business school right in the city centre, and it was one of the best experiences of my entire life. I lived about a 20 minute walk from school, so I was able to see and experience the city every single day, and the community at school and in my apartment was amazing. I didn't think city living was for me, but Dublin has an amazing sense of community for a capital city, and I fell in love with the country and the culture. CEA took us on some amazing trips, and the staff at the school were incredible. I would recommend this program to anyone looking to have the experience of a lifetime while also getting great, hands-on education.

I studied abroad at Dublin City University in Glasnevin/ North Dublin. I had such an incredible time in Dublin. The CEA administration is made up of the kindest, most enthusiastic people. They're so great and obviously love what they do. A lot of events were planned for us and they were all fantastic, I had such an incredible time exploring Ireland with the group of internationals. I made a lot of friendships that will last a life time and even see myself living in Ireland when I finish out my studies in the states. I seriously could not have asked for a better experience. The team at CEA really prepared me and helped me through the process of applying up to the point when I was there, and then on site staff was about to help me from there. Ireland is incredible, and if you're thinking about studying abroad, I say definitely do it.

Interning and studying with CAPA Dublin at Griffith College exceeded my expectations. The advisors Hayley, Susanne, and Darren were all so helpful and welcoming! I interned at the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and gained so much real world experience. The professors at the school were all so helpful and understood that we were adjusting to a new culture. I loved taking the Sociology of the Media class, since I am a broadcasting major, because it opened my eyes up to how media organisations work in Europe. I stayed in the flats on campus which was super convenient to go to classes, and was only a 25 minute walk from Dublin City Centre. We were able to be involved in the student clubs on campus and there were plenty events to mix with other students from all over the world! During my time in Dublin, I was able to travel around Ireland on my own, as well as go to other countries on the weekends. Two trips were also included in this program, where we went to the Cliffs of Moher and Belfast. Bus cards were also provided in order to travel around the city. I believe that the support group and the fantastic internships that many of my friends were able to land is what makes this program stand out.

Dublin is a vibrant city that offers the appeal of small-town charm, with all the amenities of an international city - and international it is! I was very excited to see that though I was studying in Ireland, I was also able to meet people from all different backgrounds. Griffith College does a great job of supporting this too, as a large proportion of the student body population is international students. The advisors and program managers at CAPA Dublin do a great job of supporting CAPA students during their time in Dublin. They truly want to see students grow both personally and professionally, and they offered constant aid whenever we needed them. In addition, I participated in an internship with Dress for Success Dublin during my semester abroad. This enhanced my study abroad experience and made the learning experience so much more valuable. Furthermore, the opportunity to discuss my internship in a classroom setting assisted in gaining a better perspective of the Irish work environment. I made life-long friends during my time with CAPA in Dublin, and this is an opportunity that I hope everyone gets to experience!

When someone mentions the luck of the Irish they are actually referring to how lucky it is for students to study abroad in Dublin with CAPA. CAPA offers the best of both worlds when it comes to interning and studying abroad. Griffith College is a great school that blends international students with the local students for a hands-on approach within their classes. Along with the studies, the living conditions CAPA offers through Griffith College is superb. The rooms are extremely well-kept and allow you to interact with those surrounding you. The immersive experiences such as the internships and excursions CAPA offers are unlike any other study abroad program. I absolutely loved my internship placement, Olytico, and learned so much from them in a short period of time. Excursions such as the trips to Belfast and the Cliffs of Moher were great additions to the program. Overall, I wouldn't want to study abroad with any other program besides CAPA!

What I mostly gained from my experience abroad was development of professional skills, such as time management because I had to balance my time between school work and traveling to make the most of my trip. It was also eye-opening to meet different people from different backgrounds. What I liked most about the program is that they provide you a public transportation card and individual free time, so I was able to travel around the city with my friends either shopping for souvenirs or sightseeing. With that being said, one piece of advise I would give to anyone thinking about traveling abroad in general is: bring more money (to either exchange currency or have a credit card that doesn't charge a fee for foreign transactions)!

CAPA was an incredible program that helped me go beyond my horizons and helped me go outside my comfort zone! I made friends with the locals and improved my navigation skills. The CAPA advisors were super friendly and helpful when it came to any issues. The working and living culture was laid back and carefree. It was really easy to navigate throughout Dublin and the excursions were so fun! I definitely recommend this program for everyone!

I loved my experience in Dublin! There is so much to do in the city. If you like hiking trails and pretty views there are plenty of those. The CAPA program gives you a free bus card you are able to use the public transportation for free. The program also included a trip to Belfast, and Cliffs of Moher/ Galway. I like that I was able to live on a campus in apartments because it was easy to meet people. I also felt welcomed when I was in Dublin. The people in Ireland are so friendly and welcoming. I would recommend this program.

Studying abroad this past summer in Dublin with this CAPA program truly did give me the best three months of my life. I learned so much about Irish culture, intercultural competence, and especially myself during this experience that helped shape me into who I am today. The on-site administration of the program in Dublin were fantastic! They were very personable and always willing to help us with whatever we needed. I was also very pleased with the housing, an "aparthotel" called Staycity. The location was perfect, the lobby was open 24/7 with receptionists, and the apartments were cleaned once a week. I really enjoyed living there! I absolutely loved studying abroad in Dublin and would go back in a heartbeat. This program included everything needed to have a worry-free, fun, and safe experience abroad in a city that I love.

I had an amazing time on the CAPA Dublin program! The courses were not as academically rigorous as my home university, but that was acceptable for me because I was more interested in exploring and becoming immersed in the culture than focusing on my academics. However, Griffith College had great student resources and there was a lot of support from professors if you needed assistance. On-site CAPA staff were absolutely amazing! They were incredibly helpful and cared so much about us having a great time abroad. I cannot thank them enough for all of the support they provided and how comfortable they made me feel. Housing was more than adequate. I lived in a 2-bedroom suite with a separate kitchen and living room. Each bedroom had 2 people and its own separate bathroom, and it was all very comfortable. I cooked my own meals, but you could buy food at the university. It was more expensive than cooking for yourself, however, so I preferred to do that instead. Dublin is a very open and welcoming place. My internship also allowed me to gain greater cultural competence and interact with local Irish people. I would highly recommend taking advantage of the internship CAPA provides if you wish to become integrated with local culture. I never had any health issues while abroad, so I cannot speak to this personally. CAPA provides you with health insurance, however, so I never felt stressed about the possibility of a health issue. I never felt unsafe in Dublin. I walked most of the city at night at varying points and was never afraid for my personal safety. Common sense should be kept in mind at all times, however, and as a male I have a natural privilege in terms of safety. In terms of financing, I chose to spend less on groceries (i.e. ate a lot of rice and beans) so I could spend more money on going out and eating at restaurants. Dublin can be expensive if you choose to constantly go out every night, but if you are thrifty and figure out where to cut costs, it is manageable. I spent around $4,000 in total during my time abroad, which includes various trips around Europe. The program has a class that taught you Irish (Gaelic), but I didn't participate. That being said, some of my friends took the course and they were taken on field trips to practice their language skills. I gained greater cultural competence and greater confidence in myself as an independent individual. I traveled Europe and lived abroad in another country for months, and this gave me an incredible sense of my identity and made me a better person. It was completely worthwhile.