CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

There was one weekend where my roommates were all traveling and I was on campus by myself, I took a walk into the city center. I walked to Temple Bar where I saw an amazing street performance that drew in a large crowd. Afterwards I stepped into one of the pubs to have a pint, and was immediately welcomed by a group of people at the bar. Realizing that I was by myself, they invited me to have a pint with them and the rest of the afternoon was filled with great craic with a bunch of friendly strangers.

I would definitely recommend Dublin as a study abroad location! Dublin is a great city filled with great diversity, but still rich in Irish history and culture. The people in Ireland are truly kind and willing to help. The Irish are very proud of their country and love to welcome people to experience the country they are so proud of. Dublin is an easy city to adapt to because it is so easy to get around. Within no time, I was able to feel comfortable in Dublin and call it home. There is so much to learn about Dublin and the country as a whole. There are always places to visit or see in Dublin, during free time. Dublin is a rich, lively city that took my heart very quickly.

I LOVE IRELAND

Here's a story I wrote in my journal while I was abroad:

A Day In The Life...

First of all, it is starting to warm up here in Flo and I'm all sorts of happy about it. Sunny skies and warmer temperatures make everything better, wouldn't you agree? Anyways, I met up with my friends Morgan and Alexa after class and we stopped at the cutest cafe and each got a sweet treat, mine being a delectable waffle that I thoroughly enjoyed. Then, after stopping at the art supplies store for some things I needed, we made our way to the chocolate festival, going on in a Piazza near the river just in time for Valentines day weekend. There was an entire row of chocolate stands, each one showing off their own chocolate creations from bark to truffles to chocolate covered strawberries and waffles. As we ate our way through, and purchased some of our own, we decided it was a good idea to avoid studying for a little longer and take in the sunset from the River Arno. We went to a bridge, plopped down on it, and soaked in the last bit of sunshine before it set into a beautiful pink and purple sunset.

Then, we decided we were hungry (and didn't want to study) so we made a plan to eat at Gusta Pizza - a famous pizzeria on the other side of the river. Sadly it was closed, but we did stop in a couple shops and purchased a few goodies. I got the ring I wanted, which was very exciting!

Finally, we came to the conclusion that it was time to go home and face reality, so we made our way back. But not before we stopped at Mr. Pizza where we received heart shaped pizzas. So cute.

It's crazy to think it's been a month and I've only talked about places other than the absolutely AMAZING city that I live in. Everything about it makes me smile every day, from my walk to class to the Italian's dogs to the wine - this city definitely has been a perfect place to call home for the past month.

Pros-
Great experience working and taking classes abroad
CAPA faculty are willing to help you with anything
Friendly people
Making lifelong friends from around the world
Easy to travel around the country using public transportation
Great food from around the world
Everyone is passionate about sports

Cons-
Living area was small (Dorms)

Dublin is definitely my home away from home now. From the very first day, there was a level of comfort that I couldn't even comprehend. It wasn't some magical far off land, different from everything I know: it was a city. While I didn't quite have my footing on the first day, I remember looking around at all the people and feeling like I belonged. What made things really easy for me was the welcoming I got from my roommates upon walking into the dorm. By the end of the semester and returning to Dublin mid-summer (after a wallet-draining trip to other European countries), I saw it through a new lens. Dublin felt like just as much as a home to me as my actual home in the states. I looked around at all the buildings and had to say goodbye to the place I lived for 4 months. Somehow I ended up in the same place I was before venturing off to study abroad: sad to leave my home. One thing I learned on that last day was that I became confident enough to face my fears. Doing things that scare me is almost an adrenaline rush, rather than paralyzing. I also knew that my goodbye to Dublin wasn't forever and that I'd see all of those buildings and friendly faces soon enough.

Studying abroad was the best decision I ever made in my life. I chose CAPA because I was drawn to the fact that they offered the chance to study and explore abroad, but also an opportunity to work abroad. My internship through CAPA was my first and I truly learned so much. Working in Dublin made me learn so much about the Irish work style as well as learn about myself and my strengths. Studying abroad allowed me to grow as a person and put me in situations that gave me more confidence in myself. Studying abroad allowed me to travel, learn, and make friendships that will last a lifetime.

The internship aspect was the best part about this program. I made so many new friends and learned a lot about what I wanted to do for a career after graduation. Who else can say that they had an internship abroad?!

This semester I had the opportunity to intern at the Royal Free Children’s Hospital School. This is a special school that provides for students whose needs are not met at public schools and is a secure space for children on the ward of the hospital to be engaged during their stay. The goal of the school is to offer a safe, caring space that inspires students to learn in a normalized setting, building skills that will allow for their eventual reintegration back into the public school system. As a teaching and office intern I had a wide range of responsibilities including assistant teaching as needed in the classroom setting, online database coding, and secretarial work.
One of the key learning points that I will take away from this internship is successful communication with staff members. Through this position I have realized that I must be the one to advocate for myself and communicate what I do and do not feel comfortable with in a work environment. During my time at the hospital school I was put in situations where I did not always feel comfortable, and realized that I had to speak up for myself and my needs in order to get what I wanted out of my internship. I now feel stronger and more confident in my ability to understand what I can handle and when to ask for help, which is extremely important in the fields of education and psychology. There were days and moments especially at my internship site that were very difficult. Being exposed to students with mental challenges and a variety of disabilities was overwhelming at times, but I realized that I learned something very important from each and every student that I met and worked with. I have made lasting positive relationships with staff and students at my internship site at the Royal Free, and feel this to be a true accomplishment of my time there.

Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to study abroad in college! There are so many options of cities to go to or programs to choose from, but I have no regrets about choosing CAPA in Dublin. The internship component is what really drew me in. I am hopefully pursuing a career that will allow me to travel and deal with people from different cultures. Being able to tell employers that I already have experience working in a different culture is going to be a huge boost to my resume! One of my favorite moments of my semester abroad was traveling to my internship placement on my first day. I consider myself an outgoing person, but I can have a lot of reservations about new places and situations. I was extremely nervous about having to figure out the Dublin bus system, and how to navigate through the city. However, I really put myself out there, and found my office with no issues! I was welcomed by an extremely friendly staff, and felt really great about myself. This was only the first sign that this semester abroad would teach me a lot about myself, and my ability to overcome fears. The Irish people are so welcoming, and I felt integrated into the culture very quickly. The food is delicious and the views are incredible. I am counting the days until I am able to return!

The program was very nice. The food was multicultural and very fresh. I took Irish history before and it was neat to see some places like the Irish GPO and monuments from the revolution. Flights are also very cheap from country to country, so you can see a lot of Europe. CAPA also gives an internship, which is a huge boost to a resume.