CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Dublin, Ireland

My time in Dublin was the best of my life. I met friends that I consider to be family now and still keep in touch with. It was a growing experience and I loved every second of it. The CAPA staff was beyond helpful in making us feel safe and comfortable. I NEVER felt unsafe in Dubiln. I really learned a lot about Irish history, and the internship component of the trip really made me culturally aware and it is a experience that I feel will really set me apart from others when applying for jobs.

I've always been interested in Ireland as a country, but when I started considering study abroad as an opportunity Dublin wasn't a city that even crossed my mind before I came across CAPA. I thought studying abroad meant moving to a country where everyone speaks a different language and lives a different lifestyle, and I was bracing myself to spend a year taking gen eds before trying my best to catch up on important courses in my senior year.

However, CAPA's Dublin program shockingly included every single course I needed to stay on track for the year, with a wide variety of business, marketing, writing and communications classes on offer. Likewise, I quickly realized that even though the Irish use the same words, learning how they communicate is almost as difficult as mastering a new language.

While I was initially disappointed by my internship placement in an on-campus office, since I'd been looking forward to getting out into the city of Dublin, it ended up being a great experience, allowing me to work alongside people from a variety of countries, and cater to students from around the world.

Whether you're interested in living in Ireland, or are just looking into study abroad in general, I highly recommend CAPA!

I couldn't be more happy with my decision to study abroad through CAPA's Dublin Program. CAPA gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and I am so thankful for that. Studying abroad in Dublin was a fun, eyeopening, educational, and beyond worthwhile experience. I would recommend this program and country to anyone interested in studying abroad. Dublin is fit for all people looking to have an unbelievable time while abroad!

My study abroad experience with CAPA Dublin was really enlightening. I chose to attend the summer 2016 program, as I wasn’t able to go during a traditional semester. This was one of the best decisions I could have made for myself, as I was able to gain independence and confidence. When I arrived I was expecting there to be more direct guidance and help to get us settled. I was intimidated by having to navigate the city for myself. CAPA really allows their students to orient themselves in the city which I was grateful for in the long run. This forced me to step outside my comfort zone and get to know things on my own and with my peers. That being said, the CAPA staff is incredibly supportive if you reach out with any specific questions. For example, I got sick my second week in Dublin and the staff was quick and helpful in setting up an appointment for me and getting me directions.

Aside from personal growth, through this program I was able to learn a lot about Dublin and make some great friends. Going into the program I didn’t know anyone, but by the time I left I had made some wonderful connections with the CAPA team, my peers, and some locals! The relationships that I made while abroad allowed me to get to know people from different places and backgrounds. I also learned a lot about the city of Dublin through the Global Cities class. This class enabled us to learn about the city and then go out and see for ourselves what we were reading. Another great way I learned about the city was just by walking most places, it’s amazing the things you notice. The hands on learning style was also implemented through the internship class, as we were able to learn and then apply ourselves on site. My internship was with a yoga studio right down the street from Griffith College, and I had a great experience getting to know all of the wonderful people that were a part of the community.

I interned at a social media monitoring company called Olytico, and a month into the internship the team invited me to be a part of their quarterly review in which they go on a city field trip. While reviewing the company's progress for the last couple of months we went to the leprechaun museum, practised storytelling with the help of two theatre producers and participated in a play in the Dublin Theatre Festival. This was definitely the most random yet memorable day I had in Dublin. Cracking up at the tour guide's jokes at the museum, stepping outside of my comfort zone with storytelling and running through the halls of a Georgian house with actresses as part of an interactive play made me much more of a local than if I had simply taken classes abroad. The internship is what made the difference between an ordinary study abroad experience and an absolutely amazing one.

Finding CAPA's Dublin program was one of the luckiest moments of my life. I honestly did not understand how incredible of an opportunity it was until I got there. Dublin is a great city; we always described it as an international city with a small town feel. It was easy navigate and easy to love.
Living on campus and having an internship abroad truly immersed us in Irish culture. Our on campus staff were there all day to chat with or check in with if necessary. I got sick while abroad, and CAPA made that a lot less stressful. Furthermore, my internship was fantastic. I learned a lot about myself, but I was also able to meet people many different generations in Ireland, and I know that I made connections that will last a lifetime. Outside of my internship, I was able to make friends with some of the kindest, funniest people that I still speak to today.
Besides being the first thing commented upon on my resume, this experience is one of the first things I mention about myself. It truly made me more confident, more introspective, and happier. I am so grateful for the opportunities that CAPA presented to us & how it continues to further success and happiness in my life.

My experience in Dublin was amazing. The CAPA program had me studying at Griffith College, just a 20 min walk (less than 10 on the bus) from city center, and interning at Island Key Childcare. I thoroughly enjoyed my courses; compared to my home institution they were not as academically challenging, but I learned a lot and had a great time. Dublin is a diverse and growing city that has so much to offer any college student.

I have to say, I have written a bunch about CAPA and how much it has changed my life. I am unsure what life would have been like had I not gotten accepted. My life right now is all about international affairs, and I can thank having connections and a beautiful team behind me letting me know that I was going to thrive.
I have always wanted to live abroad, and through the course of 5 months I was whisked away to a wonderful world of Irish culture and environment. I traveled the country and drove a car as I explored many cities you have and haven't heard of. I saw castles in the middle of nowhere and a lot of houses that had land for miles. I think the best moment was looking over the sea coast on the last day of the trip and knowing that I had done everything I had set to do and done it with the confidence I never realized I had. It has been natural guts mixed with a wonderful team whom I hope to never forget. I will absolutely come back to visit!