CAPA WORLD

Gabriella is a CAPA Dublin student for spring 2018, sharing her story this week on CAPA World. A Journalism major at Auburn University, she is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Gabriella takes us along on the path of Howth Cliff Walk and gives us a look at some beautiful sea views around Dublin.

---

Thanks Gabriella!

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon shares why he recommends attending this My Global City event to Belfast and how rich the history in Northern Ireland is.

---

Today I thought that I would spend some time talking about another My Global City event. Last Friday, we went on a CAPA-sponsored trip to Belfast, which was mandatory for those in Irish History (which is a Griffith-offered course) and optional (but highly suggested) for all others on the program. I’m not in Irish History, but I do know that before the trip began, the professor emailed them some videos about Belfast’s history during the Troubles and various other materials to better illustrate the stops during the trip. He explained it to all of us, however, so reviewing this material beforehand was not necessary.

Graffiti of a wall outside a Catholic neighborhood.

We started out for Belfast bright and early at 7:15am; taking a coach bus north from Dublin on the M1. The bus was filled with a lot of other international students who were quite hyper for how early it was. I tried to nap and get some rest, but they had apparently filled up on coffee before getting on the bus, so I ended up just putting in my headphones and watching the scenery fly by. We stopped briefly at a truck rest-stop having crossed the border into Northern Ireland to have a bathroom break and for people to get a quick breakfast if they were hungry. It was so odd that there was no border wall or any kind of checkpoint between Northern Ireland and Ireland. There was the slightest line in the road to mark where the border was and that was it. With the implications of Brexit, however, this free flow between the two countries is much contested, and it is not known if there will be actual checkpoints in the future.

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon visits Amsterdam and analyzes how a course in Dublin changed the way he views cities and traveling.

---

I would like to use this blog post to talk about my weekend trip to Amsterdam and how taking the Analyzing and Exploring the Global City course has changed my view of travel. I went to Amsterdam last Friday (a day earlier than the rest of my friends because I don’t have class on Fridays) and stayed through Sunday night.

I didn’t really have a set plan for Amsterdam. I didn’t do any real research about attractions or things to see. I just figured that I would get there and walk around and stumble upon something interesting. Friday was spent wandering the winding streets and canals. I really got a feel for the city as a whole. I happened to chance upon an enormous park and spent an hour sitting on a bench basking in the sun and people watching. I came across several open-air markets with stalls selling everything from thrift clothes to waffles to antiques. I walked along the canals and saw the house boats.

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon brings us along on a CAPA Dublin day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway and shares what happened along the way.

---

In this blog post, I will describe an event that happened last week, which was a day trip to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. There are two such day trips included in the CAPA study abroad program, one being to Belfast and the other being to the Cliffs of Moher and western Ireland. Everything is provided including transportation to and from and scenic tours, but you have to either buy or provide your own lunch. In my opinion, this allows for a greater opportunity to walk about and explore, so I didn’t mind having to go get my own lunch.

At the Cliffs of Moher on a day warm enough to wear a t-shirt.

We started off the trip bright and early at 7:15 in the morning. We all met up at the front gates of Griffith College and were whisked away by an unusually chipper Irish bus driver considering the early hour. He gave us a quick run-down of Irish history and various local landmarks on the drive to the Shannon River, like how the Shannon was used for transcontinental flights by sea planes and pointing out various tower houses and castles lining the highway. A lot of us spent the ride to the Cliffs of Moher napping or eating snacks.

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon describes five ways college classes work in Ireland from his experience at Griffith College and what you should be prepared for.

---

Before coming to Dublin, I really had no idea about how the Irish school system worked. I didn’t know how grading was carried out or what professors would expect of me academically. In order to make sure that other students coming to Griffith College aren’t similarly in the dark, this blog post will be dedicated to describing how college here in Ireland works.

Griffith College

First of all, grading is completely different in Irish schools. Instead of grading scales going from 1 to 100, Irish grading scales go from 1 to 70 (and sometimes 80 depending on the class). In simple terms, a 1 is considered a “0” and a 70 is seen as a “100” in Irish schools. Don’t ask me why, I personally think it’s ridiculous and no one can seem to tell me why it works this way. In the U.S., if I received a 95 on an essay, my letter grade would be put in as an A+. However, here in Ireland, in order to get an A+, you have to get a 65 or higher. When I got back my first essay last week and saw that I got a 66, I nearly had a heart attack because I thought I got a D on a major assignment.

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon shares 10 travel tips that will help you plan your own trips and have a great time between destinations.

---

I thought that I would use this blog post to give 10 helpful tips on traveling in Europe. I traveled to Poland, Germany, and Switzerland over spring break, visiting Poznan, Berlin, Nuremberg, Munich, and Zürich.

Merchant's Houses in Poznan, Poland

1. Bring a water bottle

Bring a water bottle and fill it up before you go out for the day! Also, keep your eyes peeled while going about your day for water fountains to fill your water bottle if water starts to get low. In much of Europe, especially Germany, restaurants and food outlets will not provide tap water. As an American, I’m used to having a bottomless cup of free water whenever I go out to eat, but this is not the case in Europe. In Germany, I had to buy a bottle of water at every restaurant, and they often charge exorbitant prices. For instance, at a restaurant in Berlin, a bottle of water was 5.90 euros.

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon witnesses St. Patrick's Day festivities in Dublin and shares some highlights from this cultural celebration.

---

I am writing this blog from a hostel in Berlin. Next week I will be sure to talk about my spring break (or “assignment week” as it’s called in Ireland) travels, but for this week, I wanted to talk about St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Ireland.

What is St. Patrick's Day Like in Dublin?

The entire city becomes a Mecca for foreign tourists for the weekend. I have never seen the city so full of people. Walking around to get dinner on Friday night was incredible because the entirety of South Circular Road was bustling with people when it is typically frequented by a few locals and college students. You will meet so many different people from so many different walks of life, which was honestly the best part of the entire weekend. I met two men from the Isle of Man, one who works in software design and the other in stocks and bonds; a very friendly woman from Amsterdam who talked to me about what to do in the city; a group of people from the University of Dublin; and a woman from California in Dublin for spring break who also played ultimate Frisbee.

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon explores the background of Dublin as a global city and hub for international companies and makes another hike back to Glendalough.

---

I have had an eventful week, including an extensive tour of the Docklands by Professor Darren Kelly for Global Internships and a return trip to Glendalough for a day of hiking. However, the Irish school system’s equivalent of midterms week is now upon me, so I am currently working through several essays and looking fondly ahead to traveling around Europe for spring break (or “assignment week” as it is called here in Ireland).

Overlooking Upper Lake from one of the valley walls in Glendalough.

Although field trips around Dublin are typical of my Global Cities course, this week, Professor Kelly chose to give the entire Global Internships class a narrated tour of the Docklands. The Global Internships course is mandatory for any CAPA student who takes part in an internship while abroad in Dublin; an opportunity that I would highly suggest taking advantage of!

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon shows us several go-to places in his tour of the Portobello neighborhood near Griffith College in Dublin.

---

I thought that for this blog post, I would take you on a virtual tour of the Portobello neighborhood around Griffith College, showing you a few of my favorite sites and essentials that you may need while living here.

First off, let's take a look at an essential. Above is a picture of the Plaza Barber, which is a small, hole-in-the-wall barbershop run by a very pleasant Middle Eastern man. Just a quick, five-minute walk up the road towards Camden Street, the Plaza Barber rivals, and in my opinion, is better than any barbershop I have been to in the United States.

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon shares how he spent his weekend visiting the National Gallery of Ireland and hiking in Glendalough.

---

Last weekend most of my friends went on their own trips about Ireland, so I decided to spend my time doing some adventuring by myself. I think that a big part of studying abroad is traveling on your own and feeling more independent, as you are in a whole other culture and country, separated from your traditional friend and support network. In that vein, I went to the National Gallery of Ireland and walked about the Temple Bar district a bit on Saturday, and then took a day-trip to Glendalough on Sunday.

The National Gallery of Ireland is in the formerly British, aristocratic area of Dublin, surrounded by impressive, four-story Georgian apartments that contrast beautifully with the single-story, red-brick row houses around Griffith College. The museum has no admission fee, which is excellent for a college student like me. It contains the national selection of Irish and European art, with a particular emphasis on Irish paintings and Italian Baroque and Dutch masters.