Program Reviews

The opportunities Shanghai provided me to go out and adventure were invigorating, not to mention CAPA provides its members metro cards, so I never had the worry of transportation money stop me from traveling all over the city. I was able to go to several museums, Shanghai fashion weekend, sporting events, and even got to ascend the Shanghai Tower, which is the second tallest building in the world, but has the highest observation deck and fastest elevator in the world, just to name a few of the remarkable things I was able to experience in Shanghai. And the adventures did not end there! An amazing aspect of studying abroad with CAPA is the hosted excursions they provided. I was able to see the Great Wall of China and Tiananmen Square, among other sights while on a trip to Beijing that CAPA organized for us. Our many excursions included different cities in China and interesting tours of locations in Shanghai. The trips took me to alluring destinations that I wanted to see, and, even better, all the logistical nightmares were taken care of for me! CAPA is an attractive program to study abroad with as it provides planned excursions, but also gives you an incredible amount of independence otherwise. If members are not comfortable being independent just yet, CAPA can provide suggestions of what to do on weekends, and can set them up with students from the host university to accompany them on excursions or errands! CAPA allows its members to be as independent as they want to be, and this adaptability really allowed me to make the most of my study abroad. It was comforting for me to know I had a resource that could help me, but also had the freedom to choose for myself what I wanted to do. Study abroad is all about stepping out of your comfort zone, but it is important to not stretch too far, to be scared rather than compelled. You absorb the most when you are uninhibited by your own reservations. Of course, a study abroad program is not just about the monuments you visit, but also the people you meet. I formed a strong bond with the other CAPA members I traveled with, making all my travels more memorable since I was having fun with my companions while experiencing these amazing new things. I also made friends with several people who lived in China. This made the semester ending and returning to the United States that much harder, but I am spectacularly thankful for the time we did have together. I personally chose to study abroad in Shanghai to improve my Mandarin language skills, so I was able to practice speaking Mandarin with my Chinese companions, and they took me to some of their favorite places in Shanghai that I might not have seen otherwise! I never felt alone in Shanghai, even though I was thousands of miles away from my familiar friends, and because of that I never felt homesick. Rather, I was constantly in the moment, excited to spend time with new people and see new things with them, which made my experience abroad that much more fulfilling. When I was not exploring or going to my classes, I was able to participate in an incredible internship thanks to the CAPA program. I was interning at an English school with students aged two to six years old. Talk about adorable! There, I was able to gain relevant skills, as well as experience what working in Chinese business was like. I have dreams to one day work abroad, so this was immeasurably helpful for me to ensure it was a good fit for me. I was grateful for the chance to actually help others through an internship, rather than just talk about how I plan to help others while sitting in a lecture. Furthermore, I was able to experience a different dimension of Chinese culture, which allowed me to learn more about the society around me and immerse myself as totally as I could. I did not study abroad just to see, I studied abroad to learn, to change. Shanghai was easily the best experience of my life.

I was ecstatic to have the chance to study abroad in China the fall of 2015. It was a part of the world that virtually none of my peers at my home institution had been to, and I was looking forward to the challenge of the language barrier as well as the major cultural differences I would face. While I did face several hardships when it came to the dietary change and the often limited resources on the ECNU campus, Shanghai was an incredibly exciting, safe, "foreigner-friendly" city with so much to offer to a young traveler much like myself up for an adventure.

Where to begin? Well, I was a part of the first group that CAPA brought to Shanghai, and it was clear from the beginning that they were unprepared for our arrival. Perhaps it will get better, but perhaps not. The internships offered were uninspiring and did not fit most of our group's desired career paths, even after extensive communication before the program that they would. Don't believe them when they go on and on about their "organic" placement process, because group-of-8 interviews on the second day in China with two companies (with our majors ranging from Finance to Marketing to Chemical Engineering) was anything but organic. Communication was scarce throughout the program, even to the point that we were informed of a typhoon's imminent arrival only 24 hours prior, even though it was at Category 3 hurricane strength. Problems went unsolved and everyone in our group genuinely did not like or trust our group leader. The weather, it must be noted, is awful in Shanghai during the Summer but that is not under CAPA's control. The one bright spot was our university, East China Normal; the university staff and our instructor were great, and I would recommend them, but even that could have been arranged through different means. Take note.

Everyday I woke up happy in Beijing. From the atmosphere to the people, Beijing was such a great scene. I honestly have not ever had such a enlightening and fun experience all in one. I spoke no Mandarin before going to China. Thanks to Capa International Education and The Capital Normal University, I learned Mandarin to the point where I could have conversations with the natives. I lived with foreigners from all over the world, including Russia, Italy, Grenada, Dubai, Antigua, and many more. Thanks to my friends from Russia, I now know the Russian alphabet and can read the Russian language. Beijing is the only place that I have ever been where I feel safe at all times of the day and night. The people are very nice and calm and they really welcome foreigners. The prices of EVERYTHING are just right! From luxurious restaurants to taxis to clothing. Most things that you may need are VERY AFFORDABLE. (Especially thanks to the exchange rate of many Western Countries to the Renminbi). If I ever must recommend any place to study abroad, I recommend Beijing China. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Istanbul is an amazing city. The history is everywhere and the city overall encapsulates the best of a European city as well as bringing its own flair. The food, culture, people, and sights are all worth seeing and CAPA does a great job of combining study opportunities with learning about the culture. CAPA has representatives on hand to help deal with any problems encountered but they are not overbearing and allow you the freedom to explore and engage the culture. The campus is pretty interesting to say the least and it is ridiculously easy to navigate the city. Overall Istanbul is a relatively safe city and I would not let any fears about that influence your decision to choose this program. I really had the time of my life and I would choose this program again in a heartbeat.

Istanbul is an amazing place. Whether you like history, art, culture, business, sports, engineering or technology Istanbul has it all. If you are looking for a diverse experience this is the city for you.

I wanted to immerse myself within a culture I held close to my heart, yet at the same time I wanted my time abroad to be an investment for my future. CAPA includes an international internship (I highly recommend) which provided invaluable lessons both professionally and personally. The experiences I gained as an English Teaching intern have served as my foundation in my current pursuit of teaching English in Asia.

Beijing has it's rough edges but these can serve as growth provoking opportunities if you open your mind to them from buying groceries at the local WuMei, to being in a real life version of Frogger each time you cross the street, to confronting the excitement and frustration of the language barrier. There are times when sanitation does not appear to exist, a sense of humor is encouraged. The locals are quite friendly, even more so if you display an interest in learning the language. If your thinking about talking to the locals, do it. I will argue that is one of the most enjoyable aspects of living abroad. Once you get over making a fool out of yourself it's a ton of fun.

CAPA offers weekly trips through it's "My Education" which exposed me to much more than I would have ever planned on my own. Some highlights were the Forbidden Palace, the Great Wall, and a weekend trip to Shanghai. We would always have native students accompany us who were very friendly and provided perspective into their culture. There is also flexibility and encouragement to create your own adventures. My favorite adventure was hiking with a group of friends to the top of Tai Shan to watch the sunrise. Afterward we stopped over at Qu Fu, the birth town of Confucius.

I recommend to stay in touch with the people you meet, as your friends and family will only be able to take so much of your stories. Make the most of your time abroad! This will be the most valuable decision you will make in college. Take it all in 须品味百味人生 (all the flavors of life must be tasted).