CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

Hello everyone! My name is Elizabeth and I just completed my CEA program. Studying abroad in the Netherlands was a wonderful experience, in which I explored many beautiful places. Also, I was able to meet amazing people from different backgrounds and make tons of connections. The Summer in Amsterdam program by CEA was an excellent opportunity for me to travel and study at the same time. This experience has provided me with many memories and brought people into my life. One thing that I wished I did was research more about my host country before going, that would've helped me a lot throughout my stay. Still, it was a beautiful experience.

CEA CAPA provided me with everything i needed and helped me from planning to coming back to the USA. This was the best experience i have ever had and it was seamless as i had a lot of help. While on sight in Grenoble, we had our advisor Justine. She was born and raised in the town we were living in and going to school at. She taught every thing we needed know about living in France from public transportation, the food and even helped improve are French skills. She was absolutely unforgettable and took care us from the moment we arrived to when we left France

My experience studying and interning abroad changed my life for the better, I did an art history internship at a local art gallery in Florence and also studied while I was there, and the experience of working in a local shop while in Florence helped me become a more confident person and also change my view of life. I was able to work on my public speaking and was able to gain confidence in the information I learned. In addition, I met many new people, both local and fellow students from the States, and gained lifelong friends and connections I still keep in contact with. Overall I wouldn't trade this experience for the world and think everyone should experience living abroad for a prolonged period of time, it not only helps you grow as a person but also gives you a new perspective on life. CEA CAPA team in Florence also made the experience amazing as the team was always willing to help out and make time to talk if anyone ever needed it, they all were very welcoming and helped make Florence feel like home.

As someone who had never been out of the country before I had some reservations about studying abroad for four months, being one of two students at my university placed in Florence. However, the first day aboard I met three wonderful people who are now my best friends! Florence is a city of culture, history and amazing gelato! I always felt extremely safe while in Florence, and found transportation to be very accessible and easy to use! I would absolutely recommend studying abroad in Florence to anyone, in my four months abroad I felt I learned so much about the history of Italy, but also myself!

Studying abroad in Paris was an unreal experience. I studied at an American Study Abroad program (CEA CAPA) and at an international school (CCFS). I learned so much about France and the world through the friends that I made and the voyages I went on. Paris is a city that has so many things to do and there is never a dull moment. There are always new events to go to from Fashion Weeks to art museums and more! Additionally, traveling around is a very important part of study abroad. Paris has three airports and several train stations which makes finding cheap and convenient travel methods very easy.

Alicante is an amazing city! It has everything from beaches to hiking to city activities. The community feeling is strong on every corner and the welcoming nature of everyone who lives there is shining. One thing that amazed me was how safe Alicante felt, even at night. The biggest thing to be careful of is pickpockets, especially when it's busy, but if you're smart and aware you shouldn't have a problem. The museums and restaurants in the area provide tons of opportunities to explore, but my favorite part was being able to spend the evenings on the beach watching the sunset and looking back to see the beautiful castle just beyond the road.

I loved being in the city of Galway, it was a really lively place with an amazing local music scene, nightlife, and interesting culture. I was so appreciative to be a part of my CEA program as the guidance and assistance I received while initially adjusting to Galway as well as throughout my experience was instrumental to my success. I immediately felt comfortable and more knowledgeable about my area through CEA. Furthermore, I loved all of the travel opportunities throughout the country with CEA as it helped me to see more of the country and its beautiful scenery. I also loved studying at the University of Galway. I found the program of study there to be rigorous but enjoyable with great professors that facilitated a lot of great discussions. I enjoyed the ability to hear different perspectives on politics as a political science student whose previous viewpoints had been at least somewhat limited by an American perspective. Finally, I loved being able to connect with my Irish heritage.

Studying abroad in Rome was the perfect adventure and learning experience I had hoped for and CEA CAPA made the transitions and challenges of being abroad a bit easier which was great. Being abroad taught me a lot about myself and helped me build a lot of skills. For example, problem solving and quick thinking were a must for traveling to new places and taking new forms of transportation. One great thing about this program is that they set up some excursions and activities for you, but also leave you enough time and weekends to fulfill your own personal travel wants. The class workload was pretty fair, but the learning environment was different compared to what I was used to and took some time to adjust to. Overall it was a great experience I would love to do again.

I really enjoyed studying abroad with CEA CAPA in London this past semester. Most of my classes were excellent, with very attentive and engaged professors. They always took us on field study trips which was a great way to contextualize what we discussed in class, as well as a nice way to get out into new parts of the city. I am a Theatre/Media Comm major, and it was important to me that wherever I studied abroad I could take theatre studies classes. I am not a performer, which limited me from a few of the programs my college marked for Theatre Majors. But there were a few choices for theatre classes at CAPA which allowed me to stay in my academic interests. London is also bursting with performances to attend, one of which was written by one of my professors. I got to see so many shows, visit so many museums, and just discover new places every day.

While I did not do an internship abroad, I had roommates who did and they had a pretty good time. It was very time consuming for them, but they made the experience work for their schedule. Everyone had a different environment, working with companies across the city, so the intensity depended on where students were placed.

One thing to consider is that CEA CAPA isn't at a British university, it's a program with just study abroad students. I didn't mind this and felt good knowing I was at a similar level as my classmates, but if someone wanted to be taking classes with British students, this might not be the choice for them. CAPA has it's own building with classrooms and a lounge, and everyone there was really friendly and willing to help you with whatever you needed. They sponsored multiple activities like a trip to Stonehenge and Bath, a tour of the Tower of London, and tickets to see a West End show. There were also mid term and end of term dinners to celebrate our hard work.

I am not a city person but I adapted better than I thought I would, especially with the London Underground. CAPA provided us with Oyster cards for full travel throughout the inner zones, so we were pretty free to explore. It was sort of loud outside our flat building most nights and our flat was sort of small for all seven of us living there, sharing one stove and oven for individual meals. But I liked our neighborhood and how close we were to the tube stop and a couple grocery stores.

Overall, I had a great time in London and with CEA CAPA.

Loved studying abroad with CEA CAPA in Sydney, Australia. It was such an amazing experience immersing myself into the culture. Throughout my stay, I learned so much about myself academically and socially. The classes were manageable and some of my professors were truly outstanding. Additionally, I had the chance to intern which was my favorite part. It was a really great opportunity to gain cultural competency skills and learn about the differences in workplaces abroad vs. home. Lastly, there was so much fun stuff to do. It's a big city with lots to explore while feeling safe.