CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

Choosing to study abroad in Rome with CEA was definitely a great choice! The CEA-staff prepared a nice and fun orientation, in which explained their expectations for the semester, how classes and excursions would work and also gave the students several housing and safety tips.
I would like to point out their housing choice because I was very positively surprised by it. The apartment I stayed in was very modern, clean and organized. I shared it with five other girls and each two had their own bedroom. The kitchen came with basic utensils and for our first few days in the city, the CEA team provided a “Prima Spesa” (First Shop) with pasta, tomato sauce, olive oil, etc., for us to cook and have our first "family" meal together while getting to know one another.
Additionally, I really liked the Photography class at CEA because it incorporated in-class workshops with outdoors classes, which allowed students to practice their photography skills in several different environments and also get to know more their study abroad city.
I would recommend this program for students who want to get out of their comfort zone, visit new places and make friends, but who still want the possibility of being in contact with the American environment, since classes are taught in English and majority of the students are Americans.

My experience in Dublin was amazing! I was a little nervous to stay in a foreign country for a semester where I did not know anyone but once I got off the plane I was greeted my Griffith College students who made us feel welcomed. I am a communications major and Griffith had a ton of communication courses that I was able to choose from. I also was able to inter at a non-profit who's mission was to help promote education for people who are going back to school. One of my favorite parts about Dublin were the pretty hiking trails that they have to offer. One of my favorite memories was going to the Cliffs of Moher. After going abroad I really want to promote studying abroad. It is a great opportunity to travel and intern in a foreign country. It has made me more independent and given me insight to other countries around the world.

CAPA gave me the opportunity to live in Florence for 3.5 months. Living in a foreign country for an extended period of time definitely opened my eyes up to the way i perceive the world. There is so much out there that many American students do not see. I believe that CAPA was very organzied when it came to getting our paper work done before starting to travel and explore Florence. I also thought that they remained professional while attentive and comforting. Since we are so far from home, it was important for the students to feel personally connected with the staff at CAPA. The course work was manageable and the professors understand that we are abroad from multiple reasons although school is still a priority. My apartment was a spacious Italian styled apartment. It was definitely different than what I'm used to at home but it added to my experience. My location was great because I was across the Ponte Vecchio and a block away from the bridge. Overall, I think that CAPA gave me multiple opportunities to be indulged in the Italian culture and they made my visit to Italy very welcoming.

Studying abroad this past summer in Dublin with this CAPA program truly did give me the best three months of my life. I learned so much about Irish culture, intercultural competence, and especially myself during this experience that helped shape me into who I am today.

The on-site administration of the program in Dublin were fantastic! They were very personable and always willing to help us with whatever we needed. I was also very pleased with the housing, an "aparthotel" called Staycity. The location was perfect, the lobby was open 24/7 with receptionists, and the apartments were cleaned once a week. I really enjoyed living there!

I absolutely loved studying abroad in Dublin and would go back in a heartbeat. This program included everything needed to have a worry-free, fun, and safe experience abroad in a city that I love.

CAPA is an amazing study abroad program. Not only is it a wonderful opportunity to explore not only another culture, but you also explore a lot of personal views and personal growth while abroad. My experience was a blessing in disguise, from the cultural immersion, the classes, the people, and all of the friends I made through my university and in Italy were life-changing.
I highly suggest CAPA for this one in a lifetime opportunity. The courses are not your typical college lectures with three hundred plus students, it's very hands-on, very indulging, plus for most classes, you're exploring the city during daytime excursions. Even though the classes I took while abroad does not pertain to my major, I still gained a lot of knowledge and personal growth.
If you're considering this program or any study abroad opportunities, go for it! It's a life-changing experience for anyone who's looking into abroad programs. CAPA is a phenomenal program and I highly suggest studying through them!

This summer I had the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen, Italy. When I first arrived the first thing I noticed was how narrow the roads were. The taxi driver was navigating the street with easy but I feel like if it was me driving I might have been on the side walk. The second thing that struck me was how much everyone was walking. I thought at first the amount of walking would be daunting but by the time I left I found that my group and I were easily walking 5-10 miles a day and loving every step! We even became masters of the public transportation with the help of phone apps. One of the things I loved the most about Italy was that even without a car my group and I were about to travel far and wide throughout the country and stay in different cities for very cheap. During my time there I explored not only Florence, which was where our apartment was located, but also Rome, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano,Padova, Cince Terre, Levanto, and the Vatican City. While in Rome I was able to see the Coloseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Roman Forum and Panthan. In Siena we got to climb the crazy hilly streets and learn about the different sections of the city and how each section is a build-in family for anyone who lives there. In San Gimignano we got to eat “arguably” the best gelato in the world and climb a tower to see the country side. In Padova we got to learn the rich medical history and how it affected the rest of Italy. In the Vatican City I got to do what most people will only dream of doing…. I got to see the Sistine Chapel close up. I could not take pictures for fear of getting tackled by security but I took very vivid mental pictures. I did an impromptu hike between the cities of Cince Terre in only flip flops. I would highly recommend the hike, just not in flip flops. My most treasured memory of all was sitting on a rocky beach in Levanto and looking out out the pristine sparkling ocean and up at the mountains and the sky and thinking I had to be the luckiest woman in the world! How many people in the world can say they had the opportunity to go on this wild and wonderful adventure. My roommates and I got lost… several times….the mosquitoes ate me alive until I figured out how to work the plug in repellent… I almost missed the train… my travel group and I got locked out of out Airbnb for hours, only to realize that we were not putting in the key correctly…. I had blisters on the bottom on my feet the first week… I was exhausted. In the end I would not trade a minute of that adventure nor would I trade the opportunity that I had to make life long friends.

I loved studying abroad in Dublin! The courses were not as academically rigorous as my home university, but that was acceptable for me because I was more interested in exploring and becoming immersed in the culture than focusing on my academics. However, Griffith College had great student resources and there was a lot of support from professors if you needed assistance.

The on-site CAPA staff were absolutely amazing! They were incredibly helpful and cared so much about us having a great time abroad. I cannot thank them enough for all of the support they provided and how comfortable they made me feel.

Housing was more than adequate. I lived in a 2-bedroom suite with a separate kitchen and living room. Each bedroom had 2 people and its own separate bathroom, and it was all very comfortable. I cooked my own meals, but you could buy food at the university. It was more expensive than cooking for yourself, however, so I preferred to do that.

In terms of finances, I chose to spend less on groceries (i.e. ate a lot of rice and beans) so I could spend more money on going out and eating at restaurants. Dublin can be expensive if you choose to constantly go out every night, but if you are thrifty and figure out where to cut costs, it is manageable. I spent around $4,000 in total during my time abroad, which includes various trips around Europe.

Dublin is a very open and welcoming place. My internship also allowed me to gain greater cultural competence and interact with local Irish people. I would highly recommend taking advantage of the internship CAPA provides if you wish to become integrated with local culture. I never felt unsafe in Dublin. I walked most of the city at night at varying points and was never afraid for my personal safety. Common sense should be kept in mind at all times, however, and as a male I have a natural privilege in terms of safety.

I never had any health issues while abroad, so I cannot speak to this personally. CAPA provides you with health insurance, however, so I never felt stressed about the possibility of a health issue.

The program has a class that taught you Irish (Gaelic), but I didn't participate. That being said, some of my friends took the course and they were taken on field trips to practice their language skills.

I gained greater cultural competence and greater confidence in myself as an independent individual. I traveled Europe and lived abroad in another country for months, and this gave me an incredible sense of my identity and made me a better person. It was completely worthwhile.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
My study abroad experience was a once in a lifetime experience. From eating empanadas, to dancing the tango, to traveling to Brazil to see a friend. I was able to live with a home-stay, which improved my Spanish and helped me prepare for how to interact with locals. Building friendships with all the international students has to be my favorite part about the whole experience. I highly recommend to study abroad. . .maybe it should be required.

I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Florence, Italy this past winter through CEA. Although I was studying thousands of miles away from my hometown in North Carolina, the CEA team made my arrival, transition, and overall experience comfortable and exciting. The accommodations CEA provided went beyond the classroom. They offered safe housing in desirable city spaces, alternative scholarship opportunities and travel vouchers, out-of-the-box extracurricular activities, and 24/7 personal assistance if necessary. I HIGHLY recommend traveling with CEA and would seriously consider traveling with CEA again in the future.

I studied abroad in Granada, Spain through a Spanish-intensive program led by CEA. The CEA on-site staff were excellent in suggesting side-trips, as well as helping us find great study spaces in Granada. I was able to immerse myself in the culture, especially because I stayed with a host family on-site. I couldn't have asked for a better experience with CEA, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to explore a new culture with a program that matches your preferences.