CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

I had an amazing three months abroad in Sydney and I cannot recommend enough the amazing opportunity that is studying abroad. I learned a lot about myself as well as the US from being in Australia, which gave me a worldly perspective. CAPA provided fun educational-excursions, such as trips to the Blue Mountains and to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney where I slept overnight in the zoo, called the "Roar and Snore". I gained confidence in travelling and meeting new people. Overall an incredible experience that I wish everyone could get.

Of course I made life long friends, but I also gained personal values and skills that will stick with me for the rest of my life. CAPA allowed me to develop myself, my understanding of the world and life, and realize how trivial we all can be. I had a chance to step out of my bubble I call America, and see myself, my society for what it truly is. I changed the way I view other cultures because America has fairly ethnocentric views for being a "melting pot" of a country. I had the chance to travel to places where english was NOT their first language so I adapted (so use to the other way around). I even had the chance to intern in Dublin so I had a chance to not only learn about another culture but to work IN that culture. Some experiences are hard for me to verbalize but I promise to anyone, you won't regret a single day. Even if you just lay in bed and procrastinate on your work (which we all do), you will enjoy that lazy day in Ireland. CAPA had all turns, curves, drops, excursions, etc. planned and figured out prior to me even registering for the program. Any question or concern I had during my stay was answered on site or within a few hours. CAPA is prepared and BEYOND qualified to be your study abroad host.

My semester abroad in Costa Rica was absolutely amazing! Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful and the weather is so nice. I learned so much about the culture and met so many amazing people. I definitely recommend Costa Rica to anyone who loves hiking, outdoor activities, and rice and beans. I went Bungee Jumping and I recommend it when you are abroad. Some locations that I recommend in Costa Rica include: Tamarindo, Puerto Viejo, Pacuare River, Monteverde, Arenal, and Manuel Antonio.

I had an amazing time studying with CEA in Paris. The onsite staff was so supportive, the classes were interesting, and I made AMAZING friends. We went on really fun excursions, and I loved being able to travel. I was nervous about how I would fit in with other students, but I made friends quickly. I was also nervous about how classes would go, but everything turned out great. Again, the classes were really interesting, and I loved my professors. They were all so kind and helpful. I would definitely go abroad with CEA again.

The weeks and days leading up to my departure for the Czech Republic, I was excited and nervous in the best way. I was excited because I could already tell this was going to be the best semester of my college career (I was right). But I was still nervous because this was the first time I was going to be fully on my own and more than a few hours away from my parents. I don't get home sick in the slightest, but there's somewhat of a fear factor about being in a complete other country than your friends and family. Fast forward four months to the last few days of my time abroad, and there is not one part of me that wants to come home. It felt like I had just arrived in Prague and I still had so much more I wanted to see and do. But that's one of the good parts about studying abroad, you know you can always go back.
I'm so thankful for the months I got to spend not only in Prague, but traveling and exploring ten countries and countless cities with new friends I had made. I learned so much that I could never have learned if I wasn't experiencing it hands on and in person. So, I would like to share with you the most important thing I learned and have carried with me since being back from abroad and how it has impacted my life.
Culture shock! Yes, people in other countries behave and act differently in their day to day activities than we do here in America. Crazy, I know. This is one of the most beneficial things I could have learned in my time abroad and I am so thankful I did. I was fortunate enough to have class with students who were not only from the Czech Republic, but also from countries including Spain, Russia, Morocco, Egypt, and more! Interacting with these students and just hearing about their lives in their home countries was some of the most interesting times I had while on campus at AAU. I knew that people in other countries went about life differently than me, but I never really knew what kind of different.
This is something very important to cary with you post-graduation in the "real world" when you get your first job and are finally employed. When I graduate in 3 months (yikes!) and will hopefully be employed, I will be working with people who come from a variety of different backgrounds, and that's okay! I have gained a greater understanding and appreciation for people who aren't exactly like me and about their cultures language, beliefs, and history.

I was a little nervous to leave the comfort of the United States and study abroad. I didn't know anyone that was going to the same location as me, let alone was in the same program. Since arriving here, CEA has been completely accommodating and helpful. We opened the program with a couple days of orientation where we were given guided tours of our neighborhoods and allowed to mingle with the other students. I was hoping to make new friends to travel with, and I think the structure of these first few days were extremely conducive for this. I have loved my different professors at both the CEA center and EUSA. While the program is mainly made up of American students, CEA has allowed me ample opportunity to meet locals and students from other parts of the world. I also absolutely love Seville. There are so many opportunities to practice speaking Spanish and to learn about Spanish culture. It feels really safe and clean. I would recommend this program 100 times over.

I absolutely loved my time abroad with CEA. Cassandra was so amazing and made everyone feel so comfortable. I went without knowing anyone so it was extremely comforting to know that I always had someone just a call away. London was the perfect place to study abroad and the CEA location kept us right in the center of the city so it was extremely easy to get anywhere! Going abroad with CEA also introduced me to so many people; I made great friends through the program and they still are some of my best friends.

The events and trips that are included in the program are very worthwhile. While I was there we did a weekend trip to York, a West End night where we saw Phantom of the Opera, a bus tour around the city, a scavenger hunt, a walking tour of Soho, a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath, a day trip to Oxford, and more! They are all things that should be taken advantage of and most of the program goes on them which is really fun!

The Czech Republic is an absolutely amazing country and Prague is one of my favorite cities I've ever been to. It's charming, full of history and so many different areas to explore.

Housing:
Students live all around the city with 1-5 other people. You can opt for a single or shared bedroom. The housing is comfortable and there's weekly house cleaners for the communal areas. The kitchens come stocked with supplies and the bedrooms have pillows and comforters, each student just needs to buy sheets and pillow cases.

Excursions:
The program offers one overnight and two day trip excursions throughout the Czech Republic. There's also some shorter activities within the city (brewery tour, hockey game, opera, bomb shelter tour - to name a handful) that are offered on weekdays. Furthermore, there's 3 exercise classes each week and days dedicated to pastries and fruit at the program center. All excursions and activities are included in the price of the program.

Program Center:
The program center is very close to campus and has a nice study space. There's not always a ton of people at the center, but it's a nice place to get some tea/ coffee, print something out or relax a little.

Program Staff:
There's different staff members for academics, excursions, housing, etc so it's easy to know who to go to for help. In my experience, the staff was very friendly.

Schooling:
Classes are taken at Anglo American University, a small private school very close to the Vltava River and Charles Bridge. The school has about 800 students total, about 1/4 of which are study abroad students. Some classes have almost all study abroad students, like Czech Language, but other classes have a mixture of international students and Americans. There's also a cafe on campus which is really nice for getting a snack between classes. Except for a few classes, I believe almost all classes meet once a week for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Study abroad is what you make of it. Make sure you do your research before you go and make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Everyone says it will be the best four months of your life and in ways it is. But don't forget, just like any other experience in life, there are ups and downs. There is so much hype to have a lot of fun and to have a positive experience--it almost sets unrealistic expectations. If you are struggling with the culture shock or the language barrier, you are not alone. If you are homesick or lonely, you are not alone either. There is so much pressure to capture that instagram-able moment and people tend to highlight what is going well in their life when posting about experiences. Don't get me wrong, studying abroad truly is such a wonderful experience. Take advantage of this freedom you likely won't have once you graduate college. Prague is a beautiful city--there is so much to do and so much to eat, but, the locals are not very friendly. It is a quiet city and the czech culture is very different from what we are used to.

I can honestly say that studying abroad was the best thing I ever did for myself. My eyes have been opened, and my worldview has expanded because of it. I was nervous to go abroad, but I was looking for new adventures. Studying abroad in Dublin with CEA gave me that and so much more. I never knew how much I would fall in love with Ireland.

I never thought I would have friends from France, Spanish housemates, or an Irish teacher that changed my life. All the experiences I had abroad, I never thought would happen to me. I was pushed outside my comfort zone every day and am so thankful for that. My time abroad helped me grow as a person, increase my confidence, and feel like I am able to take on anything life throws my way.

Dublin is an INCREDIBLE city. It is so vibrant and fun! There is always something going on. Dublin is more diverse than you would ever imagine. There are so many amazing food vendors and restaurants. The people I met in Dublin were some of the nicest I have ever met in my life.

CEA is the perfect program to go abroad with. The staff are so helpful throughout the whole process. We went on fun trips with the school and I was able to travel on my own. The Dublin staff are incredibly kind and brilliant. The classes I took always kept me interested. Another benefit of this program is that you're partnered with a European school. Therefore allowing you to have classes and meet people from all over Europe. I think that was one of my favorite parts about this program. I will forever keep adventuring because of my time with CEA in Ireland.