CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

Over spring 2017, I studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France through CEA. They were absolutely amazing and surpassed my expectations in every way. From pre-departure paperwork and preparation, to picking us up at the airport, to showing us around town, to helping us through any issue during the entire semester, to helping us adjust back at home, CEA was phenomenal. They had an incredibly kind staff and Vivienne and Nancy in Aix were outstanding. When they moved us into our apartments, they had pasta, cookies and fruit already set out for us to have. How nice is that?! Throughout the semester, their doors were always open in case we wanted to talk to them about anything. Also, they planned excursions, cheese tastings and a ton of other fun activities for us all of the time. France was an absolute dream, but it would not have been possible without the help of CEA.

I had the amazing chance to get to study abroad in Alicante, Spain in the spring. I went with CEA which was an amazing program. The people who are apart of this program helped me every step of the way and made me very comfortable and at home during my time abroad. CEA was a great program for many reason, they provided us with different housing options and helped us with everything we needed for our housing. They also included many trips and activities, we got to travel to many cities, go on hikes, take cooking classes, volunteer and much more! My program was not too big which was one of my favorite parts because I got to get close with everyone in my group which was awesome.

I studied at the National University of Ireland at Galway. I miss the city's friendly atmosphere everyday! NUIG is a great research university, offering courses to most majors. All my professors at NUIG were incredibly knowledgable and kind. When I needed a break from my studies, I could easily take day trips to places like the Burren, Connemara, the Aran Islands, or longer trips to other counties! I spent most of my time walking around the city's bustling streets, listening to traditional Irish music, and meeting new people! CEA was a great provider to study abroad with. My CEA onsite leader, Tom, was helpful, understanding, and fun to hangout with! Our itinerary got my group traveling and visiting some of the most beautiful sights Ireland has to offer.

Studying abroad through CEA is an overall incredible, memorable and life-changing experience. I was truly skeptical and terrified going abroad because I felt like there was so much work to be done prior to departure, but CEA made it easy. They constantly were updating me and keeping me on track with deadlines, they got me my metro card, and they also were super helpful with getting my VISA. While abroad, CEA is also incredibly supportive. During my time, I ended up in the hospital 2 weeks into my program with appendicitis. My CEA advisors were so helpful in staying in contact with my doctors, calling CEA in the US to help give my parents more information and overall just be supportive through such a difficult thing being in a foreign country. My CEA advisors always came to see me and see if I was okay. I always felt cared for and safe because my CEA advisors were there for me. CEA planned so many trips as well during my semester, like going to Segovia, Valencia, Sevilla, the Royal Palace in Madrid, the Spanish Congress, Flamenco shows and we got to try great foods with them like fried calamari sandwiches and tortillas/croquetas. The housing was beyond amazing. I lived in an apartment in a really safe area and my advisors made sure to give us tours and help us get to know what to do and what not to do in the city. My university was great! They were helpful professors and you got to meet so many international students which was my favorite part! You grow so much being abroad and CEA really helps you succeed!

A great program where I had the ability to both study as well as intern abroad. The level of skills that I developed abroad have impacted my current career goals tremendously and I have gained a new aspect of what I want to make into a profession. The staff was very nice and helpful and AAU (the university attended) was an excellent university and gave a great global aspect into International Business. The apartment, roommates, and accommodations exceeded my expectations they matched my roommates and I perfectly (and we had a well-furnished and very clean apartment as well that was close to school and the inner city!).

CEA Study Abroad provided so much support and guidance when I first began the process of applying for the internship. The onsite staff were all so wonderful and friendly that it made me feel right at home. This program was very organized from the seminar to finding us the right internship placements.

This experience has changed me for the better and is something I would recommend for anyone to take advantage of! You will learn so much more about yourself, culture and the world.

Absolutely life-changing. I encourage anybody and everybody to go abroad, though obviously I'm a little biased towards Barcelona. CEA provided me with an excellent program, from housing to classes to weekend excursions. We had opportunities to travel to great cities like Madrid or Toledo for next to nothing, not to mention we were given a three day weekend, every weekend. Living in a Barcelona will never fade from memory, it was pure ecstasy; meeting locals, speaking other languages, and reveling in the presence of a different culture was the just the tip of the iceberg. As I've learned since my return to the states, one could talk endlessly about their experiences abroad, and I've not encountered a single person who didn't enjoy their stay in that fabulous city! Just go.

I picked CEA's Prague program because of the journalism classes that were offered through Anglo American University. My home university is small so the journalism classes are very limited. At AAU, I got to take classes that I was really interested in like Travel Writing and Cultural Journalism.
CEA offered excursions to Cesky Krumlov and Karlovy Vary, two cities within the Czech Republic, and one big excursion to Krakow, Poland. The Krakow trip was well organized and they made sure to give us an experience that showed us all different parts of the city. The trip included a visit to Auschwitz, which was an extremely powerful and important place to experience to really understand that part of history.

As for the city, Prague was the most wonderful place to live for four months. There is so much to do and it feels a lot smaller than it actually is. There are tons of cultural sites, eclectic restaurants, parks and nature areas, and there is always something new to try. Their public transportation is extremely well-organized so it's easy to find your way around. CEA provides a transportation pass so you never have to pay to step on a tram or subway! Living there for four months means getting to experience everything during some of the non-tourist times, and that's a huge advantage because so many people visit Prague when the weather is nice. Also, Prague was a very safe city. I never felt unsafe. Of course, you have to be smart in any big city but I think Prague is a place where you can relax a bit.
Since Prague is a big city in the middle of Europe, traveling to other countries is so easy. It takes about 10 minutes to get through airport security and the airport is small enough that it's easy to navigate. There are flights, trains, and buses to anywhere in Europe and the prices are super reasonable.
The currency conversion makes Prague a cheap, cheap place to live. You can get nice meals for $10 and beer for a dollar! The city is becoming more and more diverse so you can find any food you could want!
Prague became home quickly for me and I would go back in an instant if I could. I fell in love with the beauty of the architecture, nature, and lifestyles. I promise that you will love it!

I study abroad in Shanghai for 6 weeks with CEA Study Abroad and I can honestly say it was the highlight and turning point of my undergraduate career. I had never been out of the U.S before and was nervous about what to expect traveling thousands of miles to a place I had only heard stories about from people who lived there or on the news. However, what you hear is not exactly the way things are, Shanghai was like a dream I never wanted to wake up from. CEA staff were very helpful in making the departure process as smooth as possible and the onsite staff were very patient and very understanding as I was not as fluent in Chinese as other students. One thing I learned is that its not easy learning Chinese and you wont get it the first few times but its all about dedication and how much you practice so you never forget what you learned. My on-site director was very nice and helpful in getting me extra tutoring sessions that made all the difference in the world to me.

Also during this time my parents were going through a divorce but I was not affected in the slightest by it because Shanghai kept me steadily enticed by its lights, people, food, and unique culture. I can honestly say it felt as though nothing else in the world mattered but where I was at that moment. The excitement I felt talking to locals, chasing trains and hanging out with friends around The Bund near the famous Shanghai Skyline. I found myself starring at that skyline every night during the ending days of my program knowing that I would never see it again. I wanted it to be embedded in my memory forever so I stayed for hours looking at it, trying to remember every detail about it. CEA has been the best program especially for someone who has never traveled outside of the states before. I would highly recommended any student who is interested in China to go to Shanghai with CEA and get in-tuned with yourself and make memories you will be talking about for years to come. Im still trying to find my way back to China, as a graduate student. The sad part about CEA is that they do not offer graduate level courses but its still an awesome program that changed my life and career. Thanks CEA!!!

My educational experience surpassed my expectations. I learned more about the city of Dublin than I imagined I would. I also got hands on experience interning at a publishing company. My internship provided me with experiences that I would not have gotten working back in the United States. The work culture in Dublin relies heavily on independence of the employee so I was given more responsibility than most interns would expect to get. The administration of CAPA worked exceptionally hard to make sure all students were in a safe environment and getting as much out of the experience as possible.I couldn't have asked for a better location to live in. We were a 15 minute walk from the city center. We were constantly trying new restaurants and were rarely unsatisfied. Grocery shopping is also much cheaper than it is in the United States so we were able to save money during the week by not eating out.
By the end of the 8 weeks I felt like part of the culture. Adjusting to living in a new city took some time and we definitely stood out as tourists at first. But, by the time I was ready to leave I felt confident that I could handle all social situations in this new environment
Of the entire two months I spent in Dublin I never felt unsafe. The citizens there were always
extremely kind and friendly. I felt comfortable walking through the city even during late hours.