CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

My school had a lot of different options when it came to studying abroad, but choosing an external program to travel with was definitely the best option for me. Not only did I get to live and study abroad, but I got to extend my friend circle to people outside of my home university. Studying with CAPA meant that I had classes with students from all over the US, and interacted with staff from all over the world, not just London!

The perks for studying with CAPA were also incredible. We were automatically included in the student union at Imperial College London, which meant we could join any of their clubs, sports, or activities. We also received Oyster cards with tuition, which meant that I never had to worry about having the money to travel in / around London.

The staff was extremely supportive the entire time I was there, which allowed me to study, travel, and keep my GPA up! Most (if not all) professors took us out and around the city every single week, which helped make sure we weren't just being bogged down into a classroom. I visited almost every major museum, saw three plays, and toured Mosques and Churches during class! These were all things I would've done in my free time and on my own bill anyway, but with CAPA I didn't have to!

CAPA was also extremely supportive in helping me schedule classes beforehand, making sure there was no wasted time / credits earned.

I adored my CAPA experience, and I encourage anybody who wants to study abroad on a budget to check them out!

Studying abroad will always be one of the best decisions of my life. Not only did I gain so much confidence and knowledge about myself, but I also learned cultural competence and a respect for the differences between all the cultures with which I came into contact. I will always be glad I took the leap of faith to study in Dublin, because I knew no one in my program and I was the only person from the Midwest. I had to break out of my introverted shell a bit and I became all the better for it. I was able to travel all over Ireland, learn about Irish history in one of my classes, and experience almost all areas of Irish life.

Through CAPA London I partook in the internship program and it was an excellent decision. I was paired with ThinkersPR a public relations and marketing firm. There, I was the public relations and communications intern. I gained great professional development and made lasting connections. I miss working there everyday and I looked forward to going to work everyday. I managed the social media for our clients and did research for the rest of the public relations team. I got to partake in many client meetings and was involved like I was another coworker, not an intern.

My experience in London with CAPA was better than I ever could’ve dreamed of. I learned how to live in a global city, made incredible memories and friends, interned with a transnational company, and developed personally and professionally. Study abroad as a whole is an enriching, once-in-a-lifetime experience that needs to be taken advantage of.

I didn’t expect to gain so many skills, technical work-related ones and softer ones, but I did and I will take them with me for the rest of my life. I got relevant international work experience in my desired field while also becoming more confident, independent, mature, and able to work with people from diverse backgrounds.

CAPA was the perfect fit for me, largely in part due to the internship component and their emphasis on personal and professional development. I knew ahead of time that I want to pursue an internationally-focused career, so doing an international internship was a great starting point for me. Not only did CAPA place me at a site that perfectly aligned with my career goals, but they taught me how to articulate my study abroad and work experience in a professional, in-depth way, which is more difficult to do than I initially thought.

CAPA provided a lot of great inclusions, including an Oyster Card for the tube and bus so I didn’t have to pay for public transport, a London Pass which granted me free entry to 5 attractions (including the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey), field trips around the city and to Brighton, My Global Education events to teach me more about the dynamic components that make up a global city, and discounts on cultural events such as a Rugby Game at Wembley Stadium and West End plays.

I would highly recommend the CAPA London program to everyone!

I studied abroad with CAPA in spring 2016 and it was a life changing experience. Between both studying and interning in Dublin, I was fully immersed in Irish culture in every way possible. I got to explore a career path that I now plan to pursue after graduation and made so many connections that will serve me well in the future. The smaller size of the program in comparison to others that my friends have completed allowed everyone to get to know each other really well and experience the country together. I made lifelong friends who I still speak to regularly. Dublin truly became my home and I cannot be more grateful for all of the opportunities I had while there as well as all of the opportunities I have gotten through CAPA after my return home. I cannot speak highly enough of this program!!

Going to Dublin was adventure! I was very fortunate that my internship placement was incredible. I was able to work with an award-winning, creative ad agency in Dublin. During my time there, we hosted a promotional event at a local pub for the brand Orchard Thieves. At the event, we had Shaggy,the rapper, perform radio hits and we had photos shoots with local artists. It was an amazing experience!

My stay in Aix was a beautiful experience. Aix is somewhat of a "college town" or rather there's many french/international students studying in that area. This was great because it allowed me to make french friends and international friends. Also Aix is the perfect location for visiting all around the South of France. Literally one of the most beautiful areas! I visited the alps, I visited islands, I visited mountain villages, and sea side villages. There's everything here that you could ever imagine. Aix is a cute little town but if your into that big city life marseille is just a 30 minute bus ride and the second largest city in France.

Tomorrow, I'm flying back to the US after spending 5 weeks in Aix-en-Provence, France. I could say so much about this program, but all I can say is that if you are considering it, go for it! I learned so much about different cultures and languages here--not just French! The city itself is exactly what you would expect out of a wealthier Southern France city but the school itself is really a huge mix of backgrounds and ethnicities! My favorite area is hands down the city center where you can see anything from African drummers during the Euro Cup to people playing the accordion while a reenactment of part of the French Revolution is happening in the same square (I saw both of these things in the same day, by the way).

There is no bad experience in the city of Firenze. Some of my favorite times spent in Firenze were actually when I was walking home from a weekend trip from the Santa Maria Novella train station to my apartment, which was near Santa Croce. It was when I felt like I was returning "home" from a long trip. I would literally get to walk through the city and see all my favorite spots, but the best was when I emerged into Piazza San Giovanni and the Duomo came into view. Feelings of happiness would just envelope me because, as it is the symbol of the city, I always felt a connection to it. Firenze is truly one of the greatest cities I have ever experienced.

I know people always say this, but please study abroad. It was easily the best thing I have done in my life. My favorite thing about studying in Florence was how easy it was for me to travel the rest of Europe. CEA made that incredibly possible without Friday classes and a certain amount of sick days. Florence was just the perfect size to really get to know it all in just a few weekends. CEA classes got me directly involved with learning about the amazing art and history of the city. I was getting GE units for my university back home that were actually interesting and applicable for the life that I was living. CEA and Florence allowed me to travel cheap an conveniently to see everything from Iceland geysers, to the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland, to skiing the Swiss Alps, to Oktoberfest in Munich, to a sunrise in the Sahara, to Aushwitz in Krakow. I couldn't have been more happy looking back at my study abroad experience. My only regret is that I didn't go for a year.