CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

Going abroad with CEA in London was one of the best experiences of my life. The staff is fantastic and know the ins and outs of London and the program. They help you with any questions or concerns you have and they also set you free into the city with all the tools you need to have fun and succeed. I was terrified my first week in London but the CEA staff coordinates events with the entire group and everyone became really great friends by the end of the program and I made friends for life who live miles away.

London is an amazing city overflowing with things to do, and even I felt overwhelmed by the options! The history of the city, and the culture of all the different boroughs is really interesting to learn about and explore. All of the pubs, restaurants, museums, are top notch.

The school itself is good, although I did have a few concerns with grading and was confused as to how grades were calculated in the UK and how they transferred back home. The professors were good at lecturing but be prepared for a schooling system very different from one you're used to in the States.

Studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence was the best 3 and a half months I have ever experienced. Before my time there, I had never fallen in love with a city so hard before. The friends I made, and people I came across were amazing every step of the way. I was only a 15 minute walk from the dowtown area and I live with a wonderful host family that cooked fresh meals on a daily basis. The downtown area hosts amazing nightlife and restaurants where I would frequently go out with my fellow Americans and international friends as well. I often went on weekend trips to neighboring countries and towns. By the time I left, I was able to say that I had visited many popular cities in the south of France. The experiences I gained from my semester abroad are unrivaled and I have been daydreaming about going back ever since!

I didn't enroll through CEA directly, my school had a program working with them.

Florence is a beautiful city with great food and culture. The CEA staff are all friendly and eager to help out. I'm used to larger classes on a quarter system, so it was a bit of an adjustment for me.

I highly recommend the Fashion Marketing class with Professor Tamara Evans if you have any interest in it. The class can be a lot of terminology at times, but her stories are so interesting and she knows everyone.

I also advise anyone prone to mosquito bites to get netting over their windows and/or bug spray because me and many other students had terrible bites!

While I was abroad I took: Physics I (with lab), Chemistry I (with lab), Marketing Principles, and Management Information Systems.

Physics I was my hardest course. There were only problem-solving questions on the exams and quizzes, with no multiple choice.

My other three classes were reasonably paced, and the exam material was fairly predictable. They challenged me to master the material and work as a team on projects. I estimate that these three classes were easier than they would have been at my home university in the U.S.

My Physics lab met every other week, and my Chemistry lab was done on an independently chosen schedule (which was very convenient). Physics and Chemistry lectures meet twice a week, whereas my other classes met only once. All of my teachers were willing to help and available outside of class.

Honestly, I decided I was going to study abroad two weeks before I applied. I have always wanted to travel to Europe and explore the world. I figured why not just go for it. I explored study abroad programs and chatted with people and concluded that CEA was my best bet-the staff was honestly most helpful through everything. Yeah, there’s a lot of work that goes into applying for a study abroad program, like transfer credit forms, advisor approval forms, applications through your home school etc., but believe it or not, I got it all done in those two weeks. Thanks to CEA’s staff again. It’s funny looking back to that time now because none of my friends believed me when I told them I applied and would be studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain the upcoming month.

I’m so glad I proved them wrong. Studying abroad in Barcelona was the best experience of my life. I had the opportunity to see some phenomenal works of art and the most breathtaking views. The views and buildings just got better and better with each new place I went. From Plaze de Espanya to Casa Milla to Parc Guell to Parc de la Ciutadella to Castle Montjuic to la Sagrada Familia to Montserrat… and the list goes on. Literally anywhere you go in Barcelona is beautiful.

Of course everyone wants to hear and see pictures of the architecture, that’s what Barcelona’s known for! But honestly, what I loved most about Barcelona is the culture. I had never taken a Spanish course until I got to Barcelona, and I’m so glad I did. It made it so much easier to learn the language and communicate with locals. I actually felt (half) fluent by the time I left. It definitely made it easier to immerse into the culture as well. I felt so comfortable traveling the city alone and meeting new people! Everyone is so friendly in Barcelona and everything is slow-paced, there’s nothing you could complain about.

I studied in this charming city during the Spring semester of 2015. Not only did CEA do a wonderful job at placing me with an INCREDIBLE home-stay family who bettered my French and made me delicious meals everyday, but they also brought us on some amazing trips around the south of France. From an all payed weekend trip to Nice and Monaco to horseback riding on the beach, this program satisfied every hope I had for my semester abroad. Aix is also adorned with so many beautiful restaurants and boutiques and has a great atmosphere for students. I plan on returning this year on vacation so I can reminisce on the memories I made there as well as make new ones. It is certainly a place you will want to return to after your study abroad is over.

I first traveled to Rome in 2009 on a high school trip, and I knew immediately that I would have to return one day. I finally got that opportunity in summer 2015 after making the decision to study abroad there. It was a dream come true.
Rome is a huge, vibrant city that is full of history, amazing sights, and incredible food. When I wasn't in class, all I did was eat endless amounts of pasta, pizza and gelato.
I loved my apartment, which was about a 10-minute walk from Vatican City. One of my favorite memories from Rome is waking up at 5am with my roommates to be the first in line for the Vatican Museums, then seeing Pope Francis speak in St. Peter's Square!
The CEA staff organized some wonderful day/weekend trips that really added to the experience. We went to Florence for a day, but my roommates and I turned it into a weekend trip so that we could go wine tasting! The other weekend trip was to Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri. That was incredible.
There really is no place like Rome, and I truly believe that those who have never been there are missing out!

The summer that I spent in Prague changed my life. I took two amazing classes that were both challenging and rewarding. I traveled to several other countries on weekends. I made friendships that will last a lifetime and I learned so much about myself.
After only a few days, I knew that it was going to be hard to leave Prague. Not only is it a beautiful city that you must see to believe, it also has a very charming and familiar environment that feels like home.
I absolutely loved my apartment, which was a short walk from a metro station, a grocery store, and several cafes. One of my best memories from Prague is paddle-boating with my roommates down the Vltava River, then going to a beer garden to watch a soccer game. There is so much to do and the possibilities are endless!

I will always cherish the memories and lifelong friends I made while studying abroad in Alicante. I first studied here on a short program, but quickly returned for a full semester because I had fallen deeply in love with the city's vibrant culture and breathtaking scenery. The site director, Alvaro, is incredibly passionate about the city and the students who travel across the world to experience Spanish living. The classes were diverse and hands on, offering a lot of opportunity to work with other cultures and share ideas. Housing in the city is very accessible and close to the beach. However it is a lot different compared to what we are use to in America, but it's all a part of the experience! I had a lot of opportunity to travel to other parts of Europe as well, but frankly I wanted to spend most of my time in the Valencia region because of its paradise location and great food. Since studying in Alicante, I've returned to visit because it really has become a second home to me.

I had an absolutely amazing time studying in Grenoble, and I miss being there so much. The city is beautiful, and it's the perfect size. Big enough to have events going on and plenty of places to shop and eat, but it is also small enough that you can really get to know the city and feel at home. Grenoble is surrounded by three mountain ranges and intersected by two rivers, which create such a beautiful backdrop for the perfect city. Grenoble's location means there is no lack of places to hike and be out in nature. The city is also not far from other major cities: Lyon is about an hour away, Geneva is about two, and Marseille is about three, and all are easily accessible by train. Not to mention, the food is incredible in France and the cheese is so cheap. I ate so much and gained a little weight but it was so worth it... What's more, CEA is the perfect study abroad provider. They will help you so much before, during and after your study abroad experience. Patrick is the program director in Grenoble, and he is so kind, helpful, funny and so much fun to be around. He is always there if you have any questions or issues or even if you're just bored. Every other Thursday, Patrick holds a program he calls FACE, which is basically where we all come to Patrick's office to eat French food and learn something about France or work on an art project. Honestly, FACE was probably my favorite part of studying in Grenoble with CEA. No other program there had something like that, and it was so much fun. I would look forward to it all week. I also made so many friends in Grenoble, both from CEA and from my courses at the university. If you take classes through the French language program, you will be at the CUEF where you'll take French courses with other international students. It's an incredible opportunity to meet students from all over the world, and I am still in touch with some of my classmates who live thousands of miles away from me. I chose to live in the residence hall, which certainly had its pros and cons. I was closer to the university that way, but a little farther from the city center. The room was small and the beds felt like rocks. There was a kitchenette, which was nice to have but it was extremely small. On the bright side, our room was cleaned weekly and I was living with other students. If I had to do it over; however, I would probably chose to stay in the apartment. Overall, my experience was nearly perfect. I'm so glad I chose CEA and Grenoble because I cannot imagine having as much fun as I did anywhere else. I cannot recommend CEA enough. They were so helpful and made everything so easy. If you're thinking about studying abroad in France, go to Grenoble, even if most people you know haven't heard of it. France is so much more than Paris, and Grenoble will give you an authentic French experience.