CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

I loved everything about my stay in Sevilla, Spain with CEA. They did a wonderful job placing me with a roommate and host family, and I truly enjoyed all of my classes. All of the workers at the CEA center in Sevilla were always very friendly and helpful, and they were always more than willing to help us with whatever we needed--whether that was finding an alternate route home from classes or finding a good Chinese restaurant. They were always ready to help and talk if there was anything we needed help with.

They knew all of our host families by name, and they could pinpoint certain characteristics of each host family--they knew exactly who they were putting their students with, and they weren't afraid to talk with the host families if a student ever felt uncomfortable.

I requested to be put in a host family that had kids (because I come from a big family), and they took my request to heart and placed me with a family with two kids right around my age--having that made all the difference, and the people at CEA did that for me. And on top of that they placed me with an awesome roommate, and we got along absolutely perfectly.

They made sure my worst fears didn't come true (i.e. bad roommate and a horrible study abroad experience), and they made sure that I had the best experience possible. The people who work at the CEA center in Sevilla make the trip 10 times better than it would be without them. I am 100% certain that I would not have had the same incredible experience if I had gone through another program.

I love Sevilla, and I am so happy that I got to know it with CEA's help. When you go to Sevilla, be sure to look out for the "No8do" signs--they don't mean anything to you right now, but they will mean everything to you after you leave. Ask the wonderful people at the CEA center in Sevilla what they mean. They'll be able to tell you all about them.

I'm so glad that I chose to study abroad with CEA. The support staff was always so helpful and a bright, cheery face to see everyday (shoutout to Vicki and Miriam)! My classes were very interesting and I learned a lot, but the professors also make a point to encourage us to travel around Spain/Europe so we were not constantly tied down with schoolwork. The excursions were very well planned, and the trip to Morocco was definitely the most exciting. CEA also provides other cultural activities like dance and food lessons which help to really get to know what is important in Sevilla.

My host mother was so sweet; she became like a second mother to me. I highly recommend anyone who wants to actually learn Spanish and feel at home abroad to do a homestay! Not to mention she is also such a great cook and the house was always clean.

I cannot say enough about the city. Sevilla is a beautiful city with a vibrant culture and people. Having the chance to call Sevilla my home for a semester was easily the best part of the whole trip. I already can't wait to go back and see the friends and family that I made there!

Dublin is a great city-a lot going on but small enough that you will know your way around sooner than you may think. The CAPA program advisers are right on campus and such wonderful people, willing and able to help with anything you might need. Also, through CAPA you are able to get an internship abroad, an experience that is invaluable and will look great on a resume!
One of my favorite parts of being in Dublin was Thursday nights-two friends and I went to the same pub each Thursday, where we got to know the bartenders and the two guys that played live music. It wasn't a night to drink too much or go wild, just a chance for us to be immersed in the local culture and become "regulars" if just for three months. On the last night the band dedicated a song to us and I got to go on stage and sing with them for the whole bar. Just traveling to other countries is great, but being part of a city for long enough to make relationships like those are what made it so worth it to me.

My overall experience in the city of Sydney through the CAPA program was amazing. While abroad I had an internship that CAPA found. This internship was picture perfect for my major. I learned so much and made so many friends that I never thought I would have because of CAPA. The only thing I wish this program did a little better was their touring of the city. While on the trip there were CAPA sponsored trips to the Blue Mountains, a Wildlife park, and even a food crawl around Newtown. Although these were fun, I do wish there were more trips. I found that as the weeks went on I became more and more overwhelmed with what I wanted to do/see. The trip as a whole was incredible and I highly recommend anyone who is looking to study abroad to look at CAPA first.

My study abroad experience with CAPA London was better than I ever anticipated. You hear of a lot of people who go abroad and say it was a "life-changing experience." And this really is the case for me. The CAPA staff, in London and Boston, were extremely helpful each step of the way--from the application to commencement. I absolutely loved living in London. The flats in Shepherd's Bush were in a good part of town and Tube stations were easily accessible. They also pay for your transportation within London which is really helpful. I took Advertising in Britain and British Broadcasting Today and found both of the classes to be beneficial. We could actually go on field trips in the city and see concepts we had been learning in class. My favorite was visiting the BBC.They also have great connections within the city for internships. For example, I am a tv broadcast major and interned at a local tv station that broadcasts charities. However, probably the best part of CAPA for me was the cultural activities and My Education Events. These were planned events or excursions led by CAPA. For instance, I saw Les Miserables, went to a rugby match, took walking tours of various neighborhoods, and took a boat cruise down the Thames. After 3 months of living in London, I didn't want to leave and I wouldn't trade my experience with CAPA for anything.

The program as a whole is amazing. The staff are supportive throughout the entire process (even during applying). The CAPA classes are very fun and I learned way more than I thought I would about Dublin. CAPA also gives its students the opportunity to feel at home in the city by providing bus passes and encouraging cultural immersion--the staff are Irish as well. There are also opportunities to explore the country, such as going to Cliffs of Moher or Belfast. I highly recommend the CAPA program!

If you're looking for a program to intern and study abroad in a global city- CAPA's the perfect choice. CAPA provides a holistic program giving you the chance to intern in a workplace (relevant to your field of study) with the city's locals. In classes with other Americans I was able to meet other students from across the US and make great friends. The internship placements were great and the few students I knew that weren't happy with their placements didn't give it a chance. Be open minded and you'll be able to take something away from your experience! My internship in finance is a great addition to my resume. Furthermore, I was gaining hands-on experience relevant to what I'm studying (accounting) and I really clicked with the team at my site. As for academics, I took a course for my major, one for my minor and one about London. All were great. In my British Broadcasting class we toured the BBC and even got to be the live studio audience of the One Show which was aired on TV! That was very fun. The course I took about London had many field trips around the city to places like Trafalgar Square, Museums and The Olympic Park. All were great, they gave me a new perspective on the city and allowed me to see some of the city's hidden gems. London's an amazing city and CAPA was the perfect choice for me, knowing I wanted to intern with locals and study with other US students. CAPA cares about every student in the program and provides many opportunities to travel (with a travel fair with companies offering trips and some trips around the UK are even included). The unlimited tube pass (zones 1-2) that comes with the program is a huge perk! You'll be able to travel around the city with ease. I highly recommend CAPA to anyone looking to grow personally and professionally through study abroad.

Aix-en-Provence is a beautiful city and there are so many opportunities to learn about French culture and the French way of life. Plus, the staff is amazing and they work to help you have the best time possible in Aix! CEA provides countless opportunities to learn about French History and culture through excursions. My favorite was the excursion to Nice and Monte Carlo on Valentines Day. It was awesome to see how the rich and fabulous live for a couple days. I also took my first dip into the Mediterranean that day, even though it was rainy and cold it's a memory I will have for the rest of my life. Aix with CEA is fantastic!

Living in London was such a rewarding experience. London is a truly cosmopolitan city and I learned so much about my self and the world while there. I especially enjoyed the theatre scene and all the fun nightlife spots. There was always good food to eat and something fun to do! The program worked to show us all the different sides of London and even took us out of the city to Windsor to see more of England.

I can't say enough good things about Granada, Spain, as well as CEA's program located there. I originally was looking at Barcelona or Madrid, but costs drove me to search elsewhere, where I eventually stumbled upon the gem of Andalucía - Granada.

Granada was the last holdout of the Muslim Moors that had ruled much of the Iberian peninsula for centuries. Because of such, it still retains much of its original architecture, culture, and style. There are a few UNESCO World Heritage sites located in the city, the most famous being La Alhambra - the large Moorish fort keeping watch over the city. I could write an entire review-length description of Granada; I'll let you discover that for yourself and instead focus on the experience that is studying and living there.

Granada is a mid-sized city to most standards. It's about the size of St. Paul, Minnesota, the area I am originally from. Because of this, Granada lacks much of the fast paced hustle and bustle that more global cities such as Barcelona and Madrid are famous for. The citizens of Granada still adhere strictly to the siesta, and "no pasa nada" really means "don't worry about it", because timetables for meeting up are really anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours from the discussed time.

Granada is also home to the largest university in the Spanish secondary educational system. Because of this, the city is literally bustling with young people and students. There's no shortage of tandem-language partners, an you will not be limited to chatting and befriending only Spaniards - the European Erasmus program is subsequently huge in Granada as well, allowing for Europeans and citizens from countries form all over the world to call Granada their home, at least for the semester.
Because of this demographic, nightlife is absolutely amazing (seriously, I'd give it more than 10 if I could). Discotecas are plentiful, the weather is warm, the city is safe (police are everywhere), and the tapas are cheap. Tapas - can we talk about tapas for a minute? This God-sent idea exists for free only in Granada, and it's equivalent to an appetizer that's provided with your beverage. It's free. Literally, you buy a beer or drink, and they give you an ample amount of food to eat to accompany it for no extra charge. It is incredibly cheap to go out, eat, and relax in Granada. I spent more on my one week visit to Barcelona on food and outings than I did for a good three months in Granada! So many students I met studying elsewhere were so jealous of what Granada provided.

The CEA program is equally as fantastic. I arrived in Madrid very late; a huge snowstorm in Chicago slowed everything down. Subsequently, we missed our flight. However, before we could even put down our bags in the terminal in Madrid, the CEA staff had gotten us new tickets for the next flight, as well as organized the new pick up, family introductions, and any other issues that may have arisen. There are three options for living via CEA in Granada: a homestay with a Spanish family, the university dorms, or a group apartment with other students. I chose the former. My host mom was a single, older Spanish lady who spoke zero English, knew little about America apart from what the news showed, and had only recently gotten the internet, and only because she had to because CEA made her. It was perfect. If you want full immersion into the culture and daily challenges to your linguistic and cultural abilities, choose a homestay. Not only will it make you appreciate what you have in America (hot water whenever you want!), you will learn so much about Spain, the culture, and it's people via daily interaction and relationship building that few other opportunities can provide. The other two living options are fun as well; I had friends who did both and they had good things to say about them, but they were not provided with authentic Spanish cuisine every day - a true treat!

CEA's academics at the University of Granada are excellent. Like any school, you get out what you put in, and it is compounded by the fact much of your courses are in Spanish. Yet you can learn a lot, and many of the courses will transfer back to American universities. Taking around fifteen credits was comfortable and allowed me amble time to participate in class, bond with my professors, and still get homework done and enjoy Granada. Not all courses have to be grammar and verbs, either. From courses on art and music to the history of Granada and Spain, there are a plethora of courses for whichever topic you like. I myself am not a huge art fan, but I was truly amazed by the course "Old Art of Spain" and the professor who taught it (we're still friends on Facebook, by the way). Field trips are a lot more exciting when you get to visit the 500 year old monastery and palace five minutes from your school room.
Similarly, academic support via CEA is amazing. Though they try their hardest to match you with a course level that is appropriate to your language ability, CEA's staff keeps close tabs on your progress and, if you need help, will meet you wherever to help out with whatever course or theme you just can't seem to nail. I'm willing to say I got more support from CEA's staff in Spain than I usually do from my university back in the United States.

CEA has a handful of planned trips that they can take everyone on. We went to Sevilla, Morocco, and Malaga for some weekends, though they change and more can be added! CEA's hilarious staff lets you see parts of their beautiful country and others that the average traveler and student would pass right by. They truly were one of the best travel assets available to me while there.

CEA itself does not interact with you very much on a daily basis, but as describe above, they are always there for you and willing to help. They set up you for success; you make the experience yours. Granada, being the student hub it is, is also a huge spring break exporter. Student trips to Portugal, Morocco, and other parts of Spain and Europe and constantly being planned, advertised, and discounted. A weekend sangria cruise in southern Portugal is pretty much one of the highlights of my life, and it was all less than one hundred (100!!!!) euros, with transportation out of and back to Granada included. Granada also makes up in bus and train connections what it lacks in adequate airline connections (you are lucky to get flights to anywhere but the major Spanish cities). Similarly, the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains rest to the city's south, making ski and hiking trips less than an hour bus ride away. Beyond that, the sea remains, and a day or weekend excursion to the lazy beach towns are less than two hours away, and equally as cheap. I know of friends who organize "ski to sea" trips, all within a day or two! If skiing, hiking, or swimming isn't your forte, the mountains are a constant beauty to look at, and never cease to impress.

Granada is amazing. CEA is amazing. Together, the two can provide you with the study abroad trip of a lifetime. Don't let this opportunity pass - Barcelona may have the better football (soccer) team, but Granada has tapas, Andalusian flair, and a vibrant, growing nightlife that rivals that of other major European metropolitan areas. CEA successfully sets you up, as a presumably-American, to best experience this smaller, lesser known Spanish town in the most successful way that you personally can!