CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

I was really nervous about going abroad, but I was determined to follow through with it. At my home institution I commute, so I had never lived with anyone besides my family. I was also very nervous about making friends because I'm quite shy. CAPA was extremely supportive and the Dublin staff always tried to help when it was needed. The weekly "Tea at CAPA" was a great way to talk to the Dublin staff about how my experience was going and if I was having any problems. At one point I injured my foot and they were able to set up an appointment for me. The flats on campus were comfortable (although the mattresses were very springy) and there was a kitchen so my flatmates and I could make food whenever we wanted to. I ended up living with 3 amazing women and we all got along great! CAPA also provided bus passes, so transportation in the city was easy. The best parts of the CAPA program were the excursions and classes. The classes weren't fully lecture-based; we were able to be immersed in the Irish culture and explore Dublin by going outside of the classroom. The trip to the Cliffs of Moher was spectacular and a fantastic way to end the program. Overall I'm glad I made the choice to go abroad and I was extremely happy with the program and location I chose.

Dublin was a fabulous, lively city with more to do than I could squeeze into six weeks. The city was just a few hours from the most breathtaking sites in Ireland, including Galway, Cork, and many other suburban landscapes. The program provided the upmost support and the class I took to coincide with my internship was very helpful to adjust to Irish culture.

My favorite part about living abroad in Florence was exploring the city itself. The staff and faculty in my program made this especially possible through sharing their favorite sights, restaurants, and museums of Florence. The city itself is highly populated with study abroad students, but I still was able to explore the city on my own. Experiences like speaking Italian at my local bakery or taking trains to less famous cities like medieval Prato helped shape my experience. I wanted to study abroad for lots of reasons, but in the end I miss Florence because of the incredible and unique people I met both through my school and outside of it.

I am so glad I chose CAPA London; it was my first time in Europe, and it was a great time for me to learn and discover myself independently. With the exception of the nighttime bus routes, (those maps are very confusing) I had no trouble navigating around the city. (Safe community, and no language difficulties). Flexibility in scheduling allows for external travel and discoveries, in a culture rich city. However, one must keep in mind that a study abroad experience is what you personally make of it. I've had friends who have done the same exact thing, and said that it was nothing special.

In the beginning, you are introduced to the city via tourist route; that is, we took a bussed tour around the city, where a tour guide gleefully introduced us to the major land marks, and well known historic areas. We also visited Stone Henge, which, for me was the highlight of the tour- I'm not one for tours, because I find them, well, rather bland, but I'm not sure how I'd have gone to Stone Henge otherwise.

I would say this program is more about personal learning and exploring rather than pure academics. It all depends on your university, but mine did not take our final grades, only the credits as long as we reached a certain grade. This is not to say that I didn't try- as long as you complete the assignments, and listen during lectures, doing well in your courses is not an insurmountable task. Classes simply consist of lectures, assigned reading, a few presentations, and a final exam at the end. If you have any questions, the professors are always more than willing to help, and are very chatty and friendly as well. I will say it is a more American style of learning, as we have assignments throughout the course, and our final mark is not contingent on just one exam.

However, I do wish the program as a whole was a bit more organised- sometimes I felt like all the components of our responsibilities- housing, assignments, travelling, etc. lacked in proper cohesion. Often times, we were confused as to what we needed to do, where we needed to go (such as finding our flat, assignment due dates, etc.) This was more of a problem for my classmates, though I just found that a bit more communication would have solved the issues. Sometimes, for example, a professor would be expected to adhere to the CAPA curriculum instead of their own, and they weren't aware that they were to present certain presentations- and embarrassingly found themselves fumbling with the content. However, the content is what matters- all the other issues are easily solvable by asking questions if you need additional instructions.

Travelling is so easy in London that it would be a crime to take a taxi. CAPA gives each student a prepaid Oyster card that can be utilised on all public transportation for the duration of the program. Take advantage of the free museums and cultural attractions- London is one of the world's most diverse cities, and places like Borough Market and Camden market has food stalls in rows with food from all over the world.

I would also advise to take advantage of the student union at Imperial College, a partnership that is unique to CAPA. There, you can make friends with British University students, join clubs and sports, and utilise facilities. Imperial is one of the top universities in the UK- and you can easily be a part of the community- it is there that I've made some of my best friends, and also discovered London through a local's point of view.

Travelling is also a must- though you are not on the mainland of Europe- any country is within a few hours away. I suggest planning ahead to find the cheapest rates.

Quick tips for making the most of your experience:

1. Don't just do what tourists do- by doing the "typical" things, you don't experience London as a local; just what all foreigners see- anyone can see Big Ben- but going on a street art walk in Shoreditch is something I wouldn't want to miss

2. Get to know the locals- you'll have friends with different view points, who can introduce you to their city- too many of my friends say they didn't know any British people by the end of our program- that's because they just stuck to each other. You're not in a foreign country to get to know more Americans.

3. Utilise your Oyster card as much as you can- it's prepaid- anyone who's stayed after the program knows that those fees really add up.

4. If you're going to travel- plan ahead of time. Airline flights are ALWAYS more expensive the closer you get to your departure date. And hostels are a marvellous alternative to expensive hotels.

5. Document your discoveries with photos and maybe even a journal- you'll look back on it in the future and be glad you could relive those memories.

6. Go out of your comfort zone and try something new- you never know what you're going to discover. You have time to sleep and rest when you get home- these several months should be filled with discoveries and new things. So get out there and enjoy yourself!

While abroad I was doing a 6 credit internship. The CAPA staff did an amazing job at matching an internship to my major, interests, and it was even walking distance from my home. I learned so much from doing an internship in another country. The administrations in Sydney were very helpful. They were all quick to respond to emails and made us all aware of any resources we might need. They also kept us up to date on any activities that we might be interested in, in sydney and made sure we didn't forget to do our assignments.While studying abroad I was lucky enough to participate in the homestay option. This made it a little bit harder to always keep up with the other students, but this was an amazing way to learn more about the countries culture and see just really how people on the other side of the world live! I felt very integrated since I did the homestay. I also spent some time volunteering in Sydney, which was an amazing way to meet the locals and learn more about the culture. It was especially easy since there was no language barrier. Although things may have seemed very similar to the states, getting involved was a great way to realize and appreciate the differences. Although it sounds kind of cheesy I learned a lot about myself while being abroad. I have always been a fairly independent person but that really gets put to the test when you are in a foreign country where you don't know anyone. I would say it helped me grow up a bit and learn some good life skills, like how to take the public transport! I also learned a lot about working in an international company. I had lots of responsibilities at my internship and learned how to balance my time seeing a new country while getting my work done. This was an amazing experience and I would do it all over again if I could.

I loved my study abroad experience in Alicante. I chose Alicante because I wanted a new experience living by the sea and CEA offered all levels of spanish courses, and I needed a beginning level. I absolutely loved my host family. They were some of the kindest people I have ever met and very patient with my language skills. The onsite support of CEA Alicante was amazing. We visited many different villages in the surrounding area and I felt like I really got to know the Valencian region. I enjoyed the classes at the University. They were helpful without being too challenging. The amount of time you spent in class each day was about perfect. Overall I had an amazing experience and would recommend this program for anyone looking for an encounter with a new culture!

I enjoyed living in the city of Alicante because it was easy to get around and everything was close by. The community is very beautiful and there are nice things to do on the shore line! I enjoyed exploring the area but it can be challenging to get to other areas in Europe because of how far south it is. The program organizes fun events around the city and a couple of farther excursions.

My study abroad experience with CAPA was nothing short of amazing. The staff was extremely accommodating, my flat was gorgeous and right in the city center, and my classes were interesting. I was happy to arrive in Florence, ready for a new adventure, and CAPA provided me with just that. I made countless new friends, who became family. I would never take back my decision to study abroad with CAPA.

Prague, Czech Republic is a clean, safe and FUN city! I had a fantastic time exploring Prague's restaurants, museums, and nightlife and enjoyed traveling to other cities in Europe as well. I had a larger apartment than I expected and felt that it was in a clean and very safe neighborhood. Czech people are friendly and it's super easy to make new friends abroad. The college in Prague, AAU, had a lot of international students and classes at AAU transferred to my home institution without any problems! I would highly recommend going with CEA. The CEA staff members were very helpful and provided weekly itineraries of current events in Prague. Additionally, they were always available to answer any questions and made the process of getting acclimated to Prague a breeze!

In Australia, I was able to have a full time internship with a physical therapist. I got a good feel for the ins and outs of the typical day of a manual and orthopedic physical therapist. I was able to volunteer with my supervisor and assist in the treatment of athletes participating in 111km canoe race at the various check points. I went to two classes that were held on the same day, so I only had to go to campus on Wednesdays. I took The Global City: Sydney, and I recommend this class in any location because our teacher took us on tours and taught us politics, history and interactions of local social groups. In my free time I was able to go to the beach, go on coastal walks and enjoy all of the fun social things Sydney had to offer. This time was beautiful, and I was the happiest I have ever been.