CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

Going on the CAPA Program is an experience you'll never forget.

Besides it's relatively cheap cost, the internship placement, and the location, there are many things about this program that make it unique. You get to stay in the Meriton Serviced Apartments- not in a dorm at a University. Think of it as staying off campus, with incentives. Each apartment has at least two balconies, 24 hour room service, a full kitchen, and two bathrooms, not to mention the spacious living area with a large flat screen TV (but you probably won't be watching too much if you spend your time the right way), and the gym and sauna access. It's conveniently located next to a small market, some shops, restaurants, the highway, a fabulous park (with great sight lines of the city), and the bus stop. It is without a doubt a great place to stay.

You get to live with other Americans on the program, so if you are fearful of living on your own, you get the camaraderie and a little dose of culture to fall back on when you need it. Some planned trips in the beginning of the program allow you to make friends with the other students very early on.

Of course, this doesn't mean you don't meet Australians or anyone from a different culture. I certainly met many people from all over the world through my travels and still communicate with them today- 6 months later. As is the case with any abroad program and experience, meeting people, and immersing yourself in the culture is completely up to you. Australians are all around- trust me when I say you meet many people. Make the most of it.

The program is there for you when you need any assistance. I can't say enough about how they helped everyone on the trip.

While abroad, I was more freely able to step out of my comfort zone, as high as 12,000 ft in the air, and as low as 60 ft in the waters below. I gained invaluable cultural awareness, experience, the knowledge to successfully live on my own, and the lasting sensation that I can do anything in the world I put my mind to. I highly recommend the program.

I learned how to live in a huge city but still make it feel like home. I learned a lot about myself and my capabilities to adapt to new situations and environments. Would definitely recommend CAPA - I took great classes and they offered amazing day trips and activities that made London more exciting!

The six weeks I spent abroad in Florence captures some of the best memories in my life. I was able to see Florence through a sojourner's lens and this made my experience incredible.

CAPA's orientation and tour of the city started my journey off overwhelmed: I knew Florence was a beautiful, historic city, but seeing the Duomo and being in the piazzas for the first time was absolutely surreal. That feeling developed my Florence Fever as my days went on studying abroad there.

A normal school day consisted of walking half an hour to the CAPA center, which was conveniently near the city center. I would pass the locals selling fruit, newspaper stands, and tons of coffee shops with pastries on my way. Classes were fun and relevant to the city, so it was neat to be on site and learn about the language, culture, and art history in the context. My professors were very knowledgeable with the courses, and that reflected in their teaching. We would take trips and learn about the Medici Palace, or visit the San Lorenzo Market and test our Italian at a local cafe. CAPA also provides a museum and bus pass, which made it easy to visit museums such as the Uffizi Gallery, Boboli Gardens, and the Accademia as many times as I wanted.

The staff at CAPA is friendly and extremely helpful. They checked in with our accommodations, suggested great activities and places, taught us useful phrases in Italian, and were there to give the students the best study abroad experience possible.

Aside from academics, the culture definitely made my time abroad come full circle. Living farther from the city center, I was in an apartment complex with all local Italians, and my roommates and I were a block away from a famous gelato place, which we took advantage of. We became friends with the pizzeria owner down the street, and the guy who worked the deli across the street was so proud when I successfully ordered in all Italian (after a non-successful game of charades my first time in there). The cuisine is phenomenal; pizza will never be the same to me again. I loved walking around the city and enjoying being in a foreign environment. The architecture is fascinating, and panoramic view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo is something I will never forget.

I am so happy with my experience and time abroad through CAPA Florence. I learned a ton about not only the city, but myself as well. I cannot wait to go back!

While I was in Sydney I completed a 140 hour internship with Bradfield Bentley Pty Ltd. I not only developed a lot in my personal life but also my professional life. I learned how to adapt to a new environment and culture and still be able to provide a practical view on the industry. My time spent in Sydney was also occupied by taking an International Business class. This was an extraordinary experience considering I was able to take what I was learning in class and apply it to my international internship.

My time abroad was the best time of my life and I wouldn't change it for anything! I only wish that everyone had the chance to experience something like that!

This was an amazing experience! Very glad that I did it. Everyone was very nice and helpful. I had the opportunity to meet new people not only from London but also people through out the USA. I was able to develop some friendships as well as to have a great support group.

I chose Florence as my study abroad destination because I was looking to go out of my comfort zone and experience and learn a cultural completely different from my own. I enjoy learning new cultures and immersing in them. CAPA Florence definitely fulfilled that expectation and desire. I arrived in Italy, knowing not a single word in Italian. I was placed with a host family who spoke not a single word of English. More people than I expected did not know English or not well enough to understand what you were asking or trying to say. I struggled in the beginning because I couldn't speak the language and some days it was just so frustrating, but you have to keep trying. Florence is a huge city compared to my small hometown in the mountains in the middle of no where. I had no idea how to use public transportation, let alone in another country with a different language that I did not know. I was never good at directions. My study experience definitely forced me out of my comfort zone. Sometimes the cultural differences were irritating and unbearable because you couldn't understand them or you didn't like them, but overall, you grew to adapt to the cultural differences and learned to appreciate them. I appreciated and loved that CAPA emphasized a lot of out of the classroom experiences to teach us. I think there's no better way to learn about another culture than being actors and active observers of it. The first hand experience and interactive learning is my preferred method of learning; it provides you with the ability to learn so much about a culture and also a lot about yourself and your values. CAPA's teaching staff is incredible. They act as a resource and a family away from home. CAPA's 4 day class week not only helped students travel to experience the world, which is one of the most important educational tools and advantages individuals should take advantage of, but it also allowed us to personally dive further into the Florentine culture. I learned that I can adapt to new situations quicker than I thought I could because you have to. I know now that I can do anything if I need to, and I can survive and make do wherever I am with whatever I have. "I can't" is no longer a phrase in my vocabulary. My study abroad experience has changed my life and has given me a new-found perspective of the world.

Going abroad was the best decision I have ever made. It forced me to be completely independent, separated from friends and family at home. It forced me to grow up. Being on my own also really helped to give me a sense of who I am as an independent adult, not as a unit with the people I have been with my whole life. I found out how smart I am and how well I can take care of myself. Most importantly it allowed me to see and experience people and cultures completely different from that of my own. People are products of our lives and surroundings, how can we truly know what we love and who we want to be if we only know one place or group of people? I am still learning about myself everyday as a result of this experience. I wouldn't take it back for anything in the world, it was truly the best time of my life.

I'm so happy I studied with CAPA International Education. CAPA gave me the ability to immerse myself into the Italian culture by having in and out of the classroom learning with amazing professors who were helpful and dedicated. The MyEducation activities were enjoyable and gave students the chance to learn more about the Italian culture. The planned programs trips were great too because we got to travel to knew places and bond with other students. I met great people, traveled to new places and got a great study aboard education all thanks to CAPA!

Living in London and attending CAPA was the best semester of my life. The school building was so cute and quaint. All my teachers knew so much about the world and the subjects they were teaching. The social scene in London was a blast and the friends I made here will last a lifetime.

I spent my Spring semester of junior year with the CAPA abroad program. The four months that I lived, worked, and studied in London were some of the best and most rewarding experiences of my life. The friendships I made were first and foremost what I feel most lucky to have gained, but also to have had the opportunity to work in my field in another country was an opportunity of a lifetime. I was able to work with professionals in my field of interest and actually apply knowledge I learned in college. I feel as though my studies and work in London have truly prepared me for a future in my profession. When you are placed into a completely new environment, you are truly tested to see how you will respond. Your new surroundings can affect your life either in a positive or negative way but I felt only a positive influence from my time in London. The experience made me feel braver and stronger living on my own, and gave me the courage that I can do anything I strive to do in life. I truly feel blessed and thankful for the opportunity of studying, working, and living in London. I traveled extensively through Europe and created memories that will last a lifetime. I was so sad to see it come to an end, but I keep remembering how much knowledge and wisdom I gained from my experience and how that will stay with me always.

CAPA made the experience better than I could have ever asked for. When we first arrived in London, the CAPA staff met us at our flat and were there to help us settle in. They walked us around our neighborhood and really helped make us feel comfortable with our new home for the next couple months. Even as the semester went on, the CAPA staff always made themselves available to their students even on the weekends if we needed them. The professors that taught our classes were so passionate about what they were teaching, and almost every class used famous landmarks to incorporate the London culture into the curriculum. CAPA also really took pride in the internships they offered their students. They really tried to exactly place each student in their top choice of internship. The program also incorporated a lot of different kids from around the United States, and I made life long friends from different states that I would have never known if it wasn't for CAPA international program. I highly highly recommend this study abroad program. You will not regret it!