CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Sydney, Australia

I don't know how to describe Australia. You have to experience it yourself. The CAPA Staff are very professional and helpful and do everything they can to make you feel at home and comfortable. I found CAPA to be encouraging and helpful. My internship placement was also wonderful, it was my favorite part of the Study Abroad because of who I worked with.

This was the best experience of my life. The internship placement was perfect and suited me well. I feel like I learned so much about another city, another culture and a lot about myself. The apartments that we were placed in were beyond perfect and were in a great location close to the airport, beaches, and the downtown part of the city where the Opera House and Harbor Bridge located. My day to day experiences looked like: waking up and off to the internship or class in North Sydney, spend all day out and come home to make dinner. I had three day weekends which allowed for ample beach time and traveling around Australia and even New Zealand.

Studying abroad in Sydney was the most incredible experience of my life. I was so blessed with all of the opportunities that I had while I was there! I was able to experience the beauty of the country and the Australian culture. While I was there, I took surfing lessons, climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, saw a show in the Opera House, walked along the coast, saw whales, had an internship in a school, attended Hillsong Church, and so much more! The opportunities are endless! I grew so much as a person because it opened my eyes to another culture and further developed me into an independent person. One of the greatest accomplishments was that I was able to maneuver throughout the huge city of Sydney using various modes of transportation. This greatly boosted my confidence! I loved it so much! I want to go back!!

This semester abroad with CAPA was the best decision that I have ever made. I would encourage everyone to seize this opportunity because it has changed my life and I am positive it would change your life as well. The cultural diversity that I was exposed to and the positive perspective I have left with has been one of the many valued changes I have undergone. I was able to accomplish more than I thought was imaginable. I went skydiving, attending Hillsong Church, climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and watched a performance in the Opera House. I was able to conquer public transportation and learn about the different lifestyles of the people in Sydney. Day to Day it was difficult to take public transportation from my internship to the campus because it was very time consuming and annoying but it is what most of the people in the city use. My internship was tremendously beneficial to my future career and my life. CAPA was very helpful and cooperative in any needs or accommodations. They are so very friendly and we all loved to come visit the office! This experience has benefitted me in numerous ways and I was able to develop professionally, mentally, and spiritually. Simply, the best three months of my life.

CAPA changed my life. The staff made my life way too easy, from arranging our living situation to finding our internships for us, CAPA did it all. Sydney was an incredible city filled with positive people, outrageous nightlife, and plenty to do at every second. I met lifetime friends and felt completely safe, especially considering how far I was from home. Traveling with other Americans made the experience easier to adjust to, and it felt good knowing that 60 other people were going through exactly what I was going through. You have to make an effort to meet natives, but it's all part of stepping outside of your comfort zone. Having an internship made the experience what it was: unforgettable. It gave me the chance to fully integrate into the Australian culture and lifestyle. Bottom line: GO CAPA!!!!!

I can't even begin to explain how much I enjoyed my time and internship in Sydney, Australia! I am so blessed that CAPA was able to line me up with an internship that was my first choice option. The CAPA Sydney staff is wonderful and was always there to help anyone if we needed something.

A typical day for me in Sydney consisted of taking the public transportation system from Waterloo to Potts Point. I worked in a real estate office in Potts Point and I was responsible for a great amount of prospecting. I was also responsible for assisting with open houses by helping set up and get contact information and comments from guests who were visiting the property. I really enjoyed my internship and know many other people who I went with that enjoyed their internships, as well. The internship is a great way to network with people in Australia and is a giant boost to your resume. I find myself still talking about my internship and my trip to Australia. It is just a great experience.

When I wasn't working, I was out and about exploring the Sydney beaches, checking out museums, different parts of the city, shopping, and hiking the trails from beach to beach. The beaches were definitely my favorite thing outside of working because they are simply amazing.

I also had the opportunity to take part in various trips to other parts of Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef! It was great to be able to get away from the city for a weekend and go exploring the reef and the Daintree Rainforest.

When it comes to difficulties that I encountered, I would say my main struggle was when I first arrived in Sydney. I was aware of the bus system but I accidentally got on the bus going the wrong way. I ended up on the other side of town but a kind bus driver was able to help me get to the proper stop to get me back home.

Another difficulty I encountered would be the different terms some Sydney-siders use that we don't use in America. However, the other employees in my internship site were able to fill me in and it really helped me out. I thought everyone in my office was extremely nice and treated me with respect and they were always willing to help me out.

Overall, this experience was simply the best experience I have ever had in my entire life. I got to open up to a new culture and a new country. However, at the same time, I was able to get some valuable work experience that will separate me from others when I find a job after graduating from college.

Through this experience, I learned to be independent. In the Sydney program, you live on your own and have to get yourself to your internship through public transportation. Learning to use public transportation and learning my way through the city was my biggest accomplishment. I was so proud of myself by the end of my time in Sydney, because I could get myself absolutely anywhere in the city. I always felt completely safe using the public transportation. Everything was clean and everyone was very friendly.

Difficulties:
I struggled to stay on a budget in Sydney. Everything is very expensive and I always wanted to go out and do things. I spent more than I had wanted to, but in the end I do not have a single regret. It was all worth it and every experience I had was incredible.

A few of the things that I got to do including: surfing, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, climbing the Harbor Bridge, and seeing a show in the opera house. And these are just the big things. My day to day life was just as exciting. We never had any down time, and the CAPA program was great about providing some activities for us to do. The staff was always very friendly and helpful, and I always felt very supported by them.

As it goes with any study abroad trip Australia has given some of the best experiences of my life.

The day to day life in Aussie i can say is pretty much like America. The internship placement for me was spot on in providing me valuable experience in the PR field. Having an internship while abroad really emerges you into the culture and daily life of the Aussies. The night life was great and there was always something to do. Traveling to other destinations in the country was easy to do but was a bit expensive as was a lot of things. You may be a little shocked when looking at the prices but after a week or so you'll understand their standard of living is a bit higher. The living arrangements for CAPA Australia (if you're not doing a home stay) was really nice. The serviced apartments took the stress out of worrying about security and the little things so you can really enjoy yourself. Transportation was easily accessible and once you get the hang of it came to be second nature.