I cannot swim but when I was offered the chance to go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef I frighteningly accepted. I went there with Joy a girl I had gotten close to in the program and she helped me through the water and remaining calm throughout the experience. I was able to see beautiful fish in the ocean a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I faced my fears and made an amazing friend in the process.
CAPA was a great program that landed me an internship and helped me break out of my comfort zone. While it was never perfect down under it was a great experience and I will miss all the friends I made in Sydney.

One of my favorite and first memories from studying abroad with CAPA was a CAPA organized scavenger hunt. The groups were divided, roughly 5 people per group, and we were given sheets of paper with questions and locations. Opal cards in hand, our group attempted the buses and trains to go from Haymarket (Chinatown) to the CAPA center to the CBD. It was really fun, and my group actually won-earning us free tickets to see Othello at the Sydney Opera House. It was a really great way to get to know the city and our fellow students.

Doing a study abroad program with CAPA was one of the biggest mistakes I made in my career in college thus far! Horrible, incompetent, selfish, lazy, and egotistical are a few of the words I would use to describe some of the teachers in the program. I felt as if I downgraded in my education in college by an unacceptable amount through CAPA to the point I felt I was in high school again. I could have learned everything I learned in my semester abroad from one or two good tour guides on a one day tour of Sydney.

My study abroad experience with CAPA forever changed me as a person both physically and mentally for the better. It would've sounded a little funny to say that before I had left for Australia not knowing all the amazing times and challenges I was going to face. But I am thankful I chose a program that went above and beyond any expectations I had; from the student apartment accommodations that were conveniently located by class and work to all of the excursions and cultural activities we engaged in on a weekly basis I being blown away by CAPA and Australia simultaneously. Choosing to go abroad can be a challenging time for people with all the new sights and sounds, but I never felt lost or out of place with all of the resources CAPA made available to me. From getting tips on some of the best local cuisine to buy to showing me ways to improve my internship skills I thoroughly grew stronger as a person and student under CAPA's help.

This program is a great choice. I loved that housing, transportation, classes, and your internship placement is fully handled by CAPA. Activities are planned throughout the semester, and the CAPA staff does their best to make sure you're enjoying your semester as best as possible. There are plenty of opportunities to travel, as well as explore Sydney. There is so much to do in the city, especially if you go during the summer when the beaches are open. The program offers relevant classes, places you in an internship that suits your career goals, and leaves plenty of time for fun. You'll get to meet other Americans on the trip, some even from your home university.

My time abroad in Sydney was beyond my wildest dreams. I have been back in the states for six months and Australia is still all I talk about-ask my parents or any of my family and friends! I think of Sydney as my home now, and I long for the day I can go back. I knew I would love studying abroad, but I had no idea how significant of an impact it would have on my life. I hope all students take advantage of this incredible opportunity to go abroad and challenge themselves.

I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! The CAPA Sydney program allowed me to gain professional experience, independence, cultural awareness and much more. I learned so much about myself and what I am capable of. After studying abroad and living independently in a foreign country for more than three months, I am confident that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I cannot wait for my next Australian adventure and look forward to moving back and working and living there one day.

I loved my CAPA classes and my educational experience while I was abroad. I felt challenged by my courses but not overwhelmed, and I feel like I was able to learn a lot about the Oceania region through my classes. While I did had projects and papers to complete, I did not feel like my workload was too intense and I was confident in my ability to complete my work on time. The resources and support that CAPA offered me were a tremendous help as I learned to navigate the education system abroad. If I needed help with anything, from finding a fax machine or printer to navigating the online submission system, CAPA staff were always willing to help me and ensure that I had all the resources I needed to succeed. I felt like I had a really good balance of class assignments, internship duties and free time. I still had plenty of time to explore Australia and integrate myself into the culture, but my studies came first. I will always remember the help and support that my professors provided me with and the neat experiences I had within the classroom. My overall educational experience far exceeded my expectations and I would recommend CAPA to students who want to have an educational experience that enables them to interact with their host city and country.

I felt like I always had a safe place to go if I had questions or any concerns while in Australia. The CAPA support staff always encouraged students to stop by the office just to chat or try a yummy Australian snack. If I needed help finding a printer or fax machine, I could go there, and if I were to have had any issues, I am confident they would have helped me. It was so lovely to feel so welcome and at ease in a foreign country. The CAPA support staff planned many fun, optional activities for students as well-my favorite was the food crawl through Newtown! I have never ate in one evening ever, but it was so worth it and a wonderful bonding experience!

I really liked the Urbanest apartments we were assigned. They were much better than I expected, with many amenities I really appreciated it, including a fitness center, computers and laundry room. The apartments were really nice and very big-especially the kitchen and the living room. I was surprised by how big they were! I always felt very safe in my urbanest and I enjoyed my living experience and getting to know my roommates! I'm a country girl, born and raised, so living in the city was an incredible experience for me. I never felt homesick or culture shock, but rather Sydney felt like home, like somewhere I had belonged my entire life.

The food in Sydney was absolutely to-die for. I have never eaten such a variety of cuisine from around the world! On every street, there is a dazzling variety of food-from fast food staples to Thai, Mexican, Spanish, South American, Chinese, Italian and everything in between. One of the neatest things about Australia is that the country does not have a lot of chain restaurants. In America, we have Applebees, IHOP and a million other sit-down restaurants you can find across the country, but in Australia, almost every cafe and restaurant is independently-owned and operated, often times by families. I absolutely loved this, because I never knew what to expect and the menu was always different, featuring delicious food that I had not tried before. I must say Sydney's bacon&egg rolls easily became my favorite food of all time. I highly recommend stopping by a breakfast cafe (Newtown's Cafe in Newtown is my top choice) and trying a bacon & egg roll with barebeque sauce. I miss that meal everyday-it was my go-to while I was in Australia!

Australians are so friendly and welcoming in general, so I felt it was easy for me to integrate with the culture and meet Australian friends. I have some lifelong friends in Australia now, including some of my co-workers from my internship! I definitely did a lot of exploring in the small towns and suburbs in order to get a feel for everyday Australian life. There is always something going on, and it's easy to get involved and meet Australians, whether it be at the Manly Beach Surf Competition or the weekly markets in Glebe.

I think about going back and repeating this amazing experience all the time. It was absolutely incredible to go to school, work and live in Australia, and it has completely changed my future. I want to move back one day. Studying abroad in Australia was always a dream of mine, and accomplishing it was absolutely incredible. Going abroad and traveling and experiencing another culture inspired me to always shoot for the stars and achieve my dreams-I want to continue living an extraordinary life and I look forward to the future. CAPA Sydney was the perfect mix of support and independence-I truly felt like I was a professional adult, working in Sydney and taking classes. I felt so independent, with my own apartment, grocery shopping, money management and much more. I feel like, now that I lived across the world successfully and independently, I can do anything! I would love the chance to do it all over again, but I know I will be going back one day because Sydney is now home for me.

CAPA, Legitimately the best experience I have ever had. CAPA was so helpful and planned so many AMAZING fun events for us to do ranging from FOOD CRAWLS for FREE (who doesn't love that) to up close and personal in the Opera House, to PRIVATE Screenings of movies, to hiking trips and getting up close and person with a KOALA! :) How many of you can actually say you have done that in your life :) CAPA Staff is absolutely incredible people and will forever stay in your heart for days, months and years to come. CAPA is interested in not only making sure you have the best experience abroad, but also ensuring your safety and security while you are away from home. They are concerned about that lovely stuff. The people you will also meet are incredible. The internship/classes are amazing and awesome of learning aspects and help you open your horizons to how many amazing things are out in this world. The accommodations are like living on a college campus and make you feel so at home seeing so many other college students around! I would recommend everyone to go take a trip with CAPA! If you want to make the best of your trip, the only people who can do that is CAPA International Study Abroad Program! :)

I spent three months living, studying, and interning in Sydney. The academic side of the program was not rigorous, as we were only completing a writing minor for our home institution. Two days of the week were spent in "class." Wednesdays' were spent in the classroom and Fridays classes were spread out throughout Sydney; a walking tour of Circular Key, a hike at the Q Station, and tours of museums. The rest of the week was spent interning at our respective internship site. I spent my three months interning at Cancer Council NSW, and it was the best experience. I was able to help the Events Department planning Seven Bridges Walk. I wish I had been able to spend more time in Sydney, because it truly felt like home!