I did the CAPA program Fall 2015. The program was well put together and organized, and really nothing went wrong. Everyone was professional and helpful both in the US and abroad, which put me at ease being abroad and being in the program. I went with CAPA because of the opportunity to intern abroad in my major. I had a great placement at a physiotherapy office where I learned a lot. The included excursions we had were hiking in the Blue Mountains, a wildlife walkabout park, and going to a Rugby game! All were really fun and there were no hidden fees in them. I hear there's a new excursion with an overnight experience at Taronga Zoo- that sounds so awesome! I also really appreciated the included transportation pass. For anyone interested in interning abroad I strongly recommend CAPA Sydney as they matched everyone in relevant internships and check in to make sure everything is going well, and in the end you could get a great recommendation for jobs/grad school.

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.

I quite literally had the best time of my life down in Australia. The best time ever was celebrating my birthday. Many people gathered, from within the program, to help me celebrate. The people I also worked with in my internship also brought cake and wished me a happy birthday. It was honestly the sweetest thing anyone has done for me, especially since the majority of the people that helped plan my birthday party I literally had only met a few weeks prior. Another thing to top off that weekend, was the fact that I was also able to go to a nature preserve in which I saw a several different kinds of animals including kangaroos, dingoes, bats, etc. Which has been a huge dream of mine ever since I was a kid.

I abosutely loved studying abroad through the CAPA program. I spent 7.5 weeks in Sydney, Australia, and I learned so much. CAPA helped me prepare for the trip, helped me find an amazing internship, and the staff was always there in Sydney if we needed anything. As a group, CAPA took us on a trip to the Blue Mountains and a wildlife park where we got to pet and feed so many kangaroos. Interning abroad really introduced me to the Australian culture. I got to apply the skills I have learned in the classroom to real life situations for a company that was really happy I was there.

The internship aspect was the best part about this program. I made so many new friends and learned a lot about what I wanted to do for a career after graduation. Who else can say that they had an internship abroad?!

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.

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.

My time in Sydney Australia was truly enhanced by the amount of involvement I took part in. My program offered a student council to coordinate events, and I highly suggest taking part in this. In addition I think it is vastly helpful to get to know everyone in your program and create friendships that will help you deal with culture shock and share adventures with. Once you are settled and feel comfortable in your new home, make sure to explore and see everything you can. While I was there I tried doing something in the city at least every week, and even traveled farther on several occasions. Doing so with other people in your program will make that experience that much better.