CEA CAPA Education Abroad in London, England

Honestly I loved the staff. I'll admit the crew responsible for answering questions before we went abroad were a bit shaky at times but overall they were solid. However the staff in london was absolutely incredible! They helped set up extra events for us, for instance they helped set up a bonus event in the london dungeon. Essentially, a haunted house event about a bit of history and urban legends. When we first arrived they helped guide us through the city and get acclimated in the next few days, all in all they were just amazing. I highly recommend.

The excursions offered by CEA CAPA during my London program were superior. We went to Bath and then we had three options to go to other places I decided to go to Cambridge University. They also purchased tickets for us to go to a musical or a play. I chose to go to Wicked, this sparked my need to see other musicals in London. Seeing Wicked sparked my want to see more musicals during my time in London. Some of the shows I saw were: Les Miserable, Phantom of the Opera, and Six. CEA CAPA constantly had things for us to do and could recommend things to do as well.

My semester in London was a dream come true! I loved the academics from CEA CAPA's program, including my wonderful professors and all the field trips they orchestrated for us. The organization also planned events and excursions to places like Bath, Stonehenge, Cambridge, and more, with several choices to attend shows on the West End. My housing arrangement felt safe and secure, and I roomed with flatmates who were all wonderfully agreeable; we really bonded. CEA CAPA also provided an Oyster Card for Zones 1 and 2, which allowed me to save money and travel so much within the city itself. I would highly recommend going to London with this program!

I had never thought it possible for me to study abroad, especially in London, England. I'm from a rural village in Ohio with multiple marginalized identities that felt like barriers to going abroad. I saw an opportunity through my university though, and took it! The purpose of this specific study abroad was to conduct personal research at various archives in London, England. It was an amazing experience to be able to exist in such a historic city, but to also dig through what has been preserved in their archival records physically and digitally. Now I actually want to get my master's degree in London, and feel that it is possible.

Summer Abroad in London, what more can you ask for? Most definitely the absolute BEST experience I have ever had in my life. From going to a different pub every night, to watching the FA Cup Final in the 3rd row of Wembley Stadium. It was pretty much a dream come true for me, especially as a club soccer player here at Purdue. I had the chance to go and catch 3 different games when I was there, a regular league match, a final, and an international friendly. Being able to roam London freely was a dream come true.

This past summer I studied abroad in London, UK for one month. The first notable item I would like to start with is the flats we stayed in was in the best location in terms of being walkable to the tube, coffee or food, just about basically everything. I found that being where we were aided to the overall experience, as it was also one of the more considerably safe locations. On the topic of safety, it was very secure to get in as well as the staff was very helpful along with cea capa providing us with steps to get assistance in case of an emergency. There was always support where support was due. While actually doing the studying in studying aboard, I felt that the group was able to get together often enough to understand and comprehend the material. I believe that most of us finished the class with above an A, Over the course of the month, I had the most consistent fun I've had in a really long time. Every day and every evening, there was always an activity going on, in which I usually joined, for the memories. Being exposed to new culture and way of life, that's thousands of miles away from home, forced me to learn more about myself which is fundamental while in your 20s.

Looking at CEA CAPA, I wanted to gain great experience, and when I thought about studying abroad in England, I knew that the London program would be a great fit for me. Also seeing how there's a variety of classes and it gives it in a British context in terms of its history and culture made me very excited about getting to know more about UK history, specifically England.

The program was very helpful in making sure I arrived in London safely and getting settled in. When it came to housing, safety, and other necessities that students had, they were always willing to provide and make sure that everything was well!

My personal experience in England was great. One thing that really shaped my experience was going to church. My church has different branches across the world and there were some in the UK, specifically in London. I went to one of the branches and they welcomed me with open arms from the first Sunday that I came to their branch. It is indeed a family and full of prayer and togetherness. The last Sunday before I returned to the US, some of the people from the church that became my friends planned an outing for me to have fun and say their goodbyes to me and it was such a memorable time, one that I will never forget.

Also, exploring London, especially the markets was such a great experience for me! Trying different food and looking at unique items really my experience fun! I could go on about more experiences, especially going to Manchester and Liverpool. Just seeing the stadium and touring the cities on a public bus was a great experience.

Overall, I would love to visit England again and visit my church friends and continue where I left off of exploring London.

I'm a graduate student in English at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. My university partnered with CEA CAPA for an educational trip focused on the history of Black identity and activism in England and how that compares to African American history and the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. Our coursework focused mainly on the Windrush generation of Caribbean immigrants in London, the varying tensions and moments of solidarity between Black Britons of Caribbean and African ancestry, the fight against police brutality, and questions of colonialism and its lasting impact on England's museums and cultural capital. My independent research for my final paper in the course focused on the history of Electronic Dance Music and related genres and how alternative electronic music and dance have been tools of resistance and identity formation for Black Londoners.
Some of my favorite experiences in London included getting a decolonized tour of the British Museum (where we got to simultaneously appreciate African artifacts and discuss reparations and the discourse around Western countries stealing such artifacts), attending a performance of "Wicked" on the West End, going out for curry on the famous Brick Lane, visiting historically Black Brixton, going on a goth clothing shopping spree at Camden Market, attending two local concerts, visiting the National Portrait Gallery, going out for afternoon tea, and repeatedly coming back to Chinatown for great food and beautiful lanterns. I could not ask for a better experience in terms of the range of options that we had for arts and culture experiences, shopping, music-based tourism, and food. I also appreciated how much free time CEA CAPA and my professor baked into the schedule. This allowed me to travel off the beaten path and explore the city to my heart's desire.
We stayed in CEA CAPA housing in North Acton. Overall, I really liked the housing. It was comfortable and not too small, and the storage in particular was quite good for my needs (about two weeks' worth of clothing, toiletries, etc.). My only complaint regarding the housing was that it would have been nice to stay closer to the tourist/cultural centers of the city, as it took quite a while to get from North Acton to Earl's Court, Chinatown, and other common destinations via bus or Tube. North Acton is not the most eventful area, which was nice at times but also meant that one had to travel to other neighborhoods if they wanted to dine out, shop, see a play or concert, etc. Personally, I would happily pay a bit more or take a downgrade in apartment size if it meant being in a more central location. Overall, though, the housing staff were very polite and helpful, the facilities were clean, and I enjoyed my time in London. I also appreciated how involved CEA CAPA staff were in making sure no one was too homesick, everyone felt safe, and we were getting what we wanted out of the program (shout out to Tim!). And the optional excursions with CEA CAPA, such as the aforementioned tour and curry dinner in Brick Lane, were 100% worthwhile.