CEA CAPA Education Abroad in London, England

If you're looking for a program to intern and study abroad in a global city- CAPA's the perfect choice. CAPA provides a holistic program giving you the chance to intern in a workplace (relevant to your field of study) with the city's locals. In classes with other Americans I was able to meet other students from across the US and make great friends. The internship placements were great and the few students I knew that weren't happy with their placements didn't give it a chance. Be open minded and you'll be able to take something away from your experience! My internship in finance is a great addition to my resume. Furthermore, I was gaining hands-on experience relevant to what I'm studying (accounting) and I really clicked with the team at my site. As for academics, I took a course for my major, one for my minor and one about London. All were great. In my British Broadcasting class we toured the BBC and even got to be the live studio audience of the One Show which was aired on TV! That was very fun. The course I took about London had many field trips around the city to places like Trafalgar Square, Museums and The Olympic Park. All were great, they gave me a new perspective on the city and allowed me to see some of the city's hidden gems. London's an amazing city and CAPA was the perfect choice for me, knowing I wanted to intern with locals and study with other US students. CAPA cares about every student in the program and provides many opportunities to travel (with a travel fair with companies offering trips and some trips around the UK are even included). The unlimited tube pass (zones 1-2) that comes with the program is a huge perk! You'll be able to travel around the city with ease. I highly recommend CAPA to anyone looking to grow personally and professionally through study abroad.

Living in London was such a rewarding experience. London is a truly cosmopolitan city and I learned so much about my self and the world while there. I especially enjoyed the theatre scene and all the fun nightlife spots. There was always good food to eat and something fun to do! The program worked to show us all the different sides of London and even took us out of the city to Windsor to see more of England.

The CAPA program in London offered me an amazing platform on which to not only explore the many wonders of London and Europe, but also to build my professional skill set in a meaningful way through an internship.

As such, my weeks were absolutely packed with classes and work, so spring break was a great opportunity for several of friends and I to break away on our own adventure. We planned and executed our excursion to Italy - free of any program structures or help - in the varied time in between classes during the weeks leading up to break. This was a feat in and of itself, coordinating schedules, tickets, and logistics for four people without anyone knowing Italian or having been to Italy before.

However, it all worked out and I'm proud to say our plans went, more or less, off without a hitch. The number of stories and shared memories from that trip - from Venice in the North, through Florence, and then on to Rome - are far too many to retell here but they will not soon be forgotten by me or my traveling companions.

One really cool week I remember perfectly is my "Week of Celebs." There was a movie premier going on right in Russell Square (Entourage Movie) and I had never been to anything like it! I swore I was dreaming. I kept thinking this is only for famous people, right? Well it was surreal. Though no selfies nor autographs were received, we were up close and personal with a lot of the stars. We were in the middle of packs of crazy people who wanted to get autographs to sell and would shove anyone aside if they got in their way. Of course we just thought it was hilarious and loved being smack dab in the middle of this wild scene. That same week, Bradley Cooper (eek!!) was doing a show, The Elephant Man, in Covent Garden. Afterwards he comes out and does autographs and selfies with nearly everyone who shows up!! This time, a selfie was successfully captured and I have never been more starstruck in my entire life!! It was so cool, we were so close (photo below).

We were shocked at how casual the Londoners reacted to both of these events. The work commuters would walk by like this was an every day scene! Plays, musicals and premiers happen all the time there that bring a lot of celebrities to the city. For us tourists, we couldn't get enough.

CAPA London truly made my study abroad experience one i'll never forget. From the second I was accepted into the program until the second I left London, CAPA went above and beyond to make sure my time abroad was incredible.

Since this was my first time abroad, I was extremely nervous to spend so much time in a foreign country with people who were strangers to me. However, CAPA ensured I was prepared for everything that I would need abroad. They walked me through the entire work visa process, provided me with travel and packing tips, and weekly London itineraries that allowed me to see places only locals know about. They are truly all about making sure each and every student is immersed into the culture they are studying and comfortable enough to enjoy themselves.

CAPA also set me up with an incredible internship in the heart of London in my field of study. I was nervous at first about giving them complete control over my internship placement, but I was more than pleasantly surprised with how spot on they were. The internship and classes were challenging and I was able to learn a lot about my major as well as the history and culture of London. For a six week program, the required hours at the internship site were a little heavy, but I was able to really learn the ins and outs of the work culture and London which I am extremely grateful for. It was a great way to build my resume and give me a competitive edge over others in the public relations field.

London in general is a beautiful city that doesn't allow you to spend one second being bored. I explored the city a lot on the weeks due to the Oyster Card CAPA provided me which allowed me to travel throughout Zones 1 and 2 whenever I pleased. On the weekends I was able to travel to countries such as France, Ireland, Copenhagen, and The Netherlands. I constantly felt like CAPA gave me opportunities to act on and if you take advantage of them you are guaranteed to have the experience of a lifetime.

This experience will be whatever you make it to be; you can either find yourself regretting not doing more, or being satisfied with everything to got to accomplish.

CAPA's London Program makes you hit the ground running, and I'm really thankful that they do. I never thought that almost 2 months would fly by so fast, but I'm glad I took advantage of the time I had while I was there. The program also provides you with a lot of opportunities to see different parts of the city, or even travel a bit further.

One of my favorite things was going to Wimbledon with the group from CAPA. It was the last full day we had for the program, and it was a really good way to end it and spend the last day in London. It can seem hard to become friends with other students on the trip, because you'll find yourself spread out amongst the city. But, if you take advantage of opportunities like this one, you'll find yourself making friends with someone you may not have otherwise met.

Overall, I was really satisfied with CAPA and how their program was structured. They let you practically build your own program (whether you want to do just academics, an internship, etc.) which allows each student to have a unique experience. I would recommend to research as much as you can before you get here, especially when planning for trips / excursions, etc. Prices become much more expensive as the date approaches, but can be found for very cheap with extra time. With that being said, allow yourself some free-time to be able to experience things that you may not be able to plan ahead for.

I found CAPA's London program incredible and life-changing for me: it was my first time living independently (albeit, with roommates), my first extended stay in a foreign country, and the first time I could take complete charge over my own life.

The academics were great, shattering the stereotype that studying abroad would just be a "vacation from studying", and the internship program worked out well for a lot of my friends — I opted against taking an internship in the interest of exploring the city.

The coursework in CAPA courses is unique in that it requires professors to plan MyEducation events — outings that get students engaged with the city of London, and connect it to their studies. This was a fantastic way to plan courses, as it got students out and about, not just sitting in classrooms all day!

However, the downfall of this program for me was in the lack of social immersion we got as students. The London center for CAPA is an independent institution, so the student demographic was nearly all American when I went. Even some of my teachers were American. While we were encouraged to meet and befriend British people, it was difficult to do so when they weren't involved in our studies, or surrounding us during our daily lives.

With the majority of students having internships with organizations in London, this was less of a worry for them; however, my peers in internships who were seeking social immersion did note disappointment, as the friendships built at internships didn't extend far past the office.

For me, this program ended up being great, but in hindsight, I wish I had chosen another of the several locations that CAPA offers. The staff at CAPA, however, is top-notch, and couldn't be nicer. They supported me and my peers when we needed it most, and I couldn't appreciate that more.

So my advice is this: CAPA is great, but don't be afraid to challenge your boundaries more than I did! Many of CAPA's other programs take place outside of the "American Bubble", so check into those before making any decisions.

This semester I had the opportunity to intern at the Royal Free Children’s Hospital School. This is a special school that provides for students whose needs are not met at public schools and is a secure space for children on the ward of the hospital to be engaged during their stay. The goal of the school is to offer a safe, caring space that inspires students to learn in a normalized setting, building skills that will allow for their eventual reintegration back into the public school system. As a teaching and office intern I had a wide range of responsibilities including assistant teaching as needed in the classroom setting, online database coding, and secretarial work.
One of the key learning points that I will take away from this internship is successful communication with staff members. Through this position I have realized that I must be the one to advocate for myself and communicate what I do and do not feel comfortable with in a work environment. During my time at the hospital school I was put in situations where I did not always feel comfortable, and realized that I had to speak up for myself and my needs in order to get what I wanted out of my internship. I now feel stronger and more confident in my ability to understand what I can handle and when to ask for help, which is extremely important in the fields of education and psychology. There were days and moments especially at my internship site that were very difficult. Being exposed to students with mental challenges and a variety of disabilities was overwhelming at times, but I realized that I learned something very important from each and every student that I met and worked with. I have made lasting positive relationships with staff and students at my internship site at the Royal Free, and feel this to be a true accomplishment of my time there.