CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Paris, France

I had so much fun in my semester abroad and I am so grateful that I had this opportunity! The free excursions were fun, and Christmas in Paris was magical. Studying with CEA CAPA really helped me to be able to branch out and improve my French. I was in a program that helped me to improve my French, more than my French major ever did. I also met so many people who I never would have met otherwise. I'm extremely proud that I got this opportunity and would recommend it to anyone who has the chance.

I studied abroad in Paris, France in Fall 2024. It was a bit of an adjustment but I was fine with the transition. One thing I think helped with this is that I kept my expectations reasonable. I had the beautiful, timeless, and dream-like image of Paris I think a lot of people have when they think of it, but I did not forget that it is still a big city, and therefore has the problems that come with that. Something that I wish I had more information about before leaving is how to get around/out of the city. Learning how to use public transportation is extremely helpful. The Paris metro system is truly amazing, and better than any of the other places I traveled to. You may have to make a transfer or two, but the lines are so interconnected, and run very frequently, that you can go anywhere easily. Plus, right after arriving CEA CAPA provided us with Navigo passes, a monthly pass that allowed us to travel on the metro and bus, and taught us how to use them. While abroad I did a lot of traveling too, and Paris, being a major city in the world, made trips really accessible. From the train station Gare du Nord, which is connected to the metro, you can take international trains. The Eurostar, a major high-speed train company, runs out of it. Also, there are two airports close by, Orly and Charles de Gaulle. I never went to Orly, but from Gare du Nord it is only about a 30 minute direct train on the RER B to get to CDG airport.

One aspect about studying abroad that I found especially challenging was going to a country that spoke a different language. I had taken beginner level classes before arriving, but even if I had a little more proficiency, it still would not have prepared me enough for being immediately immersed in it. I took Intermediate French I there, but it was taught completely in French, and I found it really hard to learn it in that way. Even so, going around I really did not have any problems communicating with people. Almost every person I talked to switched to English after hearing me speak and realizing how bad I was. Then whenever I encountered someone who did not know English, as well as for reading and traveling, the translation app DeepL really came in handy.

I highly recommend this program. It was amazing. The program has everything planned down and is super welcoming. My teachers were great and the center is so well located. My teachers were super great at explaining everything. I loved being in Paris. You will never run out of things to do! There are so many museums that you can get into for free with your CEA CAPA student identity card. The food is amazing as well. From pastries, to meals, to desserts French cuisine is excellent.

I studied in Paris with CEA CAPA and LSU architecture professors in Fall 2024 and had an amazing experience! The CEA CAPA building is located in the Marais, which is the perfect neighborhood to explore during lunch breaks and after class. The staff was so helpful and kind, and always willing to chat or give advice. Programming allowed us to try local foods, practice our French language skills, and even mingle with French students. I recommend choosing CEA CAPA for any destination to study aboad!

I went to Paris with CEA CAPA's Fashion Studies in Paris program, which was pre-approved by my home institution. CEA CAPA provided an excellent experience - a home away from home. I met so many incredible people from across the globe and expanded my knowledge on the world, my academics, and myself. The staff was supportive and planned many events for us to bond and see other parts of Europe. Paris is a central European city, so I had the opportunity to travel a lot - and my school schedule allowed it!

The people at CEA were very helpful from pre departure all the way through my program. The housing was in a great area of Paris right near the metro line 1, the apartment was clean and spacious. The activities set up by the program were entertaining and well planned. The professors were very knowledgable but at times did not communicate well with students. However, the classes were engaging and the field studies allowed me to visit museums like the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay for free during class.

Hey! My name is Lillian Smith and I did the CEA CAPA Paris Fashion Studies Program spring of 2024 my sophomore year of college. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I would definitely do it again if given the time and the funding. The negatives were definitely the adapting phase. The first couple weeks were rough with getting used to the culture and living in a very large city, especially because I didn't know the language prior. Meeting new people is a joy, but trying to establish a friend group in a foreign country by yourself can be a major stressor, so all of these things considered, it was a rough first couple of weeks, but once I was adjusted I had the time of my life. I will say that when selecting housing, the shared studio apartment is not the best quality, and I would go for an apartment if you are able to, but it was fine in the end and I did enjoy it. The view wasn't nice and we were on the outskirts of the city, however, this meant that we had smaller, less crowded restaurants and stores with cheaper prices because it wasn't touristy, and that was a huge help in the long run. We even became regulars at a couple places and befriended some of the staff. The biggest positives are definitely the staff. They plan so many things for the students and are so insanely helpful; I really loved my professors and the content of my classes. I learned so much. Really enjoyed this program!

Studying in Paris was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

Going into the program, I didn't know a single other student. I was worried about my classes and that I wouldn't make any friends. Luckily, pretty early on, I realized that everyone was in the same boat; we were all looking for friends. Even after I found my "group", everyone still hung out with each other and was open to making new friends.

Classes were pretty hard for me at first. The workload was more than I anticipated and I struggled to stay on task. However, the whole class felt this way and we voiced our concern with the professor. He was very understanding and we found a good compromise. My elective, "History of Paris: An Architectural Perspective" was awesome! Seeing all of the monuments we talked about in class in person was unbelievable.

Outside of class, I went and saw just about everything there is to see in Paris. There was always something new and exciting going on. In addition to exploring Paris, I would travel to a different country every weekend. I went to Switzerland, England, and Germany. I experienced every kind of nightlife, and tried all kinds of amazing food.

One of the most memorable parts about the trip for me was the relationship I made with a local sandwich shop. After finding "Pietro Rambuteau" two weeks into my trip, I went there almost every school day for lunch. By the end of the trip, the worker knew my order without me saying a word (Focaccia Parma w/ Basil). At the end of the trip I even got a picture with the him.

Studying in Paris through CEA CAPA was one of the best decisions I ever made.