CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Rome, Italy

My summer in Rome was an unforgettable experience that I can't stop recommending to everyone! I absolutely loved the opportunity to live in the city and learn about its history at the same time. Being immersed in the Roman Empire while hearing its stories was one of my favorite parts. Italy overall has so much to offer, and with the trains and metro, Rome makes it easy to explore and travel around its different regions to get the full experience from its beautiful beaches to Tuscan country. CEA CAPA Staff was phenomenal throughout and was definitely one of the things I loved most about this trip. The staff always went above and beyond to make sure their students were supported and having the best expereince possible.

My summer study abroad experience in Rome in 2023 was truly exceptional and left an indelible mark on me. Immersing myself in the vibrant Italian culture while simultaneously enhancing my academic knowledge was an unparalleled experience. One of the highlights of my time in Rome was undoubtedly the culinary journey. The city offers an exquisite array of pizzas, pastas, and other mouth-watering dishes. Dishes like Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe, Margherita pizzas fresh from wood-fired ovens, and gelato that was pure bliss were daily items in my life. The bustling local markets, such as Campo de' Fiori, were perfect places to sample fresh produce, cheese, and local delicacies. Beyond the gastronomic side, Rome's rich history and architecture were awe-inspiring. Iconic landmarks like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and the Vatican City showcased the grandeur of ancient and Renaissance eras. Exploring the charming streets of Trastevere and taking leisurely strolls along the Tiber River were delightful ways to soak in the city's atmosphere.

Studying abroad in Rome was the perfect adventure and learning experience I had hoped for and CEA CAPA made the transitions and challenges of being abroad a bit easier which was great. Being abroad taught me a lot about myself and helped me build a lot of skills. For example, problem solving and quick thinking were a must for traveling to new places and taking new forms of transportation. One great thing about this program is that they set up some excursions and activities for you, but also leave you enough time and weekends to fulfill your own personal travel wants. The class workload was pretty fair, but the learning environment was different compared to what I was used to and took some time to adjust to. Overall it was a great experience I would love to do again.

I had a great experience! All of the included trips and classes were very fun! My favorite was the Capri trio and the pasta making class. My academics were also fun I took food and culture and art and architecture. I learned so much. The downside is one of our beds had bed bugs but besides that I would highly recommended this to any future students who are interested in studying in Rome. I met students from all different places and cultures it was a very good experience and I learned a lot throughout this process.

Overall, I had a great experience studying abroad in Rome, Italy with CEA! I met a few amazing friends and we had the time of our lives experiencing all Italy had to offer. We spent the majority of our weekdays studying and just hanging out, and then we travelled to new cities almost every weekend (Florence, Lake Como, Venice, Amalfi Coast). The living situation was pretty good. Coming from my freshman year of college, I far preferred my apartment to the small dorms I lived in. However, there was definitely a big difference in each apartment and some were much nicer than others. I had a fairly basic apartment and our biggest complaints were issues with losing hot water, having too small of a kitchen, and having issues with the flooring warping. However, any big issues (such as the hot water) were resolved in a decent amount of time with help from the amazing CEA faculty. But again, this all depends on which apartment you are assigned to. I became really close with my roommates, so that was definitely the best part! I took two classes while I was here (principles of material engineering and the art and archeology course). Both course were relatively similar to courses at my home institution (University of Michigan) in terms of difficulty and workload. We had some issues throughout the semester, but CEA faculty was really good at helping us resolve them. My only complaint would be that there is a difference in teaching styles and leniencies between professors, so you may have to work harder in your class compared to friends/roommates taking other classes. Overall though, the grading was fair and I never felt too overwhelmed by the workload. Coming to Italy for the summer was definitely the experience of a lifetime and I am so sad to leave! I hope to return again in a future summer, or even take part in a CEA study abroad or internship experience at a new location! I would hands down recommend this experience to anyone looking into it!

An amazing program that had many activities to do! Great administration that was always there to answer questions. Took two classes taught each by great professors. Experienced Italy through the eyes of others and got to explore so much. Beautiful place to study with lots to do. Got to do scheduled trips with the program that were well organized and super fun! Italy is beautiful and full of so many cultural aspects. If you are an foodie it is a great program. Overall the best study abroad program.

CEA has shown me over and over again that they were the best program I could’ve chosen. First of all our housing is absolutely amazing our apartment is so beautiful and felt like home right away. Also they set me up with the perfect internship and the process was so seamless. I absolutely love the company they helped me find and my internship teacher is one of my favorite teachers i’ve ever had. They are so many pre-planned activities through CEA and everything is so well organized. I have met so many amazing people through this program and the staff are always there to support you!

I’ve really enjoyed my time in the CEA Rome program. I found that the activities offered were usually well thought out and helped me experience things I might not otherwise have had the chance to. I lived with seven other people and had a small kitchen but otherwise the living situation was good. As for the courses offered, all except one elective will be counted towards my degree which was very important given that not every abroad program actually does that. I wish there had been more opportunities to meet locals, though. We had three “mixers” with some Italian students but I wish there had been a few more.

Overall, I think CEA did a good job preparing us for study abroad in Rome!