CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Florence, Italy

My experience is Florence was fantastic. I woke up every morning to the sound of people bustling about an open-air produce market. I would walk downstairs and head a whole 200 feet for a cappuccino and pastry. Another three blocks and I was entering CAPA's campus in Florence's historic city center. Classes involved small lectures in the school followed by visits to the museums and churches to experience subjects in-person.

Studying abroad in Florence was the best decision I ever made. I was pushed out of my comfort zone and given the chance to learn more about myself in 4 months than I thought was ever possible. I would do it all over again if I could!

My semester in Florence was the best time of my life. Everyday was a new adventure exploring the city. The teachers were very nice, helpful, and knowledgable of their subject area. The CAPA staff were just as nice. They were there for you no matter what whether if you were sick or just needed a good recommendation for dinner. They became my second family. CAPA has the MyEducation program which are different events that the students can take part in. The different events in the program allow the students to learn more about the culture and the community. CAPA also many activities and trips that were included.

There was never a moment where I felt unsafe. CAPA and the apartments are all in safe areas and close to the center. I recommend studying abroad with CAPA if you want the true Florence experience!

Every day held immense opportunity for discovery. I quickly realized how little I knew about Italy, Florence, and its people before arriving. Stereotypes were broken down, social dynamics were brought to the light, and I realized how much cultural diversity exists. Every person I met and every experience I encountered contributed to me feeling like a more conscious individual.

The opportunity CAPA gave me to get close to my teachers, host family, host culture and peers was irreplaceable. The closeness of the program made it what it was- we all knew one another and our teachers, it was great!

I had an amazing experience studying abroad in Florence with CAPA. CAPA was very helpful and provided many activities and day trips for us to experience Italian culture and interact with locals. The classes were very interesting and were taught by knowledgeable and passionate professors. I learned a lot about Italian history and culture in my classes.The workload was appropriate. My apartment was large and nice and had a great location. CAPA helped me get the most of my study abroad experience by enhancing my study abroad goals. I highly recommend studying abroad in Florence with CAPA.

CAPA International Education Florence was an incredible experience, one which has affirmed my goals both personally and academically and endowed me with a new cultural awareness. The program enabled me to live with a host family in a location which was close to the main tourist attractions of the city while also being more residential and allowing me to see how Florentines live. All of my classes through CAPA Florence increased my understanding of many aspects of the city.

The six weeks I spent abroad in Florence captures some of the best memories in my life. I was able to see Florence through a sojourner's lens and this made my experience incredible.

CAPA's orientation and tour of the city started my journey off overwhelmed: I knew Florence was a beautiful, historic city, but seeing the Duomo and being in the piazzas for the first time was absolutely surreal. That feeling developed my Florence Fever as my days went on studying abroad there.

A normal school day consisted of walking half an hour to the CAPA center, which was conveniently near the city center. I would pass the locals selling fruit, newspaper stands, and tons of coffee shops with pastries on my way. Classes were fun and relevant to the city, so it was neat to be on site and learn about the language, culture, and art history in the context. My professors were very knowledgeable with the courses, and that reflected in their teaching. We would take trips and learn about the Medici Palace, or visit the San Lorenzo Market and test our Italian at a local cafe. CAPA also provides a museum and bus pass, which made it easy to visit museums such as the Uffizi Gallery, Boboli Gardens, and the Accademia as many times as I wanted.

The staff at CAPA is friendly and extremely helpful. They checked in with our accommodations, suggested great activities and places, taught us useful phrases in Italian, and were there to give the students the best study abroad experience possible.

Aside from academics, the culture definitely made my time abroad come full circle. Living farther from the city center, I was in an apartment complex with all local Italians, and my roommates and I were a block away from a famous gelato place, which we took advantage of. We became friends with the pizzeria owner down the street, and the guy who worked the deli across the street was so proud when I successfully ordered in all Italian (after a non-successful game of charades my first time in there). The cuisine is phenomenal; pizza will never be the same to me again. I loved walking around the city and enjoying being in a foreign environment. The architecture is fascinating, and panoramic view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo is something I will never forget.

I am so happy with my experience and time abroad through CAPA Florence. I learned a ton about not only the city, but myself as well. I cannot wait to go back!