CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Florence, Italy

I had the most amazing, immersive, and life-changing experience during my study abroad in Florence with CEA CAPA. I met so many amazing life-long friends and had an immense amount of support from the staff at CEA CAPA that made me feel like I had made a new home for myself in Florence. They were always so attentive and ready to give us any suggestions or advice we needed so that we could maximize our experience. Our housing was also extremely nice, being located right in the middle of Florence and only a 5 minute walk from the CEA CAPA building.

Before choosing Florence, I talked to many students who had previously studied abroad. Some people claimed Florence was a "basic" destination and "everyone studies there", but for me this was not the case. Florence was the best study abroad destination for me personally and for many of my peers. There is so much to see, do, and experience as I never had a day in which I was bored. Italy is full of amazing food, art, history, and culture. My housing with CAPA was amazing, a 3 minute walk to school compared to my friends in Barcelona who had at least a 45 minute commute to school including the metro. I met so many new people that I still talk with today. I think about this experience every day of my life.

Studying abroad in Florence was the best decision I have made through CEA CAPA. I always knew going to college and studying abroad was one of my top priorities and experiences I wanted to have. Everything blew my expectations out of the water, as I was not anticipating the guidance, transparency, and support that CEA CAPA offered. I was able to form relationships and connections not only with my roommates, who were perfect and randomly assigned, but also with the locals. I was also able to embark on excursions and travel to places I never imagined I would be able to go to. This broadened my outlook on different cultures and ways of life. Academically, I also had a tremendously positive experience, as I was able to get to know my professors one-on-one and immerse myself in my education, which I found very interesting. Seeing the material I was learning by going on field trips to different museums and monuments was a highlight of my time in Florence. Overall, there is not one thing I would have changed; I was able to grow within my identity, meet best friends for life, learn about new cultures, and so much more!

As someone who had never been out of the country before I had some reservations about studying abroad for four months, being one of two students at my university placed in Florence. However, the first day aboard I met three wonderful people who are now my best friends! Florence is a city of culture, history and amazing gelato! I always felt extremely safe while in Florence, and found transportation to be very accessible and easy to use! I would absolutely recommend studying abroad in Florence to anyone, in my four months abroad I felt I learned so much about the history of Italy, but also myself!

Going on this trip was probably the best decision of my life! I always knew I wanted to study abroad in Florence and all my expectations were met. If you are looking for a city to live in but don't want the hassle of transportation, Florence is perfect for you. Florence is such a walkable place and you can get across the entire city in a 45-minute walk if you want. The food and nightlife are also a huge plus. There is always something to do! I went through CAPA and I was placed with the PERFECT people as well. If you are going alone, don't worry because the housing survey did an amazing job pairing me with roommates that shared the same living standards as me.

I had an amazing experience living and studying in Florence with CEA! Not only did I learn so much from the professors at the CEA Center, but I was able to learn so much living in the city and “living as a Florentine.” The program did an amazing job helping us to get adjusted, familiarize ourself with the city, understand the cultural differences, and prepare for travel! My classes were centered around Italian history, politics, art, food/wine, and the Italian language. I gained so much from this experience and I cannot recommend it more!

I was a part of the CEA Florence Winter Break study abroad program. These two weeks were packed full of adventures, trying new things, meeting new people, and getting out of my comfort zone. We learned about Italian food and culture, wine and how it is made, fashion, and history. Florence is filled with so much beautiful art everywhere you turn. CEA made the process so easy and seamless for me that the hardest part of the entire trip was getting in the taxi to get to the airport and go home. They fully supported my group every step of the way while we were there, and anything that we needed, CEA staff was there to help us.

I had an amazing time studying abroad for a Fall semester in Florence, Italy! I took for classes: Beginning Italian Language, Art History, Social Justice Issues in Italy, and Family Business/Entrepreneurship. I learned a lot in all of my classes, and my favorite part was the daily field trips where we got to explore the city and meet local people. The program did a great job of showing us around the city, and introducing us to experiences I never would have found on my own. Florence has so much to offer with amazing restaurants, museums with beautiful art, and kind people. Florence was a great central location for easy travel via train to other parts of Italy, and to fly to other countries in Europe on weekend trips. I was able to travel every weekend, and I have never seen so much culture in four short months. CEA provided two guided trips: day trip to Cinque Terre and weekend in Sorrento. We traveled as a program of around 100 students to these two popular destinations in Italy. I am so grateful for my experiences abroad, and I encourage anyone with the opportunity to do the same!