Give us an intro!
Hi, my name is Meghan Murphy and im a health major at SUNY Oswego in New York! Im originally from Long Island and I went to London with CAPA International Education in the spring of 2014!
Why did you pick this program?
Choosing a study abroad program was like choosing a college all over again! There were so many options but I wanted to make sure I choose the right one. After much research I decided on the CAPA London program because I loved the idea of interning abroad!
Getting international working experience was something I knew would be extremely beneficial in pursuing my career and passions. Not only that but it’s a great resume builder and an excellent way to make connections worldwide!
I had read many reviews about the CAPA program from alumni and they had nothing but good things to say about the whole experience so I knew I was making the right choice. I wanted a great study abroad experience and I was confident that CAPA could provide that for me and I was right.
What do you wish someone had told you before you went abroad?
I wish someone had told me how fast a semester goes when youre abroad! When I first arrived in London I thought I had all the time in the world to explore the city and see all the sights.
But before I knew it I only had two weeks left in London and I was trying to cram everything I wanted to see into just a few days. You don’t want to feel rushed or pressured your last few days in London, you want to enjoy your time there and spend it with the people who you won’t get to see every day when you leave.
Use your time wisely, take advantage of every opportunity to visit museums, art galleries and theaters, and leave enough time to see everything you want to see. You should never be bored in London and if you ever find yourself without something to do use that time to get lost in the city and see what you find!
What was hardest part about going abroad?
For me the hardest part of going abroad was leaving my family and friends for so long. I do go away to college so I’m used to being away from home most of the year but knowing that I was going abroad to the other side of the world made me a bit apprehensive. It was the unknown that scared me the most.
Not knowing anyone where I was going, not knowing much about the city and not knowing what to expect from the whole experience can be unsettling but keeping an open mind and being accepting of new opportunities that come your way is key to having a great study abroad experience.
I was terrified when I first stepped on the plane bound for London but I was extremely sad when I boarded the plane to come home so don’t let your fears stand in the way of your dreams!
Tell us about an experience you had that you could not have had at home.
My entire internship experience was something that I would never be able to have at home. Being a health science major interested in nutrition you don’t start doing internships until your second year of graduate school. But I didn’t want to wait until then to do an internship for fear that I might discover I don’t actually want to do this.
I was extremely thankful for being able to do an internship abroad because they are much more lenient with internships and what you’re allowed to do than we are here in the states. I was very fortunate to be able to intern at King’s College Hospital with the nutrition and dietetics department because I was given many hands on experiences and was able to work with the dietitians throughout the hospital and get a good feeling for what it’s like to be a registered dietician.