CEA CAPA Education Abroad in London, England

My experience abroad was amazing and I wish I could have studied abroad for a year. I learned a lot about myself within the short time I was abroad. I learned to ask questions and talk to people who might not be similar to me. Although, it was very difficult because we came from different backgrounds, I learned a lot through the conversations I had with others. In addition, I learned to take the time to talk to others and explain myself. Sometimes, I find it difficult to speak but my boss took the time to listen to what I had to say. From that experience I reevaluated my life and the things I've done and my habits. As a result, I have taken the time to talk to people who are different from me and explaining myself clearly.

Studying abroad with CAPA was, truly, one of the best decisions I have ever made. When I began the process of finding a program to study in London with, there were a few things that I know I wanted: To live in a flat in the city, to be able to travel, and to have an internship. I found that CAPA would be able to give me all of these choices, and I made my decision.
My time abroad was the first time out of the United States, and I knew it would take some time to adjust. CAPA made it easy for all of its students, by offering tours of the neighborhoods we lived in– including the best grocery stores and Tube stations to take– guided explorations around the city, and by offering small group meetings and orientations at CAPA, to make sure everyone felt comfortable, and knew they had people they could go to if they needed help.
I was very busy during my weeks abroad– between classes in the morning, going to my TV station internship in the afternoon, and then having to cook my meals, do my laundry, homework, and find some time to relax– but it was incredibly worth it. The education I received from my classes, and internship, were one of a kind, and often used London as a classroom setting, which was incredible.
Even though I was busy, I made sure to take time each day to explore. Some days I would just get on the Tube and get off a station I didn’t know and, safely, see what I would find. Around CAPA’s campus are tons of museums (which are free), parks, and other things to explore. I never spent an entire day in my flat– London had too much to offer.
Another great thing about being in London is that it is cheap and easy to travel to other places in Europe. During the three and a half months I was there, I got to travel to Paris, Dublin and Galway, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Florence, and Edinburgh. I experienced things I had dreamed of, as well as moments I had never even thought possible. I met family members who lived in Ireland, sang on the steps of Sacré Coeur in Paris, saw every famous landmark, tasted the most amazing food, and danced every night away. Sure, sometimes we got lost, sometimes it was hard not speaking the native language– but we figured it out, and it made every experience more memorable and educational.
I know the friends I made while I was abroad will stay friends forever– we experienced so much together, and share an incredible bond over this amazing chapter in each of our lives.
To anyone who is considering studying abroad: I could not recommend it enough. It changes the way you see the world and people around you, and the way you live your life. Not every day will be easy, but it is worth it, and you will fly home with memories and friends that will last a lifetime– and an outlook that will positively affect every day to come.

During my semester abroad in London, I Learned more than I ever thought I would, and not just in the classroom. I learned a ton about the world I am living in. I learned that a lot of the struggles and challenges we face as Americans are not at all the same thing that people in other parts of the world struggle with. This experience opened my eyes to all the great things I have had a privilege to and taught me to be fortunate for this. I would say this was definitely a worthwhile experience.

My school had a lot of different options when it came to studying abroad, but choosing an external program to travel with was definitely the best option for me. Not only did I get to live and study abroad, but I got to extend my friend circle to people outside of my home university. Studying with CAPA meant that I had classes with students from all over the US, and interacted with staff from all over the world, not just London!

The perks for studying with CAPA were also incredible. We were automatically included in the student union at Imperial College London, which meant we could join any of their clubs, sports, or activities. We also received Oyster cards with tuition, which meant that I never had to worry about having the money to travel in / around London.

The staff was extremely supportive the entire time I was there, which allowed me to study, travel, and keep my GPA up! Most (if not all) professors took us out and around the city every single week, which helped make sure we weren't just being bogged down into a classroom. I visited almost every major museum, saw three plays, and toured Mosques and Churches during class! These were all things I would've done in my free time and on my own bill anyway, but with CAPA I didn't have to!

CAPA was also extremely supportive in helping me schedule classes beforehand, making sure there was no wasted time / credits earned.

I adored my CAPA experience, and I encourage anybody who wants to study abroad on a budget to check them out!

Through CAPA London I partook in the internship program and it was an excellent decision. I was paired with ThinkersPR a public relations and marketing firm. There, I was the public relations and communications intern. I gained great professional development and made lasting connections. I miss working there everyday and I looked forward to going to work everyday. I managed the social media for our clients and did research for the rest of the public relations team. I got to partake in many client meetings and was involved like I was another coworker, not an intern.

My experience in London with CAPA was better than I ever could’ve dreamed of. I learned how to live in a global city, made incredible memories and friends, interned with a transnational company, and developed personally and professionally. Study abroad as a whole is an enriching, once-in-a-lifetime experience that needs to be taken advantage of.

I didn’t expect to gain so many skills, technical work-related ones and softer ones, but I did and I will take them with me for the rest of my life. I got relevant international work experience in my desired field while also becoming more confident, independent, mature, and able to work with people from diverse backgrounds.

CAPA was the perfect fit for me, largely in part due to the internship component and their emphasis on personal and professional development. I knew ahead of time that I want to pursue an internationally-focused career, so doing an international internship was a great starting point for me. Not only did CAPA place me at a site that perfectly aligned with my career goals, but they taught me how to articulate my study abroad and work experience in a professional, in-depth way, which is more difficult to do than I initially thought.

CAPA provided a lot of great inclusions, including an Oyster Card for the tube and bus so I didn’t have to pay for public transport, a London Pass which granted me free entry to 5 attractions (including the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey), field trips around the city and to Brighton, My Global Education events to teach me more about the dynamic components that make up a global city, and discounts on cultural events such as a Rugby Game at Wembley Stadium and West End plays.

I would highly recommend the CAPA London program to everyone!

I had an amazing experience with CEA London. Cassandra was such an amazing program director. She would drop anything she was doing if a student needed something. She really went above and beyond her job description. I really enjoyed the trips and activities that CEA had planned for us, they were nicely spread out and really got us out into the community and country. Overall, I really enjoyed this program and would come back and do it again if I could.

Cassandra has done such an incredible job at making students feel like they have a family and support system abroad! She's such an amazing person and she's enhanced my experience in London ten-fold! If you're going to go to London, pick CEA, they'll take good care of you! They make it so easy to feel comfortable in a new environment, if it wasn't for CEA showing me tons of new things, I wouldn't have had such an amazing experience!