CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

Where to start... Coming in, I hoped to gained a broader perspective of the world from my abroad experience. Not only did this program enable that to happen, but it did more... way more than that! The CAPA Barcelona program and its professors sparked a new interest for me. One of the courses I had the pleasure of taking was Intercultural Management with Laura Cervi. She designed the class so that we learned from the city that we were in as much as we learned in the classroom. Barcelona is such an amazing place to learn about Interculturality. Other than that, the program itself was a very enjoyable one. My classmates were student abroad from the US, as well, so it was easy to make friends and have travel buddies for the weekends. Lastly, I would recommend living in a homestay. It is a much easier way to integrate into the local culture and makes your time abroad feel a little more homey.

Who would have thought I would ever study abroad? Considering that I am first generation college student and I am living on my own since the age of 18, this idea seamed like an illusion mainly so because of the cost. I used to think studying abroad was for a few selected, lucky people, however, CAPA made this dream come true at a very, very affordable cost. The program I went with was faculty-led semester abroad, meaning that professors from my campus came along with us, making us feel safer. The program made every possible effort to locate our apartments at a reasonable distance from our classes. CAPA provided transportation cards, housing, covered insurance and flights. The only thing I would care for would be food and individual trips. While abroad, the staff located in the city made sure that we also had fun connecting us to local weekend events, My Global City excursions and visits to museums to enhance our learning. The program made a great effort to provide classes that are transferable and can in some way benefit from this trip. For example, I was taking Travel Writing, which fit perfect! I got to make my own book with my experiences, emotions, and travels. Students, I would really recommend studying abroad with CAPA.

This was by far, THE best experience of my life. Barcelona truly became my home, even though I spent such a short time there. CEA really helps you, not just academically, but also provide helpful insights about Spain, as well as really fun trips/excursions to other places in Spain. The classes I took really helped me understand Spain's culture and gave me a new outlook on how similar we all are. I came into the program not knowing anyone, because I wanted to get the most out of this experience and step out of my comfort zone, and it was the best decision I've made. I met amazing, like-minded people who I shared the best experiences with, traveling throughout Europe and throughout Spain. Traveling throughout Europe, between countries is very easy, which was great, because I was able to travel to Paris, Rome, Milan, Greece, as well as other parts of Spain.
If you're given the chance, Barcelona is the place you need to go.

When I say "do it," I don't just mean go study abroad in Barcelona, that should be a given. When I say "do it," I mean fully immerse yourself and make sure you are uncomfortable as often as possible. It sucks that the majority of kids travel for the sake of Instagram, or are simply doing the things that they are already comfortable with... those are not the things that make you grow as an individual. I went as a sophomore, and as most kids go as juniors, I went not knowing anybody on my program. This was definitely the right decision as I was forced to step outside of my comfort zone to create relationships that may end up lasting a life time. I highly suggest you study abroad somewhere, I just hope you do it the way that it should be done, not the way that everyone else does it.

Everyone tells you this a thousand times over, but let me add to the list -- studying abroad is the absolute best time of your life. The only way to make the best time of your life even better is to experience it with the help and support of CEA's staff. With the help of CEA, I was influenced to travel to different cities, not just the mainstream and touristy ones, I felt safe in my own city, and was confident that if I needed assistance with anything, a staff-member would happily be there for me. Without CEA, I would have felt so lost and homesick but they helped me form a community in a foreign place and connected me with friends and weekly activities to enjoy and help me acclimate to my surroundings like cooking classes, beach yoga, and mountain hiking trips. I love CEA for their helpfulness and their kind employees, that became my friends.

Overall my experience with CEA was great and I am so grateful for this experience. As I explored the beautiful city of Barcelona I always felt safe and aware of what is happening day by day in the city thanks to CEA. I think CEA did a great job at welcoming us during orientation, as well as making us know how to stay safe during our time abroad. I also think the teachers at CEA were very helpful as well ensuring your time abroad is a memorable one! The only thing I would recommend to CEA is their absence policy, because I feel that 2 absence is not enough especially while overseas. I would also recommend to take a class at UAB or UVic that is offered through CEA because the attendance is more lenient and you get the opportunity to meet a lot of locals and students from all around the world. In all my experience in Barcelona was amazing and would recommend studying abroad here!

CEA was the perfect program for studying in Barcelona because they provide you with all the support you need to succeed in your education and experiencing Barca. They make available multiple activities so you can immerse yourself into the culture. They also have an incredible staff that makes sure you are happy with your classes and housing. CEA was located in the heart of Barcelona making it central for students to explore before and after class. Overall, CEA definitely enhanced my experience abroad!

My experiences in Barcelona are second to none. CAPA provided me with an excellent internship, rewarding classes, and fantastic guides to the city. I spent six weeks in Barcelona working, taking classes, and exploring all the city had to offer. Six weeks really was not enough time to see everything I wanted to see, so I'll definitely have to go back.

The CAPA staff were so nice and helpful that I never felt alone, even though I was thousands of miles away from home. They treated us like adults, helping us when we needed it and leaving us alone when we didn't. I've been abroad with other programs and it's nice to feel like you aren't being hounded. Additionally, the other students I roomed with in the city kept the days lively. This aspect of the trip gave me the most pre-departure jitters, but after a few days of interacting, when became great friends.

I would recommend this program to anyone. Go explore what they have to offer. You're probably going to like the options.