CAPA London - Highly Recommended! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

CAPA London is one of the best programs out there! I did not do an internship, but I wish I would have taken advantage of this opportunity as CAPA placed many others in the program with excellent internships. The staff are all friendly and super helpful -- they truly care about the student. I lived with a host family and therefore had a rather unique experience compared to most students in the CAPA London program. CAPA did an excellent job matching me up with my host family and checked up on me routinely to make sure things were still okay at my host house. The CAPA professors do a fantastic job at incorporating your experience abroad into your academic studies and take advantage of the location of your study by having various class-related field trips throughout London. The CAPA location is in a safe and rather unique area in central London near many locals restaurants and shops. I would recommend the CAPA London program to anybody! My most memorable experience with the CAPA London program was traveling to Bath and Stonehenge with the other students in the program to gain a more intimate knowledge of such a large part of world history. I was not aware of many study abroad programs prior to studying abroad and my home university recommended CAPA. I am so glad they did! My accommodations were unique as I stayed in a homes stay in London with a host family. The host family was very nice and I had my own room. I lived with other international students that were not part of the CAPA program, including, but not limited to, Italians, Dutch, French, Japanese, and Brazilian students. This was one of the most enriching experiences ever. Most of these students came to London to learn the English language. I had the pleasure of learning about these students' cultures and traditions as well as learning to adapt to others' way of life. The typical amenities we hold for granted in America were not as available in London. For instance, most British homes lack clothes dryers. I had to hang my clothes up indoors and wait days for them to dry. This was part of my learning experience as I had to learn to adapt and compromise with these conditions. I ate meals cooked by my host mother, most of which were actually really good! Please do not be reluctant or afraid to request to stay with a home stay -- it will be one of the most enriching learning experiences of your life! CAPA also includes various trips to local attractions, museums, and even other areas in England, including Bath and Stonehenge, really immersing you into the local culture and teaching you overall. I wish CAPA would've provided vital information, such as their location, home stay information, etc. sooner as it was provided roughly 10 days before leaving for London. Also, I felt like the first day was more overwhelming than it needed to be. It felt as if CAPA picked students up from the airport and dropped them off at a meeting point to be taken away by their host families awkwardly. I wish there would have been a luncheon or something with all of the students and host families to get to know each other. Also, CAPA did not provide transportation to the airport for our return flight home at the end of the program. Although I knew the city well enough to get there myself through taxi or public transport, many students have 2+ checked bags as well as various heavy carry-on bags that make public transport difficult and students further have to worry about public transport delays and unreliability, etc. However, taxis can be expensive and not many students have any funds left at the end of their experience abroad to afford such. I would have rather paid more in my program cost to have this airport transfer taken care of ahead of time.

On-site administration of your program

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly and truly cared about the students.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a host family which turned out to be a rather enriching and highly educational experience. The food that my host family cooked was actually really good. I had my own room to myself with clean sheets and enough space for my personal items. Privacy was maintained. I lived with other international students who were not a part of the CAPA program. Many came to learn the English language and I was privileged enough to get to learn about their cultures and traditions. The main thing I gained out of staying with a host family was how to adapt to others' way of life and compromising things that many Americans take for granted -- such as clothes dryers! Please do not be reluctant to request a home stay as opposed to apartment-style living.

I ate food cooked by my host mother which was actually quite good and she always made sure I never went hungry!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

CAPA does an excellent job at immersing students in the local culture by taking students on various included/paid-for field trips throughout the city, including museums and scenic tourists areas and trips outside of the city in areas such as Bath, England and Stonehenge, England! The staff recommended various places to hangout at with locals, helping us get to know true British culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I felt that if an emergency were to occur that CAPA somehow would've taken care of it. However, I had a minor metatarsal injury (stress fracture) in my left foot that occurred while abroad. I asked the staff about my health care coverage and was basically told that I would have to pay for any MRIs, X-rays, crutches, etc. out-of-pocket and then file with the healthcare company (of which I was never told the entire time abroad who my healthcare company was or what all my coverage included) for reimbursement, of which they could deny if they so desired. I could not afford such so I spent the last two months of my time abroad babying my foot and limping around.

After traveling to over 16 major cities in the United States, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa, I will attest that London is one of the safest. However, like anywhere else in the world, you must use your common sense and pay attention for pickpocketers and muggers (these should be your main concern in London as major crimes are at a minimal rate for study abroad students). Never travel alone at night and keep your personal belongings secure (not in your pocket and make sure purses, etc. are zipped with your hand kept over them in crowded places). Also, never have your phone, iPod, etc. out in the open while walking alone -- this includes listening to your iPod on your walk home from class as muggers will rip it right out of your hand and run before you even know what happened. It happens even in the safest neighborhoods in London, please head this lecture!!!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

1. It was not very easy to live on a student's budget, but this could have been due to the exchange rate for the US dollar in London. I spent roughly $150 a week on food and personal expenses, but this also included my trips abroad. If you never traveled outside of London, you could probably live on a $80/week budget for food and personal expenses and that is IF you budget yourself carefully.

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The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer