Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The Greatest Decision of My Life Past Review

By (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., Westminster College, PA) - abroad from 09/03/2013 to 12/14/2013 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My experiences in London were definitely some of the greatest of my life. I learned so much not just about other people and cultures but also about myself and my own culture. Personally, I became more confident, more self-assured, and more independent. I saw that I could take care of myself and survive in the world. I was challenged to adapt and deal with problems on my own. I was able to garner a new understanding of the world and global relations. It's truly impossible to put into words how deeply my study abroad experience affected me. It was easily the best decision I have ever made and I would do it again in a heart beat.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

While I was abroad I was fortunate enough not to have any health issues but I knew that the CAPA program would help me navigate the system if I needed and they had prepared us with basic information in case we ran into a health issue.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

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

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 20 pounds/ 35 dollars
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Avoid using credit/debit cards. Most likely your bank will charge you fees for using them overseas and after a while they can start to add up. Also, go to the store every week and get snacks for the rest of the week. I would get things that I could take with me while I was

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Introduced us to activities that I would not have found out about myself
  • Provided us with information and help without being overbearing. I knew they were there if I needed them but I was able to go and explore and make mistakes and have my own experience.
  • Before my departure for London, they provided me with ample information to get me excited about going abroad and make me feel prepared for my adventure.
* What could be improved?
  • Sometimes I felt that there were not enough resources available to meet the demand of the number of students participating in the program.
  • The classes were not as rigourous as I was accustomed to. Sometimes this was nice because I didn't have to worry as much while I was experiencing the city but in class I was often bored because it wasn't stimulating.
  • Some of the classes were very good at incorporating our study abroad experience into the class and really took advantage of using the city as a teaching resource. However, there were also classes that didn't. I feel that more classes could incorporate the surroundings into class material to further enhance the study abroad experience.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I truly felt that I was as prepared as I could be. Prior to departure, I received weekly emails from CAPA with facts about different aspects of London such as language, food, culture, politics, etc. It gave me a background to the place where I was going so that when I got there I understood a lot more than I would have thought. Obviously it was impossible to be 100% prepared for every situation that I encountered, after all I was still in a foreign country, but I never felt so uncomfortable or out of the loop that I was angry at the program for not preparing me.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!