Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Once in a Lifetime Experience Past Review

By (SUNY - College at Oswego) - abroad from 01/12/2018 to 04/21/2018 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My experience was definitely worthwhile. I learned a lot about myself and about other people throughout this experience. I was able to gain a lot of independence, and social skills. I also learned how to be more patient when dealing with people from other cultures, and it was extremely eye opening to seeing how other people live across the world.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

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?

* Safety:

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

If I were to do it all over again, I would definitely go through CAPA again because the program was very organized and i felt comfortable with all of the staff throughout my time in Florence.

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? $50/ week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Budget your travels wisely and try to find the best deals. There are a lot of deals through the student tour company's in Florence. Don't go out to eat as much in your host country because your going to be spending money on food when you travel to different countries on the weekends.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Organzied
  • Friendly
  • Attentive
* What could be improved?
  • Advertise the activities more so that more students would sign up for them.
  • Somehow make the students interact with eachother more so that it's easier to form friendships outside of the classroom.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Some other study abroad programs offer more in their programs but it's because their programs are bigger than CAPA's.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.