The Classroom Comes Alive with CAPA! Past Review

By Emily M (English, Arizona State University) - abroad from 09/03/2014 to 12/13/2014 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

While in London, I really grew as a person. I overcame a lot of my anxiety, which was huge for me. I gained the courage to step out of my comfort zone and leave home. I have learned I have a passion for photography and art. I have also become a better listener, an active learner, more independent, more assertive, have learned to trust my instincts, and become more focused on my career goals and what I want to pursue in life. In 10 years, I’ll probably be able to look back and find even more areas of growth that have presented themselves because of my time in London. Apart from the experience just being fun and exciting and a huge leap of faith, study abroad really did change me in so many different ways. I know I will never forget my time in the UK and all it’s done for me. I also know that for me, it’s been just the beginning of a lifetime of growing and changing through traveling abroad.

Review Photos

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England Photo

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.	I took 12 credits at the CAPA Centre. I really enjoyed them all and would say they were about the same rigor as I was used to at ASU. Each class is 3 hours and 20 minutes long, but they all have breaks and some of my teachers let us go early. I ended up taking courses in sociology, theatre, creative writing, and art. There was a computer lab and printing avaliable at the CAPA Centre, which sometimes would break down, freeze, etc, but the staff and teachers were all pretty understanding when that happened.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Everyone was so nice and helpful all the time in my experience :)
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I loved my homestay arrangements. I had my own room and space, which was exactly what I wanted. I was placed in a very nice house and they even had decent wifi. The only downside was my homestay being an hour and 20 minute commute to the CAPA Centre. I realize homestays are typically going to be in farther out zones, but it would have been nice to be in the same zone, just on the southwest part of London instead of the north because it would have been closer to CAPA.
* Food:	The food is great in London! Lots of delicious markets. They also have AMAZING Indian food. Stop in at Harrods for lunch or get fish & chips at the pub! My host parents also cooked me yummy dinners.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I felt very integrated with the culture because of my homestay. Commuting into the city also helped me to feel like more of a London resident.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I was never sick (thank goodness) so can't really comment. We had insurance though and I feel like anything would have been handled okay.
* Safety:	There was some pickpocketing, but I never experienced any myself. I felt pretty safe overall. The only time this was an issue for me was going home by myself after one of the 4 shows we saw as a part of my theatre class. These usually started at 7:30 or 8 at night, so I would be taking the tube/bus/walking home alone around 11, which probably wasn't the safest, but there wasn't really another option.
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)	Being in a homestay, it was super easy to not spend a whole lot on food because they provided breakfast and dinner every day. I would make my own lunch and take it into London with me and occasionally buy something while I was out. I only ate out at pubs/restaurants about a dozen times.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	I brought $3500 in food/expenses/travel money with me and spent it varyingly over the semester.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Make a list/spreadsheet of all the things you want to do ahead of time and budget how much they will cost so you have realistic expectations going into the experience.

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	Americans International Students 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?	Classes Homestay Traveling
* What could be improved?	Number of spaces on MyEducation activities Communication between CAPA and homestay provider Homestay commute
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	That the internship wasn't for me. I should have trusted my instincts more. I applied, paid for the visa, and went to the internship for a few days in London before realizing the internship didn't actually fit into my goals for studying abroad. I should have asked more questions about placement opportunities and my career goals beforehand.

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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Understanding Modern Britain
Course Department:
Instructor:	Michael Fosdal
Instruction Language:
Comments:	This class with professor Michael Fosdal was fantastic! We went on several field trips, had a previously homeless woman come in and speak to our class, and we would discuss current events, our weekend adventures, and the differences in British/American culture during class. We went to the Imperial War Museum and were supposed to also visit a mosque, but ran out of time. We did a midterm paper, final research paper, and a group presentation.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Theatricality: Understanding the Possibilities of Theatre
Course Department:
Instructor:	Michael Punter
Instruction Language:
Comments:	I took this class and it was awesome! I loved the professor, Mike Punter, and we went out and saw 4 shows throughout the semester. We did 2 papers and a presentation on our favorite show. The lectures were on the history of theatre, which I found very interesting even though I'd already taken years of drama classes.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Writing the City: London
Course Department:
Instructor:	Kate Norbury
Instruction Language:
Comments:	This was the one English class I took since I'm an English major. We went on several field trips to different areas around London. We wrote three short stories and did a presentation on a walk we went on in London. The professor, Kate Norbury, is really helpful and a published author herself. I loved the class workshops and writing exercises. I felt it was a very safe and fun environment to share my work.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	20th & 21st Century Art
Course Department:
Instructor:	Liz Mundle
Instruction Language:
Comments:	If you've never taken an art history class before, but have always thought maybe you should, this is the time to take it! I knew nothing about art going into this class so it was a bit challenging, but soon I got the hang of talking about art critically in my papers and really enjoyed the class. Every other week we would go to art museums and actually get to see in person the famous works we were discussing in class. From Van Gough to Turner, London has so much art! I also really enjoyed being required to go to art museums for class because otherwise I might not have sought them out.
Credit Transfer Issues: