Life Changing and Amazing Past Review
By Mikayla Habina (Lake Erie College) - abroad from 01/07/2020 to 03/11/2020 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
Meaningful travel means going somewhere to learn something about yourself and how it connects to the environment that you’re in. Traveling to a vacation town can be fun to get away from everything for a week, but have you really learned anything from it? I think that the best kind of travel is going somewhere you want to go, learning things about that place, and figuring out how those things impact you. I think that when you learn about a place and those things can find a way into your heart, that is most meaningful.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I figured for a Fine Arts and English major like myself, London was a perfect destination that had both of those elements. Plus, it has a Creative Arts Certificate program that included classes that were 100% perfect for me. I took Modern Art in London which was one of my favorite classes taught by a really great professor, Ed Leeson, and he was so knowledgeable but also really personable and connected with me because he was an artist himself. He worked at some of the museums and gave us really great tours of the art museums in London. That was just one highlight of London. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was very nice |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was great! Not used to what we are in the US, but good. We could just contact maintenance and they would be there. |
| * Food: |
The food is great if you're adventurous! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The museums! Gosh, the museums! The pure history and amazing stories that are there really is what made it so impactful for me. Plus, I also went over to Belfast, Rome, Milan, Florence, and Paris. The museums in those cities are just absolutely breathtaking. When I tell you I broke down in tears at the sight of anything Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Botticelli, or anyone else, I am not exaggerating! It was truly a life changing experience to be able to see those masterpieces in front of me. The architecture is also a HUGE plus :) |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had an issue with getting my medication from back home. I was totally out of my medication and Sheridan and Claire at CAPA London made sure I had my medication immediately. They made it seem like they really cared about me and my issue, and helped me get a doctor’s appointment, and paid for my medication because I had no extra money for it. They set up the doctor’s appointment for me and also took me to the pharmacy and helped me pick it up. It was really extraordinary that they did that for me because otherwise I would’ve had a very difficult time while in London. |
| * Safety: |
London is an extremely safe city to begin with, so being there with CAPA made it even better. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would say meeting the people that I did made it worth everything. The four friends that I made on this trip are some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. They are so down to earth, adventurous like me, and so caring and passionate about what they do. They are very similar to me, which is why I think we all connected as a group so fast. In only one month, it kind of seemed like it was us five against the world. It was a great experience because we went out almost every day and created so many fun memories. We tried so many different foods, drinks, went to restaurants and clubs, and went to museums and historical places and also a lot of shopping. It was just the perfect experience. We all still talk to this day! My free time was definitely either super calm or extremely crazy! I usually liked to go shopping or out to eat with my friends, or we would all go out to go sightseeing or to a museum. But one of my favorite experiences was when my friends and I went to the nightclub Heaven two nights in a row! We stayed until 4 o’clock in the morning both nights. It was so much fun, I would highly recommend it. It’s dancing and listening to music with your friends! It’s such an incredible experience. |
Finances
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* 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) |
It is not easy to not spend a lot in London especially if you're a shopaholic like me! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Put some away and don't touch until you absolutely need it! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I would've known I would've needed a lot more money. Plus I wish I would've known that things can change in an instant. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
