CAPA WORLD

After completing a semester abroad in Sydney, Lorenzo shares what he learned about how you can make connections and the most of the opportunities abroad. In his final post, he also talks about why he decided to stop over for some new adventures in Thailand before flying home.

My CAPA program in Sydney finished over a week ago and I have been trying to make my way back home, but not without new adventures. As a little reward for completing my hard earned requirements and working out a successful semester, I decided to take a week-long trip to the tropics on the way back to my country. I spent three days in Bangkok and another three days in Koh Chang, an island south of the city, at the border between Cambodia and Thailand. I can for sure confirm that I had the relaxed and quiet time I was looking for as I’ve gotten myself detached from the school-work routine and into vacation mode.

In one of his final posts, Lorenzo reflects on his growth after studying abroad in Sydney. As the people and city continue to inspire him, he also shares some takeaways and benefits that'll help you with your journey to this global city.

My experience in Sydney has just ended, and I am currently about to head off to the airport to hit my next destination on the way back home. Three months back at school can go by very fast, but three months studying abroad will go by without you even noticing it. It makes sense: when you are having fun and enjoying what you are doing, time flies. It seems like yesterday that I had arrived and unpacked everything. I think it felt the same way for almost all the people in the program; everybody was shocked in the past few days realizing those were the last we would have in Sydney.

In this week's post, Lorenzo asks fellow student Martyn about interning abroad in Sydney, developing professional skills internationally, and how this experience can serve as a gateway to reach your career goals. Martyn also shares advice on how to keep an open mind and get the most out of your international hands-on experience.

Meet Martyn, a senior student majoring in finance and marketing at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. He is originally from New Jersey and wants to pursue a career in the entertainment/movie industry in Los Angeles. He also blogs for CAPA from Sydney. Today's Q&A is centered on the topic of interning abroad and gaining international experience.

Lorenzo Corazzin: How did you decide to come to Sydney?
Martyn Megaloudis: A lot of the required credits left for my major were international, so I thought it would make sense to take them abroad. This was my first real opportunity to travel outside the country, and through CAPA it was easier because they set up housing and activities.

CAPA Sydney blogger Lorenzo catches up with his classmate Ethan for an interview about his experience, travels, and semester abroad away from Pittsburgh. They also chat about what excursions to expect with CAPA Sydney, how surreal New Zealand is, and why you should study abroad.

In today's post, I'll be interviewing my classmate Ethan and share with you the amazing stories he has from CAPA Sydney and his travels around the region. Ethan is a senior studying supply chain and marketing at the University of Pittsburgh, graduating next May.

In this week's post, Lorenzo describes his experience working with his student peers in London on class projects through Globally Networked Learning at CAPA Sydney. Globally Networked Learning allows students and faculty to go beyond timezones and distances to collaborate during classes for lessons and projects. See what Lorenzo learned from this international experience!

The classes I am taking with CAPA this semester are International Marketing, Advertising & Promotions, and International Organizational Behavior (focusing on Asia-Pacific). Since this is a study abroad program, it makes sense that many classes are globally-oriented, but there is even more to it with CAPA. In fact, CAPA organizes projects for each “International” class where you collaborate with study abroad students taking the same course in another location; for us, that location is London. In today’s modern economy where more teams and workers are doing their job remotely, this is a chance to see how well you could deal with the assignment.

In this week's post, Lorenzo discusses three excursions he's taken with CAPA to experience the wildlife of Australia, from petting wallaby at the Featherdale Wildlife park and hiking in the Blue Mountain National Park, to spending the night at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. 

In this week's post, Lorenzo shares highlights from his trip to Gold Coast for his Spring Break, how he made it cost effective, and what his overall experience with the city was.

In the middle of the CAPA program students can enjoy a one week spring break-fall break in the location where they’re studying abroad. This is a great opportunity to catch up on anything you struggled with during the program, whether that is sleep, study time or exploring the host city. More than other activities though, the break allows students to travel and visit places that would be very difficult to get to once back home. From my program, since a majority of people had never been to Asia, most students flew to Bali, looking for an exotic experience. Others went for Pacific Islands, New Zealand or other places within Australia, maybe the Great Barrier Reef or a fascinating city like Melbourne. Where you go depends on what your budget is, if you want to travel alone or in group and obviously what interests you.

In this weeks post, Lorenzo shares his impressions of Sydney and Australian culture with a local CAPA staff member, Richard Cooper and documents their conversation.

In this week's post, Lorenzo discusses the reasons he had for taking an internship placement during his study abroad program, why he enjoys it, and the advice he has for anyone interested in interning while abroad.

In this week's post, Lorenzo discusses his daily routine in Sydney, from waking up, going to his internship and classes, to spending evenings with his new friends!

As a student and intern in Australia, many different things happen on a regular basis and especially being in a city like Sydney, my daily life is somewhat unpredictable. However, I have still developed a routine that is more or less regular across weekdays. Given the similarities between the United States and Australia it is not hard to have the same lifestyle you have at home.