CAPA WORLD

In her first post, Sarah makes a case for preparing everything early—from applying to study abroad and collating documents to packing for your needs. Check out some of these lessons and save yourself from several headaches as you get ready for a new semester abroad!

(Original illustrations by Sarah Mai)

There seemed to be an endless list of things to do before my flight off to London. When I completed one task, three more appeared in my email inbox. Determined to complete everything on my own, I worked through each of the steps of pre-departure, ending up finishing my task list the morning of my flight day—which I do not recommend (more on that in a second). Despite my shortcomings, there was light at the end of the tunnel, and I learned some very important lessons before I set my feet on British soil.

What is Europe?

Europe is not just geographical space. Defining Europe by geography is complex, contested, and controversial. Russia and Turkey are within and without. The British use the term the “Continent” to mean everywhere in Europe except Britain. We should also recall the headline that may or may not have appeared in The Times when Britain was enjoying Imperial pomp (and when “Great Britain” was not irony): “Fog over the Channel. Europe cut off.”

In this week's vlog, Kendall shares her story of why she decided to study abroad with CAPA in London, touching on the many benefits of spending a semester in this global city and why it may be a great fit for you.

In their first vlog of the semester, Emma talks about the process of buying plane tickets and applying for her visa to study abroad and intern in London, England this spring. She's gets real about the dos and don'ts of the process - so make sure to watch through!

In today's post, Mariah talks about her summer Travel Writing class with award-winning author and professor Michael Meyer, what their class trips were like, and the importance of documenting the city and practicing the art of travel writing.

I knew my decision to take the Travel Writing class would be a good one. My teacher, Professor Michael Meyer, is a fun and easy-going University of Pittsburgh professor who takes us to different museums and places around London to explore. Along the way, he assigns us weekly readings and encourages us to write about our experiences while teaching us different writing styles to improve our skills.

For our first class, we went to Hyde Park. As many of London’s park attractions, the park was full of green. Statues stood tall on every corner we turned and tourists wandered through the beautiful gardens and pathways. For this exploration, he wanted us to imagine a scene. We were told to take notice of what we see around us, engaging our five senses of smell, touch, sight, and sound. It was an interesting day where he told us to sit down, ‘open our eyes’ and just ‘take notice.’ I was meant to be the ‘fly on the wall,’ observing all that I see.

Meet Emma Dinnerstein and Kailey Mcilwrath, our (first ever) vlogging duo! Best friends and students from Clark University in Worcester, MA, these two are teaming up to create vlogs of their semester abroad in London, UK. Between Kailey's A+ camerawork and Emma's bubbly on-screen personality, these two will be creating content you won't want to miss this semester!

Meet Emma Dinnerstein

University: Clark University
Major: Political Science with a Minor in Art History
Study abroad location: London, UK
Internship or volunteer placement: Rosemond Art Group

Meet Kailey McIlwrath

University: Clark University
Major: Screen Studies (Film)
Study abroad location: London, UK 
Internship or volunteer placement: Patchwork Productions (A Film Production Company)

Meet Kendall Hoyt, an official CAPA Instagram TV vlogger in London, England for Spring 2019:

University: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Major: Communications
Study abroad location: London, England
Internship or volunteer placement: Duck & Dry 

Meet Sarah Mai, an official CAPA blogger in London for Spring 2019:

University: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Major: English and Art
Study abroad location: London, UK
Internship or volunteer placement: Rosemond Art Group, Art PR Marketing

The beauty of studying abroad can be described in many ways. For Christopher, it's understanding the way studying and interning in a diverse city has been pivotal for him. In his final post, he outlines the changes he's noticed in himself, the increase in his creativity, and how he views his identity and level of cultural awareness.

Time certainly flies when you're having fun and studying abroad in a new country. In this week's post, Christopher checks off several activities on his bucket list during his last week in London. As he completes his final coursework requirements, he ventures off with his friends to celebrate their time abroad with roller coaster rides and traditional food!

I absolutely cannot believe that my semester abroad in London has come to an end! I cannot believe how quickly it has gone by. In this week’s edition of my blog I am going to recount my experiences of my final week in London and how I effectively wrapped things up with my mates and everyone I shared time with over the course of the semester.