CAPA WORLD

It can be difficult to make the healthiest of choices while studying abroad. It’s a completely new environment, with different people and simple nuances of daily life that fall outside of a well-established comfort zone to learn to navigate. There’s a strong desire to pack as much into a semester or summer abroad as possible, to travel, to explore the host city and still excel academically as well as professionally at an internship placement. It’s easy to forget to drink eight glasses of water a day or make time for mindfulness and reflection.

That considered, CAPA London is piloting a new series titled “Healthy Choices Abroad” to help students find balance in this area. Each week, a new theme comes into focus and is explored either through a scheduled talk or activity, drop-in sessions where students are invited to speak with staff, or through informative handouts and posters around the center.

Interning, studying, and living abroad in London can seem like a lot to balance, but it's definitely doable and SO worth it. In this week's vlog, Kendall Hoyt takes us along to see what a day in the life of a CAPA London intern looks like!

One of the best ways to get familiar with your city is by walking through it. In this week's post, Sarah tells us how she got a basic footing in London through tours in Southbank and Greenwich. Take a look at some of the iconic attractions spotted on these walking tours and read some of Sarah's tips to successfully enjoy your time in this global city. 

(Original illustrations by Sarah Mai)

Since my workload has been very manageable the first few weeks of class in London, I’ve had ample time to do some exploration around the city and to get involved with some of the CAPA city events. My internship also gives me the opportunity to travel to different locations, so I’ve managed to check off some of the major sightseeing/touristy attractions within the first couple of weeks very easily! I feel like getting that out of the way gives me more time to find the hole-in-the-wall spots and get more familiar with the city, which is what makes the place feel so much more like home and makes me feel like much less of a tourist.

CAPA London has recently formed an exciting partnership with Student Central, the largest student center in Europe. 

It’s home to University of London students, from the group’s 18 colleges and 9 other smaller specialist research institutes. That includes more than 120,000 students, which means there’s potential for CAPA students* to make a lot of new friends from a very wide variety of backgrounds.

Centrally located in Bloomsbury, and just a short journey from the CAPA center, this huge space opens up many more opportunities to become immersed in and experience the typical London student life and culture.

Kailey and Emma reflect on their day trip from London to Stonehedge and Bath in the UK. From a unique recreation of how Stonehenge came to be (a history lesson for the books), to these students tips on how to dress for the weather, this is a vlog you won't regret watching!

In this week's vlog, Kendall gives us a tour of her London student apartment, providing an idea to future students of what to expect of their living quarters with CAPA London!

“Excited.”
“Nervous.”
“Dedicated.”
“Confused.”
“Intrigued.”

A new group of students had arrived in London a few days earlier and, as part of their welcome week and three-day orientation, they shared a few words to describe the mix of emotions flooding their thoughts.

The words—all of them valid and very normal—came as no surprise to London Internships Placement Manager Katie Lander. “One of my favorite activities is for students to complete our three-word exercise,” she shared. “We ask them to pick three words to describe how they are feeling. We’ll look over these then see how we can help them settle some of these feelings. In their Global Internship Workshop class, they reflect on these words again and share three new words on how they are feeling at the end of their internship that helps them consider what has taken place during their time abroad.”

After a few weeks in London, CAPA Vlogging Duo Emma Dinnerstein and Kailey McIlwrath have tackled the challenge of learning the Tube system in London!

From Oyster cards and tube etiquette, to navigating the zones and using smartphone apps like City-Mapper and Bus Times - watch for this awesome guide on how to use public transportation in London!

In this week's post, Sarah tells us how she had a smooth start in London, from passing through customs all the way to exploring her neighborhood. She also unpacks her first week in the city and what she has picked up on so far. Take a look at her helpful tips about grocery shopping, navigating the Tube, and getting a phone plan. 

(Original illustrations by Sarah Mai)

I successfully made it to London in one piece and have settled in nicely within the neighborhood in my new city—which is such a relief after a stressful pre-departure week! I’m not a terribly anxious traveler, but I found myself worrying quite a bit about how navigating the airport and Tube stops would go for me once I arrived in London with quite little sleep. Luckily, it was a very smooth travel day. The immigration line to check my passport and visa post-flight took about 45 minutes to pass through, so bringing a snack along is a good move (something easy to eat with one hand, like a granola bar). After a pleasant interaction with the immigration agent, I quickly made my way to the underground station (marked as the London Underground, not trains, which are much more expensive and won’t take you where you need to go).

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.