Thinking about studying abroad but don't know which program to go through? I got you covered. The program I went through was CEA in the fall of 2014 to Barcelona. This program is so great, because it offers so much more than just classes in another country. It offers you an entire experience that you can even continue once you're back at your home university. There are a ton of awesome study abroad programs out there for students to choose from, but I'm here to tell you how CEA helps make the most of your time abroad.
1. The number of destinations
One of the hardest parts of the process of going abroad is choosing where you want to go. A lot of colleges only offer certain destinations, so choosing to go through a separate program to get where you want to go exactly might be the right move for you.
This is what happened to me: I wanted to go to Barcelona, but my school didn't have a program there. Luckily, CEA did. CEA offers programs in 22 cities in 12 countries, which is pretty impressive, if you ask me. These countries are located in Central and South America, Asia, South Africa, and Europe. All programs offer classes in English as well as different levels of the host language, if you're looking to take advantage of that. Also, CEA gives students a peace of mind by having credits earned by either U.S. accredited institutions or internationally recognized institutions, making it easier for each student to get them transferred back to their home institution.
2. How easy it is to apply
One of the biggest commitments to studying abroad that people struggle with is actually filling out the paperwork to go. Luckily, with CEA, they help make the process of applying a lot easier than I anticipated it would be. All you have to do is make a MyCEA account to get the code to apply, and you're in. It is a relatively quick application, only including six steps. You also hear back pretty fast as well. I heard back from CEA a little bit after a week of applying, and on my 20th birthday, I was accepted; best birthday present ever.
3. The academics
A lot of students tend to think that when you take classes abroad, they'll be a joke. With CEA, this isn't the case. This program offers a wide range of classes for all programs taken at the Study Centers. Depending on what classes you take, you might have the opportunity to take a class in one of CEA's Partner Institutions. This allows you to take classes in one of your host city's recognized universities. This will give you the chance to be in class among international and host university students; how cool is that? Many students also get worried that they'll fall behind on credits when they're abroad, but most of the time, this all depends on how many credits they're choosing to take. I was able to take five classes that all went towards my business major, and it actually helped me get ahead of credits for graduation, all thanks to the wide variety of classes CEA offers.
The curriculum at CEA is designed to not only help you learn on the subject you're taking, but it also designed to integrate the host country's culture in order to give you a deeper understanding of the learning objectives. During my time in Barcelona, we had guest speakers come to a few of my classes throughout the semester to talk about what they were learning by giving us examples of what they experience in their jobs in the host city. It made the topics in class come more to life by being able to connect it to situations in the real world. Some of my professors also took us on trips for the class period to different businesses throughout the city to apply even further what we were learning to the culture. This was beneficial, because it was a great way to learn more about the subject and see how it applied to the lives of business professionals in Barcelona.
4. Different housing options
CEA is also a great program because it gives students the opportunity to choose from different housing options. Standard housing is always included in the price of the program you choose, but there are other options as well. Some of the options include apartments, residence halls, and homestays. All of these choices come with an unique experience and different benefits. With apartments, meal plans are typically not included, but that allows you to become more independent. Residence halls allow you to be around other students, and usually come with a meal plan. Homestay is a great option, because it allows you to become fully immersed into the culture by being part of a family from your host country while you're there. All these options are great, but I highly recommend trying to do a homestay if you want to learn the language and experience the culture in full force.
I chose to go with an apartment while in Barcelona, because I did a homestay in high school with a great family in Granada, Spain. Both were great experiences that helped me grow in different ways. My apartment in Barcelona housed myself and three friends from my home institution. It was beautifully decorated and had two balconies that gave us a view of the Sagrada Familia. The best part of my apartment was that we lived directly across the hall from our landlords, who were extremely helpful throughout our entire stay. No matter what option you go with during your time with CEA, they'll make sure to help you with any problems, should you come across any.
5. Scholarships & Promos
For some people, the price of going abroad may be what's keeping you from applying. It can become expensive, and CEA understands that. This is why they've implemented different scholarships that students can apply for. There are a few different scholarships they offer, and most are given to more than one student a semester. CEA also offers "promos" that are another way that students can save while applying to go abroad. These are available a few times throughout the year, which help students get discounts for the program, but they must be used when applying to a CEA program. Both of these options are designed to help students afford to go abroad so they have the chance to have the best experience of their life.
6. Cultural Activities & Excursions
This is arguably one of the best things that CEA has to offer. CEA designs different cultural activities for students to participate in that engages them in the culture of their host city with staff and students within their program. Usually, during the first week after the students arrive, CEA staff with take them around their host city to get the feel for it and to tell them about the history. Different activities happen throughout the semester, and there are also excursions students can sign up for. These excursions vary from day trips to weekend trips. The only thing is that students have to sign up at the beginning of the semester in order to go on these; I missed out on these sign ups, and it's my biggest regret from my time abroad. For the Barcelona program, some of the excursions that were offered were going to a FCBarcelona game and a weekend trip to Madrid. Students do put down money when they sign up for the excursions, but get it back at the end of the semester. Talk about a great way to spend time with other students in your program.
7. International Internships, Service Learning, and Volunteer Opportunities
CEA doesn't only offer excellent classes while you're abroad, they also offer other ways you can make the most of your education while you're abroad. The international internships, service learning, and volunteer opportunities are also available to students who want to take their education abroad one step further. Students that participate in these opportunities are mentored by a supervisor who helps them apply their knowledge and experience in a professional setting. All of these opportunities will allow students to gain experience and skills in their chosen field, explore international business culture, and, of course, help build their resumes. If this is something that sparks your interest, make sure to contact your Admissions Counselor to discuss your program options!
8. Friendly and Helpful Staff
The staff at CEA is extremely friendly and helpful. Having smaller classes allows you to create stronger relationships with your professor, and it also allows for more class discussion. The professors always keep a positive environment in their classrooms and really make sure that you're getting the most of your classes abroad. The other CEA staff are also great resources to the students that are participating in each program.
During my time abroad, I needed to go to both the doctor and the dentist. I asked the CEA staff if they had any recommendations for me, and not only did they give me a few options, they made the appointments for me to make sure I got taken care of. I was extremely grateful for this, because being sick in another country can be overwhelming, but the staff was there to make it as easy as they could for me. Another time the staff in Barcelona helped me was when I asked if I could use a room to have a Skype interview between classes. They did their best to get me what I needed on such short notice, and I was able to do my interview. The CEA staff is always willing to help students with any problems or questions they may have while they're abroad.
9. Student Opportunities
CEA Study Abroad gives students the opportunity to continue their semester abroad in a way through their Alumni Ambassador program. If you apply and go through an interview with no other than the dynamic duo Tara and Kristi (Alumni Relations), then you can be a part of the team of Alumni Ambassadors. This internship allows you to converse and come up with creative ways to make CEA more known on your campus and to motivate other students to have the opportunity to go abroad! It consists of biweekly webcast meetings with Alumni Ambassadors from all over the country to talk about your abroad experiences as well as come up with new ways to get your peers eager to have a similar experience. If you decide to continue with this your senior year (like I have, because it's such a great program) then you can become a Senior Alumni Ambassador and be the leader and a resource for your own group of Alumni Ambassadors. Both of these positions help with leadership skills, communication, collaboration, organization, and so much more.
10. The experience
All of these aspects mentioned show how CEA benefits students that go abroad through one of their programs. From the very beginning of the application process all the way until you're on your flight back home, CEA makes it a great experience. With the helpful staff, cultural activities, different housing options, and wide range of educational opportunities offered for students, each program gives an unique experience. My time abroad through this program helped me grow as a person by immersing me in different cultures while expanding my knowledge through my classes. I am fortunate enough to still be continuing my relationship with CEA by being a Senior Alumni Ambassador, allowing me to talk about my positive experience of going abroad. I hope this article helped inspire anyone to go abroad through CEA and to have a similar experience to the one I had; it's truly one of the best decisions you'll ever make.
To learn more about how you can change your life in the best way possible and go abroad through CEA Study Abroad, please visit their website for more information: http://www.ceastudyabroad.com/. You won't regret it.
