FYE Abroad
First-Year Experience Abroad

Student housing is carefully selected for all CEA CAPA students and special attention is given to the needs of first-year students. FYE Abroad cohort students will have access to homestays, residence halls, and/or apartments depending on their location. All housing options are vetted by qualified housing staff. Learn more about our Global Housing Standards here.

We put extra care into setting students up for success from the very beginning - we recognize that most first-year students have never lived on their own. To facilitate this, we deliver an extensive orientation covering basic topics such as cleaning and reporting maintenance issues, as well as a hands-on session demonstrating how to properly use all of the amenities in their housing. In addition, we facilitate housing "check-ins" throughout the semester to ensure students are settling in well.

We recognize that each U.S. institution will have a housing preference and we commit to reasonable accommodation of such requests. We are open to discussing additional levels of guidance and mentorship for students such as a RA in an apartment building.

Regardless of the housing option, we are prepared to assist first-year students more broadly as many of these students have not lived away from home. We are committed to supporting students in their transition to college life through programming on topics such as personal safety, roommate conflict, housing maintenance, etc. Our staff is sympathetic, knowledgeable in student development, and ready to help students with any housing transition issues that may arise.

We acknowledge that positive engagement with students early on in their college career leads to academic success. A large part of the student experience will be the time spent outside of the classroom in the FYE program activities, all of which will contribute to their personal and academic growth. Community Building, Health & Wellness, Personal Growth & Development, Life Skills, and Cultural Exploration are the five pillars that form the foundation of the FYE Abroad Program. Each program activity is tied to one or more pillar, and sample activities may include the following:

Welcome Week - Modeled from higher education best practices, the FYE Abroad program incorporates a full Welcome Week of activities. The goals of Welcome Week are to positively start each student's transition to college, help build community, introduce students to the local culture, and set them up for an engaging, successful, and safe semester.

Career Development Workshops - Through a series of workshops, students will begin to explore their interests and career goals. This includes creating an action plan to fully utilize their time abroad and be able to articulate it when they return. These workshops will be facilitated by CEA CAPA's NACE-Certified career coaches who will also be available as a resource to students throughout the semester.

Social & Cultural Activities - To support the holistic student experience and foster community engagement, a number of social and cultural activities are offered throughout the program. These activities provide opportunities for community building and introduce students to the local culture. Activities vary by location, and are facilitated by CEA CAPA staff and local experts.

CEA CAPA faculty are an essential part of what makes our students successful and their experiences on our programs rewarding. Faculty have decades of experience teaching U.S. students and typically are affiliated with local academic institutions. In many cases, they bring a wealth of industry knowledge and professional experience to the classroom. Our FYE faculty are some of our more senior professors, with experience teaching first-year students as well as in-depth knowledge of the host country, region and culture.

First-year students studying with CEA CAPA will find a myriad of resources available to them. We have staff dedicated to advising these students both in the home office as well as in each FYE Abroad location.

FYE staff are responsible to:

• Organize program activities such as Welcome Week
• Monitor student academic progress and emotional well-being through regular check-ins with faculty to see how students are doing
• Facilitate many of the first-year co-curricular activities
• Meet with students regularly throughout the term

FYE staff are also responsible for ensuring each student understands the resources available to them while abroad. Staff are trained regularly on topics such as student development and diversity and inclusion, as well as addressing the challenges of U.S. college students abroad. Furthermore, FYE staff will liaise with the student’s home institution to ensure there is a consistent connection between our two institutions.