Art History Abroad | The Autumn European Gap Semester Program

I loved my time with AHA. Six weeks of adventure, laughter, and memories I will forever cherish. I was able to experience Italian culture firsthand and learned so much about art history, which I am currently studying at university. It’s an experience that I would highly recommend. The tutors were extremely amiable, supportive, and knowledgeable in their subjects. One tutor even helped take care of me when I was sick, she took me to the store to get medicine. Overall, this program was amazing and I am so grateful I got to be a part of this life changing experience.

AHA holds such a special place in my heart. I went on the Autumn Gap Year Program in 2022. Prior to going I loved art and loved Italy, so i had no doubt i would have a good time but i could have never anticipated quite how memorable and special those 6 weeks would be.

I made friends from all over the world, many of whom i still see regularly and keep in touch with and i learned so much - not just about art but history, music, poetry, literature, philosophy and language. The tutors were incredible and invaluable to the experience. The course completely departed from a school way of teaching, which is exactly what i wanted after finishing my A levels but this by no means hindered how much i learned (if anything the focus on discussion, listing to one another’s opinions and learning to look and learn with your eyes made me learn so much more about Italian culture compared to if i had been in a classroom!).

I really couldn’t say a single best thing about AHA - after all every single day was packed with exciting activities from visiting galleries and museums to exploring the catacombs in Naples and making pasta and rowing down the canals in Venice. But, if I had to choose, some highlights for me were walking up to San Miniato al Monte in Florence and looking over the whole city during sunset, doing the gold leaf workshop in Siena and listening to some of my friends singing in San Marco in Venice with no one else but us there. These are just a couple of standout moments but every day really was special in its own way.

I couldn’t speak higher of AHA and the time I had with them. Almost 2 years later and I have no hesitation in saying it was without a doubt the best 6 weeks of my life!!

My Fall Semester abroad with AHA was nothing short of excellence. It honestly was the best experience I have ever had. The tutors were extremely caring and genuinely wanted to build friendships with the students. The locations of the trip were incredible, and nothing like anything I have ever experienced. Learning about art history in the rich European landscape made the experience even more fruitful. Now that I am studying abroad again, I seek to travel to a lot of the locations I had been previously with AHA, and impressively, remember a lot of the history. Overall, I highly recommend AHA to anyone who is game for an adventure, and looking to make lifelong friendships with people from all over the globe.

I had such a wonderful experience with AHA, all of the administration felt like friends and not tutors(while they did a wonderful job teaching as well) the environment felt so loving and supportive! I remember one day sitting down at dinner with the entire group and Nick Ross stated that “these would be the friends we would keep for a lifetime”. It was hard to believe at first but I still keep in contact with many of the people I met on this trip. I strongly recommend joining, or atleast thinking about AHA as it was such an amazing experience I will never forget.

It’s really hard to put into words just how much this course meant to me.

I had just left school and the last thing I wanted was to be taught like I was back in a classroom, but it never felt like this. The tutors were all young, kind and friendly. Yes they were incredibly knowledgable about the subject but what made them amazing was how engaging and passionate they were. I made some amazing friends many of whom I am still in contact with two years later. It was a mixture of British, American and Australian. Everyone was like minded, kind, funny, curious and wanted to make the most of it. I really believe your experience depends on your attitude to making the most of all the opportunities and just throwing yourself in.

I loved the evenings, all eating together at the most amazing restaurants - I have no regrets that my diet only consisted of pasta, gelato and aperol for six weeks. Some of the best bits included the private tour of the Vatican, trying to learn how to row a gondola, seeing Giotto’s frescoes, a cookery course and a wine tasting. Oh and singing in San Marco in the evening was something I don’t think I will ever forget.

I really am so grateful I got do to this trip and recommend this to anyone who wants to see Italy and make the most of all it has to offer.

I did the fall semester program in 2021. It was without a doubt one of the best choices I’ve ever made. From the very beginning, the group was steeped in such historicity, in some part because of the cities we visited, but more so due to the stellar tutelage we received from the AHA team. Learning never felt like a chore, and they helped me develop an entirely new lens through which to look at the world. The social aspect was even better, and I’ve kept in touch with many in the group. You’re sharing in some of the most beautiful places and memories that most will never have the opportunity to experience, and I can speak for any member of the group when I say that we’d redo it in a heartbeat if given the chance.

My experience of the Art History Abroad program was one that I will forever be grateful for and always remember. Although I experienced many once in a lifetime opportunities that I was so excited for, like the private tour of the Vatican, and St Marks in Venice, my time with the program was marred by a series of disappointments and mistreatments that left a lasting impact on me and my mental health. Despite my strong beliefs and opinions as an American woman, I found myself consistently belittled and made to feel inadequate by the (very) British staff. The communication barriers and lack of understanding hindered any meaningful connection between us, and many of the other participants. Moreover, the staff's judgmental attitude towards normal American behaviors, such as occasional vaping and late-night outings, only served to create a toxic environment of slut-shaming and personal attacks.

The pinnacle of disrespect came when the 65-year-old male director stooped to calling me derogatory names, while the tutors failed to provide the necessary support or engagement. Name calling, specifically towards women, may be apart of British culture that I am personally unaware of, but I was called a “bitch” and my friends, “cunt” and “simple minded”, and for a program to be built around the “conduct code” of anti-bullying, they clearly have a lot of work to do in their own administration. Their inability to communicate effectively and their demeaning behavior led to a sense of failure and dehumanization. The shocking use of offensive language towards participants, such as referring to a friend as a derogatory term (cunt), further exemplified the lack of professionalism within the staff.

Not only did the staff offer conflicting messages by encouraging drinking while simultaneously shaming participants for “indulging”, but they also failed to create a safe and supportive environment for personal growth. Accusing someone of “being a drinker” is not effective, and extremely dangerous. That was a term that was used time and time again against be, and to belittle me. My overall experience with the program was infected by the constant degradation and mistreatment I, and many of my friends endured, leaving me feeling unsupported and undervalued.

In conclusion, the program's staff exhibited a disregard for participants' well-being and failed to uphold the standards of professionalism and respect. Despite their efforts to knock me down and make me feel like less than human, and question my place in this world, I came to the realization that true personal growth and support lie elsewhere, away from the judgmental attitudes of the 'intellectual' British. It is imperative for future participants to be aware of these shortcomings to make informed decisions about their involvement with the program.

The female staff greatly deferred from what I experienced from the males that were in the admin. They were all amazing.

Do not do this program if you are a strong minded, confident, outspoken American woman: you will be attacked

AHA is the one gap year program that truly allows students to immerse in culture and learn powerful lessons in history and life. Tutors form real, lasting connections with both students and the history being taught. I did AHA the fall semester of my gap year in 2021 and know the friendships I made will last me through life. The program completely changed me. I met some of the most influential people in the field of art history, saw history in a way I never could have previously, and was allowed to experience the true culture of every place we traveled to. I saw the Sistine chapel completely empty at 6 in the morning, ate incredible meals in a small vineyard outside of San Gimignano, saw the ceiling of San Marco Basilica light up at night, and shared unforgettable conversation with friends and locals. I’m left with friends who are family, tutors I can always reach out to, and a confidence that only could have been drawn from living the way I did. The people involved with AHA are wonderfully unique and intelligent individuals, and any person willing to be open to the full experience will grow.