Program Reviews

Barcelona was so amazing. I took my bike with me aborad so I was able to experience and see more of the city everyday as I rode to class and around the barrios. I lived with a host family, which has its ups and downs, but forces you to use Spanish or Catalan at home. I had classes monday throuhg thursday, and I can definitly say that my langauge class I had everyday and my integrated class with Catalan students were my best classes. Don't be afraid to break the ice, Catalans are very friendly but you need to go out of your way out of you comfort zone, to meet new people and make new friends. While my integrated class was challenging, it was also fun, find a subject that interests you and pursue it.
The University is really close to the beach, so take your homework with you, but don't be afraid to use the extensive library at UPF at all locations. Don't forget to check out the local places nearby, like Bo D Be for great food, Parque de la Ciutadella for some great people watching, and Sidecar for music other than the worst top 40. Explore, ask locals (they know!), go for a walk or a bike ride, this is an adventure that I wish I was going on with you!

My summer in Cadiz was the best thing I have ever experienced!! The city itself was the perfect place for me. It was small enough that I could safely walk everywhere and become familiar with the city, it had beautiful beaches and weather, and most of all had a small home town atmosphere. It was filled strong, passionate people who were friendly and ready to help you at a moments notice. The summer nights were a time for friends and family to spend time together and have fun. Being so close to the coast, Cadiz had amazing seafood! Though it is located in the very Southern part of Spain, it was not hard to travel throughout the country, and even to other surrounding countries. My typical day included morning classes, afternoons on the beach, La Caleta, evenings having dinner with my host family, then getting gelato at Plaza Mina or going to a bar and watching the futbol game with friends. Especially in the summer, the weekends always busy with festivals or celebrations that really added to the cultural experience. There is always something to do, I explored museums and discovered the diverse history of Spain, climbed the Torre Tavira to see a spectacular view of Cadiz, walk through the Plazas and shop, and go dancing at night!

I could not have studied abroad without the support of API, who's staff was as excited as I was about traveling , and helped me step by step from America to Spain. My program coordinator in Spain became my mentor and friend, and went out of her way to make sure that my group had the best experience possible. She also only spoke Spanish to us, which made the transition to my host family easier.

The program coordinator there had a close relationship with my host family, and knew that the family would be welcoming and helpful during my time there. I felt included in all family activities and felt that they really enjoyed the company! Staying with a host family really accelerated my knowledge of the Spanish language and culture.

The teachers at the University of Cadiz also contributed to my language skills. Taking language classes in a fun and relaxed environment helped me retain important grammatical information and use it in real life situations. The teachers there were relatable and understanding, and I felt comfortable taking risks in speaking out loud in class.

This experience is something I will always remember, and has made me become more of myself, now that I have a piece of Cadiz in me always.

Studying abroad with API in Granada, Spain exceeded all expectations I had about studying abroad. API Granada's staff greets you with open arms from the moment you step off the plane and will take care of you until the moment you depart. Students never need to stress or worry as Granada's staff members are always willing to help their students with whatever they needed. They truly are wonderful and kind people.

I opted to stay with a host family and I couldn't have made a better decision. My host family not only demonstrated patience as I intially fumbled through the language, but they helped me improve my Spanish, and even treated me as if I were a member of their family. Plus the accomodations are perfect as my roommate and I felt we had our privacy when it was needed, while not offending our host family when we needed time apart from them to study or Skype someone from home.

The academics of the program are a challenge as far as adjusting to taking them all in Spanish, however the amount of classwork and homework is totally managable so no one feels they are missing out on opportunities to explore Granada or travel outside the city. Granada is perfectly located with all of Europe and northern Africa waiting to be explored so close by.

Between the quality of the program and its value (its cost including tuition, housing, trips, etc.) I would recommed studying abroud with API in Granada, Spain to anyone who is interested in embarking on such an incredible opportunity.

I was extremely hesitant about studying abroad because I had never been so far out of my comfort zone. I knew I wanted to go to Spain, preferably a big city so that English wasn't completely impossible to use if necessary. I had a few friends who had studied in Barcelona with API so I decided to give it a shot and apply. From the moment I arrived at the airport in Barcelona, the API staff were there to greet our entire program. They made everything so easy and fun right from the start.

API was always there to help whenever we had any questions or concerns, or just needed help in any way. They brought us on fun and educational day trips, weekend trips, and other various events, and always made us feel safe and excited. They gave us tours around the city, the metro, our neighborhoods, and the school right away. API made the transition from America to Spain so easy and made me feel very welcomed but not smothered, which was very important to me.

I lived in an apartment with three of my friends in la Gracia, a nice neighborhood consisting of many stores, families, and local restaurants and bars. My favorite activity in this neighborhood was to sit in the square on warm afternoons with my friends drinking mojitos, while little children ran around playing soccer.

The classes at UAB were great. The teachers are very aware that study abroad students are trying to do as little schoolwork as possible and never overwhelm you with studying. I walked to school almost every day, enjoying all of the sites as I went along. Each day on my walk to the Sant Pau campus, I would look over at the Sagrada Família and think of how awesome it was to be able to see that and palm trees on my way to class.

Traveling around Europe was incredible and so easy. Of course, we looked for the cheapest flights so they were often at odd hours of the night, causing exhaustion, but it was worth it. Oh, and Ryan Air is one strange experience. I traveled around Spain to Sitges, Valencia, and a few other places on my own, and to Poblet, Sevilla, Cádiz, and Costa Brava with API. I also traveled out of the country to Rome with API, and to Paris and Greece on my own time. Each trip was amazing and has its own unique memories.

The nightlife in Barcelona is the most insane nightlife I've ever experienced anywhere. Our group of friends would head down to the clubs most nights at about 1am and dance the night away until they closed at 6am. I learned very early in the semester that I was going to be constantly tired for the entire trip. Thank God for siesta! There are a bunch of clubs down by the beach, which were always a blast, and there were clubs throughout the city, as well. We saw so many incredible DJs for no more than 15 Euro. Promotors are all over Barcelona to help study abroad students get into every club for free. Although it was exhausting, these Barcelona nights were by far the best nights I've ever experienced.

The four months I spent in Barcelona were easily the best of my life. I met so many incredible people and made lifelong friends through this program. If you have any hesitation about studying abroad with API, don't. Just do it. I promise you will not regret it.

Studying abroad in Galway with API was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I had a really wonderful study abroad experience, which was definitely augmented by their help. One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad with API was because of the excursion opportunities and cultural activities that were provided in the program price, which was quite reasonable. The program organized events in Galway, trips around Ireland, and a weekend trip to Paris, which were all a complete blast.
API also provided hands-off support that gave me a great amount of autonomy, but also gave me the ability to get any advice or help when I needed it. It was definitely a nice balance of freedom and assistance.
The course load was not very rigorous or time intensive, which was beneficial because it allowed time to explore Galway and to travel to other places around Ireland and Europe. Most of my national or international travel was done on the weekends, but there are also large amounts of free time at the end of the program due to finals being spread out, which is very conducive to more extensive trips.
Galway itself is a really great town. There is plenty to do around town during the day, and there is also exciting nightlife scene as well. The town is large enough that anyone can find their niche, but small enough that students won’t be overwhelmed.
Overall, I can’t say enough about the fantastic time I had studying abroad. I absolutely recommend studying abroad in Galway with API.

Studying in London was absolutely incredible. Living there is different from just visiting, but through the programs outings, meet-ups and support we were able to still go out and see all the things we really wanted to. I had an internship during this time, so I was able to get real-world experience while taking classes. I wasn't just visiting, I was living it. The support that API gave prepared me and eased me into the process so that I felt confident doing things throughout my time there. It also was a great way to have pre-planned trips so I didn't miss out on anything.

API Paris is wonderful, regardless of which school you choose to attend. However, if you are a language major or very familiar with the language prior to arrival, I highly recommend a direct enrollment program. It's like you're a real French student, a native, going to class with everyone else. Classes ranged from easy to difficult, but the API RDs were always there to help when you needed it, whether writing a French paper or extra studying. At Diderot, I was able to take fun courses like gymnastics and judo, and still take challenging courses like literature and translation.
Staying for a whole year was an amazing experience, and unlike some other programs, API allows you to revisit excursions that you may have gone on in your first semester. During my stay I attended a high-profile concert, lazed in parks, enjoyed many museums, and ate lots of great food. Some of my favorite memories are the simple things: my apartment with a monument view, visiting with the wonderful API Paris staff, and spending time with new friends.
I had fellow students from my university abroad in France the same time that I was overseas, and none of them were as well prepared for their stay as I was with API. API helps you in so many ways: airport pickup, housing arrangements, city integration, class registration and more. The other people I knew had to find out how to get to their cities from the airport, arrange their housing, and sign up for their classes.
It was so easy being abroad with API, and it's an experience I plan on doing again and again!

During the school year I knew I wanted to study abroad, as many graduates I have talked to along the way said that was the one thing they regret never doing. I was too far into my major, meaning if I went during the school year I'd have to push back graduation by a semester. Luckily, I found out API offers a fantastic summer program that could fulfill my wish.
I chose Chile over Espana and Europe because of expenses. I've also always been more attracted to the Latin culture due to their inviting, homey nature. I knew I wanted to improve my understanding and speaking of the Spanish language, as well as gain a strong sense of an outside culture. API sent me to PUCV in Valparaiso, and I was able to accomplish just that. The host family was fantastic. They were so welcoming, kind and caring. The location was great, very close proximity to not only the university, but also the downtown city, the beach, the malls and shops, the local sports stadium, etc.

Public transportation was great. I was a 2 minute walk from the metro. Taxis, buses, and 'colectivos' (taxis with predetermined routes, meaning much lower cost) literally passed by the doorstep. The highlight, however, is the university. While difficult at times, the classes were a necessary challenge to improve my language skills. The school offers many sport programs that international students are able to join, as well as a gym, weight room, dance/yoga studio, and a computer lab. Off-season classes are taken with international students only. The classes, however, are instructed in Spanish only.

Weekends will be packed with traveling and activities thanks to great on-location API directors. Keep in mind that the work load will be big, and the readings lengthy, but if you really want to boost your language skills and explore a new corner of the world, I recommend this program.

The API Paris staff is awesome. Anne Marie was a caring and involved program director. The cultural activities they had planned for us in Paris were educational, interesting, and exciting, and the weekend trips were fantastic. My favorite trip was to Collioure, a small beach town on the southern coast of France. What an amazing place!

I lived with a host family outside of the city. I didn't really like living outside of the city because of the transportation time, but the town was safe and quiet, which was a nice escape from Paris suburbs. I would definitely recommend living with a host family if you are looking for the cultural experience rather than a party experience. It seemed like the students in the dorms got to know each other really well, but I got to know people from all over the world while they only met other students from their own country. My language skills improved so much because I spent a lot of time outside of class practicing with my host family. I also got to try a lot of different kinds of foods.

I did the intensive language program, so I was in class for three to six hours a day during the week. I learned more from the program in four weeks than I did in probably a year of college class. We did speaking, listening, writing, and reading exercises, as well as discussed some elements of French and Parisian culture. The campus is small and located in a cool area of Paris. It's not far from a metro and bus stop, so it's easily accessible.

As far as the city goes, it's Paris. Every American loves Paris. It's dirty, the waiters are rude, but there's so much history on every street corner. There were times when I would have done anything to go somewhere else, but now that I'm back in the US I dream about Paris every night. Every street is picturesque and the lifestyle is slow and calm (except in the metro or at a boulangerie at lunchtime). I spent five weeks in Paris and I never had the same day twice. However, the pickpockets are REAL! They are easy to avoid, though, if you stay alert in crowded areas.

If you are considering this program, you should stop thinking about it and do it!

Traveling abroad to Florence, Italy with API was the experience of a lifetime. I attended Lorenzo De' Medici where I took classes on Monday, Wednesdays, and Thursday. This gave me a lot of time to travel around the city and become very familiar with it. My apartment was in an amazing location. I was on Via San Gallo, about a 5 minute walk from the Duomo, and a block away from the vibrant San Lorenzo market, as well as a close walk to the other LDM buildings. I lived with five other API students, who have become some of my best friends. My apartment building also housed many other API students so I was able to meet so many friends that way. The size of the city is perfect, there is so much to do, yet you can walk everywhere. The city has so much to offerer and is unbelievably beautiful (especially as the weather warms up).
API also has so much to offer. Within the study abroad package there were four amazing excursions to Rome, Venice, Lucca and Tuscany. They were amazing trips and were a great time to meet other API students.
I would highly recommend API to anyone. Traveling to Florence with API was the best experience to date, and I think that everyone should go abroad.