CIEE

I truly enjoyed the online global experience, although I was really looking forward to the actual event. I appreciate the experience afforded to me by the Frederick Douglass Summer Scholar program through CIEE. Although online, the opportunity to interact with other scholars from various locations, as well as the professor was most enjoyable. I also enjoyed the weekly drop in sessions and other activities made available. I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in the opportunity. Try it!

I absolutely loved this program and I would highly recommend it to anyone. The sheer amount of biological diversity that you get to witness and learn about firsthand is unprecedented. The first two weeks you get to go on a field trip all along the pacific coast of Costa Rica and learn about every type of ecosystem that exists. In Corcovado, you wake up to the calls of howler monkeys and Scarlet Macaws out in search of breakfast. The campsite is absolutely beautiful- I would call is glamping because there is a private beach and bar at the place we stay (its called Jungla de Jaguar if you wanna check it out). Here we saw lizards, sloths, toucans, spiders, and someone even had a very up close encounter with a tapir! In Santa Rosa- my personal favorite place, we saw three different species of monkeys on the walk to breakfast alone. We also frequently saw Tamanduas, agoutis, parrots, snakes, frogs, etc. Definitely bring your camera. The teaching staff and TAs are the best people I have ever met in my life, and they will become your best friends. They know the answer to any question you could have, and are the friendliest people in the world. If you love the outdoors, and waking up in paradise, and making amazing friends, 100% do this program!

I had so much fun during my semester abroad in Barcelona! I was able to take courses that met requirements for my majors; I took one of them at ESCI, a host institution, and the other 4 at CIEE. Barcelona has so many things to offer - I found something new each day that I explored around, and I never had a chance to be bored. When studying abroad, you also have the chance to travel A LOT. I'm glad I made the most of my time there and visited a bunch of other cities and countries! CIEE also offered some cool excursions, and I met a bunch of students from around the world. I'm very happy I had this opportunity and am already planning my trip back there!

I arrived to the program late after some circumstantial issues with my visa, so I was worried that I was going to have a difficult time finding close friends and adjusting to the program in some way, shape, or form. Luckily, everyone in this program is amazing so not only did I have no issues, but I was able to make some great friends right off the bat. The staff at CIEE is extremely helpful and always offering opportunities to get to know Barcelona better, as well as connect you with local students. Taking classes at UB was extremely daunting at first and I felt out of my element, but with the help of the great tutors CIEE offers and the professors and program directors, I was able to do well in all of my classes and thrive academically. I chose to live in a homestay with another student, which was one of the best decisions I made in the program. It was a great way to get authentic meals while practicing Spanish in a conversational environment, and the girl I lived with and I ended up becoming great friends. There's a lot of time to do your own thing, I was able to do a lot of traveling while I was there, and I honestly don't have enough good things to say about the program, CIEE definitely contributed to study abroad being one of the greatest times of my life.

I loved my 3 weeks in Peru! Having done two other winter interim courses via other organizations, I can say that this is by far the best program I have done to date. The staff was incredibly kind and helpful, the homestay experience was very rewarding, and I met a lot of amazing people on the trip. Though the academic element was not the most challenging, I still learned a lot. We were able to experience/ witness a lot of what we were learning about firsthand through different field trips, which was very enlightening. The program is flexible enough where you can be doing short trips on weekends and explore the country. Peru is an unbelievable place with a lot to see, do, and learn and I would recommend this experience for anyone looking to try something new and be challenged.