CIEE

Spending my time abroad has been a dream of mine ever since starting college. Due to certain circumstances, I was not able to go during any school semester, but stumbled upon this opportunity from CIEE to spend my summer in Dublin, Ireland. I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 months there to really be immersed in a different culture and learn more about myself and the people around me. It was for sure one of the best summers that I will never forget. From all the people I met, places I visited, and memories I made.

I loved my experience with CIEE Open Campus Paris! Starting from the program staff to the courses to the city, I give this program a 10/10. CIEE itself is super organized and entirely capable of making the entire VISA / paperwork process simple and easy for students to understand. The staff on site are so supportive and kind to us and I've never felt anything but welcoming comfort and kindness, and the professors you will have are fully committed to making sure to provide an academic experience that compliments the short six weeks of your open campus experience well. Paris itself is an incredible city in which you can buddy up with the other American CIEE students, or find a way to venture out entirely on your own.

Arriving with the sakura in full bloom was the perfect start to an amazing study abroad. You quickly make friends with others in the group as you go on scavenger hunts and explore the city. The program and your peers are very supportive and we all share the same fears about being in a new country. My homestay family was very flexible and caring. My host mom would send me messages reminding me to drink water and eat salty things when the heat wave hit Tokyo.

If you want a true study-abroad experience, then look no further than CIEE Tanzania. As other reviewers have mentioned, there are definitely unique challenges to living in the developing world, but there are challenges to any study abroad experience. (That's part of the adventure!). CIEE Tanzania is led by Justin and Paulo, two incredibly dedicated and talented teachers. They strive to make this program the best it can be and incorporate student feedback after every session (it's been cool to watch the program grow and change since I did it!) As other reviewers have mentioned, Paulo is THE BEST Swahili teacher--he gets you to a functional level in Swahili really quickly. Iringa is the perfect town to study abroad in--small enough to navigate easily, the weather here rarely changes. Most days are sunny, with temperatures in the 70s-80s.

Tanzanians, for the most part, are incredibly kind, generous, and patient hosts. They are proud of their nation and love to show students their culture and home. I would strongly recommend this program to anyone who has an interest in the developing world, Africa, or just a unique study abroad experience. You won't regret it!

This trip completely altered the plans I had for myself. I gained so much knowledge about complex topics through this experience. For me, I had been so accustomed to learning things from one perspective in a classroom environment. But it's so much different to actually visit these sites and see where Nazis had occupied. I was taking the Rise and Fall of Central European Totalitarianism and it was amazing to see the effects that specific government structures has made on the country-- the types of architecture, the outward attitudes of the people of the Czech Republic, etc..
I had been so set on following a plan before going on this trip and that has completely changed. I want to have more diverse opportunities similar to the ones I had in Prague! As for a tip, check out a introductory language resource before arrival. Not as many speak English as I had expected and I wish I had prepared a little more.