Program Reviews

The program was life changing! I loved every second of my experience and AIFS was so amazing!! Everyone working for AIFS was so helpful and kind. AIFS has so many fun things for you do to in Florence and you learn so many cool and fun facts about the city and culture. They truly care about your experience abroad and want to do everything in their power to help you make the most out of your study abroad experience. This is the place I would recommend to everyone trying to study abroad. It is truly a life changing experience for the better.

The on the ground experience was phenomenal. Our professor was extremely knowledgeable and balanced in class learning with experiential learning. Our AIFS ground support was helpful and informative, even negotiating down pricing for an extra trip we took! I had no issues with my housing, but I know one or two other students did get moved to different home-stays because their original ones did not meet the standards they were supposed to. My biggest issues were the administrative kind. My deposit was not processed in a timely manner and someone had to go in and give me manual access to all the forms I hadn't had access too, right before their deadline. I did not receive any specific details about what I would be doing or where I would be going until a few weeks before I left the country. There was always free time in the evenings and I felt totally safe exploring with other students. If you're looking for a course that gives you a broad scope of the Galapagos islands ( history, flora, fauna, current issues, etc) with a ton of exciting excursions led by guides familiar with every inch of the islands I recommend this course. If you're looking for a more self guided and paced experience where you choose each day what to do after class than I don't recommend this course. My advice if you do go is to stay on top of your emails, be proactive in checking in and asking for information. Also, very important, be on top of whether or not your transcripts were sent and received.

I went to Granada this past Spring for the AIFS Abroad program and it was an amazing experience! Granada is a beautiful city full of lots of rich history. It was a great place to go as a college student because food and drinks were super affordable. Granada is known for its Tapas culture, where every time you order a drink (alcoholic or not), you get a free tapa, or small plate, to enjoy with it. This was a great way to sample the local cuisine! Granada is a fully walkable city and everywhere you need to go is within a 30-minute walk. There is some public transportation but walking is the best way to explore the city. The academics at the University of Granada's Centro de Lengua Modernas were rigorous but the workload was light to allow for time to explore the city and travel on the weekends. A basic knowledge of Spanish language is helpful but do not let that deter you! You will be surprised at how much you pick up from both classes and just living life in this beautiful city! Overall, Granada is a beautiful place and AIFS did a great job providing assistance and planning fun activities for us!.

I went into this study abroad program not knowing anyone but ended the semester with life-long friends. I spent the semester attending Veritas University, where I took incredible classes in Spanish language and dialects, Ecotourism in Costa Rica, and Mural Painting and Public Art. All of my courses had cultural components and/or excursions included, which I loved as a way to get outside the classroom. AIFS took our group on three weekend excursions at the beginning of the semester, which provided awesome opportunities to see more touristy parts of the country (Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna, Arenal Volcano) and make new friends in the program. They also did smaller excursions into the city throughout the semester, such as museums or butterfly gardens, and had a nice goodbye-dinner at the end of the semester for all of us. AIFS, unlike the other study abroad programs partnered at Veritas University, has a small student center right near campus. This place was a lifeline for me during the semester; I loved having a place to make lunch, reconvene with friends, or talk to the incredible program staff Karla or Jesenia. They truly got me through the semester and I don't know what I would have done without them. I loved my experience abroad because of the support I received and would definitely recommend any program with AIFS!

I absolutely loved my experience with AIFS abroad! In Salamanca, Spain, we were fully immersed in Spanish culture through flamenco classes, cooking classes, museum tours, and neighborhood walks. I stayed with a host mom through this program, which allowed me to learn/ practice more Spanish and have 3 home-cooked meals a day. I took 2 classes at the University of Salamanca through this program and I felt very supported by my professors and AIFS staff throughout the whole program. We took excursions to Porto, Portugal, and to La Alberca, Spain, which were both such fun trips!!

Studying abroad in Galway was the best experience of my life. If you are looking for a beautiful, charming and fun city to live in, you've found it in Galway. This city is now my favorite place in the world and I tell everyone I meet that they have to go at some point in their lives.
The program itself was such a great experience and helped me grow both professionally and personally. The internship I was placed into was perfect for what I needed I learned so much from my supervisor. Additionally, the friends and connections I made while in Galway will last a lifetime.

Also, the location coordinator, Karen is the best and will make your experience abroad endlessly better.

I can't imagine going anywhere else! Galway is truely such a unique and amazing city with so many places to go and things to see. I really think that the small town vibe of the city made me love it even more as I really knew my way around the city after the first couple of weeks. My program also had around 20 people, which meant that we all got to know each other very well and we all became close friends. I also loved my internship placement and thought it was a perfect fit for what I was looking for!

I absolutely loved my experience in Galway! It's such a unique place to study abroad in and I am so grateful I chose this location. My internship placement was so amazing and I was excited to go to work everyday. Exploring the city with other interns in the program was so much fun and the city is so welcoming and safe. The group is usually smaller here which helped me create close relationships with the other students. I cannot recommend this location and program enough. The program staff, Karen, is awesome! I promise you will love it here!

I loved the experiences, culture, staff and safety procedures. My one complaint would be that I was interning for someone in my field so they never had any advice or critiques for me. I think my favorite part was traveling to other places around the area, as well as the food and rich history of the location. The staff was so helpful and kind that they really helped and I’m so thankful. I would say this program helps the resume look better, but I didn’t learn a lot in terms of my field of study.

I am pursuing a career in the film industry and have always wanted to study abroad, so I did some research and found the European Cinema course through AIFS Abroad. I was given the wonderful opportunity to travel to three major cities, which included London, Paris, and Rome. It was the experience of a lifetime! My fantastic tour manager, Edu Padial, took my class and I around to see different filming locations of major motion pictures, we saw Warner Brother Studios where they filmed the Harry Potter series, and a variety of different museums, while also being given an opportunity to see the sights that each location had to offer. As the class traveled, I was able to learn about the different European film movements from Dr. Caleb Turner. I truly cannot speak more fondly about my experience. Both Edu and Dr. Turner were fantastic and it is a trip that I will never forget!