AIFS Abroad Reviews

Studying in Salamanca marked a very special point in my life. The months I spent there did not only help me realize of how much I love Spanish, but it made me fall in love with the culture and people of Spain!
I found that classes can be as challenging as you want them to be, you just have to find the right balance and not be afraid to expose yourself to the language.
One of the great opportunities of living here is that you meet people from all over the world. I was lucky enough to choose a large host family, and ended up with friends from all over. Within the 3 years after this experience ended our close group has been fortunate enough to meet twice across the globe.
Salamanca is close enough to anywhere you want to go, and the people are very friendly. If your thinking on going there, just do it! You won't regret it.

My study abroad experience at the University of Limerick through AIFS was a wonderful one that had a large impact on my life. While abroad I fell in love with Ireland and its culture which I learned about both in the classroom and out of it, met people from around the world, and travelled to many new places. I made lasting friendships with a number of people, especially those in the AIFS program with me. After coming home from my semester abroad I took up an Irish Studies minor at my home University and have now returned to the University of Limerick to do my Master's degree.

My study abroad experience was AMAZING! I would recommend it to anyone who wants something different out of their college experience, wants an adventure, or just wants a change of scenery. Living with a host family in Fiji was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Seeing the wonders of Australia, like the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Opera House was indescribable.
AIFS helped to make day-to-day life easy for its students. Weekly meal and transportation allowances and several free trips made AIFS stand out from the other providers.
Overall, Sydney was great! Everyone should get to Australia if they have the chance, and for me, AIFS was the reason I was able to have that chance.

I am literally obsessed with Prague. The minute our plane took off to head back to the United States, I knew I was in trouble. It was everything I could do to keep the tears back. I was devastated to leave the city that I had so deeply fallen in love with. To me, it was the most perfect place in the world—its graffitied buildings, the lack of a jar of maple syrup for less than $15, even the placid (sometimes read as unhappy) faces of the local Czech people. Prague is filled with a million paradoxes (Kafka, anyone?) that should make it unbearable but instead you become obsessed with the crooked streets, colored facades and fried cheese sandwiches. You can’t leave—not really, because you go back every hour in your mind. I made friends who (two years later) I still laugh with over Skype, miss the smooth cobblestones, wrote my senior dissertation on a book from one of my classes, and even miss the bitter wind that whips through the underground metro station during winter. DID I MENTION THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN EUROPE?

The AIFS program staff at the Prague are beyond amazing. I came into the office about a month into my time in Prague with tears running down my face, clutching my crashed computer, taking all my photos, memories and means of communication with anyone outside of Prague. I was instantly hugged by Zdenek- or ‘Z’ as we so lovingly refer to him- and he told me to save my tears for a time when I really needed them. I will never forget the kindness the entire office showed me on that day. And as for my computer, Barbora (another amazing program assistant) had her boyfriend RECOVER all my documents, photos and music and reinstall a new hard drive for less than 200 dollars. (I still use the computer to this day).

The weekly city tours, café visits, museum excursions and planned trips to Vienna and Krakow (and Auschwitz) were absolutely unforgettable. I’m pretty sure Z knows everything about every European country, kingdom and royal family ever. I feel confident that I can take my parents back (this summer!) and regurgitate some smidgens of the history I learned from Z.

I can’t say enough how amazing this program is, and how having a supportive staff and office to come home to makes it that much easier to step out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in all the Prague, and the Czech Republic and Europe has to offer.

This program gets a bazillion out of 10. Please go. You will regret it every single day if you do—I’m off to daydream of my home.

Prague will always be my home.

Studying abroad in Stellenbosch was probably the best experience of my life so far. I learned a lot about South Africa and other African countries, as well as about myself. The opportunities provided by AIFS to travel were awesome, and our Resident Director Mama H was always there for us while still letting us figure things out for ourselves. I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and to see things that I never thought I would. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who wants to study abroad.

Studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain was one of the best times in my life. The city, the culture, the people, everything there is amazing. You learn so much more about the world and about yourself by having this experience. I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in studying abroad.

Studying abroad in Florence, Italy with AIFS remains one of the best decisions I have ever made. My only regret is that I didn't stay there for a year! Right from the start, AIFS made everything so easy. They took care of all my travel arrangements and were readily available to answer any questions that I had. This type of care continued throughout my stay in Italy. The staff at AIFS was a wonderful resource for learning about the Italian culture. There were always fun activities planned for students, from wine tasting and cooking classes to trips to Rome and Venice for Carnivale. In addition to the cultural activities, the required Italian language classes were a HUGE help when it came to communicating with locals and forming international friendships. Aside from the comprehensive nature of AIFS, I chose Florence because I wanted a location that had all the beauty, excitement and culture of a big city, but the charm and warmth of a small Italian village. In my experience, Italians were a very generous, welcoming people who were always willing to help you--even when you were stumbling through their language! There was always something exciting to do in Florence: hiking up to Piazza Michaelangelo to watch the Sunset, dancing to a Beatles tribute band at Bee Bop, savoring gelato on the Ponte Vecchio, exploring the beautiful Boboli Gardens, admiring Michaelangelo's David, enjoying 3 hour long dinners with friends, cheering on the local soccer team Fiorentina, or simply wandering around the city. While abroad, I made lasting friendships with both students and locals. I still consider my host mother Bruna to be my adopted grandma! It was these relationships, combined with the enchanting Italian culture and the organization of AIFS that made my sophomore year of college an exrtaordinary one. I left Florence a much stronger, wiser, courageous, open minded, ambitious and adventurous young woman. I think about my experience abroad almost daily, and it brings a smile to my face everytime.

I would give almost anything to go back to the four months that I lived in Ireland. The University of Limerick is absolutely beautiful and there was always something new to explore or new people to meet each and every day. The AIFs staff members were very kind and helpful and always willing to answer questions. I met 3 of my very best friends (americans) on this trip and still keep in touch with many of my Irish housemates as well! I am completely in love with Ireland and the people that live there, and you will be too if you study at UL. I went back to visit exactly a year after my return to the states and 2 of my Irish housemates have been here to visit me! GO TO UL with AIFS!

The teachers all know exactly what they're doing when it comes to teaching French. They tailor to your needs and I ended up learning and retaining more French than I had in the previous four years. It's also great that other international students come to study French as well, so you get a better understanding of other cultures as well. The other courses offered are structured differently than American schools and I didn't really get out of it what I hoped to. The city is beautiful and it's wonderful walking everywhere. It's nice just to walk around and stop by cafe or gelato shop. The beach is literally right across the street which makes a fantastic reading spot when the sun is out. The atmosphere was just so relaxing that I felt I could focus more on my studies.

Being able to study abroad was absolutely a life changing experience. AIFS specifically, made it easy to navigate the specifics and their staff was always willing and able to help with planning the trip and making it happen. I love that the Richmond experience allowed us to have the best of being a study abroad student while still allowing for the option to get to know not just locals but people from all across the globe. In addition, I have to say that the student trips and activities offered were very reasonably priced and offered something for everyone. To this day I find myself telling stories from my time abroad and am constantly looking for the next chance to return. If you are going to study abroad, which everyone should, I am confident that AIFS is an excellent choice. I was told this before I went abroad and I believe it now; there is no better time and no cheaper way to travel Europe than when you are a student.