AIFS Abroad Reviews

Study abroad was one of the best experiences ever! I couldn't have chosen a better place to study. Salzburg was a beautiful, quiet city that sits right on the Salzach River with the fortress sitting above the city. It was easy to travel around Europe and the train station was a 10min bus ride from most locations. I would highly recommend studying abroad in Salzburg because I feel as though it is one of those places that not many people have heard of before. I met so many people from the US as well as Europe while studying abroad and still talk to them on a regular basis.

My semester in Salzburg was the best semester of my college career, not just that, it was the best few months of my life. I could not imagine a better study abroad experience. The staff were all helpful, without being overbearing in any way. The program included 3 weekend trips and a couple day trips that were all wonderful. I met some of my best friends during my time in Salzburg and I still keep in touch with a lot of people from my program. I would recommend AIFs Salzburg to anyone.

Looking back at the time I spent with AIFS in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I realize that it was without a doubt the best thing I have ever done with my life. I learned a knew language and culture, made friends from all over the world, and experienced a different style of life, all with the help of AIFS. I could have gone through another program, but AIFS made it their mission that I was well taken care of and enjoying myself in the country. From the beginning, it was made very easy for us to assimilate into our new Argentine homes, especially when such care was taken in selecting homestays, families, and guides. After my experiences, I always urge people to go study abroad, and if you can, do it with AIFS.

This program was wonderful to work with. They were quick to answer any questions I had pre-departure. WE also had an amazing contact person while in country who knew us all by name and was available readily if we had questions. The university is huge and allows for whatever academic plan you might have be it rigorous or lax. The housing you will stay in is great and you will be surrounded by your program as well as other international sutdents and Australian students as well. Transportation into the city is so easy as well as travelling around the country itself. The program provides many in country outings included in the price and you should take every opportunity they provide, they are well worth it. You are going to make lifetime friends and lifetime memories. I would suggest study abroad to anyone and I would 100% suggest this program specifically.

My time in Granada was easily the most amazing experience of my life. I loved all of the class trips to such places as La Alhambra and Generalife, el Albaicín, Sevilla, and Córdoba. Everything was entertaining, beautiful, and educational. In additions to these excursions, the everyday events were great, too. I loved being in a homestay because our señora cared about us so much and fed us an incredible amount of delicious food. In the city itself, everything was in walking distance and there was plenty to do and find just in exploring side streets. It was somewhat easy to get lost, but that was often part of the fun. The teachers at the Center of Modern Languages were helpful and there classes were enlightening. I got so much out of this trip, and I know I shall remember it all for years to come.

My experience studying abroad in Granada was amazing. My day to day life was eventful and full of surprises around every corner. My average Monday I would walk to class in the morning, sometimes along the way stop at a cafe for breakfast with friends. After class I would return to my residencia (student dorms). I chose to live in the residencia because it allowed me to get to know Spanish students and immerse myself in the University social life in Granada. After lunch I would walk around Granada, visit the surrounding areas of the Alhambra and enjoy the lifestyle the city had to offer. Although I encountered difficulties in relation to language barriers, they made my day more interesting and constantly conquering new challenges. At the end of the day I would return home to eat and spend time with my friends, Spanish and American. It was an experience I will never forget. I enjoyed my time so much I am currently still living in Southern Spain.

My time in Salamanca was life-changing. I lived with a host family that I keep in touch with today (4 years later) and have gone back to visit. It was such a privilege to be able to study at one of the oldest universities in Europe.

Through making friends in Salamanca, my classes at the university, and my time spent with the host family, my Spanish skills greatly improved.

I made lasting friendships and lifelong memories. I would encourage everyone to go!

The AIF Florence program was absolutely amazing. Not only did I learn a lot, but we were given far more opportunities then other study abroad programs in Florence. Many other programs didn't have room or board, but we had amazing apartments, and our meal plan was through authentic italian restaurants in Florence. We also got to go on day-trips with the school for little or no cost -- we went to Cinque Terre for 15 euro and Pisa for free! The staff at the school was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. If I had the choice to do it all over again, I'd still pick AIF Florence.

My name is Savion, and I am a Musical Theatre Major at the Conservatory at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. For the summer of 2010, I wasn't really sure of what to do. So I started to look around and I saw an announcement for AIFS's Shakespeare Globe Study Abroad. I was immediately hooked. After convincing my mother that this would be important to my career, which I have come to realize that it really has been, I immediately started the process of registration. From the very beginning, the staff were extremely friendly and supportive and helped me with every step of the way.
The big day came where I was setting out to fly to London. I was filled with both nervousness and excitement at the same time because I had never been abroad before. As soon as I got to my gate, I found two students that were going on the same trip, however they were going for different programs within AIFS. We began chatting and we immediately started to form a great relationship. Funny enough, at the same time my nervousness started to settle as well. The flight to London, which may seem very long, was extremely short with the company of my new found friends and of course a nap here and there. On our arrival to London we were greeted by an AIFS staff member who took us to the carousels to pick up our luggage.
After everybody had received their luggage, I was still left with no luggage. All of my cloths and my toiletries were inside those bags that never showed up at the carousel. After about an hour of waiting for my bag to show up I started to really worry. My new friends immediately came to my side and took me to go the front desk to inquire about my bag. The worker at the desk told me that my bag was not put on the plane and that I should receive it within the next 48 hrs. At this bad news, I became sort of depressed and I felt like my whole trip was ruined. This was, however, a quickly fleeting feeling, because the very next day, after telling them what happened to me, they went with me into the shopping area and I was able to purchase my essentials until my bags turned up. Oh what a glorious day that was when I saw my bags again! From the start, I felt so much love and support from my classmates and the staff.
The very first day of classes were a blast, as we traveled on the Tube (I still have my Oyster Card!) towards the great Shakespeare Globe. Once we got there we were all formally introduced to the teachers and to each other and we "got the ball rolling". We learned so much stuff and we even got hands on experience with props and instruments they used in their Globe productions.
I could talk about my study abroad experience for hours on hours. Back then I was just finishing my Freshman year of college and now I am only weeks away from being a Senior, and I can still vividly remember my experiences with a big smile on my face. It was the best career decision I have ever made to attend AIFS's Shakespeare Globe Program and I have no regrets. I made so many new friends that I am still in communication with today and gained so much experience and knowledge that I will treasure for a life time. My great experience, both culturally and educational wise is one that I cannot easily forget.
As I stepped off that plane onto American soil, I realized that through my experiences abroad I had grown as a person and as a professional. I felt like a new person, filled with so many new goals and dreams. It felt good to be able to remind myself why I love my career in theatre, and AIFS did this for me.Thank you for making my first study abroad program a great one AIFS. Thank you.
If you are unsure of your plans for the summer and are considering this program, take the leap. You won't regret it.
Peace & Love, Savion.

I studied in Granada in the spring of '08 and I still think about it all the time. It was more memorable than college. I was luckily enough to be in a group that treated each other like family. I have a number of friends from AIFS who will be friends for life.
Unlike most of the people in the program I stayed in the dorms. The dorms were really great. It was pretty small and there was a mix of American and Spanish students, which was great because you could practice your Spanish with the natives and learn from them. The few women who ran the dorm were the equivalent of a senora. Granada is a smaller city, but I think that is a plus. The city starts to feel like home and you get to know it very well. The city feels very young because of all the students, so the night life is great. Also the Spanish teachers were much better than the ones I have had in the US.