AIFS Abroad Reviews

I studied abroad with AIFS in Salzburg, Austria in the Fall 2019 semester, and it completely changed my life! I always knew I wanted to study abroad, but had never been out of the country and didn’t know if I could really handle a whole semester living in a non-English-speaking country. But AIFS provided the perfect level of support; they include health and travel insurance, a meal plan, cultural excursions and activities, on-site staff, and so much more! Whether it was figuring out how to send/receive mail, navigating the healthcare system, or finding ways to get involved in the local community, the on-site AIFS staff was always there for anything I needed. But they also were incredible about allowing all students to shape their experiences however they wanted. This wonderful dichotomy was the perfect balance between challenging myself to figure things out independently, and always feeling like I could go to them with anything I needed.

The classes I took at AIFS were so engaging and interesting, and I really got the chance to see how they played out in real life! I took classes in Contemporary Austrian Culture, Art and Architecture History, International Conflicts and Resolution, and German. These courses allowed me to understand the historical and contemporary context that shapes Austrian culture. Not only that, but we were even able to do tours around the city observing different styles of historical architecture and art too! All of the courses that AIFS offered transferred back to my home institution easily, and even counted toward my double minors in German and Government, or for core credits!

Salzburg is the perfect place for anyone who wants a more intimate local experience due to its smaller size than other metropolitan areas, and is nestled right in the northern foothills of the Austrian Alps, so there are plenty of great hiking and outdoor adventure opportunities if you’re a nature person! It’s small enough to really get to know the city, but large enough to have everything you could need or want - restaurants, nightlife, museums, shopping malls, etc. Salzburg holds such a special place in my heart, and I owe my amazing experience all to AIFS for guiding me through the process, and allowing me to just focus on having the best time possible.

Something else that is unique to the AIFS experience is the level of alumni engagement. Coming back from abroad, I definitely experienced reverse culture shock, and was eager to connect with any of my peers that I could relate to and share stories of my time abroad with. I didn't really find that community at my home campus, but AIFS had so many opportunities to engage with other alumni from different programs and helped me find that community. It's clear the impact an AIFS experience has on people, because even those who studied abroad with AIFS more than 20 years ago still connect with each other through alumni social media pages! I can't recommend studying in Salzburg and going with AIFS enough!

My experience abroad was incredible. Although my semester was cut short due to COVID-19, AIFS made my time in Italy so exciting. The housing offered through AIFS is perfect, centrally located throughout the city and are filled with plenty of character and culture. If you choose the apartment living style in Florence you are no more than a 25-min walk from the university and walking distance to all your friends/peers apartments and major attractions in the city. AIFS is very caring and attentive and when we had an issue with out shower they sent someone to fix it within the hour of our call. AIFS also provides a great list of activities and field trips to take outside of class that are usually free or at a very low price. Activities included cooking classes (making homemade ravioli, and tiramisu), trips to Venice and other cities around Florence, and reduced tickets to Florentine Soccer Matches, ballets, operas and other performances. These cultural activities allow you to feel more accustomed and like this city really is your new home. The knowledge from these activities give you a better understanding of the culture of your host city more than any class could. The professors and staff at the University of Richmond Florence are extremely intelligent and caring. They took such grate care of all students and really made sure they knew every student at the school and said hello to them everyday. The professors were passionate about their topics and it showed through their teaching. The classes were interesting and went by so fast because of how hands on they were. Professors took classes on field trips many times throughout the semester to give students a better understanding of the material and they also believed that students could learn more outside of the classroom. When we unfortunately had to go online due to COVID-19 our professors were extremely helpful in that transition from in-person class in Italy to online class in our American homes. The classes from home were still as interesting and mostly the same as before we left in Italy. Lastly, AIFS also offers a meal plan that gives you access to a large majority of restaurants located throughout the city. These restaurants are delicious and provide authentic experiences of living and eating in Italy while offering some of the most delicious food you could get in the city. With our meal vouchers we were able to enjoy the city and dine out most nights making my friends and I really feel like Florence was our new home. We even made friends with one of the waiters who worked at our favorite restaurant! AIFS was the perfect choice for me and this was proven with how the staff, faculty and professors handled the COVID-19 pandemic and how they helped get us all home safely and quickly. I am so thankful for AIFS for offering me this experience and making the time I spent in Florence, Italy some of the best memories of my life.

My time in Grenoble, France was the best decision I have ever made for myself. Everything from the views, to my host family, to my new friends, was AMAZING. My time abroad is something that I will cherish forever, and I want everybody to experience what I did. Through AIFS, I was able to do so many things that I would have never gotten to do. We went snowshoeing in the mountains, tried authentic French cheese, made crepes, and so much more. Not only was I able to explore Grenoble, but I was fortunate enough to go to several other countries. These experiences are once in a lifetime and I hope one day to return to all of the places I visited. I am so thankful that I took the leap to study abroad. If you are on the fence, just do it! You most likely won't get an opportunity like this outside of college.

Despite the circumstances of COVID-19, Global Experiences has provided me with a invaluable opportunity that has allowed me to be productive and stay focused on upskilling and gaining professional experience with an international company. It has been such a unique learning experience and I really enjoyed the how engaging and enriching the whole process was. I thoroughly enjoy my internship and it has definitely increased my industry knowledge for which I’m grateful for. The support system at GE is amazing and they have provided me with great guidance throughout my journey!

I was very excited to go abroad and study in Ireland, but with the effects of Covid-19, my plant changed. It still ended up being such an incredible experience that I would not take back for anything. I loved the start-up company that I worked for in Barcelona called, Ecolocal Market, and am so glad I had this opportunity. The founders of Ecolocal who I worked with were incredible and very helpful in helping integrate into the company for the summer. I would not have wanted to be paired with anyone else. I even decided to stay on past the internship date to help them more! If you are on the fence about doing an abroad experience with Global Experiences (GE) do not hesitate and go for it! I had an amazing time with a completely virtual experience, so I know that an in-person experience would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

I really enjoyed my experience in Global Experiences and everything I was able to learn while being supported by the amazing staff. Something I always looked forward to and loved was meetings and activities scheduled for us to tune into where we got the opportunity to connect virtually and feel motivated as others are on the same boat on interning from home. Learning about work cultures from across the world, adjusting to working from home, and professional/personal development sessions kept me inspired along the journey. As my internship was abroad and being able to connect in virtual platforms it gave me the ability to learn and apply skills that will forever be valuable in everything I do.

The most notable aspect of this program was the Global Experiences staff. Beginning with the application process and continuing throughout the length of my internship, the staff were extraordinarily helpful and caring. They were there to answer any and every question, and they offered advice and activities designed to advance my professional skills and build long-lasting connections. The program gave me an incredibly valuable experience during an otherwise uncertain summer and built skills which will be useful for the rest of my professional life.

Studying abroad in London through AIFS was one of the best experiences of my life! AIFS made the entire process of studying abroad as seamless as possible. The was able to answer any questions I had before, during, and after the program. When studying abroad through AIFS in London you get to live and learn in one of the most wonderful areas of London. There are several museums within walking distance of the dorms as well as multiple tube stops. The central location of the facilities allows for you to travel all over London, and even the UK.

My experience this summer as a virtual intern was rewarding and allowed me to gain valuable experience I would otherwise not have had, both within the internship itself and in adapting to the virtual setting. The Global Experiences team did a great job of quickly adjusting the program once it became clear that in-person internships would no longer be possible, and they provided remote-work training that will surely prove useful in future positions. Despite the challenges, they were still able to place me with a state senator from New York which gave me the government/political experience I wanted. They also continued to provide the international experience portion of the internship that they are known for by holding virtual events such as cooking classes, virtual city tours, and conversations with international business owners. It's safe to say that Global Experiences will provide you a great experience regardless of the circumstances!

My time with my host company Olmec, based in the UK, was a wonderful experience to say the least. While I was originally supposed to be living and working in the city of London, this virtual program Global Experiences has put together was phenomenal and still very much provided me with new skills, experiences, as well as a whole new network of people I got to learn from and work with everyday this past summer. Overall, definitely worth while, I could not say better things about Global Experiences and their professionalism throughout the entire process!