AIFS Abroad Reviews

This semester was the only good time for me to study abroad, and my time in Dublin has given me the chance to live and experience a different culture and lifestyle, from the people I met and connected with to the amazing historical places within the city itself. My favorite memories were seeing the Book of Kells, where I got to learn about the history of its making and being able to explore Trinity College's Old Library; go and take pictures of the Cliffs of Moher and explore Belfast, and took part in a two day festival for Chinese New Year at the Irish Emigration Museum.
For future participants, I would check if the housing accommodation lets you barrow bedding items and like as I did not know about my accommodation offering that until my final day. I would also recommend using the tram luas alongside the public buses as the former gets you to places more quickly and easier to understand compared to the buses, but using both the luas and buses can help you get around Dublin (though keep an eye on how much money your spending on them). I would also recommend in exploring the city as much as you can, especially by joining groups of your interest or just going out to the bars and nightclubs.

This internship experience was extremely valuable to my professional development and growth as an individual. Being somewhat tossed in to a full time and fast paced working environment was challenging in the most positive of ways. I feel that I have learned a lot about my career field, and specifically, the areas that I don't enjoy most about it. That may seem a little funny - but I find that figuring out what it is that you don't enjoy or don't want to do is just as important as finding out where in your career field you do want to be. This internship has allowed me to gain a clearer picture of what I hope to have in my future.
London was a great city full of amazing things to see and do, and I am so happy I chose to intern here!

The courses offered at the CCFS were exactly what I was looking for to increase my fluency in French. The professors were tough but very thorough, and covered both grammar and culture in the courses. I particularly liked the course offered by AIFS about Parisian art and architecture. I found the AIFS staff to be very helpful and accommodating throughout the entire semester. There were many events and excursions planned throughout the program that made it very easy to get involved. One great perk of going in the spring semester was the two week early start program in Cannes that AIFS offers. I really enjoyed having an extended stay in the south of France before heading to Paris for the semester.

Studying Abroad in Stellenbosch, South Africa with AIFS truly changed my life. Having the opportunity to participate in the Service Learning program in the township of Kayamandi allowed me to both give back to the community I was studying abroad in and gave me the chance to experience a new and different culture from my own. This program was a transformative and enlightening experience that allowed me to reshape my notion of community engagement and what making a difference actually means. While having the opportunity to study abroad comes with the excitement of excursions, having some of the most memorable experiences of your life and building friendships, it was also a time for me to learn more about myself in a new environment away from the comforts of what I knew. My reflections of my surroundings and the people around me were important in how I perceived the new culture I was experiencing.

I realized very quickly that San José is more of a travel city. If you wanted to do any of the things in travel magazines you have to travel at least 3 hours by car so during the week there wasn’t really much to get distracted by besides the museums and church if you’re into that. The destinations, once reached were very worth it but if you want to be located in a town where things are constantly going on keep that in mind. Overall the experience was great, I learned a lot about me and possible interests for the future.

Studying abroad with AIFS in London was the best decision I have ever made. Studying abroad in London was such a good choice for me, as it was my first time outside of the US. Where London provided the perfect home-base as it is a well balance of not being too foreign yet being a new world to culturally immerse yourself in. Regarding why AIFS in London is perfect is due to it's location and program specifications.

With AIFS, (for most students) you are placed in an American style dorm housing in the greatest neighborhood in the world! Kensington is home to so many amazing things to do, while remaining fairly quiet, and being a 5 minute tube ride into your favorite parts of central London. The dorms of Atlantic House and Ambassador Hall just a few minutes away from all that Kensington has to offer from Hyde Park, to South Kensington Museums, and all the shops High Street Kensington has to offer. The location is truly the best that I know of compared to any of the other programs that my friends have been a part of and I am beyond grateful that I had the opportunity to spend 4 months of my life living in Kensington.

The specifications of the program including the academics, on site staff, cultural experiences offered, and all the other details were so great. The study part of study abroad was a great environment to learn, with students and professors from all around the world are present in the classroom, resulting in not just a typical learning environment but a great lesson in learning about different perspectives of the world. The on site staff are some of the best people out there, as they are so helpful with everything you need or have questions about. And the cultural experiences are very fun activities such as going to plays, the London eye, day trips that are very well planned, and so much more.

Overall, this is the best program if you're studying abroad in London!

So let me give you a little context, I've had NEVER left the country before and I don't speak another language. So I already had those two fears when I thought about studying abroad. I stumbled upon this amazing program where I was able to study abroad for 3 weeks to get a taste of what studying abroad is like, a lot of people think oh that's not enough time. Trust me, it was. We were always going on field trips or exploring the city. Those three weeks are a lot but it's the best time of your life! The staff are amazing like everyone who works there is so freakin friendly and so nice! Rebecca Rankin who was my admission officer was on it from payments, to before I left and what to expect. She made sure I felt comfortable before I arrived in a new country. Residence Director was amazing as well. This was the perfect first trip for anyone who has never left the country before or might be nervous to study abroad for the first time because now it makes me wanna come back and do it again!

Like many students today, I knew I wanted to study abroad, but was somewhat nervous about taking the first step. When I was browsing options and programs online, AIFS caught my eye due to their easy to navigate website, awesome photos and descriptions of their programs, and hearing great reviews from my peers. When I sent my initial email to the program coordinator, I had nothing but exceptional support throughout the entire process, via phone and email. Whenever I had an issue, my resident director was there to provide support, regardless of the situation. Purchasing the AIFS flight plan made my travel details even easier, because transportation was already determined, meaning I was less afraid about leaving the country by myself. Overall, I would rate my experience a 10/10.

Studying abroad through AIFS in Rome, Italy was a truly life changing experience. The program provides an all inclusive package that makes you feel stress-free as you're planning to live in a different country for five months. Being able to reside in a city that has so much history made me feel like I always had something to see and do. I highly recommend AIFS to anyone - you will not be disappointed.

Studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic was probably the most memorable experience of my college career thanks to AIFS. Looking at the program itself, the program with AIFS is both very affordable and supper immersive in the Czech culture. You have the option of living in a student dormitories in a nice part of Prague that allows you to meet lots of people and get really immersed in the student life in the area. The dorms itself are decent compared with what we have in North America but the experience was well worth it. There is also the less common option of finding you own accommodations. Living in Prague is also super affordable, as meals, going out, and planning trips never pushes your wallet's limit and allows you to do whatever you want for reasonable prices. You are also afforded a wide wage of classes at Charles University with great professors and amazing learning opportunities. The program administrators are also the most amazing people you will meet, the trips they take you on are very planned out, and the support they provide the students goes beyond expectations. Prague itself is such a beautiful city with so much to do and see. With a large variety of historical sights, museums, shows, performances, cafes, restaurants, clubs, and parks you will never get bored. The theater culture and LGBT scene in Prague is also something that often gets overlooked but is definitely something to look into if you want that sort of experience. The year I spent in Prague was spectacular and I miss it every day since I left, and AIFS helped make that experience even more great! When I returned to the United States I continued to work with AIFS as an Alumni Ambassador which helped me figure out what career I wanted to do after I graduate. Overall I recommend going to Prague with AIFS as its the most immersive program in the best possible location!