AIFS Abroad Reviews

I loved being able to study abraod here in Barcelona. I feel it was important to stay and experience Barcelona as much as you can, but also to travel and experience the different cultures throughout Europe and the rest of the world. My favorite city that I was able to visit abroad, other than Barcelona, was Lyon, France. Lyon was an amazing city to see first hand, and see the French culture there. It was an amazing experience overall to say the least!

It is hard to think of one speciofic story as the whole experience was a great story. I would have to say that the most memorable was not exactly what I did but rather who i did it with. I was lucky to experience great friends through the program, school, and abroad in general. I did not realize the strong connections and friendships i would make swtudying abroad. It is sad to think that I will not be able to share experiences with the same group of people again. It was unforgettable and hope to keep in touch with the people I have met abroad.

The greatest day of my experience abroad was only made possible by AIFS. AIFS provided excursions that were included with the program to different places all over the country. For one weekend, they brought us down to the Amalfi Coast. This is a gorgeous stretch of coastline on the east of Italy. For one day, they took us all to a gorgeous island off the coast called Capri and to this day, it stands firmly on top as the best day of my life. Exploring an island off the coast of Italy with all of my new friends was the pinnacle of an amazing experience that was only made possible by AIFS.

Salzburg was great because it offered so many great places to explore. I loved walking around the city after class or in the evening to find the cool nooks and crannies of the city. There were tons of awesome museums, if you are into those. Or, if you prefer outdoor activities they have that too! Some of my friends hiked up the Untersberg Mountain and had a breathtaking view over the city. You can even take Sound of Music Tours, or explore the Salt Mines nearby. Then there is the food and the people. The Austrian cuisine was amazing, and it was great to have hearty German portions. The people were great, too, they were helpful when you needed anything.

Salzburg was a place to call home, and that was the best part of studying abroad, for me. I loved coming back to a smaller city after a long weekend of travelling. The city was easy to navigate and it was relaxing. There is nothing better than coming back, from the hustle and bustle of a big city over the weekend, to the serenity of Salzburg. Even if you don't choose to study abroad in Salzburg, surely it should be on your list of places to visit.

This was a great experience that not only taught me more about the Italian culture but the work life and every day life in this country. I am grateful I was able to spend the past 3 months here and the huge personal and professional growth this experiece has provided me.

I definitely recomment this program to people who want to take a gap year, who just graduated and are not ready to go into the work force/ grad school, or to juniors and seniors who want to gain some more experience and explore the area in which they want to work.

I studied abroad my sophomore spring semester with AIFS in Viña del Mar, Chile. I chose this program because I liked all that was included, such as their excursions (wine tasting, museum visits, Santiago trip), the school I would be attending, and the homestay. It was all at a great price too which was the perfect combination. I had heard when I was choosing where to go that Chile had some of the hardest Spanish in the world, so if I could learn it there I could speak it anywhere. That was correct. Although I didn't learn as much because I hung out with the Americans a bit too often, it was such a good challenge. One of my favorite parts about the program was the advisor. He was so helpful, especially at the beginning during the transition. He set up conversation hours with local students, and most importantly set up a bi-weekly soccer match. We got to get some exercise and meet cool locals! I'm so satisfied with this trip and would absolutely recommend it. This was my first time ever leaving the country and AIFS took such good care of me. As for the location - try somewhere besides Europe! Vacation there down the line sometime, but if you want a serious cultural experience, South America will give that to you.

I loved my study abroad experience in Salamanca! The staff was awesome, the city was the perfect size, and there was so much history to take in. There was even time to take a side trip to Barcelona the first weekend! I got so close with my program pals in such a short time because of all the fun activities AIFS had planned for us (cooking/dance classes, tapas visits, city tours). From the very beginning we knew that we wanted to live up every moment we had there since it was such a short trip. Although really two weeks ended up feeling like a whole semester. The classes themselves were awesome. Our professors were so great, and so helpful with our Spanish language learning. We got to learn about grammar, art, history, and Spanish culture. Even with 5 hours of class a day, there was so much time to shop, to grab a coffee, to participate in AIFS events, and to travel. And every night we went out we had a blast. This was by far one of the best experiences of my life.

I did this internship back in 2009. I know there have been many changes within the last 7 years but even then I still found my Australia internship experience to be hassle-free, well organized, and more improtantly...fun! I enjoyed my work experience, the culture, and new friends I made abroad that I still keep in touch with today. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. It's an amazing opportunity most people only get a short window in their lives to experience. If you are on the fence, do it! I will remember it for the rest of my life.

I studied abroad for the fall and spring semester in Salzburg and it was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed my classes and instructors, we went on a lot of unique excursions in and around Salzburg. I lived in a home stay, which was a 25 minute walk to the city center, which was a great way to practice my German. I made amazing friends, both in the program and locals, and traveled to a lot of cool places. Salzburg is a beautiful, safe city and has a great location in Europe.

This past summer was one I could never forget! My internship taught me so much about my major and even gave me the opportunity to come back and work for them. It was so amazing being able to work in another country because I learned so much beyond the office! The Global Experiences staff was incredibly helpful and supportive along the way. :) I would recommend this experience to anybody looking for growth in their major and personally!