AIFS Abroad Reviews

This program allowed a lot more freedom and independence than I expected coming in. Mostly, I was pretty scared to to go abroad, so going off on my own wasn't an idea I'd thought about. But once there, I saw how easy it was to be anonymous and adventurous. There were several days out of the week I'd dedicate to exploring the city on my own. The classrooms are located in the heart of the city, within walking distance of some of the biggest attractions like the TV Tower, The Berliner Dome, and Museum Island. I ended up getting a year long museum pass and going to the museums after class several times a week. The trip allowed me to come back to America more open and independent than when I left.

Global Experiences has truly opened many doors for me. Now I'm currently considering various paths and plans for myself that I never thought I would ever consider to begin with. I am extremely grateful for the experience and it has proven to be a huge catalyst in my life. I would definitely recommend this to a friend and/or colleague. It's definitely worth it. The immersion in a different environment and culture is priceless.

I had the best time in florence on the three week, Maymester program. I took Italian food and culture and I actually learned a ton and really enjoyed the class. We did have work, but it was very manageable and did not detract from my experience at all. The teacher was very relaxed and new that we were there to have a good time in florence and to explore the city. The program itself was so well structured and there were activities set up for us to attend every day that were really really fun--like pizza making, a walking tour, and one of our last nights we all went to a castle and had a lovely wine tasting and dinner together as a group. The program is truly jam-packed and non-stop, in the best way. And the housing is much much nicer than I expected. I was in a huge apartment with 6 other girls. It was so nice with a really nice kitchen and living room. The apartment was very clean, well kept, and very well located--we were in the middle of everything. I cannot recommend this program enough--it exceeded my expectations and could not have gone better.

One of my favorite stories from abroad comes from the week my family visited me. I want to start by saying that your goal abroad should be to make friends with anyone you meet and try to brighten their day.

We walked into a restaurant and were seated by a waiter who wasn't exactly rude, but he wasn't very friendly either. My family is a little overwhelming (even though there were only five of us) and we can be pretty loud. As the waiter left to get our drinks, my dad says "We are going to make him love us by the end of this dinner". We all laughed and agreed thinking that we could at least get him to smile maybe and have a conversation that consisted of more than a couple words.

We started off by asking his name and what his favorite dish was. We eventually asked him where he was from, where his favorite place in Sorrento was, about his family and other easy questions. Little by little he would share more with us. I think he especially loved when we asked his opinions on dishes we ordered.

He loved my sisters and me and by the end of the night he was kissing the three of us on the cheek! He gave us postcards from the restaurant and was extremely flattered when we asked if he could sign them. We then asked to get a picture and he was adorably happy to.

I like to share this story to encourage people to get to know the locals and others around them. Your immersion in the culture that you are visiting or studying in is completely up to you and you get out what you put in. Make it your goal to make friends with everyone you meet including drivers, waiters, hotel employees, anyone! Expanding horizons is what being abroad is about!

Salzburg is a small city, making it perfect for those who really want to get to know and become comfortable with the area they are studying and living in. Within a few weeks you start recognizing locals in their routines and are accustomed to the flow of the city, which is laid-back and quiet, with shops closing around dinner time. It is the perfect place to live, study, relax, and experience Austro-Germanic culture without being overwhelmed. This might not be a major party city, but it is easy to navigate and central to many larger cities, including Munich, Vienna, Prague, and Venice.

Homestays are severely limited, so expect to be housed in a student dormitory, which vary in location and amenities, so it really may be luck of the draw when it comes to your housing preferences. Obtaining reliable internet access was initially a problem, but during my semester the AIFS staff secured portable wi-fi for students having issues, and all problems were resolved.

AIFS really does do a lot to get students settled into Salzburg by suggesting tips, obtaining bus passes, offering meal cards, and arranging excursions to both local and far-reaching destinations. If any issues arise, it is not difficult to reach a member of the AIFS staff to assist you, either.

I was very nervous about knowing little to no Spanish and living in Spain. The abroad directors helped with ANYTHING you needed. They really were fantastic. Being integrated in the culture in Granada really allowed me to feel at ease and I left with more knowledge than expected. Granada really is a beautiful city and there were so many new things I would find every day. Mae West was like nothing else, a fun gem where you would find locals and foreigners. The Alhambra was amazing from any view. So glad I chose Granda over a huge city like Barcelona or Madrid.

I previously traveled to Prague before I decided this was the location I wanted to study abroad; after my first visit I thought "Whoa, this place is beautiful. I need to live here". Living in the Czech Republic was vastly different than briefly visiting for a couple of days. Those in charge of the program usually warn students of culture shock; I strongly believed that I would never be affected by this and was confident that I could transition into a new environment easily. Honestly, it was hard. The Czech people are very, very different than Americans. Small luxuries that I was very used to from living in the US were not available, which was apparent in our housing (although we were in the nicest student dorms available). Throughout this process, the members of the AIFS staff were unbelievable. They served as a resource to help us transition into this new environment, we could talk to them about any and all problems, ask them for good restaurants and local hangouts, get book suggestions, among many others things. I believe that my study abroad experience could not have been better through any other program, AIFS made me feel comfortable, organized the best housing and amenities available, and were generally a positive and cheerful group to be around. I would not have chosen to do study abroad any other way!

I had an absolute blast interning in Ireland this past fall. I felt that the staff at Global Experiences really took the time to find the right placement for me and to help make the transition from living and working in the United States to becoming an intern in a foreign country as easy as possible. They were there for me every step of the way and I learned SO much. I would, without a doubt, return to complete another internship with this program. I could not have asked for a better experience.

Sam and I had stayed until the very end of the fair. The lights were shutting off and the shuttles were making their last runs. We hopped on the bus that would take us in the direction of our home, then fell into a relaxed conversation. 20 minutes later we hear the bus driver telling everybody to get off. We had arrived at the last stop. This stop happened to be unfamiliar to us both and even worse, the street we were on was beyond the edge of the paper map we cared. So here we were, lost in a foreign city with no cell phone service and little Spanish-speaking skills. We roamed for 30 minutes before we came upon a crowded bar, and at that point we were desperate enough to ask (in broken Spanish) how to get home. 4 men and 1 woman smoked their cigarettes and eagerly offered advice, all telling us at once to take different routes. One man and the woman insisted on giving us a ride. I was hesitant, hearing my moms warnings in the back of my mind, but finally Sam and I decided to take their offer. Ten minutes later, to our relief, we arrived in front of my apartment. The lesson I learned? Trust intuition when making judgements and always carry an elaborate map.

So service learning is the exact same experience as the semester in Stellenbosch. You room with the same people, have the same coordinator, and enjoy the same experiences (which are awesome). The only difference is that you go off campus to work with children in a school and that is where your credits come from. It was a short train ride which was taken care of by AIFS. You all go together as a group so it's totally safe. I loved the kids I worked with and it seemed like a more in depth experience compared to my friends who volunteered in Kayamandi through our program. You get paired with one or 2 other students and you basically run a classroom and teach different topics. You dress up kind of like a teacher each day and go to Lynedoch Primary school. It's great because you learn a lot working with their teachers and learning from your students how different life really is. They're all great kids and so eager to learn. You still travel with the other AIFS students in the regular program so get to experience great hiking trips and different cultural activities throughout your stay. The garden route tour during spring break alone should make you study here. Mama H was great and her "helpers" become your friends. You'll meet a ton of people from all different nationalities and make enough memories to last a lifetime!