AIFS Abroad Reviews

If you are deciding to study abroad in Europe. Florence is where it's at! From the great friendly people, to the famous museums, to the gelato stops everywhere, to the food, to the sight of the Arno river, to the safe and fun nightlife to pretty much everything else. Everything is a walking distance and each stop is filled with life! I fell in love with Florence the first day I got there. I love how the place is so rich in history and art! I would definitely go back and relive the experience all over again.

The city of Salzburg is like no other place on Earth. The figures you read about in history books come to life all throughout the city. I never grew bored each day I was there, as I ventured out in a different direction every day after class. I studied hard, played hard, and squeezed every ounce out of this study abroad as my advisors told me I should. I mer great people from the States and from Europe, and improved my German more than I could have ever expected.

AIFS really has an amazing program. I took the Museums of London history course, and let me say it blew me away. I highly recommend taking this course if you need a history credit. Professor Jeremy really knows his art history and still kept it fun. The best part was that I found a new appreciation for art and history from this experience.
Cierra was an amazing friend and social coordinator. She really made me feel at home at Richmond. The staff at Richmond are like so welcoming and fun. The security guards would always say good morning and good night to me, no matter what time I came home at. All of the extra activities were really fun. I especially liked the tour of Oxford.
I wish I could have stayed longer at Richmond. While I was in London I got to meet friends from all over the world. It will always have a special place in my heart.

I did this program in the summer before my senior year in 2015. The change I've felt in myself from the experiences I had are magical. The people I went on this trip with were complete strangers before, and now I have an amazing group of friends who I know will never leave my life. I had a strong interest in Art and History (so, naturally, art history), and seeing things in person during our field trips was one of the coolest feelings. I know what it's like to look at pictures in a book for years, then walk up to it and see it with my own eyes. Wow. Many times I was overwhelmed with gratitude that such beautiful things exist in the world to the point that I teared up, and believe me, I am not an overly emotional individual.
Pushing myself out of my comfort zone and leaving the states to journey across Europe with a group of strangers made me a better person. It made me realize that sometimes you don't agree with everyone, but differences can be accepted. I learned that I love seeing other cultures - how people communicate, their food, and their worlds that are so strange yet vaguely familiar to my own. Most of all, I learned that being in a strange environment and having completely new perceptions will expand your goals, thoughts, and ideas in ways you never expected.
I am very happy I decided to study abroad, and I'm pleased to the nth degree that I decided to do so with AIFS. They were accommodating, helpful, and organized with the program. Our tour manager was extremely knowledgeable, and our professor was brilliant. Both were wonderful human beings who I will never forget. The tours and lectures we had were taught in what I believe to be the best possible way. My flights and other details of the trip were meticulously planned, which is exactly how I would have done it myself. I completely trust the people in charge of the program.
Finally, a little story about one of my favorite moments of the trip: we stayed in Paris for about 5 nights, which was one of the longest visits of the trip. Each night, since the hotel was so close to Champ de Mars, my new friends and I would eat dinner or grab snacks and drinks then walk to the Eiffel Tower around 10 pm. When the sun leaves the sky completely, the Eiffel Tower starts sparkling all over. Hundreds of other tourists and locals come to see this each night, and when it happens they all start cheering and singing. Being in the same place with people who are just as pleased with a giant weird structure sparkling as me was a spectacular feeling, and I'll never forget laughing and having a good time with those people.
Sharing these experiences with individuals who are like-minded is unforgettable and will change your life for the better. The only downside is that I wish I could spend the time doing this every single summer, but I know it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't with AIFS and the original group of college students I became such close friends with.

If you're looking for the freedom to explore Europe's most popular cities then this is for you. Once you visit the art museums and take a class with the group, you are completely on your own. You have the freedom and independence to do whatever you want. You can pick what you most care about and visit those interests. This is good for the explorer but if you prefer a more structured environment then this isn't for you. This program requires a lot of physical endurance. You are always walking, which means you are always making the most of your experience. However, you go on a lot of walking tours, even in the hot sun. I know I would get too tired to fully enjoy myself.

Walking around Rome, the city presents something new every time you leave your apartment. On the second day my roommate and I went to explore and rounding a corner we ran into the Pantheon. Never in my life have I been more in awe of a building. This vast structure was both beautiful and amazing, and it was the first of many experiences of a lifetime. Loved my month in Rome and I already am planning on going back soon!

Very laid back, friendly population that leads to a great experience. The staff and local population make adapting to the Irish lifestyle very easy. The people you meet and experiences abroad will change your life forever in a very positive way.

Overall I would rate this program as wonderful and outstanding. When I first applied and came over to Ireland I did not have any expectations and my mind was wide open. Although there were some negatives and things I did not like, the positives outweigh the negatives.

First some negatives. I was put in a house with 7 other girls that was kind of small. Small kitchen, small rooms.Further I have not lived with more than 1 other roommate my whole college career, so this was an opportunity. My house was about a 10-15 minute walk from campus, I wish it was closer. The classes I took were nice, but not what I was expecting. I took the majority of my classes from the list AIFS provided with classes students took and like in the past. The descriptions for most of my classes from that list did not match what the class actually was. Lastly I wish AIFS planned more activities or cultural things for us to do, to get to know other people in our program. I wish they worked to integrate us more with Irish students and society like through volunteering or something. Most of my classes were with international students or American students, so I didn't get to interact with Irish students that often.

On the positive side this experience was fulfilling, life changing and I can not see myself going somewhere else or picking another program. The classes here are not bogged down with assignments due every week. You might have 1 or 2 papers and then a final or project and that is it. I was happy to have a house with a kitchen so I was able to save money and cook some meals for myself as well as go experience Irish food. The money allowance that AIFS provides as part of the program is worth it. Even if you don't use it for food, use it for other expenses, as it will all work out in the end. The places I was able to see while here especially in Ireland and even some in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe were wonderful. The people I met both internationally and through my program are all great and some I can see we will be friends even as we go our separate ways. Lastly AIFS and the University of Limerick did a great job of showing us Ireland, it's culture and history. As my travels took me around Ireland and to Europe I kept being in a state of wonder and awe by what I was seeing and experiencing. The history, culture, diversity, food and people. It was all so grand!!!

Over the course of a semester, I completed an internship at UCD with Dr. Michael O'Connell. He is a political and social psychologist and researcher. Together, we conducted an experiment on subjective well-being. He introduced me to a mixed-methods approach to research, SPSS, secondary analysis, and secondary research. Some of the skills I learned include constructing data sets in SPSS, running secondary analysis of preexisting data, how to develop a research topic from start to finish, and how to submit a paper for publication. Overall, the internship was positive and I'd highly recommend it to friends, family, peers, and other students who are interested in developing a career in psychology.

Interning with the Irish Osteoporosis Society has certainly been a life changing experience for me. IOS is the national health NGO/non-profit organization that focuses on the prevention and awareness promotion of Osteoporosis throughout Ireland. I have grown both personally and professionally throughout my time in Dublin, Ireland. Moreover, I have made lifelong friends and memories during the past three months and I am very appreciative for this opportunity!