Program Reviews

This program was very fun and there was a lot of time to do other activities like explore the city, eat at various restaurants, shop, etc.. I would say this program is very low stress as there aren't any huge parameters regarding the work you need to do. As long as you create some artwork during the trip you will be fine! I would recommend bringing sunscreen and bug spray! You will need it! It's crazy hot and there are a ton of mosquitos. My favorite place we visited was the island of Spetses. It was beautiful and the sea was fun to swim in everyday! This program changed my perspective on myself and it definitely brought me out of my comfort zone! If you're a shy person like myself I would highly recommend studying abroad and taking this program!

This was the most amazing experience I have ever had. I would recommend this program to anyone interesting. The classes are very interesting, the staff is so sweet and generous and traveling around is amazing and so easy. For future participants know that class is still a priority but you still have a ton of time to travel. Book flights in advance to save as much money as you can and consider staying in hostels because some are very cute and trendy

I had such an amazing time in Siena. Before studying abroad, I was looking for a program that really allowed me to immerse myself into an entirely different culture and truly understand what it was like to live in a different country. I wanted to experience what it was like to live in a different country, not just as a tourist, but as a person who was genuinely living the daily life as a local. This is what swayed me away from a program in London, for example, but what pushed me to study abroad in Siena. To future participants, if you are looking for a similar experience, Siena is the perfect place to go. Being able to experience normal daily life in a different country allowed me to broaden by horizons and learn that there is more to life than just what I am used to. I definitely feel more worldly and independent after studying abroad in Siena.

Living in a different country for 6 weeks was way out of my comfort zone, but it was by far the best decision I've ever made. I got to spend my summer learning about wine marketing, social media marketing, and the Italian culture. We would go on weekly excursions with all the members of the program to different wineries across the Tuscany region. At the wineries we would learn about how each winery crafted their wine, imported their products, and marketed their wines locally and globally. After each excursion, we were provided wine and light snacks which bonded our entire program. On the weekends, I got to travel to Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Paris! I formed close relationships with many of the members on my program, I gained a lot of professional experience, and an endless amount of memories. I recommend this program to anybody interested in marketing or wine lovers!

I strongly recommend this study abroad trip. The classes were challenging enough that I feel like I learned a lot during the 6 week session, but I also had a decent amount of free time on weekdays and always had a lot of free time on weekends. My host family was amazing. I got a ton of practice speaking with my host mom, who knew essentially no english, and I built a great relationship with her too. The weekend trips were a lot of fun and gave me the opportunity to see many different parts of Mexico! By far my favorite part of the program was visiting Mexico city and seeing many of the buildings and museums I'd been learning about for years before in previous Spanish classes.

So I spent 6 weeks in Querétaro as a part of the University of Oregon's GEO program. Before even getting to Mexico I had some problems. The coordinator for the academic part of the trip neglected to show up for the MANDATORY information meeting so I knew little to nothing about my classes or any of the subject manner. Once I arrived in Querétaro, our on site coordinator was fabulous. He was available for any and all questions, and I felt like he really listened to what we had to say and our concerns. I feel like while the coursework was satisfactory, I feel like I didn't get as much out of it as I would have taking the 201-202-203 sequence, which is to be expected as it is a condensed course. The teachers were fantastic and accommodating for the language barrier and I really felt like they wanted us to learn the language. While I really feel like the program itself could use some work, overall it was a positive experience that I would recommend to anyone looking to experience the Mexican culture.

This program and my time in France really was a once in a lifetime experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life, and no matter how cliché this may sound I stand by it. From the beautiful school where we took classes daily, to the amazing scenery and hundreds of years of history that you cannot find here in the U.S., Angers really was an amazing place to study. First off, my homestay housing option was one of the best things about the program and helped me to progress in the language in ways that I would not have otherwise. The family I lived with was the kindest elderly couple, and the house was always lively with their visiting family, grandchildren and friends. I watched soccer each night with my host father and attended ligue 1 soccer games with him on the weekend. We would all watch the news together, I would go for walks in the countryside with my host mom and they were always there to take me to the University for our early morning excursions. The two of them served as a family away from my family here in the States, and they really did help to make Angers feel like home. I still keep in close contact with them even at the end of my program and will always consider them as family to me. If you are in any way hesitant to take part in a program where the homestay is either suggested or necessary, please understand that I was as well and it is now one of my absolute fondest memories of the program. I had heard this sentiment beforehand but did not truly believe it until I was there, homestay is the best option. (Knowing someone who has both lived in dorms and homestay options in Angers, they said that the dorm experience absolutely does not compare to the homestay.) Angers itself is a beautiful town that is neither too big nor too small. I live a little ways away from the school itself on the outskirts of town but direct transportation such as the tramway (10/10), and buses made travelling around so easy. Angers is a direct train ride away from Paris and several other large cities that make weekend travel a breeze. Additionally, there are scheduled excursions that take you all around France, such as the D-Day beaches in Normandy, a cave where you eat the best dinner of your life, or to the Abbey of Mont-Saint Michel (just to name a few). The excursions were such an amazing way to see what else France has to offer and many times were very humbling experiences. To this day they are among some of my favorite memories in this program and in my life. On-site program adviser Sue Crust was such a kind and caring person who really looked to make sure that we were getting the most from our time in Angers. Between Sue and GEO adviser Margaret Stanney, they were really invaluable resources for this program, any questions that we could or did have, and anyone applying to this program should take advantage or their knowledge and willingness to help you! I was shown all of the ways that I could really find my place in Angers, and even became an active volunteer in the Anglophone library in town where I worked with groups of little kids looking to learn English. In terms of any advice I could have for students who are going abroad and are considering Angers as their destination, know that this will be one of the absolute best times of your life, but you may not know that until you are home again. Whether that makes sense now, I know that it will when you are back here. (I have expressed this to several people who have also gone abroad, and they have told me that they feel the exact same way. Also, your French will come along, so be patient! I was hoping to go abroad and wake up one morning after a week or two and be fluent, and that will not be the case. Communicating in a different language is difficult no matter what level you arrive at, but every single day it will get easier and somewhere near the middle or end of your program you will realize how absolutely effortless it is to communicate. It was not the flip of a switch that I unrealistically anticipated, but I would never have come this far in the language in such little time without living here. Overall, I really could not recommend this particular program enough. There are now days where all I want is to take the tram to our beautiful school tucked away in the heart of Angers, grab pastries from a local bakery and a 50 cent coffee from the school Foyer and just talk with my host family or friends. What other time in your life are you going to live a town with apartment building older than our country or a castle in the middle of town? There is no place like France, and there is really no town quite like Angers.

Studying abroad with the GEO Vicenza Architecture Program has been my most enjoyable term of college. I learned so much about historic architecture and urban planning, improved my sketching abilities and gained a better understanding of a new culture and place.
We saw and experienced many amazing things during the trip but my favorite part was hiking in Vals, Switzerland. Hiking is something I love to do in Hawaii so being able to hike near the Alps was unreal.
I am very grateful to have had this experience and to have been able to be apart of this study abroad program. I saw incredible places and got to explore with some amazing people thanks to the help of many supportive professors, mentors and GEO.

I had a wonderful time in Siena for six weeks. I visited many wineries and had the opportunity to drink wines and eat delicious Italian food. During the week we could go on excursions to places within the Tuscan area. Our professors were hands on and great people I was able to connect with. On the weekends, we would travel to places such as Rome, Florence, Elba and Positano. We also got the opportunity to take an Italian class to help get around the city. 10/10 Would recommend going on this trip, I grew as a person and loved the city! A wonderful opportunity!

This was an absolutely incredible program. We saw 35-40 shows during the nine and a half week programme. There was typically enough time during the day after the discussion to go and explore London and the other cities close by. I was able to go to many museums, and you figure out the Tube fairly early on, especially because you have to use it to get to the more central parts of London. The shows we see in the evening, usually around six, are good and engaging. We had to give an hour and a half sometimes to make sure we had enough time to use the Tube and whatnot. We had a lot of fun on the excursions, and even today, I talk about it with my friends and remember things that happened very fondly. I love the culture over there, and the diversity. I found myself getting to be very comfortable in a foreign country, and as cliché as it sounds, I grew as a person because of my time in London. I had to learn how to budget, how to fend for myself and rely on asking for directions. There's more that goes into it, but I also had to cook for myself and just learn how to function in an unfamiliar place. It was an amazing trip and I would recommend it to Theatre Majors and Minors, as we learned a lot about period styles and saw amazing shows.