Program Reviews

Upon my return, my American family and friends kept asking me what was my favorite part. They assumed it was the weekend trips that the CIEE took us on to different parts of Spain (the country I was studying in). And while both weekend trips were fun, I wouldn't call them my favorite parts, because I really can't pick out one thing that beats the rest. Everything I did was a new experience, some difficult, some fun, but I learned and grew and benefitted from all.

My experience in France made a huge impact on my life. I see the world with a new perspective. Studying abroad has enlarged my world view; it exposed me to the infinite amount of culture and language that is in the world. I lived with an amazing host family who I consider my second family. I encountered challenges as well as fun moments, and those experiences helped me learn and made me a stronger person. My year abroad in France is something I will never forget nor regret.

Choosing to spend my gap year in Italy was one of the best choices I have made. Not only did I learn Italian, but I also made great friendships and grew as an individual. This program gave me the opportunity to explore Ferrara and other areas in Italy. My host family was incredible and really made me feel included in their lives and in the community. I became more confidence, independent, and strong through this experience.

What more could I say about studying abroad other than, it was the best year of my life without a doubt. When abroad you are faced with so much change, in your environment, language, friends, family, and also in yourself. I left home for France in September of 2015 and I had no idea that my whole life would change. I stepped so far out of my confort zone, and for doing that I was rewarded with the pleasure of meeting new people, whom I would have never known otherwise. The pleasure of trying new foods, which I never would have savored. The pleasure of seeing new places everyday, where I never would have ventured to. In June of 2016 I returned home from home, in those ten months France had become, and will always remain, my home. I am glad I stepped out into the world and I would do it a thousand times over, the question is, what is keeping you from stepping out? Allons-y!

Spending my junior year of high school as a foreign exchange student in Australia was the best decision I ever made! I made so many amazing new friends in my 10 months going to school and experiencing the daily life of an Australian teenager. My host family is now considered my family. My host sister even came to visit me for two months this summer! The things I learned, experiences I had, and the friendships I made while Down Under will stay with me the rest of my life!

Greetings everyone, my name is Melissa Gallant, and my semester abroad in Ireland altered my life indefinitely. Forming a bond with a lovely family, exploring the rolling landscapes, and delving into a new school system were just some advantageous aspects of studying abroad, especially in Ireland. Recently, as I entered senior year, my mind turned to studying abroad again -- for college! I aspire to study at Jacobs University, which is in Germany.

I made so many new friends from all over the country and learned so many new things while learning to speak Japanese for the first time. Originally, I was unnerved by the fact that there wasn't too much information provided on the website, but after talking to an alumni and emailing the helpful CIEE staff, I was able to convince my parents to let me go. Also, there's a scholarship option that I applied to and was lucky enough to receive, so that really helped me out. Once in Japan, I had the time of my life! We went to Narita, Tokyo, and Kyoto and everyday I found myself trying and LOVING new things. It was an amazing experience and I really wish I could go back to the first day and live it all again right now. From shopping in Harajuku, to visiting the Skytree is Asakusa, to having an amazing homestay, I really had the time of my life.

I had an amazing visit to Toulouse with CIEE. The trip was extremely affordable after the generous scholarship I was given. I had so much fun on almost every excursion and all the adults associated with the program, I.E. Program leaders, teacher, in country leader, etc. Were all always available when needed and extremely helpful when asked a question. My only complaint was my host family stay was not very enjoyable but that was not CIEE's fault because my host mother was a great mom on paper and a good technical mom she just was not very good at connecting with my roommate and I or just being the most friendly person. But because of that it made the classes and free time AMD excursions so much better even though they were already so much fun. 10/10 would recommend to anyone whether they are looking for a traveling experience or not. Definitely worth it.

As of 8:30 pm today, I officially have left in a city that has given the best experience of my life. Though, I was originally terrified to come to Chile. It was not even close to where I wanted to go. I wanted to go to somewhere in Europe, along with my best friend who was most definitely going (and did go) to Spain. When I found out that I was going to Chile, I almost didn't accept my scholarship because I was so afraid, but I did. That decision was the best decision of my life. At 16, I was going to traveling the world, alone. I had never been outside the country before, but now I was doing it on my own, and it has been the greatest experience of my life. This city has given me a piece of myself that I was not aware was missing. To me, Valparaíso is the most beautiful and wonderful city in the world. The people here are some of the greatest people and the nicest I've ever met. There's always a smile on their faces and a genuine greeting following close behind. Though, the people here aren't the only great thing about this city, the food here is phenomenal, I’ve never tasted better food anywhere. Though, Valparaíso has taught me important life lessons. It taught has to be more independent, and trust my instincts and the people around me even with a language barrier. I am so thankful for this opportunity. This city has taught me more about myself than my small town in upstate NY ever could. While I am a proud small town American girl and probably always will be, this city will have a piece of my heart and soul.

This program was such an amazing experience! We learned the importance of environmental protection in China, since most of the world only looks at the air pollution in major cities there and not what is being done to help. This included lectures by the CIEE staff and guest speakers who came to speak about China's expansive biodiversity and the problems faced by different geographical regions in the country. We spent a week working on a farm in the suburbs/countryside of Beijing, which was rustic but taught us about rural conservation methods and how people live in non-urban settings. We also spent some time with the ethnic minority communities indigenous to the western region of China, which is largely forgotten by the outside world. This included visiting Muslim mosques, eating cuisine inspired by those minority groups, and taking Chinese classes at Minzu University, China's largest university catering primarily to ethnic minorities. We took an overnight train to the city of Xi'an, where the terra cotta warriors are, and a high-speed train back, which was an interesting way to explore modes of transportation not common in the United States. Because we traveled around quite a bit and were not always in luxurious living situations, students learned how to be adaptable and that things will not always go their way. Nevertheless, this was a great way to learn how to be thankful and not high-maintenance. I would definitely recommend this program to someone who wants a look at a different way of living they are not commonly exposed to, be it urban or rural or even taking an overnight train! An additional note, the program staff was extremely respectful of the students and assisted those of us who had medical issues or were simply having an adjustment issue (air pollution allergies, food, etc.). This made the entire trip twice as enjoyable knowing that we had people to turn to in case something was not going well.