I spent 6 weeks of my summer studying in London with CIEE and I had an amazing experience. I felt that I gained so much independence from this trip and learned a lot about visiting different countries throughout Europe and the UK. The staff was so welcoming and made sure we knew everything we needed to before we even arrived. The classes were defiantly more challenging, but I feel that I learned so much both inside and outside of classes in just 6 weeks. I wish there was more collaboration between local London students and our group because I mainly stayed with other Americans for the duration that I was here.
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
This is so funny, but I really wasn't aware of the amount of double decker buses they actually use around the city. The public transportation system works so well, and you can really get anywhere you need to be in London from the buses or the tube system. I loved going on the top deck of a bus and just riding it around.
I would highly recommend a CIEE program to anyone interested in traveling abroad. The directors of the program in Rennes were fantastic, and the professors excellently taught the course material. There is a lot to explore in Bretagne with many wonderful festivals and activities during the summer (Tombée de la nuit), with weekends and open afternoons great for traveling between cities! My most favorites places to visit included: Saint-Malo (beautiful beach and town, but be wary of seagulls), Dinan (really beautiful), Paris (of course!), and Fougères.
What was your funniest moment?
Myself and two friends traveled to Paimpont for the day. When we arrived, birds were chirping and the sun was shining, so we decided to rent bikes to see some of the attractions a little farther away. After biking for thirty minutes, we arrived at the Tomb of Merlin, and a few rain drops started falling. Rather quickly, a few drops turned into a non-stop downpour. We biked back to the town after visiting, completely drenched! But, we had an incredible day, amazing galettes, and now it makes for a fun story.
I really enjoyed my time in Alcalá de Henares! I met so many new amazing friends, learned about Spain’s culture and history, and visited so many new cities. I wish there was a bit more communication from onsite staff especially during group field trips. Often times our staff member would show up late and we wouldn’t know what to do. Other than that, I had an amazing experience and would definitely recommend it to other students! I think studying abroad is a once in a lifetime experience and CIEE helps make it possible and as simple as possible!
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Take advantage of every moment and opportunity! If you can, I would recommend, traveling to new destinations on the weekends. This will allow you to see new places and have new experiences. Try to step out of your comfort zone and try new things! This will help enrich your experience! Also, don’t be afraid to meet new people! Everyone is so friendly and wants to meet each other, so don’t be afraid to make new connections!
Pros
New friends
Improved Spanish speaking abilities
So many fun memories
Cons
Traveling alone can be scary
You might be homesick
At first, it can be a bit overwhelming to adapt to a new country’s culture and traditions.
I cannot recommend this program enough! The pre-departure process was very easy and I was in contact with several people who were in charge of the program. By the time I left for Barcelona, I felt prepared. The orientation was very helpful and was a great way to meet other people and learn more about the city. I met several people through both my class and the activities offered through CIEE. Barcelona is a great city to study in and has a great nightlife, as well as beaches and restaurants. I will be very sad to leave both Barcelona and CIEE!
If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I didn’t rush to do the tourist attractions as I figured I would have plenty of time to do them over the course of eight weeks. However, I did feel rushed at the end, and wish I would’ve spread them out more throughout the program.
I chose to do an internship through ciee for my study abroad. While the internship itself was not a good experience (for a multitude of reasons lol), ciee staff were super supportive and willing to help the experience be as good as it could be for me and the other ciee interns working with me. That's a big reason as to why I would recommend ciee- no matter the circumstance, you will learn a lot and ciee is there to help you through it all.
I loved this experience and would recommend it to anyone! I would say that you're going to mess up a lot while abroad and not everything will go as planned. But that's just part of the learning experience and the fun, and you just gotta laugh through it. This experience is what you make of it, so make sure to reach out to people and plan out some fun things to do!
Also, the dorms are private (no roomie) with own bathroom and kitchenette!
What was your funniest moment?
Just one of many funny memories- during my first week i ordered an iced coffee at a local cafe (beginner's mistake lol). Instead of handing me the plastic cup with lots of ice like i was expecting, they gave me hot coffee in a paper cup with one big ice cube in the middle. it was at that moment i fully realized i wasn't in the US anymore haha. but after being here for 8 weeks, i'm definitely team hot espresso! but you'll have many funny little moments like that, which are part of what makes adjusting to a new place so special.
Pros
so much to do in the city
so many friendly people to meet from all over the world
I met a lot of fun people and had the chance to explore the city really well. We were able to meet and interact with a lot of locals and were lucky enough to be here for the Euros, which was really fun to watch with the friends that we made here. We also had a chance to explore the continent which was really fun. The only issue was that CIEE wouldn’t give us the contact information of the others in our program before we arrived even when asked. Overall it was an experience I would relive if I could.
I studied Arabic and Darija (The Moroccan Dialect) in Rabat for 8 weeks - These weeks included an incredible homestay program and many excursions that gave the students a truly immersive experience. I feel as though I entered Morocco as a foreigner and left as a local. From being able to converse in the Souk to learning how to make the iconic Moroccan Mint Tea to exploring from the High Atlas Mountains, to Marakesh, to Casa Blanca, Chefchauen, to the Sahara Desert and more. I plan to return to Morocco many times in the future both to reconnect with my host family, whom I grew very close to, as well as to visit the incredible staff of the program who sought to make the experience as enriching for the students as possible.
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
Crossing the Sahara Desert on camels was an incredible experience - we rode for 3 hours to our final location - I heard we were staying in tents... yikes! However, this place was totally glamped out! We had an incredible dinner and stayed in a really upscale modern tent (The dinner, tent, and camel ride was all under $100 per person). I never thought I would spend so much time on a camel in the desert, but that was definitely my most memorable experience that I will always cherish!
I spent the summer in Copenhagen doing the Summer Global Internship and it was a wonderful experience. I learned so much about the Danish work culture through both the Internship Course and the Internship itself. I got to spend additional time on excursions and extracurricular activities with CIEE Staff, and these were great experiences with welcoming and kind people. I think this is a great opportunity for anyone who is interested in learning more about themselves and engaging and learning about different cultures.
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
It is intimidating to travel to a new country and experience a culture and language you are not used to. But, it is 100% worth it. Put yourself out there, get out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and adventure around as much as you can. When you get to the end of the program you will have no regrets because you will grow so much as a person and learn so much about yourself.
I loved my experience working abroad through CIEE. It gave me a perfect experience to encourage me to move abroad post grad and have confidence in my skills. I was able to meet lifelong friends and make a connection with the workers at CIEE so that I felt comfortable being in a foreign country. I loved the culture of the city. It is very active and is full of people biking, walking, running, and even just sitting outside. It encouraged me to be outside way more than I was used to back in the US.
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Follow food events online and attend as many festivals, special events, etc as possible and meet as many new people as you can.
This was a unique and amazing experience to have during college. I’m so happy that I had the opportunity to participate in the program. The class was great and I learned a lot of race and ethnicity in the Netherlands compared to America. The housing was amazing as well, and all the staff were very accommodating and helpful which I appreciated. There was never a dull moment or shortage of things to do. I would recommend the program and am happy that I chose it. Amsterdam is a beautiful and very student friendly city.
