As the headline of this article states, I had an amazing time in Chile. I tried things I had never experienced before, from hiking a mountain to sandboarding.
Living right by the ocean had its perks! I did yoga at sunset on the beach on numerous occasions and went for runs along the boardwalk.
I felt that the CIEE staff cared about me and my well-being. I had a great experience with them as well as the host university.
My classes at PUCV were stimulating, as well as those at CIEE.
I had the opportunity to stay with a very friendly host family who helped me discuss and understand cultural differences.
I would definitely recommend this program to a friend.
What would you improve about this program?
Participants in the program are required to take one class with CIEE (with all US students only), which wasn't the most stimulating or challenging class I've ever taken. Additionally I didn't get to meet as many Chileans as a result of only taking a few classes with only Chileans.
I studied abroad in Valparaiso in the Spring of 2014. It was probably the best decision I have ever made. I lived with a local family that completely immersed me within their lives and were extremely helpful about my special dietary needs (I have Celiac disease). The towns of Valparaiso, and Vina del Mar (where I lived) are full of graffiti that is a little different from the normal tags. This artwork is super unique and adds to the charm of the city. I studied at PUCV which offered many options, classes with other extranjeros or with Chilenos. The academics were difficult, but didn't consume all of my time. I still had opportunities to travel on weekends. CIEE even had extra travel backpacks and sleeping bags that we were allowed to borrow for travel! The night life was great and I was never bored!
What would you improve about this program?
You are required to take one class through CIEE itself. I didn't love my class, but I've still had worse.
The program housing and orientation were a great start to the semester. The campus where classes were held was beautiful, and the city has so much to offer from hiking, nightlife, shopping, and lots of eating. The CIEE staff was very unorganized, and once the semester started, I received very little support from program staff. Overall, I had a wonderful, life-changing semester.
Originally hailing from the States, I had many concerns about my stay in the UAE, all of which were put to rest upon my arrival in Dubai. First of all, The UAE is the safest place for foreigners to study in the Middle East in not one of the safest places to study in the world. The crime rate is very low and it is basically non existent on campus. You are not only protected by guards chosen by the Sheikh himself but there are also on campus police scattered all around campus to ensure your safety. Secondly I feel as though no other place in the world offers an experience like this one. You get to meet people from all parts of the globe and you learn a little bit about each culture because of it. By best experience thus far of my time here in the UAE was my trip to Oman which is within driving distance of Sharjah. Not only were we able to see the beautiful countryside of Oman but also were given quite the view when we climbed Jebel Shams and had lunch on top of the mountain. This program is an opportunity that doesn't come very often, I advise anyone who wants to know a little bit more about the world and enjoy doing so to become a part of this adventure
What would you improve about this program?
While many of the weekends are filled with activities directed by CIEE and or the International Exchange Office, it would of been nice for their to be an opportunity to participate in some type of group field trip or vacation during Eid. Some of the students already had plans to travel on their own, but for the vast majority this was not true. Eid comes pretty early in the semester, before I really felt oriented with my surroundings and the people. More importantly though is safety. I would of felt much more safe traveling to different parts of the Middle East if we had some type of staff member or IXO member leading us. The whole entire campus basically shuts down during this break and it gets lonely if you dont have something planned.
The American University of Sharjah offers an educational experience like one you would experience in the United States but in a completely different cultural setting. Although classes are formatted similarly, relations with professors are much more relaxed and there are more open lines of communication. I also often found class discussions to be much more compelling in the classes I took at AUS. But while the academic experience may be similar, this helps to cope with the cultural differences. The campus sets a dress code and enforces a curfew for those who live in the dorms on campus. You also cannot hang out with friends of the opposite sex in places other than those in common areas of campus. Coming from a large university in the United States I found these small differences challenging to overcome especially because I was 1. not used to living in a dorm and 2. had many friends of the opposite sex. That being said, the campus offers a number of cultural activities and clubs that are open to everyone and it allowed me to hang out with my friends while also participating in new experiences. Dubai is also fairly close to campus, a mere 30 minute away, and is a great escape when you want to feel like you are back at home. Filled with westerns, Dubai is a nice break away from Sharjah. Although Sharjah offers the most in terms of Emirati culture, home sickness is inevitable at some point in your time in the United Arab Emirates and it feels good to be able to have a little bit of home while you are away.
What would you improve about this program?
I would change the housing options. Although I understand the reason for why we had to live on campus, I sometimes found campus dorms to be lonely. The majority of students at AUS don't live on campus and I found it hard to make friends with the girls in the dorms since I was a junior and most people already had their select groups. I would have liked to have the option to live in an apartment in Sharjah with other University students for a higher program cost. Although it is not all that practical, leaving campus was sometimes difficult and I did not want to be confined to campus all the time when there is so much to do and see in the United Arab Emirates. Ideally I would have liked to live in Dubai, but I feel as though it is too westernized and would not have fulfilled the cultural expectations of the program.
I had no idea what to expect upon my arrival at Dublin, but thankfully CIEE took care of all the problems that I could have encountered being a foreigner in a strange city. Not only did we get to go on guided trips throughout the program to places like Belfast in Northern Ireland and Galway, we were also taught the rich history of each place we visited. Dublin is a great city and a wonderful place to have your first travels as it is a very western friendly city with the same accommodations you would be used to back in the states. However it also has it's very own distinct culture rich with interesting and diverse people and is also a place you'll never feel like an intruder as the Irish are very welcoming. CIEE made sure I was prepared before my trip as well has taught us many lessons on how to deal with culture shock which happens upon your arrival to Ireland as well as your departure to America. Definitely recommend this program!
What would you improve about this program?
More say on what aspects of Irish history we could chose to learn about.
The CIEE Liberal Arts program in Seville, Spain exceeded every expectation I had for abroad. I was able to travel throughout for all-expense paid day trips throughout Spain and a weekend trip to Granada with other people in my program! CIEE study center was an amazing open building with enthusiastic professors and hands-on learning that encouraged more cultural excursions in Seville. I loved the program so much I am now an ambassador on my campus for CIEE!
What would you improve about this program?
All in all, I was unable to meet everyone in the liberal arts program because it was on the larger side. More activities including everyone would have been nice.
Inconsistent Academic Expectations, But Amazing Overall
Oct 8, 2014
I had an amazing time in the CIEE CNMJ program in Seville, Spain, mostly because I had a loving host family, a fantastic, small program community, and a beautiful urban landscape of Seville.
CIEE CNMJ did a great job building community among program participants through orientation and amazing, free excursions to different cities in and around Spain. This was probably CIEE CNMJ's strong suit.
However, CIEE CNMJ's academic curriculum and professor training needs work. While they claim the academics operate on an American system, courses operate on their own, with complete disregard for an overarching curriculum. This meant certain courses were extremely easy with no homework, while other classes had ridiculous amounts of reading, extremely challenging tests, no grade curving, and no professor support. If CIEE CNMJ improves their academic program and creates an actual structure with learning objectives, etc., then I would give this program 10/10 rating.
Studying abroad in Cape Town was a great experience. The local people were typically very welcoming, the food was amazing, and the culture and city are incredibly. I would advise anyone considering studying in Cape Town to take the leap and go for it. Its a great place to explore. However, I would not recommend going through the CIEE program. The staff that coordinates the CIEE Cape Town program is extremely unorganized. They made it very difficult to succeed at our coursework. We were constantly given incorrect or misinformation regarding where we needed to be, what time events were occurring, or when assignment or outings were taking place.
I could not have imagined studying abroad anywhere else but Santiago, and going with any other provider but CIEE. Santiago is the perfect city to get to know - it's large enough to have plenty to do and see, but small enough to not feel overwhelmed. Santiago has a very easy-to-use metro system, and the culture and history of the city is fascinating. CIEE provided a much-needed support system while I studied abroad. The staff members (Elsa, Patricio, Claudia) did a great job introducing us to Chilean culture, taking us on trips throughout the country, and being there as a resource for each and every student. I got lucky with the fellow students on my program, who were all wonderful and I remain friends with many of them to this day. This particular program allows you to take classes at three different universities: la Católica, la UDP, and la Chile. I took classes at la Católica and la UDP, which was great as it allowed me to see two distinct sides of Chilean society. Taking classes in Spanish with Chileans can be frustrating if you dislike group projects or hate when teachers and students arrive to class thirty minutes late. However, it forces you to go outside of your comfort zone and makes you become a better student. I had a great host family for the most part, but had issues with one of my host sisters that made me consider changing families (I ended up staying with them for the whole semester). Overall, studying with CIEE Liberal Arts in Santiago was one of the best decisions of my undergraduate career. It is a very challenging experience, and you will still suffer culture shock, homesicknesses, and various frustrations. But if you keep an open mind and stay flexible, you will learn so much, develop a global mindset, and will most definitely fall in love with Santiago. I can't wait to go back and visit!
What would you improve about this program?
I wish that the program staff provided more support to us when we first started taking classes in the universities, since I felt like I had no idea how to register for classes, pick up my readings, or even print papers in the computer lab. They had done a great job with the support during our first two weeks in Santiago, but I felt a bit isolated when we first started classes and would have appreciated more 'hand-holding' in this stage. At the same time, it forced me and the other CIEE students to be proactive and ask for help from Chilean students, so in that sense the challenge was beneficial.
