Program Reviews

This was easily the best 5 weeks of my life. It is a backpacking trip spending two weeks traveling through New Zealand and 3 weeks Australia with about 5 camping expeditions and the rest stays in hostels. Lots of travel. The leader of the program, Stewart Dickinson's main goal is to teach you about a different society, become unamericanized, learn how other countries interact with their environments and to ultimately make you fall in love with the environment again. You also grow incredibly close with a group of 20 or so students as you spend almost every second of every day together they go from complete strangers to best friends in a matter of days. You will see and experience some of the most amazing things in the world. The only downside is because we travel so much you don't get the experience of actually living in a different place in the world and never really find that other "sense of place".

Obviously, studying at Oxford was academically rigorous. This isn't going to be your typical study abroad experience! While many of my peers refunded from their study abroad experiences with stories of their ABUNDANT free time, I came back with a bag filled with essays and a mind filled with knowledge. Through Arcadia, I experienced an authentic Oxford education-- I lived on campus with other students, studies in the Radcliffe Camera, and drank at the local historic pubs that all became familiar. Oxford, itself, is absolutely breathtaking and walking to and from lectures was like walking through history. You will be held to the same standards as the matriculated students, but if you have a sense of discipline, you'll be able to work during the days and have your evenings and weekends free to socialize and travel. The program provided a wonderful orientation in London. Though I wish we had had more contact throughout my stay, they were very responsive and supportive whenever I reached out to them. If you're thinking of traveling abroad and you want to challenge and surprise yourself, there is no better place than the "city of dreaming spires." Good luck!

The University of Westminster through Arcadia was a great experience. Day to day experiences included walking around the city, shopping, exploring, going out at night. Weekends usually consisted of traveling to other countries throughout Europe.

One of the major highlights of my experience and something I still cherish nearly a year removed from the program are the personal connections I made. I was extremely fortunate to get placed with such amazing Australian roommates and those are friendships I have maintained.

The program at the Umbra Institute is great for adventures students because it give you the tools you need to be independent in Italy. Arriving in a country with no contacts, not speaking the language, and not being familiar with the customs is unnerving, even for someone who is excited to be abroad. The Umbra Institute struck the perfect balance of providing a comprehensive support system when students needed it, but allowing students to make decisions about their abroad experience for themselves. It's a program that allows you to really feel that you're living on your own in another country, and creates a sense of community and family around the school. The educational experiences that the Umbra Institute gives you outside of the classroom are also great for becoming familiar with Italian culture and learning in nontraditional ways. The program stresses being involved with the community and locals, as well as fellow American students, which makes for an amazing experience abroad.

My trip to New Zealand was the most entertaining and eye-opening experience I've ever had in my entire life. I have no complaints about it as the people, food, sights, locations, and trips were just too perfect. All I've thought about since coming back to the US is how I'm going to be able to get back to the land of the Kiwis. The Arcadia staff made the entire process absolutely seamless as well from start to finish. Also Jane Gunn Lewis is the best.

I lived on campus, in Te Kotahinga. The housing was close to campus, safe, and the people I lived with soon became my best friends. Wellington is a city unlike any other, that quickly becomes home. Its location makes it a great place to travel around the north island or take the ferry to the south island. The school is filled with friendly teachers, with class sizes ranging from small (20ish) to very large (500ish). One class I took, Earth Sciences, taught me all about the land of New Zealand and what makes it unique. Through this class I traveled around the greater Wellington area and was taught, hands on, how to identify various geological phenomenon.

My time in Glasgow was the best 5 months of my life. The housing was apartment style, and the people in my program were great. The nightlife can't be beat, and the Scottish people are like no other!
AI recommend joining a club and getting involved with the university, even though you're only there for a relatively short amount of time. It's a great way to meet people from Scotland, as well as all around the UK, and they can get you better acquainted with the city. I joined the cheerleading team and they were an amazing group of girls.

This was the first time I had ever been away from home for longer than a month or two, so I was terrified. I went to Glasgow alone, I knew no one from the program and I didn't know much about Scotland, either. But once I got there, I loved it! I made lifelong friends that I still keep in touch with. I fell in love with Scotland. It is such a beautiful country with the kindest people I have ever met. I can't wait until I can go back! Arcadia provided several opportunities for various excursions around Scotland, but even without those excursions, there is so much to do and so much to explore that I was never truly bored. I highly recommend studying abroad in Glasgow. It was the best decision of my life, and even though I was skeptical at first, I absolutely fell in love with the country and the people!

This program was undoubtedly the best experience of my life. I went to class every morning at the University of Edinburgh, which was an easy 20 minutes walk from where I was staying. There was lecture 5 days a week, followed by a coffee break then discussion in small groups.
There was plenty of time outside of class for sightseeing, both in and out of the city itself. Both SUISS and Arcadia organized several field trips to events like the Highland Games, tours of Scottish Parliament, etc. It was incredible to meet so many students from around the world - I now have friends in every corner of the globe, and I have this program to thank for that.
Food was provided (just no lunch on weekends) and served buffet style. Standard fare, but SUISS made sure to have programs where we could eat authentic Scottish cuisine (and yes, I ate haggis and loved it!).
Throughout all this, Arcadia was an invaluable resource. They laid out every detail of the travel - they even picked me up from the airport. All my additional questions were answered promptly via email. I can't recommend this program enough.