Program Reviews

My time in New Zealand was truly amazing. The Arcadia staff did an excellent job of keeping us informed on events and making sure we were enjoying ourselves. The landscape of NZ is incomparable to any other place in the world. Each day we were met with a world class view, great people, and exploration opportunities everywhere. I would recommend to anyone a trip to New Zealand for their study abroad semester.

The General Course is a really great program if you want to add a really impressive school to your resume but also have a chance to have fun. Classes are fairly difficult but you get a lot of time off. I had the chance to network with other ambitious students in my field of study.

Wellington stole my heart. With mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, it's impossible not to fall in love with this city. The Kiwis were so kind and accepting, the classes were interesting and engaging, and the landscape was breathtaking. For anyone who likes to adventure, New Zealand is unmatched. With Great Walks and Victoria University's Tramping Club, every weekend was full of more beautiful views. Arcadia's New Zealand staff is incredible. From orientation to the farewell dinner they were there to support me, answer any and all questions, and help to resolve any problems, no matter how big or small. I truly believe that there is no better program I could have chosen to go abroad with. There are no better people and there is no better place.

10/10 for Arcadia NZ

The Arcadia in Rome program was an unbelievable experience for me. The classes were incredible, with classes both in and outside of the classroom, as well as field studies to different parts of Italy. The staff in Rome was great. They helped with whatever you needed and were always there to lend a helping hand. Of course, you cannot forget that you are in the Eternal City of Rome either. The people, scenery, and food of Rome is second to none.

Goldsmiths was perfect to get a few credits out of the way while be close to Central London (but not having to pay the ridiculous inner-city rent). Great fun and beautiful being next to Greenwich (great if you need to get out of the inner-city scene). Make sure to go to the ministry of pie at burough market.

Well, I was taken by surprise when I arrived in Barcelona and found the region to be so different from what I had expected. They spoke a different language, had different cultures, and didn't consider themselves Spanish at all. At first this made me nervous and a bit irritated but I leaned to love the culture and language when I started to take the history and language class at Arcadia. My landlord was extremely nice and helpful. My roommates were very nice, my classmates became my very good friends and I met some amazing people. Everything was great, only thing is that I wish they would've offered a more advanced Spanish course.

Studying abroad with Arcadia at University of Westminster was an amazing experience. Arcadia is wonderful in assisting students in transitioning to living in London. I had a really positive and informational orientation experience with Arcadia. They take you out to dinner your first night and also paid for us to see a London play together and take a tour of the Tower of London. Part of orientation is lecture-based, however the information you learn is very useful and interesting. Arcadia also has trips planned throughout the semester that you can sign up for to go to places like Cambridge or Oxford. The Arcadia staff is always available if you have questions or need anything. I was also very pleased with the University of Westminster. You will take classes alongside U.K. or international students, which is a great way to meet British friends. I stayed in the Marylebone campus and absolutely loved it. It was located in the middle of the city and it's right next to Regent's Park. Overall, I had an incredible experience and I am so thankful for Arcadia's program and support they offer to study abroad students.

I had dreamed of going to Ireland since I was a little girl, so my expectations were very high. I had fantasized about this experience to get me through the hard times in my life. Did I ever think I would do it? I'm not sure, I think I knew I would try, but I could never make it a reality in my mind until I was landing in the airport, sick as a dog I might add due to bronchitis and a sinus infection. Now, the actual country was different than I expected. History literally popped up on the side of the road when you least expected it, and you get used to seeing ruins of castles dotting the landscape. The food was heavy but so fresh and lovely! Not going to lie, going in the winter/spring was rough because it was very hard to break into the Irish student scene. However, I made some awesome friends within the international student crowd, and they were the people I hung out with during my free time. There is so much to see in Ireland that I still didn't see everything after 5 and a half months. Cork itself is a cute city large enough to find something new every time you walk around but small enough to feel homey. If you're religious, watch out. The services seemed sort of rushed to me, but the churches themselves are gorgeous. Also, I found much more spiritual connection when I was exploring Ireland and the landscape/castles/monasteries than when I was in church. UCC is a lovely university, and the classes in Irish studies/celtic studies are really interesting! The class style is an adjustment because professors expect more of you as a student than we are used to. There is very little babying there, though professors help immensely with the adjustment. Finally, Ireland could never meet up to those fanciful expectations that I held as a child, but by rating it on its own it was a brilliant experience

It could have been simply me just not paying attention earlier, but when I first arrived at Accademia Italiana is when I discovered it was mainly a schoool for fashion. I was the only Illustration student in the school's population as far as I knew, and almost the only one wearing tennis shoes (I felt very out of place!) Regardless of that though, I still enjoyed the classes I took. All the teachers were helpful and enthusiastic, and encouraging. I made few friends because many people were already friends with each other - unlike me, the only person from my university to be attending that school. The school trips were fun, although I wish the Rome trip was more than two days.

My semester in Cuba brought me face to face with a culture and political/economic system I knew nothing about; and, through interactions with the close friends I made there, I was brought to recognize the deep-rooted sameness in all of us regardless of background.
One of the most impacting courses I took was "Political Economy of Socialism" in which on the first day of class my professor asked the students to identify the inherent contradictions within capitalism. While I was at a loss for words, the class seemed armed and loaded with a plethora of preset answers; the next day when she asked about the inherent contradictions within socialism, however, I was well-prepared with the propaganda my educational system had indoctrinated me with. Having these discussions with my Cuban classmates led me to understand at a deeper level how greatly our backgrounds affect our understanding of the world and how much the lines we are fed as children stick to our beliefs as adults.