Amizade, LTD.

Program Reviews

Kaitlin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Quito is incredible

I loved my study abroad experience so much that I stayed an extra couple of months through my summer vacation. The people in Ecuador are very sweet and excited to share their culture and country with visitors. Studying in Ecuador gives you so many opportunities for exploration and adventure. Though you spend most of your time in Quito, you get to experience so much more including Guayaquil, the Galapagos, Mindo, Baños, and Otavalo. I feel that going to Ecuador let me really take advantage of my study abroad experience by cramming so much into the semester. While you are still going to classes, it is almost like a semester long vacation.

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Georgianna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life Changing Experience

Not only was New Zealand the best place I have ever been to, but this program helped me feel so comfortable in a place I have never been. Ashley was my program director and from when we got off the plane to when we left, she was always checking in on us and planning excursions. I really didn't know what to expect when going to New Zealand when studying abroad besides that there is so much of the country to explore. Right away it was easy how to figure out how to get around and being in the program made it so easy to make friends. I got to travel the whole country and even go to Australia. Most people are in the same boat as you when you get to New Zealand so it is easy to find people who want to travel and explore. I am so grateful to have had this experience and the only thing I would have changed was I would have started traveling earlier on in my experience. I waited a little too long to start exploring and ended up not doing one or two things I wanted to do. New Zealand is amazing and I wish that everyone could experience the country and culture.

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Brooke
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Once in a lifetime experience

Studying abroad in Cheltenham was a dream because of its convenient location, comfortable housing and exceptional support. Exploring and adventures were just a walk to the bus station away. Trips to Dublin, Paris, Rome, Wales and London were easily made on the weekends.
Living with British students truly immersed us in the culture and made it easy for us to quickly make friends. The support system we had in Cheltenham was part of what made the transition to a new country so much more exciting. Our resident director was just a text away at all times, and we all got so close it was like having a British family.
The only bad thing about this trip is that I miss it so much that I think about it everyday. I recommend Cheltenham to anyone looking to enjoy city life in a student dorm, make lifelong friends and see sites you have only ever seen in movies.

What would you improve about this program?
The workload for the BCA signature course was a bit more intense than what I heard other countries had. However, it did help with the acclimation process.
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Kaylee
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Seriously Life Changing

As cliche as it sounds, this program will change your life. As a geology student, I was most excited about exploring the unique landscapes from active volcanic fields to glaciers. I wasn't expecting that the people I'd meet and the experiences I'd have would change my life and teach me what was really important. Ashley, the resident coordinator, and the BCA program was excellent at answering my questions, making me feel welcome, and guiding me through several truly New Zealand experiences. I don't think I would've had as valuable of an experience in NZ without this program.

What would you improve about this program?
This isn't necessarily the BCA program, but the academic system is very different than my small, liberal arts school and I struggled with the teaching style. Most classes have multiple professors, who have different styles of testing, and there aren't weekly graded assignments to check your comprehension. Of course, when approached, professors were more than willing to help me and I imagine it has less to do with NZ's academic system and more that it's a large school. I just hope future applicants will take this in to consideration.
Alaina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Do This

I had a lovely time in Dunedin, it is by far the best decision I’ve ever made! Even when moving houses halfway through the semester The BCA directors helped to make sure I had all the support and help I needed during this time. When I got sick, Jan even brought me soup! Not only is BCA easy to work with they are so supportive and helpful, they make it easy to feel at home in your new city. We took so many trips as a group and saw so much, the time I spent there will never forgotten!

Josh
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life Changing Experience

I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone. I did the program back in 2014. As the description says the program starts in Vienna, which still to this day is my favorite city in the world despite traveling to 20+ countries. In fact this part of the trip forever because I met my now fiance on the program in Vienna. However, enough personal the language courses in Vienna are enjoyable but not too much so that you can't enjoy all the city has to offer. IKI Language School in Vienna is a great start to the program. Then in Marburg I was fortunate enough to be selected to live in the castle as part of the Collegium Philippinium. During my time here I took classes both within the university and through BCA. I highly recommend Kris Riggs photography class, I still use these skills till today. All in all if your on the fence I'd recommend you go on this trip without a doubt it will give you a lifetime full of memories!

What would you improve about this program?
N/A
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Roman
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Best Decision I Have Ever Made

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Brian
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Do this program

I can't say enough about this program. It had all of the elements i could have wanted. Director who was laid back, smart, and really cared. Awesome location, starting the first month in downtown Vienna living in a energetic international student house and taking an intensive German ramp-up course with random folks of all ages from all over the world. Then to Marburg where we took courses all in German, some just with our study abroad group, others with only German students. Nice mix-in of excursions and tours as part of the program, but plenty of free time for you to just experience things on your own. Ended up playing with the Marburg ultimate frisbee team. Met a lot of cool Germans who i still keep in touch with. Great sense of camaraderie amongst the BCA crew. Marburg is a pretty epic city. Would do it again and would recommend to everyone.

What would you improve about this program?
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Tisha
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Dream Come True

My family history and love for the German language made me want to visit Germany one day. I was able to live abroad for a semester in both Vienna and Marburg, which changed my life. I had never ventured from home more than a week at a time, so I was nervous. The structure of the program made me feel comfortable but also gave me lots of freedom and independence. I was able to ease into the language with the intensive language study in Austria first. There were so many people from all over the world with different backgrounds here. I learned from them inside and outside the classroom. Life in Marburg was more my speed since I was used to a smaller, university town myself. I continue to encourage anyone who has the chance to live abroad to do so. It made me more confident, advenurous, humble, and grow overall as a person. BCA was a great program to study with too. Don't miss out on an opportunity like this. Make your dream come true!

Nick
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life in Germany

My interest in Germany began with reading the works of Herman Hesse, a German author (in English). Along with Hesse, Germany has produced countless brilliant thinkers and authors, and I thought it would be worthwhile to experience their ideas in their untranslated form. So I went to Germany with a great interest in learning the language to an advanced level. In Marburg, students have opportunity to live in the Schloss (meaning castle), so named because it sits in the middle of the city directly adjacent to a castle. Schloss is a student housing apartment almost entirely composed of German students. Thrown into the mix with locals I was learning the language quickly, and experiencing incredibly powerful immersion in German culture. The town has a ton of cafes, restaurants, and bars for students to frequent with friends, and there are lots of events that let students socialize. While I was there I spent a lot of time playing beach volleyball as a member of a school club, and made a lot of friends through winning and losing on the court together.

What would you improve about this program?
One challenge for me was the preceding two months spent in Vienna studying German exclusively. Classes are composed of a mix of individuals from all sorts of backgrounds, and of varying ages. Because classmates can be anywhere from 16 - 60 years old, it can be hard to find a core group of friends your age while there.