Program Reviews

CIS Abroad helped me in many ways in choosing the right program for me. The advisors and alumni network were great resources when picking a place to study. I lived with a host family which was an amazing way to learn and be a part of the culture, and it also helped me with my Spanish as well. Also, CIS Abroad is one of the most affordable programs to study abroad, and it includes more than most. Post-program, I now know a lot more about traveling safely and more about a latin culture.

In summary, I had a splendid time in Kyoto while studying abroad at the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies through the CIS Abroad program led by Jeff Sinding. The Japanese classes with a high level of professionalism and technique. Furthermore, the environment of the university, as well as the amount of activities they had, also provided an enjoyable environment to be a part of. In addition, I was able to travel freely and flexibly. The Japanese transportation system made it easy to go to and from just about anywhere on any map.
Lastly, I became happier overall because of this experience and the friends I made during my time there. My best friend is a friend from Taiwan I met there who was not part of CIS abroad, but I also met many people within the group which helped me much.

Before choosing to come to Cape Town I had my heart set on going abroad to London. I was told the best place to get my hands deep in dirty in my major (social work) would be an internship in Cape Town. My college roommate was also from Cape Town. So when I heard that the most rewarding path was the one that lead to Cape Town, South Africa, I was intrigued. It just felt like more than a coincidence. I realized that I would get the opportunity explore and experience the culture and country of my best friend in the very same way that she was getting to do in my country back in America. While also getting to do real social work! So I made the decision and said what the heck. Let's go to Cape Town. I was skeptical at first. My dream had always been London. It didn't take much time to forget all about my past desire to travel to London once I actually arrived in Cape Town. In a few short days I was immersed in a culture that was not my own. Cape Town is a brilliant hodge podge of languages and cultures. I've spent 8 weeks in Cape Town and I haven't regretted a single moment of it. My internship with Khulisa Social Solutions allowed me to work side by side with the social workers, police officers, lawyers, and magistrates of the Cape Town Community Court. I actually got to work in the jail cells of the court. Never in my life would I have gotten to do something like that back in America. My time in Cape Town has helped me realize my strengths, weaknesses, biases, and has especially opened my eyes to the things I take for granted back at home. I came here two months ago absolutely terrified of what a summer in Cape Town would have in store for me. I am so thankful that I had the VACorps staff standing behind me throughout my entire journey. If I needed anything I knew I had someone to call. I'll never forget how Carmen held my hand to help me get down the mountain after hiking to Elephant's Eye Cave. If that doesn't give you an idea of how much VACorps cares then I'm not sure what will. Maybe its mushy to say this, but the VACorps staff and the interns have such a strong relationship. We are truly one big family. I am going to miss the relationships I've made here. And I am definitely going to miss the stunning scenery that Cape Town proudly displays. (Definitely won't miss the public transportation system) Just know that I am not the same person I was eight weeks ago. Not everything I've experienced in Cape Town has been good and beautiful. Some of it was downright uncomfortable. But those are the moments that I will never forget. Those are the moments that made my short time in the Mother City the best summer of my life.

My study abroad experience in Edinburgh through CIS was the best semester of my life! Through doing this, I was able to meet so many great new people and see places I've always dreamed of seeing. Even though I never considered myself a big city person, Edinburgh was the perfect fit for me. It was small enough that I got comfortable exploring on my own, but still big enough to always find new things to do or see. Edinburgh also had the perfect balance of historic charm (from the castle to the palace) to being modern enough to have easy public transportation and offer a fun, social life. CIS made the transition to studying abroad so much smoother than it would have been had I not gone with them. They had great communication and information sharing prior to arriving and had the most amazing onsite program leader, Jeanna, as well. By having us all stay together in a hotel the first night, giving us walking tours of the city, and taking us as a group to the school's orientation, CIS definitely helped make life easier. CIS also organized such a beautiful trip to the Highlands, that I recommended what we did to the friends I met that were not a part of this program! My biggest piece of advice for anyone else about to study abroad is to say yes to everything! Don't be afraid to leave your comfort zone! As someone who usually finds themselves a bit more on the shyer side, this is how I tried to live my life while in Scotland. By pushing myself and doing things I normally wouldn't, I was able to make so many great new friends and have tons of amazing new experiences that have left me with fantastic memories. I know I surprised myself with what I ended up loving, and even if I didn't, I was glad to have tried something new. This growth in confidence and independence has definitely impacted my life post-program as I carry what I've learned with me back home. The independence of life in the city and everything I've learned has affected how comfortable I am doing things now at home and has made me more excited for traveling and life in the future.

I truly cannot say enough about this beautiful city. Up until several months before I left, I had no idea Perugia even existed but I'm so glad I chose to study there. I loved that it was a smaller city which offered a break from the constant go go go of living in a larger city (although Florence isn't too far away). It is easy to walk almost everywhere and you do get a bit of a workout with all the hills! There is so much history and unique facts to be learned. Although I was excited to study abroad, I was also very nervous. Honestly, it did not come without it's challenges. The staff and faculty at Umbra could not have been friendlier, more helpful, warm or welcoming. They helped me through the rough patches and made the overall transition much easier. They helped me understand cultural norms, gave me insights into the best places to eat and do things and even helped with small things such as where to buy items I needed. The staff and faculty truly do care about the students and they are a huge reason why I had such a great semester. I really enjoyed all the classes I took. My professors were extremely passionate about what they taught which made me more interested in their classes and I gained something from every single one of them. My Italian professor was extremely patient and gave us lots of chances to succeed, teaching us not only the language but the culture. My history/sustainability professor was hugely helpful in understanding Italian cuisine and taking us on unique field trips and my photography professor changed the way I take photographs. I feel very lucky to have had such great teachers. I highly recommend taking the history and culture of food in Italy course, it's a lot of fun. The CISabroad staff was also very helpful, especially prior to leaving the US. My contact at CIS was always available to answer my many, many questions and was there to assist when I had trouble with my flight. They were also very helpful in the somewhat complicated and stressful paperwork process of things like getting a visa, prior to leaving. Perugia itself is amazing. There is an endless amount of great food spots (even as a vegetarian I never had an issue finding anything). There are lots of great spots to hang out (Turan Cafe, the steps in Piazza IV Novembre and the lookout at the end of Corso Vanucci are some of my favorites). Perugia is especially beautiful towards the end of the day, when the sun starts going down. It's a great place to practice Italian because English isn't spoken quite as much. The entire city has a very authentic feeling, exactly what I would picture a little Italian city to look like. The wifi can be spotty at times due to the city's infrastructure and it can be quite cold in the winter. I highly recommend warm clothes for sleeping at night because apartments can get very chilly. The first several weeks were intimidating, especially because I had very little Italian skills and didn't really know anyone. Being patient with myself was important because it took awhile for me to get comfortable with living there, but once I did, I fell even more in love with the city. Post study abroad has also been challenging because I got so used to the Italian style of living but I gained so much from my time in Perugia. I learned the importance of enjoying life and it also opened my eyes to a very different world than I had known. Studying abroad changes your view of the world and it's people. I have much more respect for people living in a new country where they don't speak the language. I also gained a huge amount of confidence and independence that don't think I would have found at home. I travelled a lot on my own (safely of course) but it really made me learn to trust myself. My best advice would be to be patient with yourself because it can take a while to get comfortable, it's okay to have hard days, try EVERYTHING you want, go after every experience. I tried to do this and I really have no regrets. From Perugia, I gained a new appreciation for life. I think the coolest part was, when I first arrived, I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. By the time I left, I felt like I belonged there. I definitely recommend Perugia, you won't find anything else quite like it. I can't wait to return to my second home in the near future and I hope you love it as much as I do!

Studying abroad has been a breath taking, once in a life time experience. I was able to learn so much through this opportunity. I loved embracing a different culture and learning about myself for four months. The academics weren't too challenging, which made it easy for me to be able to travel without being worried about studying every night, like I normally would. The area I stayed in felt very safe and I never felt uncomfortable.

The support from CISAbroad was great! They answered all of my questions and in a very timely manner. My program advisor always did everything she could to help me and it really felt like she cared about my safety and experience abroad. The on-site director was amazing and was also very helpful. The classes abroad were challenging but fun at the same time. There was a great amount of time to go out and explore the town and even nearby cities. I have many memories but my favorite thing to do was simply going to karaoke. I went almost every weekend with friends and we belted our hearts out! I actually had more culture shock coming back home than I did when I went to Japan. Post study abroad depression is very real and it can be hard to get back to the routine back at home. I had a great experience with the program and I miss Japan so much! I hope to go back soon.

Going abroad was one of the best experiences of my life. I met a lot of great people from around the world, saw cities that existed long before the United States were even colonized, and learned far more than what I could ever be taught in a classroom. Living and having to immerse yourself into a different culture forces you to grow and experience new things, the skills I learned and brought home from that will help me in the future with whatever I choose to do with my life. Going abroad creates a new way of seeing the world and understanding different cultures and customs, I think it is definitely something every student should have the opportunity to do.

Italy has always been my dream country to visit. It’s the home country of my beloved grandparents and the site of many of the most influential pieces in art history. Being given the opportunity to live and study in this country for an entire semester was truly a surreal experience. I was so excited when I heard that I would be taking a traveling class (Cultural Introduction to Italy) around Italy before actually settling into Florence for the semester. As I had anticipated, we saw so many incredible monuments, gardens, museums and art. My favorite portion of the traveling week was visiting the region of Umbria. From Orvieto to Assisi, I was continuously humbled by the sheer beauty and history of every city that I visited. The traveling week was the perfect way to get acquainted with Italian culture and to experience life in various areas of this country. I was immediately pushed to step outside of my comfort zone and visit unknown places. Studying abroad was the first time I had ever been outside of the country, and by the time everything was said and done, I had visited a total of 8 countries and been to over 30 cities across Europe. Florence was the perfect city for me: it allowed me to immerse myself in the culture and history of Italy and the Renaissance and gave me the opportunity to explore my ancestry on-site. If you love art, food, exploration and adventure, CISAbroad's Semester in Florence is definitely the program for you.

Having the opportunity to study at Bond was amazing. Not only was it super fun but the staff, students and style of learning was great. It was cool being able to see how they do things a little differently. I made a ton of awesome friends and made so many memories to last a lifetime.