Program Reviews

My summer studying abroad in Sorrento, Italy with CIS Abroad has been the best experience of my life. CIS Abroad made everything easy for me, through answering application and program questions, airport pick up and drop off after arriving in Italy, and through the support of the program staff while abroad. CIS Abroad planned excursions like a boat tour of the Amalfi Coast, authentic dinners, tour of an olive oil farm, and wine tastings. These gave me the opportunity to experience local culture and experience new things I wouldn't have tried myself. My summer abroad with CIS Abroad allowed me to learn more about myself, grow as a person and a student, take classes I couldn't at my home university, learn more about the world, and have the best experiences.

Going into this experience I was not sure how I was going to feel about being in a different country without my family helping. However, the people that I met, have become some of my best friends and I would go back and do it all over again if I could to relive the memories I made. All of the advisors and faculty were very helpful with everything and were always easy to reach if I had something to talk about or I had a problem going on. Overall, it was amazing and I am glad I did it. If I am able to study abroad again it will definitely be with one of the programs through CIS.

I absolutely loved my Maymester abroad in Florence. I made so many new friends, tried new food, saw new cities, and took a class I could never take at home. I also loved being able to immerse myself in the communities and become friends with the locals around me. CIS made the transition so easy and I could not be more grateful for this experience. I spent every day for three weeks seeing something new in both my class and in my own spare time. My teacher made it so easy to navigate the city for when we were exploring on our own.

In my opinion, CIS Abroad makes studying abroad approachable and affordable for all students. I went to Tokyo, Japan for a month and took two courses. I felt supported throughout the whole process which made everything much less daunting than I thought it would be when I was first considering studying abroad. Tokyo itself has so much to offer and is very accessible for solo travelers due to how organized and safe everything is. One of the courses I took was Japanese, and it was highly immersive and helped me grow more confident in my speaking abilities.

I loved my CIS Abroad experience in Italy! They made connecting my home university to Florence University of the Arts super easy. The on-site guides were helpful in answering any questions and hosting fun events for the students. Housing was convenient, and it was nice to be in the same building as the rest of the students in the program. Florence as a city is a great choice for studying abroad as there are multiple schools there, so you get to know so many people. The food in Florence is also top-notch, so can't go wrong there. I highly recommend it!

This was a life changing experience. Being completely submerged in the Italian culture was a completely new experience and being able to experience this with new friends was one of the best parts. I'm still in contact with the students I met abroad and they have grown into very close friends of mine. In addition to the amazing views, food, sea and architecture. CIS was an amazing program each event felt special and like a lot of time and effort was put in to give us the best experience. 10/10 recommend!!

My time in South Korea was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Having grown up in Mississippi, moving to Seoul to study and live for 4 months was scary at first, but I feel so richly rewarded with how I have grown personally by stepping outside of my comfort zone. CIS Abroad was very transparent with any questions or concerns I had, and my CIS on-site director was very welcoming and willing to help. I really enjoyed our excursions with CIS Abroad, though I do wish there had been a few more opportunities to do things with the group. I came to love South Korea so much, from the subway system to the endless amount of things to see and places to visit, as well as the delicious foods and upbeat music of the country. I made lifelong friends studying abroad who really helped me settle into Sogang University as if it were a second home. Looking back on how lucky I was to experience so much in Seoul and to meet such amazing people, a part of my heart will forever reside in this city, where I lived for 4 months. Sogang University's campus was in an excellent location with easy access to some of my favorite places, like Sinchon and Hongdae. The English-speaking classes were generally well conducted. I do wish that the Sogang University Gonzaga Dormitory's facilities were more foreigner-friendly, especially in regards to the laundry. As with many things in Seoul, it is hard to do much without first owning a South Korean phone number or bank account. If you don't have these, it may be difficult to do some simple things on campus, like order delivery food or do laundry. Despite some of these frustrating barriers, my time at Sogang was mostly laidback, and I enjoyed most of my classes. 

I absolutely loved my summer abroad experience in Sorrento, Italy! I took Elementary Italian Language and History and Culture of Italian Food. I thoroughly enjoyed my classes abroad. The teachers were very friendly and easy to work with. My History and Culture of Italian Food class even took us to a Buffalo Mozzarella Farm field trip as well as a pasta factory field trip. My classes were engaging and interesting to learn about. There were few assignments and often just a midterm and final exam. The class sizes were small which I enjoyed, which made it easier to build a relationship with the professor and ask more questions. I lived in a local apartment right in the middle of downtown with three other girls. The apartment was very spacious and clean and even had an outdoor patio with a table and chairs. There were so many fun activities to do in Sorrento. I went to beach clubs, paddle boarding, cliff jumping, wine tasting, olive oil tasting, cooking classes, and more. The town of Sorrento is very touristy, especially with a lot of travelers during summertime. The town does feel very safe during the day and at night. There is a nightlife scene with night time bars and fun rooftop bars overlooking the ocean. Sorrento is located in the bay of Naples so to travel to any big Italian cities you must first take a local train from Sorrento to Naples. Then you must transfer to a regional train in Naples to any other cities. This extra transfer can make traveling on weekends to cities a bit difficult, but is easy to navigate after the first time.

I was in Barcelona in Spring 2023. I went alone, I didn’t know anyone, my Spanish was rusty and I was super nervous. The second I landed in Barcelona, my on-site director welcomed me with open arms and walked me through everything I needed to do.
My 4 months abroad turned into 7. I met so many people who have all left a mark on my life. I traveled to 16 countries, learned about cultures and their history. I adored the lifestyle and fell in love with Barcelona. CIS and my group felt like family. The excursions we would go on and the effort of our on-site director made all the difference. Living, cooking, learning and traveling together really helped me feel comfortable. I never felt unsafe, people were patient with my Spanish and after being in a country consistently for that long, you begin to become part of it. Barcelona is now one of the many places my heart calls home. I 100%, 10/10 recommended studying abroad with CIS. If I could go back and do it all again, or study abroad for another semester, I absolutely would. I came back to the US a changed person. You see things, experience things, and learn things that open you up to a new world of wonder. I had a lot of international experience before studying abroad, but none were ever quite like this.

I absolutely loved studying abroad at Mahidol University in Thailand. In the classroom, I formed bonds with my fellow classmates and professors and it was enlightening to gain insight and knowledge from people with different backgrounds. Beyond the academic realm, there were bustling markets, temples, serene landscapes and gorgeous beaches which made every week feel like a new adventure. Overall, this experience enriched my worldview, fostering a deeper appreciation for interconnectedness. For anyone seeking an unforgettable journey of self-discovery and cultural immersion, Thailand undoubtedly offers an unparalleled adventure.