Program Reviews

The program was perfect in the sense of getting us everything we needed as well as help us when things went awry. The only major concern I had was our housing situation because our landlord did not seem to be prepared for a group of college students to be staying in her apartments. There was a lot of back and forth between us and her, but CIS was very helpful in this situation and we were always able to come to a solution. The program also had a lot of extracurriculars to participate in which helped connect students with the city and people they were living around.

Prior to going abroad, I was extremely nervous but excited at the same time. This trip completely changed my life. It allowed me to see how people live in an area I never thought I would go to. It helped me realize that we as humans have something in common with everyone no matter where we are from. Thanks to this trip, I have found a new passion for traveling and I now have such different life aspirations than I had prior to my time abroad.

Some of my favorite memories of my trip were, hanging out with elephants, hiking to the top of Table Mountain, and meeting people who I will always have a connection with. This experience was so unique because it was completely different from what I was used to. Everything was different than my everyday life in the U.S. I was actually thankful for this because it just made me learn more about this new region and myself.

CISabroad allowed me to spend an entire semester in a European city for a very affordable cost. It was actually cheaper for me to spend a semester in Prague than it was to spend a semester at my home university. Prior to finding the semester in Prague program, I was under the impression that I would be unable to study abroad due to the high costs of travel in Europe. Thankfully after some research, I found this CIS program, and was able to have this amazing experience. It is hard to even express how much studying abroad has changed both my life and my perspective on the world. It really can't be summed up in just "amazing" or "life-changing." There is something so humbling and yet wildly intriguing about being thrown into a different culture and experiencing language barriers and culture shock for the first time. There were definitely days where I just wanted to hear English, or be able to go to a grocery store and understand what I was buying. However, pushing through these feelings made my experience that much more immersive and beneficial to my self-growth. I know that because of my experience abroad, I will be more equipped to handle stress and unfamiliar situations in the future. Studying abroad has provided me with a unique skill set that I would be unable to acquire through any other experience. I am incredibly thankful to have been able to study abroad with CISabroad, and I would to it ten times over if it were possible to do so.

My experience in Barcelona, Spain during the summer of 2017 was one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The people I met, from my roommates, to locals, to the staff of CIS, made my abroad experience just that much more magical. I enjoyed the trips we went on as a group and appreciated the recommendations for places we should visit on our own. I also really liked the fact that we had local citizens as professors at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona because we were able to build relationships with them and learn first hand about their culture. Barcelona has an ethereal atmosphere with beautifully historic architecture that I was lucky enough to experience firsthand.

I chose the Semester in Rome with CISabroad. The pickup from the airport when I arrived was definitely very helpful, especially since I was in an unfamiliar place. The housing location was also very good; close to the city center and many great local places. It was a nice distance from American University of Rome, too, which was appreciated. As for the quality of the program, it was ok. Only 1 excursion was included in the price of the program which was disappointing. I know a few other people from a different program and they had all the excursions included. The small day trips with our CISabroad handler was pretty nice as well. Our guide was knowledgeable and very nice. I kept in contact with her throughout the semester if I needed anything and she was usually pretty prompt in answering. One thing I didn't like about the program was the number of people enrolled. There was literally 6 of us and it was odd. I expected more people in our program. It's not necessarily CIS's fault, but that's something to keep in mind. If anyone is expecting a large 30+ group of people, they might be disappointed.

I spent 5 weeks taking spanish for health professional courses in Costa Rica this past summer. While I loved that no spanish previously was needed to enroll it did make communication with my host family difficult (whom were amazing but didn’t speak English). The excursions on the weekends were breathtaking and I recommend going on as many as you can. I enjoyed the locations were more of local spots and not your typical tourist spots. Swimming with bioluminescent one night was something that I will remember forever. Overall my experience taught me more about both Spanish and myself than i expected, and I’m forever grateful for my time abroad.

CISAbroad did an amazing job prepping us for our pre-arrival, created a safe and exciting environment in-country, and helped with everything from food places to transportation to travel safety. I really enjoyed the trips that were planned for the members of the program. Also, there was a very concise list of places program alumni either loved or hated, which really helped when considering places to get to or avoid. The way the Prague program is coordinated is so that alumni can even contact us through a FB group which allows for immediate feedback including visa issues or good travel companies.

CIS Abroad was the best thing I could have ever done throughout my time in college. It was life changing, impactful, fun, and I would't change it for the world. I not only got to be immersed in the culture, I made life long friends and fell in love with the city. Some of the highlights were the cooking class, the day trip to Cinque Terre, and the welcome dinner when I got to know everyone. My art class was very crucial to my understanding of the italian culture. Future participants should know that that is a trip of a lifetime and they should partake in the thrill of it all.

Every town has a nickname: the City of Lights, the City that Never Sleeps, the Eternal City. Well Aix-en-Provence is the City of Water, the City of a Thousand Fountains. On every street there is a new fountain, and with every new fountain there is a new story. The fountain in la place de Marie, where I sat and watched families take pictures before their weddings, the fountain on Cours Mirabeau, that sparkled with lights as I perused the Christmas market, the fountain by my favorite boulangerie, the fountain that pointed me to my way home, and a thousand more. Each fountain holds a memory of my time in Aix, as they do for thousands of other students, travelers, and citizens. The City of a Thousand Fountains will forever be a special city for me, and I will always treasure every fountain.

I can honestly say that the four months I spent in Austraila were the best ones of my life yet. The whole experience was just so unreal. The environment was amazing and something like I've never seen with all the wildlife and scenic places. The people were so welcoming, kind and laidback, always giving us tips on how to enjoy our time here in the best way. And the activities offered were endless and always an amazing memory. My academic experience was also one for the books with the amazing professors and courses offered to further my education while having the adventure of my life. It became my favorite country and if I don't end up moving back for good, I will definitely make it an annual holiday.