Program Reviews

As someone who is of Italian heritage, studying in Italy meant more to me than traveling and food. It was about connecting to my ancestors and their home country. My experience was everything that I had hoped it would be and more. Future participants would want to know the address of where they are living and their class schedule prior to moving in. Post-program, I miss Florence every day and I now have a better understanding of the lifestyle of my ancestors. My favorite CIS memory was the cooking class.

I had one of the most fulfilling experiences interning in Barcelona through CIS Abroad! Everybody on the team was so wonderful and welcoming to all of us. It was my first time outside the country, and the staff really gave me all the tools and skills I needed. The placement of the internship was perfect and well suited to my talents and wishes, and when I was going through a hard time they offered me great advice on how to work in another country. Overall, my experience with CIS Abroad was so wonderful I cant wait to travel again!

I loved the housing because I stayed in the international dorms where other exchange student were at. This allowed us to form a group and travel to places together. There were also some Australians in the dorms too which helped us get to know more of the native people. The way the classes are set up you can travel more rather than being stuck in class all day.
My favorite memory is a event that only the students knew about, it had the whole school hanging out on the weekend and doing contests.
My tip to anyone would be get to know the bus/trolly routes and make Australian friends, they will help you discover new places and show you around the city. Also try to get an Australian drivers license if you’re able to.

I truly loved my experience abroad. For years I had talked about going abroad to Italy, and I am incredibly happy that I chose CIS Abroad as my program of choice. Going into this experience, I knew nobody except for one of my best friends from home. I had never been overseas alone before, so it's safe to say that I was incredibly nervous before coming abroad. Only a few days in to being abroad, my fears and anxiety about being abroad came to a rest. I instantly made amazing friends, and felt incredibly comfortable in the environment that I was living in. I was having fun, and most importantly, I felt safe.
My advice to future participants would be to go into this experience with an open mind and a positive attitude. Go in with the attitude that you would like to meet new people, experience another culture, and try new things. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and these participants are blessed that they are able to go abroad with an amazing group of people! Another major piece of advice that I would offer would be to not overpack! I was abroad for 3 weeks and overpacked immensely. Only pack what you truly NEED. This will make your travels lighter, and much easier, especially since you will more than likely be buying quite a bit while you are overseas.
Since being back in America, I have gained a much greater appreciation for my upbringing and how blessed I am to live where I do. Being abroad in 80 degree weather with no air conditioning was truly an experience. Living in a foreign country without the day to day accommodations that I have here in America was truly a learning experience. It is a different way of life in Italy. They do not have all of the utilities as we do here in America to live life as we do. While it was a challenge to adapt to my new living environment, it was a great experience and I have gained a greater appreciation for where I live and what I have here at home.
I'd like to end this with saying to future participants to simply have fun! Go abroad, take photos and videos, try new foods, partake in cultural activities, meet new people, and make the most of your experience abroad. Chances are, you will never have an experience such as this one. It's an opportunity of a lifetime, and one that they are lucky to be on!

When I decided to pack a suitcase and board a 23 hours flight to Bangkok, Thailand, I did not know much about the country. I really only knew where it was on a map. I was extremely nervous, but I could tell it was an excited nervous. Thailand is known as the land of smiles, and for good reason! Their culture is warm and welcoming, to say the least. What is unique about Thailand is their beautiful temples, delicious food, and islands. Once you are in the country, you can spend a day eating, shopping, and traveling to islands for less than $50. It is a simple, breathtaking, and life changing experience.

This was a good experience. The coordinator at Bay Path College wasn't helpful at all. She kept referring me to the CIS program. I was told one month before I was ready to leave and at Christmas time that we owed another $5,000. I was suppose to pay my college and I paid the study abroad program instead. The person at the college should have been more up to date on the program.

I am not sure if I missed this but I was not aware I was going to have to buy so much kitchen items that I had to leave there. I didn't know anyone in the dorm to ask to share pots, pan and storage items. Also people kept eating my food and I was on a budget. That was very stressful to me. I would have went to the dollar store at home and brought more items so I didn't have to spend so much money.

We were told to get a student visa which cost more money and it caused confusion when I was traveling. They old me I didn't need it at the airport

People were very nice, accommodations were also nice. I would recommend this program again

This program gives a new meaning to cultural immersion. As a student at University of Westminster, I lived and studied in the heart of central London. My eyes were opened to so many unique aspects of living in a European country and a metropolis, and by the end of the five months, I truly felt like a real Londoner. The setup of the program encourages independence, but while I was able to pursue my own interests, studies, friendships, and travels, I also had a support system to lean on when needed. Now that this program has ended, I find myself feeling homesick for London. I would recommend this experience to anyone looking to find themselves in the big city.

Studying tourism in school, I was always a little weary that I would have a hard time finding a professional internship or career in my field. But CISabroad proved me wrong!! After skyping with them, they were able to find me a great placement with a travel/marketing agency where I learned about tourism marketing and designing a travel catalog. From my experience in Barcelona, I felt more confident moving into future internships and now have landed a job in strategic marketing and event planning.

Since my time in Barcelona, I maintained relationships with three close friends that I met while interning abroad and keep in touch with to this day. I have been able to travel to Boston, Denver, and Cheyenne to travel and see my friends again. Having friends from different parts of the state is a great way to learn just how diverse the states really are.

While I was in Barcelona during the heat of the summer, I got very sick and had to go to the clinic to be seen by a doctor. I was nervous to do this on my own so CIS contacted the hospital, an interpreter, and even called a cab for me!! I felt safe and well taken cared of while over seas. They even set up an appointment for me to see a therapist for a visit while I was home sick and it felt so good to talk to someone and get some things off my chest. Knowing I was okay on my own and that CIS workers genuinely cared for their students well being, made it easier for me to enjoy my experince.

The program was nothing short of incredible and I will never forget the wonderful experiences or people I met.
At first, I was scared it would be difficult for me to make friends, but there were a lot of program "mixers" that forced the students to be together. I made lifelong friends pretty quickly and we still talk pretty regularly.
The activities were incredible. We went on the famous Garden Route tour, travelled to Cape Town, and had wine tasting tours. We travelled so much it almost didn't feel like school.
The classes were interesting and very informative. Everyone was required to take a South African history course, and it was amazing. I learned so much and the professor was very knowledgeable and helpful.
I feel very blessed to have been able to do this program. I wish that I could go back to see some of my South African friends and to travel around the country again. It was such an incredible experience and highly recommend it to anyone even considering studying abroad.

I had an amazing time in Costa Rica, there are times I still listen to the music and think about my time there. I miss the friends I made while I was abroad and it is truly a once in a life time experience. I would recommend everyone to take a semester to study abroad while in school. I think that my favorite thing that I was able to do in Costa Rica was the white water rafting (I ended up doing this twice!) I also loved the ziplines! I highly recommend the ones in Monte Verde.