Program Reviews

This was my first time going overseas alone and it was hands-down the best experience I have ever had traveling! I love to travel and fly and CIS Abroad made it less stressful and amazing while being in a foreign place for me. They listened to my needs and catered to them! I had amazing roommates as well as a nice apartment central to everything. Good things to know when studying/traveling abroad is to be respectful and be a local, not a tourist. Of course checking out the tourists attractions is a must when you are abroad, but being a traveler rather than a tourist is the way to go so you gain respect from the locals! My favorite memory of this trip was the amazing views and architecture all around me. Florence is my new favorite city and I was lucky enough to enjoy it with my roommates. Amazing people and amazing food! Best time of my life.

I loved that this was a trip that allowed me to visit multiple countries in such a short period. It was filled with lots.of adventures and sight seeing all while allowing me to learn in depth. I would recommend this to everyone! I was able to travel to multiple countries in a very short time. Traveling ab4oad can be scary but the instructors were very uelpful and were always there to answer any questions or help with anything we needed!

My study abroad experience was once in a lifetime. My program was helpful, kind, sincere, fun, and loving! Anything I needed assistance with CIS was there to help. I traveled to over 15 countries and 20+ cities worldwide. I met the best group of friends that I still keep in touch with and am planning a reunion this summer! I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the Italian culture, learning about the food, language, the people, and overall everyday lifestyle. I felt as if I was at home! After this program, I am much more independent, aware of myself and the world around me and so much more grateful! My favorite memory has to be going to the bars with my friends and singing our classic karaoke song- Sweet Caroline. My study abroad experience was one I will NEVER FORGET! Thank you CIS!

I'm currently here for the summer and having the best time. Barcelona is a beautiful city and a wonderful place to study . My experience so far has been amazing and I'm really happy that I decided to study abroad. The students in my program make this experience even better and the apartments are really cool . CIS makes sure we are all safe and prepared and is always there if we have any questions or an emergency.

I loved this program! London is a wonderful city to study in, and the program helped me make the most of it. The program coordinators planned lots of fun cultural activities for us, like seeing West End shows and going to afternoon tea at a nice hotel. It was also helpful to have coordinators to show us the ropes of the tube, and have people there to answer our questions if we had any. Going abroad is the best way to make the most of your college experience!

This program was an amazing experience for me because I never knew that I would be able to go abroad to learn about my field, which is occupational therapy. The program is custom fit to your field and specific interests you have. The experience was so valuable for me to learn about myself as a professional and develop therapy skills. We were also housed with a host family and generally located within close proximity to other interns, which allowed us to have support from someone else in the same situation as us that we could relate to and adventure with in our free time. I would recommend this experience to anyone looking to study abroad that feels like their field doesn't have opportunities to learn and take classes outside of their university.

I've had the pleasure of studying at The University of Newcastle through CIS abroad for three magnificent semesters. The lessons you learn from living in a foreign country are lessons that cannot be learned in any other way. The values you will add to your life through this experience are ceaseless.

I am rich in experience thanks to CIS abroad and I am so grateful they were behind me in my decision to extend my stay for as long as I was able to. Without their help, I would not have felt confident in doing so. If I had to provide just 5 takeaways, they would be as follows:
1. BE PRESENT!
You may not anticipate the amount of cultural differences you will face in Australia, but don't get caught up in comparing everything to America.. embrace the culture because it's so precious to be able to do so! You will also run in to unforeseen complications at some point along the way, I promise.. but don't fret. Don't put blame on anyone or anything in that case.. just accept that it was bound to happen and move forward.
2. When it comes to academics abroad, don't panic..
It will be different than what you are used to, but you will adapt. If you are struggling, ask for help.. whether it is from staff at Newcastle, your home university, or the lovely CIS abroad crew! (it is their job to be there for you and they never fall short of that expectation!)
3. Prioritize the places you want to see while you're in that corner of the world!
Time will go by quickly and it's best to make the most of it. If there's somewhere you want to get to while you're in Australia, get there! It's that simple.
4. Stay true to yourself..
You WILL be exposed to a different culture and it's up to you to figure out what you do/don't like about it. While, of course, it's great to immerse yourself in whatever presents itself to you, it's more than okay to not like it and never want to partake in it again. You will learn so much about yourself on this adventure!!
4. Be aware. Be kind. Throw the judgement out the window...
You are not going to be the only international student in Newcastle, I promise. Consider that there are others in your position and they may handle things differently than you. Also, do not be afraid to make new friendships with people from all backgrounds. Put yourself out there and make connections with people on this journey.

If you are considering studying abroad, I hope my words excite you. If you are already enrolled to study abroad, I hope my words encourage you as my advice reassures you. If you have already studied abroad, I hope you can resonate with my words. Safe travels to you all in this unpredictable life!

Barcelona truly felt like my second home. Every day there was a new adventure to go on and even after months there are things I didn't have the chance to do. If you like a city with a great variety of nightlife (everything from clubs to breweries to cocktail bars), beautiful beaches and a rich culture then this is the program for you. It is also super easy to get to other cities from the Barcelona airport and transportation is great. The classes aren't very hard because professors know that you are there to learn but also there to explore and visit other cities.

CISabroad made my time in Barcelona AMAZING!! Without them and the amazing support, adventures and fun activities the staff put together I think my experience would have been so much worse. I had friends who went abroad with other companies and didn’t get to go ANYWHERE! CIS is the cheapest study abroad program and you get to do the most things with the money you spend. I knew friends who spent $5-10,000 more on the semester than I did and the programs never took them on any excursions or out for any fancy dinners! Our advisors in the program took us out all the time and gave us free food and took us to Seville, Zaragoza and so many other cities! The staff was amazing and so helpful too! I had housing difficulties because my host family was terrible, but the staff made it so easy and they gave me and my roommates the option to move even though the semester was more than halfway over. I am so glad I picked CISabroad and so happy they helped make my semester amazing! Classes were extremely easy, but also fun and I still learned a lot! We went on many field trips and had great teachers! Program is also safety concerned and teaches you ways to avoid danger in the city! They really care about you!

IAU College has a fantastic staff; the professors are multi-lingual and want their students to make the most of their time abroad. I was in the French Honors Program, which I highly recommend because my language skills and my cultural knowledge blossomed. Even with taking only French courses and with an internship, I never felt overwhelmed by the workload; everything is manageable. My host family was also incredible! I loved connecting with real French people every day.