CIS Abroad Reviews

My experience in Australia was completely life changing. It pushed me to my limits, testing my worldview and opening my eyes to new adventures. Every moment and memory impacted the way I see myself and the world around me. CISabroad was definitely the right program for me. I met some of the greatest mates from all around the world that I’ll hold in my heart forever. The support I received from Seth before the semester began and the genuine care I felt from Jackie & Keith onsite really helped me feel at home abroad. We also had a wicked cool orientation in Sydney & went on several awesome excursions that allowed me to see more of Australia than I would have on my own! It’s hard to put into words how much this experience actually impacted me, but I get a smile across my face every time I look back on a memory made through CISabroad.

Studying in Ireland was the perfect amount of balance between school and being able to actually explore the beautiful country!

The professors are very understanding of cultural differences and are more than willing to accommodate you in any way possible.
The food in Ireland is to die for! Beef and Guinness Stew is by far my favorite meal on this planet now! They really know how to make a yummy meal.

Irish people are the most kinda and genuine people ever. They LOVE Americans and will stop at nothing to help you get to where you are wanting to go. I met so many locals and would go out with them often.

This program gave me so many opportunities to learn about the Irish Culture and took us on trips with locals to get the full experience. I was extremely prepared through CIS and was never nervous about any plans. I wish I was still in Ireland!

Cherish every single second you have while studying abroad. It goes by so fast. As soon as you know it, it'll be over and you will be wishing you were back in the country you studied in.

I can tell the same story about Thailand that I do every time. We ate great food, studied in an amazing university, and made lifelong friendships. But there is one person in particular that sticks out.
Every day, many of us would occupy a bakery located across the street from our hotel. It was a small place ran by a very sweet woman with the help of only one other staff members. Every day that I went in, I took the time to learn more about her and she learned more about me. It came to a point where she would have my order prepped and ready when I got back from class. On the last day of our trip, we decided to eat at the bakery one last time. She was ecstatic to see us come in but devastated to find out we were leaving. As we were packing our food up and preparing to go, she came rushing out of the bakery with arms full of cookies, pastries, brownies and other sweets. She thanked us for visiting and asked us to never forget her. Those were the moments that touched my heart. Meeting people that played such unnoticeable parts in our lives and realizing that we had been impacted by them. CISabroad doesn't separate students from the local society. It allows you to immerse yourself in the culture , surround yourself with the people, be a part of the new world you have welcomed.

My time at the University of Roehampton was fantastic. First of all, the campus, especially Grove House, is gorgeous and different than any other campus in London. The class scheduled offered plenty of time to explore the city and surrounding cities and even countries on top of academics. Living with home students in a flat of six people (some were other study abroad students) was a challenge but also fun because I made some great friends along the way. CIS was great at helping get students settled in and being available throughout the semester if we needed help or just someone to talk to. The excursions were interesting and unique; they were not your typical tourist activities, but interesting things such as a visit to Kensington Palace and high tea at The Orangery. Overall, it was a great experience in a great city.

First of all, studying abroad in Istanbul is such a unique experience. If I didn't go on this program I don't think I ever would have had the opportunity to travel and live in Turkey for a summer. I would suggest this program to someone who is really looking for a one of a kind experience. Istanbul is such a breathtakingly beautiful city and the views from the Bogazici campus are unreal. I had the best experience and so much of it has to do with AIFS. AIFS made sure that we were taken care of and they made us all feel so welcome and like we had a home away from home. The program was great, and they made it really hard for you to get homesick. AIFS in Istanbul is the best experience that I've ever had. Like every study abroad opportunity, there will be a ton of difficulties, but that's all a part of the experience--cherish every moment!

I'm sure you've heard this about Ireland's people before, but I'm going to tell you anyway: they are the sweetest, most nurturing, humble people. I had a great experience traveling with CIS. We had an on-site coordinator, John, who made sure we were acclimating well and gave us the inside scoop about places we visited. John also brought me groceries when I became too sick to leave my apartment. That leads me into my next point...I paid an overnight visit to the Limerick Hospital, where I was, again, treated so very kindly. All of the other patients in the ER kept referring to me as "pet" (a sweet term of endearment for someone younger) and had doctors that truly wanted to make me more comfortable.

I didn't end up in the hospital until later in the semester so I had a good three months of fun. I was placed in an apartment with one other American student and three Irish students--a perfect mix. We all had our own rooms and I lucked out with a giant handicapped accessible room complete with a bathroom bigger than my room at home! It made being away from home much easier because I was so comfortable. This made me ready to explore the city I was ready to call my home for four months.

From touring Limerick's milk market, river trails, and King John's castle, there was always something to do on the weekends or after class. In the evenings, Icon night club and Smyth's bar were good options for an exciting night out. For a more relaxing atmosphere, I always chose Curragower's, where the beer and cider choices were unique and the food fantastic.

When I wasn't trying new beer or exploring, I enjoyed my journalism, gothic literature, and Irish folklore classes. Professors are very intrigued with their subject matter and never give a dull lecture. The set up of lectures and tutorials allowed students to have more one-on-one time with professors and get to know fellow students better.

If you're looking for a smaller city with tons to do and an amazing university, go to Limerick. It's a hidden gem in Ireland, among all of the more touristy, well-known spots like Dublin. However, places like Dublin, Galway, and Kilkenny are only a short bus drive away on Paddywagon tours. PLEASE choose a semester in Limerick! You won't regret it.

I was so excited to go abroad I was unsure of what I would experience. I saw things that were unique to my program. I got to see the Queen, in England. I lived right by Sagrada Familia in Spain. I traveled to 27 different cities and 5 different countries in 76 days. All the people and places made the experience a thousand times better. I am so grateful for this experience.

This program will provide you every opportunity to take what you want from France. If your goal is to simply find a place to study so that you can travel Europe at your leisure on the weekend, you can do just that. If your goal is to obtain certain credit hours but to do so in a beautiful setting far different from the States, you can do just that. And if your goal is to better your French, you can do just that by fully immersing yourself in the experience of a home-stay and the night life of Aix. However, IAU has a very French way (and preferable in my mind) of facilitating this process. They will provide you all the elements and materials you need to make the leap of immersing yourself but it is up to you to make that leap.

My experience was enjoyable for any number of reasons: I made French friends quickly at the bars, my home-stay was by far one of the best cooks I've ever met, I traveled rarely so I felt like a part of Aix culture as opposed to a tourist of Europe. Additionally, the wine tasting courses are superb and unique to anything that other programs would have to offer. I would fully recommend this to anyone who is willing to put forth the effort to buckling down and learning the language. The rewards are immense.

I loved living in the city of Barcelona because my trip to work took me about thirty minutes which also allowed me to see the city as I traveled into work every day. Public transportation was my means of getting around on a daily basis, walking was also the easiest way and sometimes fastest way to get around the city.
For ten weeks I worked for a Mobile-App Developing company as an Online Marketing Intern. I learned more in those ten weeks as an intern than I ever did in any of my Marketing classes at home in the United States. I was very lucky to work for people who spoke very good English because my Spanish was very poor. They were all so helpful though and they loved teaching me Spanish and they loved having me teach them English. The things I learned and experienced in Spain are things that will stay with me forever.

Cape Town's nature has so much to offer from beaches to mountains. There is a rich history and an insane party scene to explore. The culture is adverse and certainly an eye opening experience.

Difficulties included discrepancies between what my school required for my internship and what the company expected from me as well as issues with the program that provided housing in responding to security concerns.