CIS Abroad Reviews

Barcelona is the most magical city I've ever visited. Depending on where you're standing, you can see mountains to your left and the Mediterranean Sea to your right, which is what makes this city so unique. There's so much to do and such a wide variety of activities available throughout the city that I never even had time to be homesick.

While living in Barcelona, some of my favorite places to visit were Sagrada Familia, the Gothic Quarter, Park Guell, Montserrat and Tibidabo. One of my biggest concerns of studying abroad was missing home and feeling uncomfortable in a new country, however CIS made sure that I was the "good kind of busy" for the duration of my stay. CIS also went above and beyond to accommodate the needs of all students and make sure that we always felt comfortable in our new home. Each week neighborhood tours were offered so that we could continue to get to know the city better. Barcelona is big, so knowing my way around different parts made me feel much safer than I ever could have imagined. Another way that CIS assured our comfort was by taking us on weekend trips to other cities in Spain, which included Madrid, Zaragoza and Besula in Girona. This allowed us to get to know everyone in our program on a family-like basis, which in turn made everything more fun.

While I was studying in Barcelona I had the opportunity to travel to 10 countries. My absolute favorite trip that I went on was my trip to Morocco, which was organized by CIS just for our program. My favorite thing about CIS is how organized they are with everything and how willing they are to work with students no matter what the issue may be.

Lastly, on top of all of the traveling and fun, CIS made my education a priority. Before arriving, I was nervous about moving to a Spanish speaking country and only knowing basic Spanish. I took 12 credits total during my Barcelona semester, and my teachers were some of the best I've ever had. I learned so much about Spanish culture and with the help of my teacher, became conversational in Spanish which guided me through my four months there. I would recommend the Barcelona semester to absolutely anyone looking to expand their cultural horizon and grow immensely as an individual. You will undoubtedly have the best four months of your life!

I would recommend studying abroad to everyone, and I do. It is the most amazing experience to get out of your comfort zone and see the world. I don't know if it matters where you go, either way it will be an amazing time. Choose somewhere you've always wanted to go. And just do it. I met some of the most interesting, kind, and fun people on my trip. I also traveled to other countries once I finished studying because it is much cheaper to travel throughout Europe once you're already there!

I cherish the time I spent in Cape Coast. I especially enjoyed the people I met while walking around the market, the food, and the ocean breeze. My seamstress, Adelina, was AWESOME. Try to find her if you can. She works near "London Bridge"/crab statue area up the road towards Kotokruaba. The Hayford is one of the greatest "western" restaurants in town. The owners are super sweet and you can call ahead to get the table you want. Eat as much fufu and redred you can while you're in Ghana; it is impossible to find elsewhere!

I had a fantastic experience with CISabroad. I participated in the Semester in Ghana program and loved every second of it. The administration was great (both in the US and Ghana) and they helped the students every step of the way. There was a bit of a housing issue halfway through our semester, and CISabroad staff worked around the clock to accommodate us and make sure that we were okay. The orientation program for this was also great - we traveled a lot around the country and felt like locals before the semester even began. If you have a chance to travel with CISabroad, DO IT! You won't regret it.

I studied in Rome for 5 weeks and it was the trip of a lifetime! I indulged in the history, the culture and the social life within the city and absolutely loved it. I spent my weekends on fascinating trips all throughout Italy. My CISabroad Advisers also provided me with other opportunities to get the full Italian experience. I lived in a spacious apartment in good proximity to the school and to center city Rome.

This summer I interned abroad though CIS. I cannot imagine doing my interning abroad experience on my own. They were so helpful and se me up with such a wonderful internship as well as homestay. Leading up to my flight, my program coordinator in the US was so helpful and more than willing to answer any questions I had. When I got there, all the onsite staff and activities that they provided us with were amazing. It was a great way to experience a new culture in a "structured" way. I feel as though if I did this whole process on my own, I would have been such a mess and wouldn't have been able to enjoy my abroad experience as much as I did. I could continue to rant on about how stellar of a time I had, but you should all just read all of my other blog posts about my summer in Barcelona. You can get to it by going to the CISAbroad blog and finding vqbarcelona on Wordpress!! (:

During my two months in Ecuador, I taught English in a K-12 Catholic school in Quito. My project, which was to incorporate technology and new pedagogy in the classroom, also earned me credit for a Linguistics practicum--an experience that simply could not be replicated had I chosen to complete it at my home institution. I worked from 7-1:30 each day and then took two hours of Spanish classes. Another subsidiary goal was to become fluent in Spanish--through this program, I believe I have achieved that. Although I had taken numerous collegiate level Spanish classes and even spent some time in Spain, I credit the immersive host family setting and also speaking Spanish with colleagues at my school as the two most important factors for my success. Although plenty of people had warned me about safety issues in Ecuador, I was placed in a very safe neighborhood and experienced no problems. Since Quito is the capital of Ecuador, I was never without a theater performance, movie, or some cultural activity to sate my interests. For the nature lovers, Ecuador is the perfect scene of biodiversity and abounds with opportunities for hiking. Also, in general, Ecuadorians are the most compassionate people I have ever met--as evidenced by my very large and gift-laden going away party. After returning to the States, I've started to think about how soon I can go back to Ecuador.

I had an incredible experience in Barcelona.
Every day I went to my internship for around 4 hours and, after getting lunch, would spend the rest of the day exploring the city. I highly suggest buying a guide book prior to arriving in Barcelona. This was a GREAT help to me as it suggested particular restaurants and various activities around the city.
CIS also offered a handful of walking tours around the city. I suggest taking advantage of these as it gave me a better idea of the layout of the city. I do wish that these tours had been given at the beginning of my time in Barcelona because I think it would have helped orient me to the city.
Some of the best things I did in Barcelona I found randomly. For example, I really enjoyed watching castell (human tower) competitions. I would definitely suggest to anyone going to Barcelona to explore and branch out from the touristy areas.

Summer in the British Isles is a great study abroad program for anyone interested in experiencing several different cultures and countries. Ireland and Scotland are great places to begin the European experience and have the opportunity to travel to various cities and meet friendly and enjoyable people. London is the perfect place to study for a month with so many different places to visit and explore. Roehampton's campus is a great place to call home while in London with friendly local students and staff. The friendships and memories I made during my study abroad are priceless to me and will last a lifetime.

Costa Rica with out a doubt is a beautiful and culturally enriched place. During my three and a half months living and studying in Costa Rica, there was not one day that I can say I was bored. The day to day routine of course involves attending class, but the classes I took were very interactive. Our Professors not only made Universidad Veritas our campus but the city that surrounded us. We went on many field trips: to Museums; the Zoo; visited the indigenous Bri Bri tribe; the Basilica de Cartago; Professors' homes where we engaged in group discussion and activities (and received a delicious meal).
After classes there were many activities to partake in. During the evenings on selected days we could participate in dance class (where I learned how to Bachata), cooking class and Tae Kwon Do. We also have the option of becoming a Veritas Ambassador or joining the mentor social group where we had the opportunity to meet local students, hangout and share experiences. The night life in Costa Rica is awesome there's a little hangout spot called Los Professionales (right off the Zapote la pista) where a lot of the students (including myself) like to hangout and unwind and have a all around good time, with great music, foosball, dancing, socializing, and great food. It is a great place to mingle with the international students and nationals that attend the local Universities and vive en el Barrio de Zapote.

On the weekends you pretty much go where the wind takes you, if you decide not purchase any of the excursions that come with your progra- no worries! You can still experience those same activities as others (like myself) did, and you'll probably save yourself some money as well. There are buses that will take you all over. From the Pacific to the Caribbean and back to the mainland. One of my personal favorite places to go is Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. It's off the Caribbean near Puerto Limon. It is not as touristy as Tamarindo, and that's what I like about this city. It has a rich African Caribbean influence and reggae, reggaeton, bachata, salsa, cuban, latin and american music can be heard in almost all of the night clubs. Mangos and Johnny's Place are the favs. Zip lining, hiking, biking, national parks, kayaking, camping, beaches, hostels, etc. are all in abundance in Costa Rica, you should never have a dull moment. If you plan on studying in Costa Rica I would say that during the dry season is the best time to go. Plus, you'll be able to attend the largest Carnival in Central America; Carnival Puntarenas.

Now you don't always have to leave the city to have a great time there are plenty of things to do in the city visiting downtown or central ciudad. The many festivals that take place during the year will keep you plenty busy and you eat plenty of good food. A couple dishes in particular that are native to Costa Rica is Gallo Pinto and Casado (frijoles, arroz, platanos, and su eleccion de carne). If time permits vist restaurante Nuestra Tierra they have awesome traditional and fusion dishes.

City transportation is easy to come by; there are taxis and buses all over. They are muy barto for the most part but taxi's can start to get muy caro depending on how far you are traveling. My advice; learn how to ride the bus, it's super cheap about 25- 35 colones depending on how far you are traveling but usually in that price range. (The most I've paid was about 65 colones which is about a $1.30 in USD and thats because I had to go to Hatillo to get my hair done and to take a taxi would be very costly.)

During vacations, during the holiday of Samana Sanata (the city is pretty much no man's land literally) and school breaks I traveld outside Costa Rica with friends to Panama and Nicaragua. Nicaragua is AMAZING! lots of culture and one of my favorite trips outside the country; and if you think Costa Rica is awesome wait till you see Panama it will blow your mind and they use USD as currency. So, if you do decide to travel outside the country of Costa Rica during your downtime or to renew your tourist visa, I would suggest you visit Granada, Massaya, Managua, or Bluefields in Nicaragua or Bocas Del Toro, Panama City, or David in Panama. Also keep in mind Bocas Del Toro is the probably the closet place to travel, as it is only a 6 hour drive to the border of Costa Rica and Panama and about 35 minute drive to the water taxi port where you will board and take a 45 minute boat ride to the island of Bocas Del Toro.

Moving on to my living experience. My living situation could have been better starting off. My first host mother was not all that great, I would have to say this is the only difficulty I faced and it was solved. My CIS Program Director Lisa P. made sure I was comfortable and found me a more suitable family which was awesome! and whom I still keep in contact with today. Choosing the homestay options was a great choice there are many benefits versus that of living independently.

CIS takes pride in its program and wants everyone to feel welcomed, accepted, and comfortable. You will meet a lot of people from all over and it's your job to get in there, break the ice and make friends-life long friends. I still keep in touch with my friends I met in Costa Rica and I've visited those who stay in different states, and frequently hangout with those who stay near. After it's all said and done, you will be happy with your choice in Choosing the CIS Costa Rica study abroad program. I can go on and on but I don't want to spoil everything for you. I want you to be able to make some discoveries on your own.

Bottom line, if you don't do anything in Costa Rica besides study and stay cooped up in your room (which I highly doubt); make an effort to get out in the city meet new people, mingle with the locales and get immersed in the culture. This is the best way to learn your surroundings, learn Spanish, gain first hand experience of the life people live outside the U.S. in parts of Central America, and learn that life can actually be great outside our nations borders. I can honestly say choosing to study abroad was a life changing experience and one of the best conscious decisions I have made in my life.

Pura Vida and Safe Travels!

Note: If you have your program cost covered and the only thing your really worried about is expenses when you get there. A budget of at least $250 per month (assuming your there for a full four months and your choosing the homestay option) will suffice. A budget of $2000 for four months is more than enough.