CIS Abroad Reviews

Living in Florence for a semester was the experience of a lifetime! I went not knowing a soul and left with life long friends. When arriving, you feel as if you have stepped back into time. The buildings and streets are so antique but still absolutely breathe-taking. Despite it's beauty, it is still a city where you have to be aware of your surroundings (just like any other big city). After getting used to where everything was within Florence, I felt so safe! FUA was really awesome, I loved my professors and learned a lot from my classes. The staff was super helpful and planned a lot of really fun activities for students. A couple of my favorite things about Florence were the markets and the Duomo. I lived close to the Sant. Ambrogio market (off of Via De Macci) and I loved going and buying fresh produce, breads, and cheeses. One stand had this amazing gorgonzola spread and the man would always give my friend and I samples! The Duomo Cathedral is absolutely stunning. I would walk past it on my way to classes. Each day I would stop and look at it and just take it all in. That is one of my fondest memory of Florence, even if it's so simple. While in Italy, I took a cooking class at FUA and learned to cook a bunch of Italian meals, which was so awesome.There are so many wonderful memories I could share, but that would take all day to read! The only thing negative I had about my experience was housing at FUA wasn't always super helpful. They were nice, but if you need assistance with something, you must be persistent. Other than that, it was absolutely wonderful!

I had never lived in an apartment before, so adjusting to 5 new roommates instead of one was different.
Also, the walk from Thomond to most of my classes took some time to get used to. I'm convinced anyone who goes here will come back with a nice set of legs, because you'll be running to class if you leave too late.
However, the student life and community feeling is amazing. Every Friday it feels as though your whole abroad family is waiting for you out at one of the pubs and you all enjoy your company for the night.
Along with organized International Nights, the abroad team at Limerick was absolutely accommodating for any occasion and was very enthusiastic about getting students out from the University and around Ireland (there were trips for us every weekend to go on if we wanted!)
Overall, this was the most amazing experience of my life.

Studying abroad in Bangkok, Thailand for three months was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences of my life. From the start I was immersed into a unique and wonderful culture including some of the most friendly people, delectable food, beautiful scenery, and non-stop adventures. My days consisted of attending class at Mahidol University and then relaxing with friends or embarking on excursions around the city. I was even able to explore the country as a whole and travel to two other countries, Cambodia and Indonesia. Although I did face some challenges when I first arrived, like culture shock and making new friends, my time in Thailand has taught me so much and I have gained many life long friendships.

Where to start? I'll try and summarize: To put it simply, studying in Aix for a semester has been the best life decision I've made so far. I learned so much, about myself and about the world, and I think Aix was the perfect environment to house my experience and make it what it was. It's small enough that it's comfortable, but it's interesting enough to the point where you'll discover something new about the place everyday. The food is amazing, the shop owners are awesome. It's a very charming place. Not to mention, the professors at IAU are so wonderful and interesting. Take the time to get to know them.

There's plenty of parks, museums, night life (pubs, clubs, hookah bars, you name it) ... hiking opportunities just outside of town (Mont Saint Victoire is a must!). I'd recommend this experience to anyone who will listen. I could go all day, but I'll spare you the time ... Just. Choose. Aix.

My accommodations: a house with 10 rooms, 15 tenants, 1 shower, 1 lavatory, one toilet, one refrigerator, dirty kitchen, on an unsafe street. Due for demolition in Oct. 2013 so I guess they don't care what the conditions are. No oversight by CIS. Buyer beware and demand specifics before you pay or leave home.

Paris is a wonderful place to spend the summer. The culutural scene is beyond compare and the city is relatively safe. I was told that the best thing to do is to get lost ...and I did (of course I kept my apartment address in my pocket so if I couldn't find my own way back I could get help). I saw a lot of cool things I wouldn't have seen otherwise and it gave me the confidence to explore further.

However, speaking French is not required outside of the classroom. Paris is so global I found most people responded to me in English. That's great for beginning French students, not so great when you want to practice your French.

The courses were interesting and the staff was great, but the biggest educational aspects occurred outside of the school. Those came in the social aspects of purchasing groceries, attending the Fireman's ball, visiting museums,riding the metro, sitting in the park, and yes even enduring the "Did you drop your ring?" scammers.

The whole city was my classroom for the summer. A semi-immersion into the French speaking world...I could live among the French, speak their language, and still have the comfort of my English speaking classmates. I think that's why this program is so successful. It allows you to customize your immersion: you can jump in and submerge your entire body or just dip your big toe.

I know this was a summer I'll never forget and one I would like to live again and again.

My Costa Rica experience was perfect with CIS. The program director, Lisa, was always there whenever you needed her and took us on great weekend trips throughout the country. Living in a central location, San Jose, I was able to travel to a different breathtaking destination every weekend!! The school even provided us with weekend field trips to places I would have never have thought to go to, like Ostional, a Lora Turtle reserve in Guanacaste. There I got to see Lora turtles laying eggs and I even saw baby Leatherback Turtles making their first journey into the sea. I would do anything to be back in Costa Rica!

This was the best experience I've ever had. I was placed in a very good home. The family tried their best to communicate with me and work with my poor Spanish skills. They helped me when I needed it. The program orientation was helpful because we walked downtown the first day and were able to see some main sites. The classes were pretty easy, but I still was able to learn a lot.

On a daily basis, I learned new things about Barcelona. I tried new foods, met new people, and saw new buildings produced by amazing architects and artists. I was constantly amazed that I was living in the most beautiful city in the world.

If I could go back in time, I would. My expericence was priceless. My host family was beyond wonderful. My host sister would always wake up with a smile and say,"Hola, Jay!" The teaching staff were bright and sunny when you'd return a "saludo" in passing. Yes, classes from 8 am to 12pm for five days a week was a bit tiresome, but worth every minute of my time and effort.
I love, love, love to travel so Costa Rica serves as an ideal location to do that. Transportation is reasonable. I would recommend a Central American trip, I did that, and I had a fabulous time.
Take advantage while you can. Go with CIS or with anyone, to Costa Rica because you will have an amazing experience.