Program Reviews

From take-off to Australia and landing back to the States, IFSA could not have made the process more supportive, entertaining, cultural, educational, social, and seamless... Our orientation provided us not only the resources necessary to make new friends (who would likely end up on our subsequent program), but, more importantly, the opportunity to remind ourselves that we, in fact, CAN make friends —and this reassurance goes a long way throughout the semester and in life. I love how IFSA looks after their students throughout the entire semester... not just in the beginning and for administrative needs... I went to Melbourne completely alone (and happened to meet one girl from my school, along with dozens of other kids I still keep in close contact with), and I strongly advise IFSA to maintain the norm of enrolling in study abroad alone. All of the friends that I acquired there, too, arrived independently, which made everyone more open-minded, relaxed, and less suffocated. This is how study abroad should be done. I made friends for life who live in both the states and Melbourne. I’m also very appreciative of the fact that IFSA got us spots in the Uni Melbourne International Student Orientation, for this is where I was able to make even more friends than I started with from my IFSA “herd.” Friends from other international programs did not know of the Uni orientation and missed out on making friends and learning more about what the school has to offer.

Made many new friends, went on amazing trips through IFSA and independently. Went wine tasting, horseback riding on a Black sand beach, explored glow worm caves, went on hikes, took a spring break trip to Fiji, went jet boating, white water rafting, skiing, spent a weekend at an alpaca farm. I found a way to go sailing at least twice a week out of Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and made a ton of new friends that was too.

I went to study abroad mostly so I could take courses in a more lenient grading system and have the grades transfer back to boost my GPA. My program mandated that I HAD to take 4 courses to count as a full time student, so that's what I did. I verified that my courses would qualify and carry over, and by the time the next term went around, I had both of those goals accomplished.

However, Christchurch is an absolutely depressing place to stay. The neighborhoods are lifeless, the majority of people you'll meet are as emotive as worker drones, and the most available source of fun comes from alcohol.

The rest of the islands are so much more interesting. Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, and Dunedin all offer so much more to see, hear, and do than Christchurch. It's great if you can take courses that'll count towards your degree back home (the grading system is so worth it), but don't take all upper division courses like I did. I sacrificed pretty much all of my free time just to study and it was a slog to go through.

Being at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia was the perfect study abroad experience for me! It gave me the chance to experience what a large university had to offer, in diversity of classmates and courses to take! I met two of my best friends through the IFSA program, as they were my roommates during my stay. We still are in contact til this day! Sydney is vibrant yet peaceful, lively yet graceful, and hands down one of my favorite places on earth. You won’t regret taking the trip! My 20+ hours of flying? Totally worth it. My advice, try their coffee. It’s a bit different than how we order it in America but I promise it’s 10x better!

Ireland is a place I have always wanted to visit and learn more about, but because my classes were in the middle of the day Monday-Friday, it was difficult to see more of the country. I also wish they explained the bus system more before the start of the program and the most reliable buses we should use.
I believe that the location was perfect to truly experience the heart of Ireland. This helped show me that I want to work in a global-oriented organization once I graduate college.

Make a plan for how to spend your weekends in Ireland, but don't be afraid to just wing it in a city. Just walking around and exploring the cities was a lot more fun that planning every moment down to a tee.

Santiago is an interesting city! As a Latina from the U.S the culture is definitely different then what I was used to. Nonetheless, there are warm people who will be willing to help you. I found this in my host mom who is an amazing woman that I still remain in contact with today. The city itself can be a little overwhelming to get used to with all the bus routes and subway system but once you master the systems you can travel to different parts of Santiago with ease.

If the city life doesn't appeal to you have no worries because there are a number of parks and hiking trails close by. One of the things I enjoyed the most about my time in Santiago, Chile was ironically leaving the city and exploring different parts of Chile and South America as a whole.

A tip I have is to do your research on pre-paid phones when abroad as I know this was a challenge for many students on my trip. When I was abroad WOM was the most economical and reliable for phone service.

The Argentine Universities Program was unique in that it was a great balance between guidance and independence. The staff is amazing and so caring about each and every student. The Argentine universities can be difficult to navigate at times, but you get the hang of it after a while. We were offered the chance to engage in cultural activities such as tango, cooking, polo matches, etc. I loved my time in Argentina because of this program. I'd recommend to anyone who does not mind a large degree of autonomy in their experiences (which I found refreshing in a college program).

I loved being abroad in Mérida. The best part was studying at the local university and being in class with students who were all from the area. I was the only English speaker in my classes so my Spanish improved a ton. I learned so much from my peers and made friends that will last a lifetime! Mérida has a lot to offer and the prices can't be beat. The food I ate in my host family was some of the best I've ever had and they always made an effort to incorporate me in their activities.

Honestly, I would advise everyone to go on a study abroad trip with IFSA. Everything was so carefully thought out, and everyone was so organized. This made it easy to enjoy myself and worry about the traveling and academics. The time that I spent there was complemented by past students' suggestions of things to do and ways to get stuff done. Culture shock was not an issue, because we were prepped before and after for any possibly jarring experiences.

Already attending a small college, when I looked at studying abroad I wanted to push my limits and looked into bigger schools. It was kind of intimidating but also really fun; I realized what I missed out on by going to a smaller school but also what I loved about the smaller size. Studying abroad was my first time out of the country but now I feel more confident traveling alone and can't wait to go back. Post-program I definitely explore new areas more and with a lot more confidence. Useful tips: just go with the flow, if things don't go as planned you can still find amazing experiences.