Program Reviews

My semester with IFSA Butler in the capital city of Lima, Peru was by far one of the most exhilarating and stimulating experiences that I have had the opportunity to be a part of in my lifetime. From the wonderful people that supported and guided me during my 4 months to the exquisite cuisine that came from every corner of the country, I truly could not have been more fortunate. I also had the pleasure to travel around within Peru -- the southern desert, the high-altitude Andes, the northern Amazon, the western tropics.

Being in this program allows for an individual to get a satisfying semester of immersive studies while also having the liberty to experience everything that the country has to offer. That also comes with a grain of salt; you must go after what you want. Sacrifice is inevitable, but not detrimental. Your time abroad is how made by how you decide to spend it. I would not have changed a single moment of my time in Lima, Peru. That city gave me so much more than I could have ever asked for. It taught me how to seize independence. It taught me how to be a small fish in a big pond. It taught me what organized chaos looks like.

I highly recommend this location for anyone and everyone considering to go abroad.

I absolutely loved studying abroad in Wellington at Victoria University! IFSA made it easy to find housing, not always an easy feat in Wellington. We lived near the university but also in close walking distance of the city center. IFSA coordinated some great trips for us around New Zealand, making it easy for us to supplement our own travels. The country itself is so beautiful and full of great hikes, it’d be hard to go wrong. I’d love nothing more than to return one day.

This program is a good balance of independence and support. You have the freedom to take the classes you want and travel during your free time, but the staff is there for you if you need anything. The IFSA professors are super caring and friendly, and I had a good experience in my class at Universidad del Salvador too. The class registration process was a little overwhelming on top of being in a new place and having to figure out transportation, but I did enjoy having so many options to choose from.

Where do I even begin? I want to be completely transparent and not romanticize study abroad. Overall, I really enjoyed my time while in Santiago. I loved my host family and the other people on my program. Also Isa, the resident director, is an absolute gem! Get to know her and go to the office to chat with her!

I was fortunate enough to have a good support system, but I can definitely see how my time could've been drastically different if I didn't have that. I felt that living in Santiago was fairly affordable and overall the people were really nice. The Atacama Trip with IFSA was incredible!! Definitely one of the highlights of my time there. I also had the opportunity to travel throughout the country. I recommend taking the time to get outside of the city to see another side of the country. If you do have a desire to travel, plan that out as soon as possible because your time in country will fly by!

One thing I wish I had known was how difficult Chilean Spanish would be to understand. It's vastly different from other Spanish accents and dialects and there are a ton of "Chilenismos" that likely won't make sense to you. Give it some time and don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't click at first. You just have to give it some time.

This program is great for people who want to be challenged with their Spanish and who are comfortable with change. I would absolutely recommend.

Great location to study abroad, school is rigorous and can be a bit overwhelming. IFSA was a great program to go through and they put on amazing activities throughout the semester abroad. The best trip is to the Lake District. One of my favorite trips throughout my entire time abroad. Highly, highly recommend the program. IFSA is an awesome program to use for any location in which you wish to study!

While my study abroad experience at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia was not what I pictured my time abroad in Australia to be, my experience has truly become a part of who I am and I wouldn't change that for the world. I loved being in a more remote location and having the option to take a 20 minute boat ride to Magnetic Island for some SCUBA diving and beach time whenever I had free time. My classes brought us out to the Great Barrier Reef the first weekend I was there and we spent the whole semester analyzing the data we collected. My classes, such as biological oceanography and evolution of reef fishes, were so detailed and atypical that I was able to learn so many things I would have never had the opportunity to if I didn't study abroad. When I back to my home university, I was easily able to pick up internships and research positions because I had such in depth knowledge of these topics. While JCU isn't this most exciting place to be, it was still a lot of fun living in a dorm with all Australians, learning their culture, and making life long friendships. Now, over a year after completing my program, I still talk to them on a regular basis and can't wait to go back and visit them, or have them visit me in the States. Additionally, IFSA - Butler had incredible events planned throughout the semester from going to rugby games and hiking Wallaman falls to a dinner cruise around the Sydney Harbour-- we were truly spoiled. The university also gives you long enough breaks to travel even more outside of where your program is. My friends and I went to New Zealand and Bali, as well as traveled all over the East Coast of Australia. Every trip we went on, we had to log it with our program coordinator (Leanne, who was awesome!) who would periodically check in to make sure we were safe and doing okay. It was reassuring having someone on the other side of the world with us ready with answers to all of our questions and always looking out for us. It gave my parents a peace of mind as well. The biggest thing I gained from studying abroad in Australia was independence. As I am graduating from my home university in 3 days I feel fully prepared for anything the real world might throw at me. I am eager to travel more, visit more places around the world and continue learning through these experiences before I go back to school to earn my masters. Traveling, I believe, is the best way to learn more about yourself and the world we live in, which I feel will give me the experience I need to excel in Grad school and my future career.

I didn’t know anyone in Scotland or in the IFSA program and ended up meeting one of my best friends through the program. I also found Edinburgh to be the perfect study abroad experience as the culture was easy to integrate into, the school was a quick walk from my housing, and the city was a lot of fun. IFSA did a great job of providing resources for getting to know the country and city as well as a comfortable transition into the study Abroad’s experience.

I would recommend the program to anyone who is very independent, motivated to learn spanish, and wants to travel outside of Merida on weekends. I didn’t find Merida to be that exciting of a city and it’s very hot so i would go for the Yucatan and en travel to other areas, but i found Merida to be a little too “tranquilo” for my liking. Also, the location for the program isn’t great—it takes about 40 mins or more to get downtown on a bus and at least 20 to get to school on a bus and there isn’t really anything in the neighborhood.

IFSA was a great study abroad program. Our advisors were always there for us and answered any and all questions. Our program events were fun and kept us entertained. It was also a great way to see more of Australia. The location of my apartment was perfect (Surfers Paradise). I always felt safe and found public transportation very easy. Spring Break was also easy to plan because of the many resources available. Overall, it was a great experience!

The IFSA staff is incredible; they really care about your experience and put in a lot of effort to make sure you get the most out of your time abroad. IFSA offers local cultural experiences and trips, an abundance of knowledge about the country you are living in, and so much support for any challenges you may face during your time abroad. I would recommend the program to everyone interested in going abroad.