Program Reviews

During my time in Milan, I had the incredible opportunity to meet so many amazing people. It was truly a life-changing experience that allowed me to grow closer to myself and gain so much confidence. Immersing myself in a new culture and learning a new language was both challenging and rewarding. While studying in Milan, I got to travel all throughout Europe. Exploring different countries and experiencing their unique cultures was absolutely mind-blowing. Throughout it all, I had such amazing support from the people I met and the community around me. Milan will forever hold a special place in my heart for the incredible memories and personal growth it brought into my life. It truly was a dream come true!

Culture is Spain is amazing, especially for young students in the capital city! Great museums, excursions, clubs, and food. Weekend travel is also very easy. Studying in the morning, going to a museum or shop during the day, tapas for dinner, then clubbing til the next day. Trips to cultural sites and communities in Spain was very interesting and gave a lot of insight into the culture and history. Connecting with locals gave me lifelong friends and even deeper connection to Spain. The program overall was set up very well and organized. Felt like staff was just a message away and super nice!

This was an incredibly experience and I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to be immersed in another culture and looking to learn copious amounts in a short period of time. One of my classes was the highlight of my program as it was onsite and I truly learned more than I ever have by being hands on, in the physical locations. We got to about 2-4 different historically and religiously significant sites each class period, with our professor as a tour guide we had built a rapport with. The weekend ISA excursions were also a great balance of fun and exploring while still learning about the places we were going. There was also a fantastic balance of independence to explore with group activities.

I absolutely loved my time in Ireland. I met so many beautiful people and visited amazing places. The staff was so helpful every step of the way and arranged some awesome activities throughout the weeks. I would go back in a heartbeat. I even felt safe and comfortable enough to stay an extra week on my own and continue to explore and meet the locals. As a woman this is very important to me and is something I don’t find often even in my own town. The buses were easy to navigate as someone who has very little experience traveling.

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I chose this program to learn French while exploring France. The program exceeded my expectations in what we could fit into four weeks. We had a weekend excursion to Saint-Malo, which I had never even heard of. It was so much fun seeing this new town and going to the beach and seeing a castle in the ocean! We even hiked to a landmark that is normally surrounded by water. This was a great way to bond with others in the program. Back in Paris, we went to class everyday, and the group of students were very diverse and all different age groups. Most of our learning was audibly speaking French. For my afternoon class, we did an interactive art class that took us to different museums and landmarks in Paris. We were basically running around the whole city seeing everything we could with our incredible guide! At night, we had free time to shop, eat, see shows, meet up with the other students and relax. On the weekends, we were able to do what we wanted and could even go on weekend trips (I went to the south of France and Disneyland Paris). I never felt unsafe, as the program encouraged walking/ doing things in groups and reporting to them if we were leaving Paris. The accommodations were the choice of a home stay or a student apartment; I chose the student apartment. It was ok, not the nicest, and it got loud at night, but I had my own room and a great view. There was also a gym on premise which was nice to use. We were centrally located to a convenient store and restaurants so we didn’t have to go far. All in all, I met cool people I’ll always remember and saw Paris firsthand all while learning the language collaboratively. It was a four weeks I’ll always remember. I highly recommend for those looking for a more experiential study abroad with a great mix of people. Thanks, ISA!

Not to be dramatic, but my study abroad experience in Seville, Spain is all I ever talk and think about. I am that person who always references their time studying abroad whenever I get the chance to do so. Seville was special to me because I was already pretty familiar with the culture of southern Spain from having taken Spanish classes in the past. I made so many friends in my program and made so many connections and had an absolutely unforgettable time.

I lived with a host family which was extremely helpful in practicing the language and learning the culture. Living in the on-campus housing would've been a convenient choice, but I wanted to experience life abroad in the most authentic ways possible. I miss my host mom's cooking! Forcing yourself to be immersed in the culture & language is a great way to fully appreciate it.

One of the most challenging aspects of going abroad was the traveling in general. I made it a point to "rehearse" traveling by making checklists, fitting things into my suitcase, going through security, deciding what would go into my carry-on, etc. One of the most important things I learned is to pack a change of clothes in your carry-on luggage in case of flight delays or cancellations.

One negative thing I have to say is surrounding culture shock. This is a common occurrence and I was in no way exempt! Program managers can warn you, but until you get there and experience it yourself, you find that there's really no way out but through. One of the most pertinent examples of culture shock I experienced was in customer service related scenarios. Spaniards don't waste time saying "hi, how are you?" at restaurants or stores. Everything is very to-the-point and straightforward. Asking how someone is is reserved for close personal relationships only!

I will spend forever trying to maintain the happiness and carefreeness I experienced during my study abroad experience. I learned so much more than I thought I would, about myself and the world, as well as practicing speaking Spanish. If someone ever mentions going abroad to me, I try to convince them to do it because it was the best time of my entire life.

I made so many new friends and learned so much about the Italian culture. My assigned roommates were amazing and we got along so well together. The staff was very supportive and eager to provide great recommendations to us. I felt very safe in the neighborhood and enjoyed being around lots of people my age. The food was absolutely incredible and Rome was the best city to explore, shop, eat, drink, and have fun! The only downfall was that our apartment had a mold issue and the immediate area around my apartment was pretty dirty.

Studying abroad through ISA was the greatest thing to happen to me.
Florence is a magical city. Incredible food, so much history easy access to travel around Europe- I cannot imagine a better place to have spent my four months abroad. I learned so much about other cultures and discovered so much about myself during my time there. I cannot recommend this place and program enough.
What truly made this experience unforgettable was the people I met. I arrived knowing no one, and by the time I left, I had found my best friends in the world. The professors at FUA inspired and challenged me to expand my perspective. And the staff along the way made my experience so seamless. The only downside to the experience was having to leave. Florence will always hold a special place in my heart!

Full immersion was my goal when I chose to study abroad in Granada, Spain. The ISA program gave me all the tools to make that a reality. I stayed with an incredibly kind, generous, and eye-opening host family within a two minute walk from the school building where I had classes. I was able to feel like a full Spaniard each and every day. And if I saw any ISA program directors somewhere in town, they always greeted me with friendship and genuinely cared how I was getting on. Overall, I had an unforgettable experience.

I studied abroad in 2022. It was the best experience of my life and part of that is thanks to ISA! I was paired with the best roommates in a charming, modern apartment. Studying abroad will allow you to meet such unique people and truly learn more about yourself in the process of learning the culture. Florence had something for everyone, whether it be the art, food, history, or nightlife. The city is walkable, so you never have to worry about finding a taxi! If you are thinking about studying abroad, DO IT! You will not regret it!