Program Reviews

ISA's program in Lille was absolutely perfect for me. It was a summer program that allowed the option for a back to back 2 months, and I'm so happy that I stayed longer! By staying in Lille (vs. Paris for example) ingot to experience a non-tourist infected, beautiful city where I got to practice my French language so much! The locals are so sweet and Lille is a university town, so it was nice to immerse myself with the locals. One of my favorite memories is going out on the town during La fête de la musique, which is basically a holiday all across France where locals share music with their entire city outside every bar, restaurant, and main square within their city. Three of my friends and I hit the town traveling from bar to bar just hearing the music of the city we had come to love. The locals in Lille are just so talented and it was so humbling just to partake in a favorite holiday of theirs. We danced with locals our age, learned some new dance moves, and we're even asked to karaoke some American songs they were singing. It was a night full of fun, laughter, and friendship. I wouldn't trade my experience in Lille for anything; it taught me more than I could've ever dreamed of.

My year abroad in Prague was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me. ISA created a program that let me explore both my new city and the country and continent around it, while supporting me both academically and throughout the process of moving to a new country. I loved Prague more than anything, soaking up all of the culture and history I could in the short nine months I was there. The classes I took through ISA were fun and challenging. My apartment was beautiful and right by a metro stop, so I was always able to hop on and go anywhere I wanted. The neighborhood I stayed in was far enough away from the main tourist center that only locals really hung out there, but so close that I could be in Wenceslas Square in five minutes by metro. The staff were fun and supportive, especially when I needed to get my student visa renewed, and we could always go to them for advice on what to do in the city or where to travel to. Bottom line, Prague is the best place in the world and I couldn't be happier that I decided to go through ISA.

My name is Bram Blackwell and I am a junior accounting major and I just finished up my semester abroad at The University of Economics in Prague, Czech Republic. This semester abroad I have traveled to 15 different countries, made some great new friends, and learned more skills and life lessons in 4 months than I ever imagined. Studying in Prague is rewarding and extremely challenging. Going to the local market and trying to buy groceries for my apartment proved to be one of my hardest tasks. Only about 1/5th of Czech people speak English and although I am taking language courses it can take 5-10 years to learn the Czech language. Every day is a new adventure in Prague. The people in Prague are full of surprises and still learning how to live without communist government. Many of the local students I have met still remember what it was like during the era when soviets forces controlled Czech lands. Learning about their lives and their parents helped me better understand the people of the Czech Republic. Even today most Czech people don’t smile in public and struggle to adapt to a democratic system. A typical week for me in Prague is usually very busy. The week starts with classes and a tram ride to the nearest Grocery store to buy some food for the week. Usually after my classes end on Tuesday and Wednesday I will go out and explore different areas of Prague. Prague seems like a fairytale land filled with medieval buildings all untouched by WWI and WWII. Most evenings my friends and I will get together to do something. Whether that is having a potluck, going to an AC Sparta soccer game, or taking paddle boats out on the Vltava river there never seems to be a lack of things to do during the week. For me the weekends meant travel time. On Thursday night I would pack for my next weekend trip. After traveling across Europe on trains, planes, and busses I have decided train travel is my favorite. My friends and I would all load up into a coach car close the door and be whisked away like we were off to Hogwarts for the weekend. Traveling for me was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to study abroad: I wanted to see as much of Europe as I could in my 4 months. I loved everywhere I traveled and all the experiences from climbing mountains to visiting some of the most famous cities in the world. Traveling on the weekends was exhausting, long travel days, sleeping in hostels, and walking up at least 10miles a day was the normal schedule during a weekend of travel. My goals: leave each city with no regrets, spend money of experiences not comfort, and most importantly see and try everything that city has to offer. As Sunday rolled around it was time to gather my things from the hostel and head back home to Prague. Everyone referred to Prague as “home” or “our city” so every weekend when I traveled as was just as excited to return home as I was to leave because I knew I had another week of brand new experiences ahead of me. The experiences I have had abroad are once in a lifetime opportunities and I truly feel studying abroad has been the best decision I have mad in my life. Even though it is sad to leave Europe, studying abroad has rekindled my passion for Indiana State, my academics, career path, and my involvement on campus and in the Networks program. Upon my return I hope to use the skills I have gained studying abroad to be the best Sycamore possible.

ISA was one of the best things I have ever done. The program directors were amazing and always willing to help with anything, whether it was with my Italian, hailing a taxi, or just being there to talk. I would 100% recomend this program!

The fisherman at the market glanced at me oddly when I asked if I could have the intestines of the mackerels he was gutting. “Es para mi clase de zoologia,” I explained. As I hung on for dear life trying to keep the bag of entrails from whacking passengers, the rollercoaster ride up the Valparaiso hills to the biology campus was an extra challenge that day. How worth it though! After three hours in the lab finding various parasites and observing them under the microscope followed by a two hour theoretical lecture, I had learned so much - not only about biology and Spanish, but also about the culture.

Choosing to study abroad in Costa Rica offers such a unique experience. While in Europe you have the chance to visit a multitude of countries, in Costa Rica you spend the time seeing the individual country itself. I learned to appreciate everything this place has to offer. I learned so much about the culture, the geography, the history, and the Spanish language. Every weekend was a new adventure. Not to mention, Costa Rica is "the happiest country in the world" and it showed through interactions with the locals. ISA's program made it super affordable and it was worth every penny.

Trying to decide where to study abroad was one of the toughest decisions I've faced. There are so many amazing locations to explore and experiences to have. With that said, I can't imagine choosing a better program or location than Prague, Czech Republic. There is something about this city, these people, and this way of life that is magical. Living in Prague is truly like living in a fairy tale.

ISA makes this dream a reality. The on-site staff are the nicest and most welcoming people I could imagine. They truly do bring you into their life and culture. The excursions they take you on give you a glimpse into life in the Czech Republic and also give you the opportunity to explore nearby cities such as Berlin and Vienna. They are always ready to help in any way possible!

Going to school at the University of Economics in Prague was an amazing experience. The classes were sometimes challenging, but what do you expect when you are attending a first-class business school? It was a unique experience to be surrounded by both local and international students in a great facility.

Living in Prague was an easy transition from life in the United States. The language barrier was a fun challenge and wasn't as difficult as I first imagined it would be. The food was great and I miss eating meals like "smazeny syr" (fried cheese) and "Svicova na smetane" (meat with sweet creamy sauce). The housing options in Prague were great as well. My apartment was well furnished, modern, and in a great location! Transportation in the city is easy to navigate and you can get anywhere in no time.

Another great thing about Prague is that you are located in the heart of Europe. This means you can get to many other great cities in no time. I traveled to 15 countries during my four months in Prague. Every time I returned from my travels, it was always great to be back "home". That was what surprised me most, Prague became my home.

Overall, ISA in Prague is a great experience and it changed my life. I would do anything to go back!

Studying abroad in Italy certainly gave me the travel bug. After taking an International Business course IN ITALY(!!) I decided I must work on the international scene. Every day in Rome, I wanted to walk alone to get everywhere, so I wouldn't be distracted by someone I knew (I know it sounds bad, but really it was just because Rome and the people were so perfect that they deserved the whole of my attention. The excursions were amazing, the people I met were amazing, and every moment in Rome was amazing. The support staff was essentially your family while you are there - all of them are amazing, and I wish I could stay in touch with them. ISA was great because you really had to do nothing besides (obviously) have a passport and get the medical checkup. At almost every school, studying abroad costs the same as taking a regular semester. If you don't study abroad, your life won't be as wonderful as it can be. Don't let this chance to open your eyes to the wonders of life slip by. Apply now! Personally, I would suggest taking one serious class (a.k.a. one major-focused, or even international business because AUR has the BEST professor for that class) and one fun/cultural one (i.e. the food tasting one, the history class, etc). Heads-up, the food tasting class was apparently impossible to get an A.

Salamanca is a small, unique, historic, lively, young city, perfect for students looking for a richly cultured experience abroad. Salamanca is so gorgeous and historic, yet it has such a large student population that it is incredibly young and vibrant, especially at night! The food, atmosphere, nightlife, and even daytime activities kept me busy and entertained all day everyday. I made some very dear friends in my program, and made friends with locals! The people of Salamanca-especially students--are just as eager to meet new people and make friends as you are. Unlike the larger cities of Spain, Salamanca is very small and walkable and CHEAP!!! This made coming back from traveling to bustling, more expensive cities so comforting because life in Salamanca is more relaxed. I can count on one hand how many times I used a taxi and/or public transportation there. My professors were all wonderful. They were passionate about the subjects they taught and engaged in our learning process. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this city and this program. I miss it everyday and will definitely return to the Golden City.

I went abroad with a University of Kentucky marketing professor and 25 other students to Floripa during the World Cup last summer arranged by ISA! The focus was on World Cup marketing and brand awareness. We had class a few times a week, took site visits to companies such as Mormaii and Alltech, and also got to visit the nearby city Curitiba for the Brazil vs Cameroon game. This was one of the most fun and interactive programs I've seen at UK and I was so happy when I found out I was accepted!

The ISA staff was with us every step of the way, whether it came to finding us last minute Fanfest tickets or showing us local spots or even just being there to translate for us, they always went above and beyond to make our trip as great as possible! The World Cup hosts viewing parties for the games for those who cannot attend and we waited in line all morning to get wristbands. They sold out right before we reached the end and Rodrigo, the ISA director for Floripa spent an hour calling different people to find us wristbands and by some miracle, was able to get them for us! I really don't know what we would've done without Rodrigo. Getting to watch the Brazil game with thousands of Brazilians was the coolest experience, you can feel how Football runs through their veins!

As far as the actual country of Brazil, I've never visited such a diverse and beautiful country. You could go from city to mountains to ocean all within the same day if you wanted to. One day we visited Costa de Lagoa which was a fishermans island that you could only reach by boat. Some of the best seafood and views I've experienced in life. And the food! I have yet to find another country that has such a wide array of DELICIOUS food. I love food, I love the beach, and I love exploring. Brazil, I will find my way back to you soon!

Obrigada, ISA for arranging such a fun and unique trip that I will not soon forget!