Studying in Rome was the best experience of my life. There was always something to do, or new to discover. Our university was always hosting different activities that ranged from trips to the beach, to cooking classes with a local chef. Rome was always full of life; there was always a new restaurant to have dinner at, or a new place that served the " best gelato in town." Going abroad, and going through ISA was one of the best choices I've ever made.
What would you improve about this program?
The one thing I wish we could have done different was the departure date. Our program ended in the middle of the week, and I would have liked to have one more weekend in Rome.
Buenos Aires is the most exciting city I have ever been. It breathes, laughs, and loves. The Argentine people are passionate and energetic, and once they get you within reach, you can't help but fall in love. I reencountered my love for soccer, dancing, and meeting new people. One of the best parts about my experience was my incredible host family. They taught me more about Argentine culture and history than any class could have, and I never would've found them without ISA.
I loved my program because they gave me the tools and knowledge to explore and learn on my own while still being safe and having a bit of a support system. I am so happy to have gone to Buenos Aires with ISA, and I would absolutely recommend them to any student looking for a life changing experience.
What would you improve about this program?
If I had to change one thing about this program it would be to make it longer. I didn't want to be done with my program when the time came, and would've loved to stay a few more moths, or a few more semesters.
My experience studying abroad in Morocco has allowed me to meet others with similar passions as my own and work with locals to learn about issues that affect them on a daily basis. Using and improving my French and Arabic allowed me to make closer connections with my host family, and I was able to learn about the major religion, government, and politics within the nation from conversations with local friends and professors.
What would you improve about this program?
I only wish my program was longer so I could travel more throughout the country and further explore the different cultures and religions and how they interact with the dominant culture and social norms.
This was my second time in Ireland with ISA and this trip was just as amazing as the first time! I love using ISA because of all of the support they give! Any question I had or problem I faced, the resident director was available to answer and help me out! They definitely were the perfect fit for me!
What would you improve about this program?
I think I would change the amount of activities we did inside Dublin. While we took lots of trips around Ireland, it would have been nice to spend some time exploring Dublin as a group, especially at first.
The experiences I had and the friendships I made were more significant that I could ever imagine. The excursions offered with the program allowed me to travel with my new friends without the pressures of having to plan the trips myself. The courses I took were unlike anything I've ever taken in America, I went on class trips and gave performances. I took cultures and opera. I could go on for hours about my amazing host mom. I strongly suggest living with a host family because it just adds a whole other level to your trip. I learned the language, had homemade meals, and met so many people. I wish I could go back everyday. I miss the city filled with so much art, beauty, history, and love. If you want a memorable study abroad experience this is the program you need to take.
What would you improve about this program?
I would say this program needs to change the amount of free time the students have because there are so many excursions that there isn't much other free time except after class.
This program was the best I could have asked or out of a study abroad program! We got to fully merge into the Roman lifestyles and do as the Romans do. It was great to have an apartment because it felt like we were more involved in the community. We learned about each site by visiting them individually and this made the information stick really well, especially for a visual learner like myself! The ISA staff was so wonderful in helping us with all that we needed while in Italy--everything from picking us up from the airport, to helping us plan trips while in Italy, to giving us recommendations for fun things to do while abroad! I would recommend his program to absolutely anyone wanting to experience life abroad!
I woke up daily to hear pan-flutes playing outside in the street, and found myself noticing a new work of art everyday. Someone is always juggling or playing a guitar, and there was a great night life as well as enough outdoor adventure opportunities for a lifetime of amazement. Genuine people, culture, and life to be found in Chile, especially in the artist friendly Valparaíso.
Going to Paris is something I can now cross off on my bucket list and because of it, there have been so many other countries that I have added and crossed off as well. Studying abroad has made me the adventurer I am today that I did not think I was yesterday. My experience is something I would not change for the world, I'd actually love to replay it.
With regards to the program: I am definitely a planner and having ISA plan out everything perfectly, allowed me to just do the things I wanted to do! My favorite part of ISA (well, besides AnnaMaria and the rest of the staff) were the cultural exchanges and excursions. ISA made these trips a reality that I do not know if I would have done them on my own. The cultural exchanges allowed me to have a true cultural experience and meet some of the best people I know.
I learned a lot from the excursions and some were the most fun I had abroad.
Who can say they toured the most beautiful churches? Took a french pastry class? Who can say they have French best friends who travel the world together..... I can. All thanks to ISA.
What would you improve about this program?
Having the cultural exchanges be outside to make them less forced and more
I only spent three weeks in Florence but they were by far some of the best weeks of my life. I met amazing people and also had amazing experiences. I took an Italian wine and culture class. Going in, I knew nothing about wine, but now I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable. My teacher did a great job. We went on a field trip one day to Montepulciano and Pienza. ISA provided excursions to Cinque Terre and Rome. Both trips were amazing! Some of my friends and I also did some traveling on our own. Traveling around the country is very easy. We went to Pisa, Viareggio, and Venice, although I wouldn't suggest going to Viareggio if you don't know any Italian. My apartment was in the same building as the ISA office and was a one minute walk from Ponte Vecchio. Being so close to the city center was amazing and I immersed myself in the culture as much as I could! I would do it again in a heart beat!
Sevilla is a beautiful city full of rich history, culture, and fun experiences. Walking to and from school, seeing the vibrant life going on all around, and trying various flavors of gelato were always highlights of my day. Learning about Sevilla's history and going on tours to historical places like La Catedral, the Alcazar, and the Toro del Oro were great! One of the coolest things about Sevilla is walking on the Puente de Triana and passing over the Guadalquivir, watching a bullfight, or looking over the entire city at twilight at Las Setas and being part of history in the making. Another fun part about the program was that we were able to explore other cities like Cordoba, Granada, and a couple cities in Morocco. After tours of those cities, we got some free time to eat and enjoy the cities on our own. It was exciting to experience foods from different regions of Spain. The only difficulty I encountered was doing homework for my classes because I always wanted to be doing something to experience everything Sevilla had to offer (which is a lot).
