Living in Prague is very affordable. The tram and bus system is easy to navigate. The language is hard to get use to at first but you will be surprised about how much you can pick up. Czech people are also very friendly and kind once YOU reach out and show interest in wanting to get to know them.
My summer semester in Meknes, Morocco was nothing short of spectacular. Morocco is an Islamic country so my family had hesitations of the safety for a young American woman. Not once did I feel unsafe. I lived in an apartment with five other girls from my program in the modern part of the city. We lived right next to three cafes and spent the evening there watching the World Cup or drinking Moroccan tea, coffee, and practicing our language with the locals. I spent a 5 weeks there volunteering at a local orphanage and created long lasting friendships with many of the kids there. I would then return back to the apartment for lunch that out house mom (she came 6 days a week and cleaned and prepared lunch and dinner). We would then go out. I spent the other six weeks taking classes at the ISA study center. It would have been incredible to take classes with locals, but the city is just not large enough to offer a variety of classes in English. I took beginning Arabic and Islamic Society and Politics. I loved my Arabic class and professor and everything I learned was reinforced everyday through living there. My professor would invite us to cafes after class, and even to his home during Ramadan. It was totally normal. My Islamic Society Professor was kind of a snob and there were people in my class with a wide knowledge base. Never having studied that before, I sometimes had to work a lot harder but my friends in class felt like everything wasn't challenging at all. We would travel all over the country on the weekends via train or grand taxi. The support staff was awesome in terms of helping us set things up that weren't included excursions. One complaint is that there was a lot wrong with out apartment. Our washing machine electrically shocked us so I hand washed my clothes for almost three months and we had a lot of plumbing issues. However I had the time of my life, discovered so much about my self, and have some incredible memories and new found friendships.
What would you improve about this program?
Going to school with locals, and maintenance issues with apartments being addressed.
In the three short months I was in this program, I had the time of my life and benefitted in different ways. One of my favorite memories was falling asleep in a rocking hammock, listening to the waves crash on the beach. It is the combination of all my memories that cause me not to want to change my experience for the world, but there is always some advice to be given! Be prepared to spend a little bit of money on taxis each week (bus routes are difficult to figure out at times and you cannot walk in the dark). Also eating out for lunch every day can get expensive, so I would buy cheap groceries for 1-2 weeks and make my own. You really won't wear shorts as often as you might think. At least my group wanted to fit in with the ticos/ticas as much as possible, and often times that meant wearing pants. Really integrate yourself with your family, local students, and ticos in the community--it will make the experience much richer! I made huge advancements in my Spanish-speaking skills because I took advantage of the immersion and necessity to use the language in daily life. I also gained new perspectives on life being in a completely different culture than I was used to, which made me more open-minded and has helped shaped who I am as a person today. Your experience truly is what you make it; seize every opportunity you can because time flies and you may never get the chance again!
What would you improve about this program?
I would have liked to be around fewer international students and have more interactions with local students.
Living on campus was great! The area around Konkuk University is very fun for college students, from Norebang (karaoke) to so many cafes and restaurants, there is always something to do. And the city, Seoul, has so many people, places, things to see and do. The four months I was there were not enough to get everything I could out of Seoul. The ISA staff is great and makes you feel welcome and will help you out with anything you might need. Jeju Island and the DMZ were some of the highlights of my stay in Korea, as well as delivery chicken!
What would you improve about this program?
More options for classes because a lot of them were cancelled.
I studied at JCU-Townsville campus, and everyday was an experience. Whether it was waking up at 6am for a 6k race between dorms, searching for a gecko running around our living room, or chill movie nights with new friends, I was constantly bombarded with fantastic new opportunities to learn and grow and experience the world around me.
What would you improve about this program?
I do wish that our initial arrival on campus (a week and a half before class started) was more organized. We met our resident coordinator the first day but after that we kind of had to fend for ourselves as far as figuring out where to get food before the dining halls opened, how to use the bus system, etc. This only lasted a few days and then it all got figured out!
If you are at all interested in China, I highly recommend Chengdu. Everything about the program was great, the location, university, classes, and social environment were all ideal for having a good international experiences. The University is very large and has tons of international students from all around the world as well as plenty of locals who are eager to make friends. The classes were intimate and the English taught classes were informative and fun. The class structure was surprisingly similar to college classes in the United States, perhaps just a bit less rigorous than at my school in the U.S. Just show up, take notes, do the homework, and some studying for the test and everything should go great. I felt as though it were very easy to manage a full semester worth of credits while still exploring everything China had to offer. Which is great, because Chengdu is an amazing city and Sichuan University is in a great location downtown. There are lots of good music venues, clubs, and bars that are all within walking distance of the school. With all the different international and local friends you will make its hard to not have something to do on the weekends. ISA takes pretty good care to get adjusted and the resident staff can help you take care of anything you might need. The program also includes a variety of excursions which were some of my biggest highlights from the trip.
What would you improve about this program?
I wouldn't have minded an excursion that took us out of Sichuan Province. Chengdu is amazing and exploring Sichuan was really fun but I feel like China had more things to offer than I could experience in 4 months.
Buenos Aires, Argentina is an amazing, fun and beautiful city. If you are looking to improve your Spanish, learn about another culture, and eat delicious food, you'll be more than happy in Argentina! Although the different accent can be a little tough to get used to at first, the people and the culture are truly fascinating. The ISA staff is there to help you every step of the way, leaving you feeling safe and secure while away from your family.
What would you improve about this program?
Although speaking Spanish was always encouraged, it would have been nice to speak more Spanish when with other Americans, although this depends more on the students than the program provider.
I had an amazing semester in Chile! I was in the ISA Veritas program, which provides opportunities to join local Christian ministries while attending school. There were so many opportunities to build relationships with Chileans, other students from the U.S., as well as other international students. I loved being a part of a Chilean family, being a part of a local church, and learning the Spanish language through classes and immersion!
What would you improve about this program?
ISA hosts conversation times where Chileans who want to practice their English and ISA students who want to practice their Spanish come to converse. Another one or two of these events may have been nice.
For anyone interested in Spanish proficiency and Adventure!
Apr 8, 2015
When abroad, I was terrified of the language component, but it is said that if you can learn Spanish in Chile, you can understand Spanish anywhere. And it is true. I went from a shy, ok Spanish speaker to truly proficient. I participated in a Service Learning Internship as an Assistant Professor for teaching English in an all-girls school. It was an amazing experience that taught me so much about other school systems and about myself.
I was able to make many friends even though it was difficult at first. Host families can be difficult to adjust to because many are not very similar to your own family (no family is the same) but they are great for language purposes and meeting new people.
I was able to travel easily as a woman, and found the country to be very safe. I am a huge hiker and outdoor enthusiast, so this part of the world was perfect! It is greatly affordable, which was very important to me (I was paying for my time abroad). I went out on the weekends to immerse myself in the Chilean culture and to meet others.
Overall, it was an amazing experience!
What would you improve about this program?
I would like if transportation was included because that can add up.
The 6 weeks I spent in Sevilla with ISA during Summer 2014 were by far the best weeks of my entire life! Sevilla is an incredible and beautiful city, full of culture and history! My classes were not overly difficult which gave me time to spend with my classmates and really explore the city. For example, a few of us used to love getting ice cream down by the Cathedral after class and just people watch. ISA also coordinated excursions to other cities in Andalucia for us to visit on the weekends (and they were included in the price of the trip, so no added costs) and they took us to places I normally would not have visited if I were on my own. I also stayed with a host family which really immersed me into the culture and helped me improve my spanish. All in all, it was an amazing program and my only regret is that I did not go abroad for longer.
What would you improve about this program?
I was lucky enough to be placed with a host family that had an apartment in the city center, but most of my classmates lived with host families in the suburbs. It just would have been nice if we could have all lived in closer proximity because it was often times almost an hour walk from my apartment to where my friends lived in Triana.
