Program Reviews

NYU Shanghai is a pioneering program that offered me the opportunity to achieve my goal of living in China, gaining fluency in Chinese, and continuing my studies as an NYU student. The campus is located in Pudong and is a new and beautifully built building with great resources for academic, language, and social success while living in China. Housing was in Pudong as well, a little far from campus, but made it possible for me to have a place to recharge and experience getting used to life in China. The Chinese language program at NYU is TOP NOTCH - these teachers know what they are doing and really care about their students. It's easy to get overwhelmed or feel a little isolated sometimes while living in such an expansive city as Shanghai, but I think NYUSH does a great job of making students feel welcome. Dining options within the school are good, and fitness center (small but sometimes useful), café, library, etc. are all good as well. Certainly a program to be recommended for a great semester or academic year abroad.

Starting off my semester at NYU Madrid was certainly a leap of faith on my end. For the first time, I was traveling by myself to a foreign country, navigating not only city streets and restaurant menus on my own, but also cultural norms, academics taught in another language, and overall, a completely new experience outside of what I was used to. Simply put, I fell in love with Madrid. Everyday, there is something that reminds me of the beauty of the city. I firmly believe that a part of the reason that I fell in love with Madrid is because of the NYU Madrid program.

Through the NYU Madrid Intercambio program, I was able to meet quite a few madrileños, the natives of Madrid. I still skype and chat with a handful, so I can maintain my Spanish. Not only did I form last connections, but I also had memorable courses. One of my favorite courses had me studying famous works of art in the Prado Museum every single Thursday afternoon. Apart from school, the cultural divide made me realize how much I missed home, but as I slowly accustomed myself to Spanish culture, I realized that I preferred the relaxed tone of it all to the busyness of New York. I could go to class in the day, have una bocadilla de calamares con sangria for lunch, head back to class, and then proceed about my evening. The classes were difficult in that the ones I signed up for were all taught in Spanish, but the professors all really cared. Never have I seen university professors so invested in knowing me as a person.

As far as traveling and nightlife goes, you cannot beat Madrid's location. You're so close to Portugal and to France as they are your neighbors, but everywhere else in the western half of Europe is just a short flight away. But, don't forget the wonders of Spain itself. There are so many beautiful cities to visit such as Valencia, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Alicante, Cordoba, and so much more. Spanish culture has more to offer than just Madrid and Barcelona. Moreover, the nightlife in Madrid is insane! If you're the type of person who enjoys going out, I promise you that you will not be disappointed. There are so many clubs and bars, and even if you don't like drinking, go out, dance, and socialize! The Spaniards truly know how to enjoy themselves, and their love of life is so apparent in the way they unwind on the weekends.

If I could go back to Madrid tomorrow, I would in a heartbeat. The NYU Madrid program and staff were a strong catalyst for helping me fall in love with not only the city of Madrid, but also the Spanish culture. I promise that if you choose Madrid as your study away site, you will make memories to last a lifetime. I know it changed mine; I hope it changes yours too.

Studying in Argentina was fun and having it be through NYU made all my courses count which was great. It's a small building where you have your classes so you see everyone all the time- it's great little community. The homestays are typically near the school / within walking distance. My family lived a bit farther from everyone else and it took me 30 minutes to walk, but they lived in a great, safe neighborhood.

Ah Firenze, Florence, the rebirth of the Renaissance. However you refer to it, Florence is a city that surprised me. It wasn't just the amazing art and architecture, but what laid underneath all the grand spectacles.

In the Oltrarno, or the area beyond the Arno river, I explored the artisan shops, shooting for my photojournalism class. Walking nervously up to the door of a woodmaker shop, I knocked on the open door, let myself in and said "Fare una foto, per favore?" or short hand for "Can I take a picture, please?" From there, the older man and his son, both wood artisans, tried to explain what they do in broken English while I tried to explain, along with two of my classmates, what we needed for class. This cultural exchange and mutual bond of trying to communicate really connected me to the city. I saw that if I gave to the city, I received just as much back. Speaking Italian was not my strong point, but the act of trying was successful.

Florence is a city where if you attempt to add to it in some way, it will reward you with these human interactions that compete with the spectacular sights. The David, the Duomo, and all the other churches, and museums were breathtaking, but my conversation with these artisans leaves a steady warmth that continues to make me smile today.

Ghana will always remain my initial impression of Africa- I'm sure glad I chose to go there as my first African experience.
NYU has a very established study abroad program there that you can do for one spring or fall term, or an entire academic year.

Accra is a lively and fun city, with a huge expat community and many friendly people. It's also extremely safe from my experience, I was fine taking taxis on my own at 1 or 2 in the morning. It's easy to communicate since pretty much everyone speaks English.
It is Africa at the end of the day, so get used to power outages, water outages, and filling up buckets for showers. Bring medications for yeast infections, ringworm, etc with you even though you will find most medicine there at a really cheap price.
Overall, Ghana is my favorite country I've been to in Africa (out of 3 countries total- have also been to Ethiopia and Ivory Coast) and I also found it the easiest to navigate. It's a cash economy, as one would think, make sure your negotiation skills are up to par!
I learned Twi at NYU as well as took an intl nutrition course and a globalization in the global south course... was very impressed with all of my courses because it was well put in the African context.
Please make Ghana your first destination within Africa if you're struggling to decide where to go! I guarantee you won't be disappointed :)

I came and made some really great friends and saw some really amazing places, but it was hard because most NYU kids knew each other coming in, and they are pretentious and rude. Also classes are a joke and NYU offered me no help when I desperately needed to go to the doctor. Prague is an amazing city, but go on a different program.

My study abroad experience at NYU in Florence still remains with me two years later as one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Although I did not attend NYU in New York, I had no problems applying to and being accepted into this program.

I chose to stay in a downtown apartment in Florence, rather than on campus or in a homestay. After speaking with students who chose the former options, I truly believe that this was the best decision.

Staying in a homestay in a great way to practice your Italian and see a local way of life. However, you also never know what situation you are about to enter. Your hosts may have young children who enter your room, despite warnings, or a baby that cries the entire night.

Staying on campus has its own set of disadvantages as well. Villa La Pietra is a good 20 minute bus ride from the center of Florence, or a 45 minute walk. The buses run much more infrequently at night, so late nights could turn expensive as the taxi bills add up.

My downtown apartment was an ideal setup. Situated on the same street at the Museo de' Accademia (where the statue of the David is held) I was one street off the Duomo (the giant church the sits as a central landmark) and smack in the center of the city's best sights. Not only were the apartments clean, but there it gave me an opportunity to meet so many different girls living in the building with me. To this day, some of these girls remain my close friends.

The actual program is really what you choose to make of it. I signed up for 3 classes, which is really the perfect amount to take. Everyone is required to take Italian 4 times a week, which is actually extremely helpful. I learned so much from these weekly classes, and all the Italian language teachers are a riot. If you have the opportunity to take Carlo's class, I highly recommend you do so. His humor is similar to Mr. Bean and my classmates and I spent most of our days cracking up at his antics.

In addition to Italian, I took Economics and The History of Italian Fashion. The latter was extremely hard to get into, and filled up in about ten minutes. There was a good reason. We took class weekend trips to Rome, visited the Ferragamo museum and had free access to a vintage market that sold fashion treasures at a quarter of the price.

Economics, and similar business and finance classes were actually very similar to those taught back in the NY campus. I had to study very hard for that class, but since I made that my only challenging course, it was still possible to enjoy Italy with gusto.

As for Florence itself, the city really sells itself. The best pasta and pizza you will ever eat, combined with a love for life New Yorkers are really missing creates an unmissable experience. Sit in the piazzas for hours sipping vino rosso (red wine), or try different cheeses at the mercato centrale (central market). Experience art in every possible form, from The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi, to the David at the Academia, to the street art painted all around the city on walls and sidewalks.

Some highlights of my Italian trip included watching the Fiorentina football team win a game, walking the footpath in Cinque Terre, tasting pesto in Genoa, the birthplace of pesto and incidentally Christoper Columbus. I went to Venice for Carnival, posed at the leaning tower of Pisa and threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain in Rome. I ate pasta and gelato every single day and never thought about my weight (incidentally, most people find that they do not gain much weight in Italy due to the appropriate portion sizes.)

The only challenges that I encountered on my study abroad experience, was not having enough time to travel to all the places I wanted to see.I made it to seven other countries, but never made it below Rome. Make sure to visit other countries on your trip, but don't make the mistake of neglecting your home city and country. Italy has so much to offer, but the beautiful Tuscan countryside, to the glamorous beaches in the South.

The city of Florence is alive with a love of food, art, beauty and life, and you will never forget your experience with NYU in Florence at Villa La Pietra.

NYU has a range of other study abroad programmes but this is an increasingly popular option. Lots of fun in a city that is not as expensive as other 'traditional' study abroad programmes, i.e. London/Rome.

I loved my time in Prague. Classes were only four days a week, so we had ample opportunity to travel. I visited Amsterdam, Poland, France, Spain, Germany, Slovakia, Austria, and Morocco. NYU also offers fantastic (free) trips within the Czech Republic, so I really got to experience the whole country.

Made some wonderful friends during my five months. I still keep in touch with many of them. I would highly recommend this program to anyone.

I studied abroad in Prague back in 2006 and I STILL find myself talking about it. If you want to study abroad in Prague, then this is definitely the program to do. The professors are amazing, hilarious, and understand that studying while abroad is often times about learning outside of the classroom.

As for life in Prague and the social scene at NYU, you can't really do much better. Unlike other programs in Prague, NYU's is self-contained in its own cute building, not part of a larger Czech university like Charles U. This definitely makes a big difference in fostering relationships with other students, as do the NYU-only dorms.

I lived in Osadni, which is a bit further out than some of the other living options, but I loved it and I hear that what was then an up and coming neighborhood is now an artist hub. There's a lot of good Czech food around as well! The only thing that was rough was the freezing winter and the commute into school when it was that cold out.

All in all, my time at NYU in Prague was definitely well spent, both in and out of the classroom!