USAC Reviews

I was in Brighton from September to December in 2010. Those three months during the Fall were without a doubt the most memorable of my entire college experience. I met the most amazing people, including many that I still visit and talk with frequently. Mary and Zoe, the program coordinators, are beyond words. Anything I could say about them would only be selling them short. They're that great.
Brighton is a lovely city with fantastic nightlife, a young demographic and is a mere 60 minute train ride from London. There's great shopping, decent food and the city's bus system makes getting around a breeze. From the on-campus housing (we stayed at Falmer), to the University's various locations, grocery stores, Churchill Square, Brighton Beach, the bars, you can (and will) get to it all via bus. And it couldn't be any easier.

The on-campus housing is more than adequate. You're likely to have your own room with your own bathroom and share a living/kitchen space with others on the program. They're not 5-star accommodations but if you're spending a lot of time in your room, you're surely missing out on everything the University, the city and the country have to offer.
The classes were not overly difficult, though they're facilitated differently than you're probably used to coming from the US and adjusting to that may well be your biggest challenge. All of the faculty I encountered, however, were top notch. I found them to be incredibly engaging, helpful and generous. This could, naturally, vary from class to class and instructor to instructor but I don't have a negative thing to say.

The bottom line: GO ON THIS PROGRAM! Like the title says, I left after three months with only one regret: that I couldn't stay longer.

I chose the semester-ling study abroad program at Massey University in Palmerston North New Zealand and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I made so many new friends and shared experiences that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Kiwis are some of the kindest people you will ever meet - the cashiers at Pak & Save actually took the time to ask me how I was doing and were interested in hearing what I had to say. In fact, I asked where something was one day and the store clerk stopped what he was doing and physically showed me where to find what I was looking for instead of riddling off a random isle number. I really appreciated that.

As far as academics went, Massey offered courses that were challenging and enlightening. The overall class structure was completely different to what I was used to with my home university: there were only a couple assignments or "homeworks" to pass in and then there were exams and those were your only grades. A lot of learning outside the classroom is required as well - professors don't hold your hand nearly as much as they do in the States. I learned a lot from my courses at Massey and was able to get an interesting take on various aspects of American politics and education by hearing the Kiwi side of it.

Culture shock was not really a problem in New Zealand since everyone spoke English. I think my greatest challenge was getting around, and even that wasn't that difficult. The bus schedules are posted throughout campus and are easy to look up online.

The scenery, the people, the culture... everything about New Zealand was amazing and beautiful. I loved it so much that I've been back again in a year and I am planning on living there permanently in the future.

Studying abroad had to be one of the best experiences of my life!
While it was a little interesting getting everything organized, as when I studied abroad in 2004 it was the first year they did the program at Griffith - so everything was new & unknown in a sense for everyone.
But once it was all organized & over the mini home-sick feeling in the beginning - it was amazing!
The Gold Coast is gorgeous, always something going on & the people are super nice!!
Australia is super easy to travel - there is so much to see, very diverse, so try to see as much as you can!
You only live once!

Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I've yet to make. If you are thinking about studying abroad, you must do it! I wanted to experience a completely new culture and living and studying in Chiang Mai, Thailand through USAC made that possible. I was originally signed up to study abroad for the fall semester and after a few short weeks I realized I wouldn't be ready to leave the beautiful country of Thailand so soon, and I extended my stay for the academic year! I was able to experience and become familiar with a new language, new cultural customs, new foods and so much more.

The people of Thailand were some of the friendliest people I have ever met; they were always smiling and truly appreciative when I "attempted" to speak to them in Thai. I would sit in a song taew (red truck taxi) and make friends by the end of my ride. I had countless laughs and amazing conversations with all sorts of people, from a friend I made on campus to the many market vendors I would talk to. Strolling through the markets and eating delicious street food became one of my favorite things to do.

The classroom experience was awesome because I was able to take advantage of the small class sizes and really develop relationships with my professors. Since I have returned home I have continued to keep in contact with some my professors! The connections I made even bettered my experience. The professors planned a lot of field trips where I was able to get out of the classroom and have more hands on experiences. I went on a Hill Tribe Tour and Field Study trip where I was surrounded by the beauty of nature as I trekked breathtaking mountains and visited remote Hill Tribe villages. I rode an elephant around a village, assisted in making a raft out of bamboo to float down the river, and even bathed an elephant in the river!

Studying abroad was truly life changing for me. The opportunity made me grow as a person as I stepped out of my comfort zone and left the place I called home to meet new people and explore something completely new. I am thankful for the adventures I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the cultures I was exposed to, and the lifelong memories I’ve made. My study abroad experience will forever hold a special place in my heart. I went to South East Asia with an open mind and left with a full heart and so much more.

When I decided to study abroad in Shanghai, I only signed up for one semester. Because I ended up loving it that much, I chose to extend my study abroad for one more semester. My only regret? Not staying even longer. USAC made my study abroad experience unspeakably flawless. The Resident Director on site not only has the best sense of humor ever, she is also incredibly attentive and knows who you are before you'll even meet her, providing a little bit of comfort when you're missing home.

My primary reason for studying abroad was to learn how to speak Mandarin. Seeing as I am an International Business major and Shanghai is a mecca for multi-national corporations, it made the most sense to go to. While there, I not only took Chinese language courses, I took courses that fulfilled my other degree requirements also. International business, management, and government courses all counted towards my degree, with a little bit of planning, of course.

Optional tours and field trips were also awesome. The Beijing tour, for example, provided students with the opportunity to get in all of those "must see" sites, within two days. If you've ever been to Beijing, you know that it is a massive city and can be difficult and expensive to get around on your own. One of the perks is having all of that planned out for you so you don't have the guilt of just not being able to see something.

My memories of studying abroad in China are incredibly fond and I geniunely miss it and the environment everyday. There are really no words I can tell you that can really make you understand the excitement and thrill of living in Shanghai, it's something that you truly have to experience for yourself. After this program, I have close friends from all over the world, that I speak to often.

Studying abroad in Shanghai, China is cultural experience that you'll never forget. It's something that you really need to see and experience for yourself.

Studying in Alicante with USAC was an incredible experience! My apartment was very centrally located. I was able to walk EVERYWHERE. The open market and bus stop were two minutes away, the beach was 5 minutes away, and the nightlife scene was right on my street. There were great and affordable restaurants and tapas bars all over town as well.
I took language classes every morning Monday-Friday and learned more in one semester there than I have ever learned back home. The University campus is BEAUTIFUL. I also took a sailing class that was SO much fun! Aside from the USAC classes, we were given the opportunity to be partnered with a local student so that we could practice English and Spanish together. Not only was it a great learning experience, but it was a great way to make friends. The staff offered opportunities to volunteer and teach English at schools and in homes. It was definitely one of the highlights on my experience!
Some of the other highlights were the field trips we went on as a group. Alicante and the surrounding cities are gorgeous and offer many different aspects of nature. We went swimming in the Mediterranean, hiking and swimming in fresh water in Guadalest, and explored the city of Valencia. The staff always made sure we had plenty to do. They were truly amazing and were like a family away from home. I could not have asked for anything more.
It was the most amazing experience, I honestly have nothing bad to say. Even the small challenges I may have encountered were positives because they truly helped me learn and grow. I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone!

In any study abroad experience, there are at least a million favorite memories. But, some things that I carried back with me are the many friends I made when I was gone- Americans and foreigners. USAC does a wonderful job of creating programs that allow students to travel a lot. I fell in love with about 10 different cities. One of my favorite memories was the day I realized I could live in any one of the places I visited. Finally, the thing I miss the most was having a daily routine of my life abroad. Being gone for the year allowed me to really get comfortable with Pau. Establishing a routine and getting comfortable with my new life was my favorite part. The obvious benefit to studying abroad is that I now have a solid foundation of French. Being abroad anywhere can teach a lot, but something that stuck out for me was my ability to be flexible. It was difficult at times having to adjust to something that was unfamiliar or bizarre. It would be difficult not always being able to communicate and sometimes there was straight frustration and anger with the whole situation. Small cultural differences can prove to be the biggest difficulties when studying abroad. Those moments were important though because it taught me flexibility and patience.

Living in Pau was one of the most wonderful experiences in my life. I was able to try different foods and wines and immerse myself in French culture. One of the most memorable experiences for me was the nights of Carnaval in Pau. It is like no other event in the world. There are traditions in this Carnaval where men dress as women and women dress and hunters. The women are dressed as hunters to chase down people who are in bear costumes and are hunting the men dressed as women. This night was an amazing night where everyone watched and ran from the bears providing for a "different" kind of excitement only those who have gone to Pau would understand the partying that goes on in this little town during Carnaval. The week of Carnaval is something you cannot miss out if you visit Pau in the spring.

If I talk about the fun moments in Pau I also must highlight the cross cultural differences between France and the United States that we would never think about. Most of my experiences are funny moments that at first I did not understand but now I laugh over. An example would be when I first arrived to France and was just adjusting to the time difference and I was running late to school. On this day I did not have time to eat at my host parents' house so I ran out eating an apple on my walk to school. As I walked to school people stared at me and I did not know why. It was not until I asked my host mom why people stared at me she told me and I quote "Claudia, tu n'est pas en États-Unis" meaning Claudia you are not in America, in France people do not eat while they walk they only eat if they are sitting at a table. For me this was strange but now it is funny to remember people's reactions to me eating an apple it was --PRICELESS.

Now when it comes to the educational aspect the USAC Pau program is a very well organized and provides students with everything you need. The resident director Robina and assistant director Ryan are awesome people who you can joke around with and give good tips about things to do and places to go not only in Pau but around France, and Europe. The classes were provided in both French and English depending on the level of proficiency. There were elective courses such as the Government and Politics of France that fit well with my major in International Relations. They also offered other courses but mostly the focus of this study abroad program are intensive language courses to improve students level of French rather than pure electives. Classes are small and teachers are very helpful but strict as well so do not think you can just slack off either.

Studying abroad in San Sebastian Spain was one of the best decisions I have made. USAC helped set me up with an amazing family and classes geared toward my personality and language level. San Sebastian truly became my home as I was able to not just learn about another culture but embody it and live it as my own. The host family that I was placed in took me in as their own and helped me adjust and live the like a local as well as practice my Spanish. USAC really took my interests and personality to heart when placing me with an appropriate family whom I still communicate with today. The USAC staff overseas were also wonderful with working with the student's needs and concerns. They helped set me up with a paid internship teaching English in a local school, organized amazing field trips to places that would be difficult to get to on our own, and gave us loads of information and support within our program location. I was able to have that support and guidance when I needed it but was also free to grow as an individual without feeling restrained or held back. Studying abroad gave me confidence, insight, compassion, and experience which I have taken back home and implemented into my everyday life. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live in another culture which ultimately helps you learn about your own culture and your place within it.

Every expectation that I had for a study abroad experience was completely surpassed. I expected to have fun in a new country while going to school, but I had no idea what kind of emotional connection I would have from going abroad with USAC. The staff abroad were not only teachers and advisors but also caring friends. One time, I accidently ate shrimp (which I am highly allergic to) and one of the women who worked in the administrative USAC office personally came in a cab with me to the hospital, translated for me, and held my hand until I felt better. I met new friends abroad that showed me all the in's and out's of the Basque Country, traveled with me, and shared his home and family with me. Now, one friend even came to visit me in San Francisco and I know that I've made a friend that I'll have for a lifetime. The experience that you'll receive from USAC is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you cannot pass up!