Program Reviews

I wish I could go back and relive my summer in Seoul. It was honestly one of the best summers of my life. I enjoyed both of the courses I took and Yonsei's campus is beautiful. I had so much fun being able to explore Seoul, and one of my favorite parts of this program was that there were no classes on Friday, which gave us an extra to relax or go on adventures in the city. I made so many wonderful friends and created so many memories. The summer was over way to quickly, but I'm so glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone both to go on this program but also throughout it, as I know I grew a lot.

I wish I could go back and relive my summer in Seoul. It was honestly one of the best summers of my life. I enjoyed both of the courses I took and Yonsei's campus is beautiful. I had so much fun being able to explore Seoul, and one of my favorite parts of this program was that there were no classes on Friday, which gave us an extra to relax or go on adventures in the city. I made so many wonderful friends and created so many memories. The summer was over way to quickly, but I'm so glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone both to go on this program but also throughout it, as I know I grew a lot.

I had the most amazing experience and absolutely fell in love with the city and the culture. The people are super welcoming, the instructors and counselors are helpful and knowledgeable, the city itself has so much to do and it was never a dull day from peaceful walks on La Rambla to really fun clubs in the city! Everything about this experience has helped me learn a lot about the world and about myself. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone every day and I’m so thankful for it because I’ve grown so much as a person. I cannot recommend this program enough!

I studied abroad twice with USAC, and loved each time. The classes are great, but the best part is that everyone, even the professors, want you to experience the culture and other parts of the country as much as you can. In Chile, I got to go to Patagonia twice, the Atacama desert, Argentina, Valparaíso, and many other areas! In Spain, I had the chance to go to Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Granada, and more! It was such a great community as well. Everyone is there to support you in any way you need!

Studying abroad in Torino changed my life for the better! It opened my eyes to the importance of understanding new cultures and experiencing foreign parts of the world. Navigating a hard language barrier taught me a lot about being an outsider in a new culture and was a learning experience that I will never forget! I lived in a beautiful apartment and could see the whole city from my balconies. Every Italian person I met was so kind and welcoming and I felt so accepted into their culture. Getting to experience and learn something new every day taught me more than I ever could have imagined! I wish I could go back and do it again.

Having studied the Italian language for six years, it has always been a dream of mine to study abroad in Italy. Last summer I had the opportunity to travel to Verona for 6 weeks, and I am so happy that I went. It was truly so surreal walking down the picturesque and colorful streets for the first time and realizing that this was going to be my everyday walk to class. I met so many amazing people both within the program and locally, went on insane adventures, and made memories both outside and inside the classroom. This was an experience that I will never forget and will cherish for the rest of my life!

My summer spent in Pau was truly unforgettable! I made amazing friends, got to practice my French, immersed myself in French culture, and spent the afternoons strolling down boulevards with spectacular views of the castle. We explored the region in many of my classes, and Pau offered easy access to transportation to set out on adventures of our own. It has all the charm of a small town, while still offering plenty of larger city amenities. There's lots of fun dining options, theaters, parks, museums, and shops, as well as gorgeous views of the Pyrenees Mountains. Studying abroad certainly calls for its fair share of going out of your comfort zone, but my professors, the administrators, and my friends were a great support system along the way. Despite some culture differences, Pau felt safe to be out and about, even at night. I’m so excited to bring my friends and family back to Pau one day!

Studying abroad in Cork, Ireland was truly a life-changing experience for me. I had the absolute time of my life and managed to make lifelong friends along the way. It seemed like every week I was experiencing something new, and that was part of the reason why it felt like those five months flew by. I joined multiple clubs at UCC (University College Cork) and picked up new hobbies, such as climbing and olympic lifting. I found plenty of time to travel outside my host country to places like England, Spain, Netherlands, and Italy, while still staying on top of my academics back home in Ireland. It took me some time to adjust to my new surroundings, but I committed myself to putting energy into making friends with the people I traveled to Ireland with and with the Irish students I met through clubs and classes. My move to Cork couldn't have come at a better time, as my family life back home wasn't the best and was causing a lot of stress in my life. Getting away to Ireland for those five months really saved my mental health and gave me a brighter outlook on life. Truly, if I had studied abroad in Cork even a year earlier I would've seriously considered transferring to UCC full-time. I loved my host country and my experience there more than I can put into words. I'll be forever grateful to myself for making the choice to go and to my parents for making it possible.

I had an amazing study abroad experience in Alicante, Spain. USAC made the process easy, from applying, to arriving in Spain, to departure back home. All along the journey, I felt supported by my program. My courses at the university were interesting and engaging. They were challenging but didn’t consume all of my time. After class and on weekends, there were fun and immerse activities in the community. I had time on the breaks to travel elsewhere in Europe, which was amazing. I hope every student takes the initiative to study abroad!

My time in New Zealand was amazing! The process of applying for the university and actually going there were relatively easy though there was a lot of waiting. Going into this, I was unsure if I would be comfortable in a different country, and I was also nervous if I would be able to make friends. But, the community at Massey University was great, and I was able to meet some really incredible friends and I was able to travel around New Zealand and see the beautiful sights. The university was also incredibly safe, as was the country as a whole as I was able to walk around downtown feeling incredibly safe as well as taking public transportation to many places.
This was the best decision I have made, as very grateful that I had the opportunity to travel and study abroad in New Zealand.