Program Reviews

I had an incredible time during my semester abroad! Madrid was the perfect location for me! There are so many things to do in the city, and you are so close to train stations and an airport so you can explore other places as well. I loved living on campus and being super close to my classes. My classes definitely helped my Spanish knowledge grow exponentially, and I completed my Spanish major while abroad. My program supervisors were super helpful and were always there when I needed them! They also let me help make some Instagram content!! Overall my semester abroad was so much fun, and I will be telling my abroad stories forever!

Many people will talk about the school, and yes it was great. But the thing that really made this trip incredible were the offerings in The Netherlands. The public transport, ease of access and proximity, bike lanes, culture, you name it. The place opened my eyes to how life should operate. The weather wasn't always the best, but that is a small price to pay for what comes with that. And it is mainly like this in the spring, so a fall semester might serve better. Although, most of the greah events happen between April - September, so either way the summer is the best time to be here!

Studying abroad really was a once in a lifetime experience that I would encourage every undergraduate student to do! The new friends I made, cultures, and places I got to experience made me a more well rounded individual. I learned to try everything and be excited to do new things. There are people I met from all around the world during my program that I still keep in contact with today, some even on a day to day basis. If you do decide to study abroad, take advantage of all the opportunities to see new places! So, if you get the chance, study abroad!!

When I entered college I knew that I wanted to study abroad at some point. However, I never imagined that I would have found myself going all the way across the world to Thailand. It was the kind of USAC staff that showed me what their program had to offer that convinced me to take the trip. I am thankful to them as my time in Thailand was an incredible experience and generated memories that will stay with me for a lifetime. If you are looking for a truly out-there, incredible experience the USAC Thailand program provides this and more.

There’s no words I can say here that will sum up the experience I had. YOU have to experience it for yourself! I am so happy I took a leap of faith and decided to move abroad. It was so scary at first, but it’s so freeing and you finally feel alive!! We are meant to explore the world we live in. We aren’t meant to stay in one place. This program helped me grow as an individual AND gave me many opportunities to travel in my free time. I wish I had more time. My advice? Do it. Even if you’re scared. You won’t regret it.

My time spent living and learning in Alicante through USAC was a truly transformative experience. I was on the Spanish language track 3 and the process of learning Spanish in Spain really increased my confidence in speaking the language and many other aspects of my life. I now have the confidence and passion to continue learning and practicing Spanish every day. I lived in an apartment with 3 other USAC students and although I didn’t experience the same level of immersion as those who stayed with Spanish families, I took advantage of many other immersion opportunities. I tutored for a Spanish family, assisted in English classes at Colegio de San Jose, and attended many community events with other European students also learning Spanish. I was also so grateful that my program group was small. We all experienced the same culture shocks and differences and were able to cope and grow together. I made friends in Alicante that I know will be with me forever. Overall, I would recommend this experience and this city to anyone who’s decided to study abroad. This semester was my first time traveling outside of the US but it ignited a desire to travel and experience different cultures around the world!

My host mother was one of the kindest people I've ever met! She truly was a Grandma-Away-From-Home for me, taking me under her wing as though I were her own kid. I've made some lifelong friendships, both with fellow students and locals, which allowed me to truly assimilate into the Tico lifestyle! The coordinators and teachers were extremely supportive and went out of their way when I expressed interest in graduate school at the UCR, even setting me up with a campus visit!
As the title suggests, I'm totally moving back someday.

Studying at Yonsei was an amazing experience! Thanks to USAC, it was super easy to do so since they took care of the most difficult parts (guides for visas, insurance, etc)! And through the program, I was also able to connect with many other students before departure, which made making friends even easier! I had so much fun during my semester, I decided to extend my time to the full year! USAC made this process super easy and checked in frequently about visa changes and more. Yonsei is also an amazing school! The facilities are top notch, the location is fantastic, and the intensive korean program taught me so much! If you want to study in Seoul, USAC and Yonsei are 100% the way to go!

I made some wonderful friends when I was there. They had weird rules about COVID but that was due to the university. I had an amazing time and really enjoyed the fieldtrips. I wish we had more information earlier about our living situation because it was hard to plan a month before. Otherwise, they prepared us well with zoom meetings, although I think the best thing our program could have done would be to connect alumni with future or interested students. I would have loved to connect with a past student because as an alumni I feel like I have very valuable information. Especially when our main source of information was someone who didn't live in or only specialize in our program. As we were leaving and talking about our program, that is the main thing everyone in my program wanted. Overall, that is the only thing our program needs.

Along with the obvious improvement on language that one gains while studying abroad, one can expect to create strong connections with not only the other students from the states that are studying withing the same program, but also with many other global students. I now have connections with friends all across the United States and could probably drive anywhere in the continental US and be at most an 8-hour drive from one of my new friends, and if I choose to travel to Europe in the future, I have friends in over 7 countries that have offered to host me (hopefully that puts the power if study abroad into perspective). While abroad I stayed with a host family, and I could not have asked for a better experience. My family really pushed me to work on my Spanish and was overjoyed to take me out and explore not only Valencia, but many areas outside of the city. We grew very close, and I can't wait to visit them soon. As a student, Valencia could not have been a better city to study in. The weather was always fantastic, and you couldn't turn the corner without finding something interesting to explore. I was able to balance school, life, and travel very easily. I would 100% recommend this program to anyone considering studying abroad. It has altered my perspective on the world and helped me to grow more than I could have imagined.