USAC Reviews

Studying abroad in Alicante was one of the best choices I have ever made. At first, I was a little worried about going abroad alone but I'm glad that I did because I made lifelong friends and learned so many new things about the culture in Spain. I studied intermediate Spanish at the University of Alicante for one month over the summer and the staff there were always so helpful and passionate about what they were teaching. Learning the language in Spain never felt like a hassle as the teacher always kept the students engaged and was always interested in the topics that she was teaching. I felt like this trip had a very good balance between the educational part and the exploring the city and the life part.

I had a great time while exploring the country. One of my top two favorite places to go was Monteverde and Quepos. I have always dreamed of going ziplinning and finally got to experience the very best for three hours! All while being pretty cheap for all that we got to see and do. In Quepos some of my friends I made while in program went on a catamaran with me and we had a blast, saw dolphins and made the best of our time there. The school program was very challenging for me but overall I'm glad I did it.

I'm not sure how accurate my review will be since my program was still largely affected by covid. If you want to study abroad, do it and do it with whatever program fits your degree best. For me, this program was the best way to get the Italian and gened credits that I needed, but I didn't particularly like who ran the program. They did their best they could with the situation they were given. Classes are at most 4 days a week, but you can always arrange them to be less. There's barely any homework, and a lot of the classes go outside the classroom. The teachers are really nice too. This program is probably best for people looking more into the travel side of study abroad than the cultural or language. I had a great time using all my travel time, but I do wish I would've learned more Italian.

I enjoyed my time abroad greatly. The courses were very small and had wonderful professors that loved teaching. The grading was a bit tougher than in the United States, but the professors worked with me. I enjoyed the surfing class a lot. The support staff were super nice and helpful with travel and sickness. I loved my host family. All of the students in the program were great, and we had a fun community. The excursions that the program provided were very enjoyable, and I wish we had more opportunities like that.

I had the privilege of participating in the 2022 San Sebastian Summer program. Words cannot articulate how special this experience was for me, but I hope that the fact that I am already planning a trip back/ have concrete plans to visit my peers that I met through this experience speaks for itself. When people ask about my study abroad experience, I think they may sometimes regret it because I can go on for an eternity about the amazing friendships, culture immersion, global contacts, and sense of travel identity that it gave me. San Sebastian is the most perfect combination of nature, nightlife, rich culture, cleanliness, and safeness.

The program leaders in Donostia went above and beyond planning and communicating events to the point where I did not want to travel to other countries on free weekends the way I thought I would because my beautiful host city always had something amazing to offer. However, on the off chance I did want to travel they were there every step of the way helping me plan the (unaffiliated with school) trip.
The program leaders, specifically Patricia, looked after me as if I was one of their own when I fell ill which is more than any parent who is sending their student abroad or sick college kid like myself could ever hope for when in a stressful situation as such. The last praise I want to give to the staff goes straight to the teachers! Marina helped me learn more in 6 weeks than I learned in 2 years of High School Spanish, I left Spain with more Spanish confidence than I ever thought I could have.

Although this is not a complaint, I did want to explain my one 9/10 stars in the housing category. The range of living situations is vast and it would have been nice to been informed of this however, it in no way negatively affected my experience. I was blessed to have lived in a quaint apartment near the ocean that had one of the most genuine and kind local landlords/ human beings I have ever met. The landlord was an older Basque gentleman who showed my roommates and I the upmost hospitality. Although we were on the lower end of housing size, quality, and distance from the school, I honestly would not have traded it for a "nicer" placement because it was extremely homey and safe.

The Spanish class put me outside of my comfort zone in the best way possible; we learned extremely fast paced yet efficiently. The workload was very reasonable and there was always easily accessible teacher support. The surf class gets an easy 10 stars, as it was one of the most rewarding and fun experiences I have ever had. The instructors were so patient, outgoing, and personable.

As cliche as it sounds, USAC studying abroad was everything I could have wish for and some. I left with lifelong friends and the biggest place in my heart for new cultures.

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Studying abroad in Valencia allowed me to immerse myself in the Spanish culture within a larger city. Valencia was the perfect place to feel like a local rather than a tourist as places like Barcelona and Madrid were overwhelming in regards to the amount of tourists in the city. Valencia was a very family and local oriented city, not many people spoke English so it was a good challenge and helped with learning more Spanish. The apartment housing through the program was fine. The neighborhood that we were placed in was a family oriented. There were a lot of kids around and a very cute place on the outskirts of the city center. The metro is incredible and can take you anywhere in Valencia. Learn how to use the metro, it is simple and efficient and I wished I had learned it earlier rather than walking long distances or taking a taxi.

My classes were good. My Spanish language classes were great. The professors only spoke Spanish which really helped with learning the language. The amount of work was never overwhelming but insanely manageable. The university that we were at was great. There were so many programs that allowed for the abroad students to get involved. We also had access to the gym and such. I wish we had more information given by our program about our university.

My favorite part about studying abroad was being able to travel every weekend! I would highly recommend doing that. It was so easy and cheap. We were able to take the metro to the airport and then take a cheap flight to basically anywhere in Europe.

The beach in Valencia was great and just a walk away after class each day.

Overall, Valencia was the perfect spot to be immersed completely in the Spanish culture and truly feel like a local. It was not overwhelming like Barcelona and Madrid and no where near as many tourists which was nice. I wish I was able to do it all again. It was such a great experience and would highly recommend this program to anyone.

#WritetoWin

My experience in Montevideo was a great way for me to practice my Spanish and learn about Uruguayan culture. I had the opportunity to stay with a host mom and 2 other American students, which was one of my favorite parts of the program. I lived only about 15 minutes walking distance from the host university campus. Montevideo is a great cultural center with lots of museums, live music, and soccer games. I always felt safe while walking in the city. If you’re looking for Spanish immersion, it’s a great place to go. Lots of young people know English, but mostly everywhere I went, I had to speak in Spanish. The USAC program is so supportive and the directors and faculty truly want you to have a great study abroad experience. My class sizes were small, so there was a lot of individual attention given to each student. I highly recommend this program to any student that’s looking for a program in Latin America thats unique to the region!

I am so grateful I was able to study abroad this summer. The friends I made from all over the US and the world are some I will have for the rest of my life. Bilbao was such a beautiful city that truly offered an authentic Spanish experience. Unlike Madrid or Barcelona I was able to fully immerse myself in the Spanish language and culture without running into too many familiar American or English speaking people. The program administrators were always so helpful and patient and I can't think them enough for allowing me this incredible opportunity.

I had the most amazing semester abroad in Costa Rica!!! It's hard to point out one thing that was my favorite because every experience I had, every trip I went on, every meal I ate just kept getting better and better. One of my favorite aspects was staying with a host family, I think that is something everyone who wants to go abroad should look for in a program, as I learned so much about the language and the culture of the country. This location is perfect for all types of people as there is so much to see - you can relax at one of the many beautiful beaches on the coasts of the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, you can hike through rain and cloud forests, and see volcanoes all while seeing many different types of tropical animals and plants right up close.