USAC Reviews

Pau is a fun city to learn French. The staff in the USAC program and University of Pau are all awesome and the people in Pau are nice and generally patient with imperfect French. I stayed for a month in summer session 2 with a host family who were lovely and definitely improved my conversational French speaking and listening. Pau is in a great location to travel to Northern Spain or the French coast on weekends (about 2 hours and you can usually find a cheap train or bus ticket) and I had great trips every weekend. There is not as much to do as I would have liked in the actual city during the week after classes, but we had fun trying new restaurants and bars and saved most of the activities for weekends. USAC plans some excursions, and they were all great and gave me experiences I definitely would not have planned on my own.

Before leaving to study abroad, I was experiencing burnout. What I mean by this was that I began losing motivation for school and activities and stopped paying attention to my mental health. It got to a point where I felt tired all day and was no longer myself. I contacted counseling services when I knew this wasn't getting any better. I was nervous that I would experience these emotions while abroad, so I worked with my counselor to create goals for myself in hopes of not allowing my current state to get in the way. Some of my goals consisted of being comfortable with uncomfortable, trying new foods, being open-minded, and not allowing financial reasons to get in the way of what I hoped to do. Luckily studying abroad was an experience that positively changed my life—studying abroad allowed me the opportunity to be stress-free. Every day I woke up ready to experience the unexpected. Experiencing the unexpected has had a significant impact during my experience, and even today. I was finally opening up to trying different foods I knew I would not be open to back at home. For instance, I was not too fond of burgers and refused to try them back at home, although, while in Alicante, I was surrounded by burger restaurants and people who loved burgers. Therefore, I decided to have my first burger in Spain, and since then, I have come to terms that burgers are not as bad as I thought they would be! I was also able to make friends with students of the university. It was a great experience being able to learn their perspective of their country while I was also able to teach them my perspective of my life in the states. Having met them was very helpful. For example, I previously did not know anything about bullfighting and debated whether to attend the event. With their feedback, I decided not to participate because I realized it would be a traumatic experience for me. I also got out of my comfort zone to meet other students from Italy and Japan who were temporarily studying at the same university. We were able to exchange numbers, and we hope to see each other again in the future! Before this trip, I knew swimming was not my forte because I didn't know enough to swim deeper than 5ft. Within the program, we took multiple trips to the ocean, although the specific trip that stood out was where I went on a catamaran. I was hesitant about whether I should get in the water since I didn't know whether I could swim. I had supportive friends who all encouraged me to get in, and if anything, they would help me get back on the boat. IT TURNS OUT THAT I CAN SWIM, and the best part is that I found out I could swim while in Spain! This was an amazing experience I will never forget. I felt butterflies in my stomach when I realized I could swim, and I still feel the same excitement today. I was finally pushing myself to participate in activities I had always hoped to do. I have always wanted to read books for fun and journal. I bought a journal and book before I left abroad, not knowing whether I would actually use them. I met girls from USAC who loved to read and journal. Participating in these conversations with these girls helped motivate me to begin my book. I finished my first book in Spain, and since returning home, I have already completed two other books and plan on continuing to journal. As you can see, I have accomplished multiple goals that I could write a whole book. Words cannot explain how thankful I am for this experience because I feel the happiest I have ever been.

My study abroad experience in Lyon was amazing. I'm so glad that I chose to study in Lyon. My program directors were incredibly helpful and organized several fun outings, such as a snowshoe hike and a wine tasting, as well as picnics and other get-togethers so we could form a small community. My classes were all in French, and they were designed specifically for international students studying French. I got to meet students from around the world who had come to Lyon to learn French just like me. Forming friendships with people I would never have met if I hadn't come to Lyon was one of the program highlights for me.
I lived in an apartment with one other student in the USAC program. I had my own bedroom and attached bathroom and a small kitchen we shared. I like to cook, so the size of the kitchen was a bit irritating at times, but for 5 months it was a perfectly fine living space. I lived about 20 minutes away from the school, so we could either walk or take the bus.
The directors and local mandates in Lyon helped protect everyone during COVID as well. I felt safe most of the time out in public and indoors.
Overall, it was an amazing opportunity to learn French and to learn about myself as well. I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and learned so much about my own independence and ability to survive on my own in a foreign country where I didn't fully speak the language. I am so grateful that I was able to live in this beautiful city for 5 months and I am already planning ways to return in the future.

After having to plan and re-plan my study abroad trip several times during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding USAC was like seeing the light at the end of a tunnel. The advisors and staff made it so streamlined to join the program swiftly. Working with the USAC advisor provided me with so much relief and security that my study abroad experience was going to take off successfully (and it did!!). My USAC advisor provided me not only with so much information but so much confidence in myself to see things through. Every step in the process ensured I was on track with the country's requirements, my own scholarships, etc. I was fortunate to have such a stellar group along for the adventure too, which made me feel so at home in a new place. The academics offered through USAC too were phenomenal, and working alongside some of University College Cork's own instructors was an unforgettable experience of cultural immersion and sharing so many stories. I'm so grateful to have had such a positive experience with USAC's guidance and assistance along every step of the way!!

This was the best summer of my life! I was able to experience so many new things during the program. I was able to go to Stonehenge and the Roman baths. I was also able to go all the way from Wales in the north to Brighton in the south. Oxford was probably my favorite because of all of the historic buildings and culture. It was also fun to experience new foods like the toast sandwich. I would absolutely do another study abroad program again. I recommended studying abroad to everyone in college and high school.

Studying Abroad wasn't something that I thought I would be able to do in college. Between the Covid-19 pandemic, an intense college course load, and financial constraints, I had given up on studying abroad being a feasible option for me. However, when I received an email about the Summer Session offering in San Ramon it was like the stars aligned. It was the perfect program timeline to fit with my classes, I was able to obtain scholarships and financial aid, and it had everything that I was looking for in a program.
My time in San Ramon was spent immersing myself in the Tico culture, learning a new language, trying new foods, making life-long friendships, and learning every day. One of my favorite parts of my experience was learning about the Costa Rican health care system. One of my professors was an Emergency Room doctor in San Ramon, and through him, I was able to learn about tropical diseases, shadow at the local hospital, and visit a child care clinic in town. It was extremely rewarding to learn from a professional in the field as well as observe for myself.
My time spent with my host family was also one of my favorite parts of the experience. It can be absolutely terrifying to live with strangers, especially when they speak a different language. However, they were so accommodating and welcoming and it truly made me feel like a part of San Ramon to be with them.
I also can't forget about the incredible new experiences I had. I was able to learn how to surf, dance in traditional styles, kayak in bioluminescent waters, see amazing waterfalls and volcanoes, hike through one of the most biodiverse forests in the world, and so so much more. Costa Rica will always have a very special place in my heart, and I can't wait to go back someday!

I went to Spain with little to no expectations. I did not speak any Spanish and I really wanted to experience a new place and see what it was like. I am absolutely thrilled with the experience I had, the people I met, and the places I got to see. I would go back in a heart beat and encourage anyone thinking about going to Valencia to go! I can not say enough good things about the feel of the city and how there is something for everyone to enjoy. Some of my favorite memories include the Windsurfing class I took, spending time with my host mom and learning about her life and how her culture differed from mine, and enjoying the city!

I had so much fun in Lyon! The city was beautiful and I had fun exploring. The food was delicious! I stayed in a dorm which was nice but quite hot with no AC. I really enjoyed the field trips to Annecy and other places. I liked being able to travel on weekends, I went to Geneva Switzerland and Paris and London! The classes and teachers were a bit unorganized but the content for the most part was interesting. I definitely think I improved my french. I also made some great new friends. Overall a great time!

Some things I think you should know about the USAC Chiang Mai program:
- Thailand is a beautiful country
- Chiang Mai is a very safe city (even for solo women)
- the food here is AMAZING and there is a wide variety so even picky eaters can find something
- English is way more common than you would think
- Its a very affordable place. Food is typically $1-$10 a meal and nice hostels can be as low as $3 a night
- There’s very little homework and lots of free time to explore
- Great dorm location

There were different kids of foods from different Asian countries and it ranged from Indian food to Korean food! If you get bored of Chiang Mai you can book a flight for less than $80 and fly to other known areas like Phuket or Krabi! The humidity is no joke but you will get used to it. There are also a lot of Chinese and Japanese study abroad students and it’s awesome! CMU is a big campus but students can point you to the right place you need to go to. ATM machines are everywhere in Chiang Mai so you can withdraw money whenever.