USAC Reviews

I studied abroad through USAC at Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia! USAC helped me feel prepared and offered a ton of resources to help me, whether it be my individual contact who I could email with questions, housing information, pre-trip booklets with information about the area, etc. They recommended I live in the Griffith University Village, where I met some amazing people from all over the world! USAC also offered an early weekend excursion which also helped me make friends at the very beginning of the semester. I truly had the best four months of my life, and USAC helped me with every step along the way! I always felt supported and they were there with all the questions and concerns I had throughout my time in Australia. The social scene was also so fun in Gold Coast! During the day there's the beach and surfing, boutique shopping, and lots of restaurants with delicious food! At night, the bars and nightclubs are a fun place to dance and hangout with friends! There's always some sort of deal for college students, so it's pretty cheap to go out and have a fun night. I always felt very safe in Gold Coast, whether it be walking around Surfer's Paradise late at night or traveling on the tram. Speaking of the tram, it's such an easy way to get around! There are two stops that are basically on campus, and you can take the tram/train system to Brisbane, Burleigh Beach, Snapper Rocks, or even the Australia Zoo (it's pretty far -- but doable!). The tram system also has a student deal so it's very cheap to get around. 10/10 would recommend going to Gold Coast -- there's the beach, nightclubs, shopping, restaurants, and easy transportation! What more could you ask for! You won't regret it :)

My experience studying abroad in Verona, Italy was more than I could ever hope for. Verona is the perfect city to study abroad in. It has the perfect mix of tourism and quiet. Specific to the program, the best part about it was the program directors. Anna and Irene are the reason this program was so enjoyable. They are available to help you with anything you could possibly need. They were like my second moms away from home! They work so hard to make the program great and make sure you get everything you want out of your study abroad experience. In addition, they helped me find an internship that matched what I was studying for in school.

I just returned home from studying in Prague and I would go back in a heartbeat. The central location, program advisors, academics and so much more created the best experience possible. I lived in the apartment PB9 and it had and old feel to it but it was very live-able and great location. USAC gives the option to have a single room for just a little extra money and it was great. The advisors set up so many activities and we all really felt like a family. I only had class on Mondays and Tuesdays which allowed me to travel for the 5 days at a time to other countries. You will not be able to find this quality of a program at this low of a price. The program was separate from the local universities so I did not really get to feel like a local in an academic sense but the housing location helped with that. 10/10 USAC is unbeatable

I went abroad with USAC after being recommended the program by my advisor at my home university since I really wanted to study in the southern region of France and my school didn't really have any programs there. The cost was very reasonable, comparable to in-state tuition and included housing and organized excursions. The on-site program directors really helped navigate the university in a way that might have been difficult with just a direct exchange. I loved the opportunity to do a homestay and enjoyed the program-led excursions that I would not have done on my own, especially the guided tour in Paris before arriving in Pau. I highly recommend USAC for a study abroad program!

I'm a pre-med student, and I really recommend the health-based classes and the medical internship. It was very interesting to see the differences between the hospital here and my hospital back home. I made a lot of lifelong friends during this journey and people back home often commented on my photos saying how genuine all my smiles looked. My homestay family was so incredibly sweet and caring. I couldn't have asked for better hosts. I haven't felt this level of happiness in years and I'm proud to say I am taking 1/4 of the antidepressants that I was when I arrived here.

This experience has been the best decision I have ever made. I made friends and memories that will last a lifetime. My perspective on so many things has changed and I grew as a person in my time here in Valencia. There are so many amazing opportunities to have fun and go out of your comfort zone while abroad. I recommend everyone to do it because it will change you for the better. I am so grateful that I was able to have this journey. For other students, I would suggest to stay with a home stay because it was my way of having a little family here in Spain so I didn't get homesick, I just had a new family! Also, take every chance you get to put yourself out there!

My trip to Cuba was plagued with medical issues and not knowing what was going on with my body. In Cuba, cell service is rare, so I couldn't Google my symptoms at the drop of a hat like at home or call my mom to get soothing pep talks. I had to rely on the people around me, the community of students and professionals, as well as my own wits. That experience was tough. Through my challenges I was strengthened, and I learned that I can overcome really tough obstacles- even when I'm scared. I loved it. I would do it again tomorrow if I could.

Every day of my trip I was excited to wake up early and try something new! Whether it was a new food, a new temple, or a new experience in the classroom. Everyone in the program was incredibly welcoming and helped me transition and acclimate to my new surroundings. The field trips and field studies I participated in also taught me more about Thai culture that I had never considered before arriving in Thailand. These topics ranged from Hmong villages, to politics, to even the treatment of elephants. Many of these ideas were incredibly interesting and it was important for me to learn about them so that I could more thoroughly understand the culture and society I lived in during my study abroad. The most memorable parts of the trips for me was eating delicious and new foods with my friends. I would highly recommend trying mango sticky rice while abroad as it was my favorite snack/meal!

From hands-on teaching to beautiful housing right in the center of Valencia, USAC was truly the perfect program to study abroad with. I studied in Valencia, Spain through USAC in 2-18.

What helped me the most was the kindness of everyone here. The program directors were so caring, passionate, and helpful- during a process that, although I exciting, I was very stressed about.

If you are looking for a program that will push you to be your best self and to stress less, USAC uses incredible day-trips, activities, and new friends to push and excite you into your new home.

Every student at the end of our time in Valencia told me that they felt much more excited and confident about themselves and their own lives. I left Valencia with a sense of empowerment, excitement for life, and confidence in my ability to overcome.

USAC cares about its' students to a degree that they are willing to go the extra mile to make sure they feel safe and excited to study abroad, and that's the most important thing a program can offer.

I had an incredibly educational, immersive, mind broadening and meaningful experience studying abroad this past spring semester and feel fortunate to have had the experience. I developed skills in traveling, self sufficiency and communicating with people from other cultures amongst many other things. The classes offered through USAC were interesting and well organized and they complimented my experience very well. The living arrangements weren't the best but they served their purpose effectively and the location of our apartment was great. As a Spanish major, being fully immersed in a country where the native language spoken is the Spanish was extremely beneficial for my writing, reading and conversing abilities and my overall linguistic skill improved greatly. Madrid was an extremely cool and fun city to live in and there was never a shortage of things to do or see. The friends that I made within my program were wonderful, like-minded people who I hope will be life long friends. Over all the experience was a life changing four months that I will reflect on and cherish for the rest of my life.