USAC Reviews

My experience in China was like no other. I could not have asked for a better group of USAC students and program mentors. Living abroad can be quite difficult and stressful, but having the right program supervisors and friends you met abroad can make all the difference. China itself is a whirl wind that you never really get use to, but you grow to love. After returning home from a six month trip I missed everything about China. I was pretty home sick at times when I was there, but looking back now I wish I would of tried harder to not worry about home and just enjoy the moment. It all goes by so fast. My suggestion to future participants is to take a breathe, enjoy every moment, and take tons of pictures! Also have fun and don't let the little things detour you from having the best time.

I loved studying in Valencia. The city is a great size and full of museums and parks. My Spanish classes were great and there were several fun activity classes I took as well. My university was under a mile from the beach. Plenty of great restaurants and I met a lot of Spanish and other European students also studying abroad. The program staff was very helpful. They encouraged us to speak Spanish with them but were happy to help in English at any time. The students who lived in home stays generally liked it. I lived in the apartment with most of the other USAC students and a lot of ERASMUS students.

Scotland. The most perfect country! I have never been to a more welcoming and fun place in all my life! The people were friendly wherever you went. The school was not too big, not too small. You're a hop skips from town so you can either walk, bike or bus. Then you have the train station that runs directly through town, so anytime you want to get to the city (Glasgow or Edinburgh) you can. I also went on a trip through the highlands, which was lovely. The sights are phenomenal and the history is fantastic! Stirling is a lovely town with bustling shops and plenty of restaurants to keep you busy during the week. The castle is one of my favorites in Scotland, and the Wallace Monument is worth all 246 steps. Climb Dumyat, the hill right behind campus: It's a great hike for beginners or experts. A Harry Potter fans dream world as well! Scotland holds many prominent filming sites for people to go and enjoy, as well as the Elephant Café, where the first novel was written. Flights out of either airports were plenty as well. I managed to do 9 other countries in my short 5 month stay. Take advantage of being in Europe and TRAVEL!! Whether its by hitting every city in Scotland, or training around Europe- DO IT! There is so much out there to see and learn... open your eyes and live.

Torino is one of the best cities in Italy to study abroad in. Though it's one of the largest cities, it remains authentically Italian. Not many people speak English, which at first was difficult. However, it forced us all to truly immerse in the culture, learn the language, and become more independent people. It also helped that the people of Torino are extremely welcoming, kind, and helpful. They won't make you feel bad for pronouncing everything incorrectly!

Also, for travel it is a prime location. Being in northern Italy, you're in a central location for traveling. France is just a short train ride away, and you can get to any other country with a cheap train, bus, or flight. I was able to travel to so many different countries over the weekends. My only regret was not staying in Torino more!

Overall, if I could go back, I would do this same program all over again. I had amazing experiences, made lifelong friends, and have such a strong appreciation for Italian culture.

I had no idea what to expect going into this trip, which is the reason I’m writing this review. First of all, Pau is an adorable town that has a cute town center and public transportation running through every corner of the city, so I wouldn’t worry about that. The program heads will literally walk everyone to the station where you buy bus passes if you need them. My husband and I lived ~15 minutes away from campus and we walked everyday and were fine! We went for the Fall semester, and the weather was absolutely perfect the entire time. It rains a little, but we loved that. Also, if you go during the summer, be aware that almost no places have air conditioning! Only the movie theater will provide you with come cool air, and movie tickets are really cheap. This program is excellent at taking you on excursions and showing you important French places and history. Go on EVERY excursion and free tour that you can! Even if it’s in French and you’re not that confident! Be ready to make friends because you will attend each excursion with the same people. However, while these people are from all over the United States (and probably have differing cultures), it’s a little easy to only hang out with other Americans and not branch out (as far as social life goes). And that’s not really the point of studying abroad, so socialize with French people and other foreigners! They’re all very nice. That brings me to my favorite aspect of this program, which is the fact that everyone takes a Language Placement test at the beginning of the semester and is matched up with all other foreigners in that school at the same level (except for European students from Erasmus). In my class, there were people from Russia, Japan, Austrailia, Iraq, Brazil, Ghana, and more! We saw each other everyday and we created intense bonds. This was my favorite part of the whole experience, I will never forget those relationships. That said, I do wish I would’ve socialized with more French kids my age, but they already seem to have their own friends at school so they’re harder to approach—Be brave! The teachers are incredibly nice and the classes are VERY manageable. It’s very easy to get straight A’s, (if you do the homework), so don’t worry about that. Don’t worry if you can’t understand your teacher on the first day, you’ll be able to understand every word s/he says by the end of the semester. Almost all host family experiences I heard of were positive, but every single story about living in the dorms was also positive. Other foreigners live in the dorms and that can create even more friend opportunities. Plan a few trips before hand, but you don’t have to book every single thing because plans will change and maybe you’ll want to follow a friend group going to a specific place on the weekend. Try to travel every weekend!! See as much as you can. Consult RyanAir and Flixbus for everything!! Also the trains are very nice and stop through Pau. Learning French will happen if you just try to communicate. Yes, it will be hard and awkward, but once you do it you will gain confidence. Last tip: Get excited to study abroad!! This will give you memories to last a lifetime.

Hey there,

I've been to the USAC Ghana Summer School II in 2017 and it has been one of my best experiences abroad so far. Why's that?

First of all, the support from the staff at USAC Accra has been outstanding and very welcoming. Especially our three very dedicated student buddies, who supported us 24/7. They teached us how to navigate around campus, how to take a trotro (and what the prices are so that we don't get ripped off), how to bargain on the market and if we didn't felt comfortable going alone somewhere, they came along.

The whole program was pretty well organised, from the lectures during the week, to all the 2-3 days trips over the weekend, to explore the country. Every tour was organised and accompanied by Uncle Joe, who made sure that we can try out local delicacies (fruits, fish, pastries, etc.), provided us with interesting facts and figures and calmly solved every incident along the way. Every trip truly was a unique and memorable adventure. Also the lecturers were passionate and fun to work with. Especially the Twi Language course was a lot of fun and provided us with all necessary words to hold a short conversation, bargain on the market and get a taxi. All that in two weeks.

Besides the lectures I volunteered at the Play and Learn Foundation. It's a program which you can support in the "service learning" course. However, you can also volunteer without taking the course and mentor the kids in your free time. It is a lot of fun and a rewarding thing to do. I'm still in touch with the foundation as they do amazing work for the kids.

When it comes to housing we lived in a student hostel on campus. The location was great, next to a night market (don't get confused by the name, it's open 24hrs) and only a 5 min walk away from a small grocery store. One thing you need to get used to might be the washrooms with cold water only in the shower. For me, that never was an issue. However, if you need a 5 star hotel standard, it's not the right place for you to stay.

I could go on forever, as this 4-weeks trip was filled with amazing memories and new experiences.

This program was the best choice I ever made! From arrival to departure we had a fantastic time. The small town Italy atmosphere was perfect in Viterbo. We were truly immersed in the culture and loved our little town. I recommend this program for those who are looking for a slower pace of life as compared to the big city lifestyle. The USAC staff was amazing as well! Super friendly and helpful. The courses and teachers were enjoyable. Living in Viterbo is like being transported to the past. Everywhere you look there is something beautiful! Also the food is AMAZING. All over Italy and in Viterbo. Do yourself a favor and discover the hidden gem of Viterbo!

I had already traveled to 6 countries before heading down to CR for 9 weeks, so I expected everything to be smooth sailing. When I ended up with some serious culture shock and homesickness, the USAC office members were always there to chat. I learned so much about the world and had so much fun on the included field trips. The classes I took were spanish language courses and a dance class. The dance class was obviously very fun and light hearted, but the Spanish classes were intense. I learned more spanish in 9 weeks of courses at UNA and from my host family then I did in 2 years in the US. Living with a host family was a highlight of my trip, although I had to switch halfway through. Some of the homes are really far from the city center and the school. I had a much different (and I’d say better) experience when I lived a 15-20 minute walk from everything versus one hour.

I had the best time in St. Andrews. The academic aspect of studying abroad was very challenging but I have learned a lot. Before coming abroad I heard USAC was very accommodating and was like a concierge service for you abroad. I was told I would be picked up from the airport and if I got sick I would have someone to contact. However, I rarely heard from my advisor. I had a problem when I was coming abroad and when I called my advisor I learned she had left town and was no receiving calls the entire time I would be traveling and moving into housing. When I had to apply for a visa and needed questions answered she often told me she wasn’t sure what the correct answer was and when I researched he question myself the answer she had given me was wrong. I would expect a study abroad advisor to at least have more knowledge in applying for a visa. I highly recommend coming to ST. Andrews, but I do not necessarily think you should pay the extra price for USAC.

Overall my experience abroad was fantastic. The classes were interesting and the professors were really passionate about what they were teaching. My main objective of studying abroad was to travel everywhere and get out of my comfort zone. I travelled every weekend to somewhere new in Europe and it honestly won’t have been possible without the support of the program staff. This experience was better than I even imagined before starting the application process. I had the opportunity to meet new friends and long-lost family, travel everywhere in Europe, learn a new language, and take a huge leap out of my comfort zone. I recommend any student in college to study abroad because it’s an amazing experience to be a part of.