Program Reviews

I’ll never forget my time as an exchange/visiting student at Yonsei in South Korea. I went the semester before I graduated, and the flexibility of the class schedule was perfect for seeing not only Korea but also a few other countries in Asia. I really enjoyed getting to know actual Yonsei students living in Korea full-time a I got the most immersed because I joined a dance team on campus and made friends through practicing and performing with them, which was definitely one of my favorite aspects of the program. So thankful!!

I think USAC was a great program for my study abroad experience! I loved the program and I loved the people who worked for USAC. Everything went so smoothly and I think all of the activities were perfect for our program. I also thought the education was perfect. It was challenging, but I learned so much and I am so grateful for it. The people I met along the way were also great. I did not know anyone going into this, and I feel so lucky that I get to know all of these people outside of Spain! USAC is great.

Even though my program only lasted three weeks, I still have deeply fond memories of exploring Plaza de Los Luceros, eating tapas with friends at 100 Montaditos, hiking the mountain trail to el Castillo de Santa Barbara, taking the tram to the UA campus for class, and our group excursions to Guadalest and Valencia. The class I took was very fun and informative, and my classmates and I had a great time working together. The USAC and UA staff were wonderful and supportive throughout the duration of the program. I only wish we could have stayed longer!

Studying abroad was a lot of fun through my experience. I met a lot of lifelong friends, enjoyed the adventures, tried lots of good food and traveled. I would recommend any program where you can study abroad; however, make sure you look into it before you sign up. There were a lot of things lacking with the USAC program, like communication, such as things needed while staying in Korea, or paper documents you needed.

However, it was so fun. USAC is a great program that gives you a lot of opportunities, but it is very expensive.

Would I study abroad again? Yes

I enjoyed my time in the Netherlands. I am so grateful to have gone and I’m grateful to have the finances to do the traveling that I wanted to while being in Europe. The academic and specific program that I was in was not great. I think the school was very unorganized. This was not just an issue as an exchange student but many of the students there also felt the same way the teachers, the staff, and the program directors all lacked the proper skills, which made it very difficult, for example there was like almost no help with registration. It was a complete frenzy and free-for-all. It was not at all digital so everything was on a call basis. They made most students way around all day to get a call to have classes ready everyone had to do it on a piece of paper. There was almost no way of checking timeslots. The whole thing was a complete disaster everyone, including the students who were not exchange, were completely frustrated on top of this other things like the class structure, the curriculum the pacing it was all just very messy to me, and I just heard nonstop criticism from local students as well. But again my experience was still overwhelmingly positive but again that’s because I had the money and resources to travel and make the most of my time there the school was not my final take away, but for someone who is going for the academics I would strongly advise them to pick another program.

I’m honored to have this abroad experience. I was able to learn about my family’s culture and was able to grow immensely from living by myself for the first time ever. I was able to learn a new language and be able to adapt to different situations everyday. My views had changed entirely on international relationships. I have never met so many people from around the world. As an American it has humbled me so much and it has encouraged me to travel to other parts of the world. Japan is definitely a place that I would visit again.

I'm so glad that I went to Nagasaki to study abroad for the spring semester. Not only did I have the opportunity to meet many friends from around the world, but I also gained insight into Japanese culture and history. It was also great to interact with Japanese students and improve my Japanese language skills, as now it would be how I would have to communicate. Having this opportunity, I believe I improved not only in speaking Japanese, but with interacting with so many people and making new friends. New experiences like speaking a new language or learning the transportation system in an entirely different country helped me get out of my comfort zone and gain a new level of independence.

Coming to Nagasaki, what I really enjoyed was the beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms that appeared at the beginning of the semester, and the abundance of trees in a rich green that I had never seen before. Not to mention how Nagasaki is enriched with so much history and international cultural influences as a port city. There is just so much to learn, see, and even eat.

My study abroad experience changed my life. Santiago is a must-see city with so many things to do. My Spanish drastically improved, though I will say the Chilean accent is hard to understand at times. The city is very easy to navigate and accessible for the blind, hard-of-hearing, and wheelchair users. I recommend this program to anyone studying international relations, because the classes are tailored to that, but also to anyone studying the Spanish language. I study TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and I was able to finish my Spanish minor with this program.

I had the best experience abroad in Australia! It was definitely a life changing experience and I met some of the most amazing people while there and had some amazing experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere else. I would tell anyone to study abroad if they get the chance because you learn so much about yourself and the world. I have grown so much since being abroad and it was a dream come true being able to do so. Australia was a dream and if given the opportunity I would do it again.

Deciding to study abroad in Chiang Mai through USAC was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The staff was ridiculously helpful and the city itself was amazing. Wonderful field trips and all of the students became very close. Highly recommend a specialized program as the community you gain from being in the same cohort as other students is hard to beat. I would highly recommend this program to anyone, but especially those who love nature and learning about Buddhism and psychology. The professors are amazing as well.