USAC Reviews

I had a great experience! This program convinced me that I want to pursue a career in which I can use my Spanish language skills. I think future participants should know to plan ahead as well as be flexible when plans change. I would also advise participants to try new things and enjoy being outside of their comfort zone. I would recommend spending as much time in nature as possible, the natural beauty in Chile is phenomenal and beyond comparison!

You Know You Studied Abroad in Melbourne When..

1. If you're from the U.S., you may have found your right hand sneaking to your heart, while singing the Australian national anthem at any given event. You tried to stop it, but it was too late. Everybody knows your secret.. You're American.
2. You’ve learned that the same rules for passing cars, apply to passing people: on the left. Otherwise you’ll do that awkward little apologetic shuffle dance with every person you cross paths with.
3. You acknowledge and respect that Melbourne weathermen and women have the hardest job in the world. They can only predict the psycho weather to some degree. Literally.
4. You've realized they don't make it easy to gracefully acquire a kid's meal when on a weekend travel budget. Example: my last food money-saving endeavor came in a cardboard box shaped like a barn.
5. You have to wonder who sat down one day and wrote the rules for footy.. “And they shall switch sides every quarter, wear short shorts and no protective gear, and they’ll have to pass..no, dribble the football-shaped ball every fifteen meters. Perfect.”
But of course you love the sport just as much as everyone else.
6. You’ve gotten used to eating gravy on just about everything and would like to request that you be buried in a gravy-filled grave when that day comes… a grave-y.
7. You're all too familiar with that musical chairs- like frenzy on the bus, when everyone boarding knows it's about to start moving. They're forced to either brace for impact, or launch themselves towards the nearest chair, and be forced to sit in it faster than a person should ever try to sit, when the bus makes it's jump to light speed.
8. You know what it's like to get carpal tunnel in your toes from walking on the beach for too long.
9. The only constant in your exercise routine is running to catch the tram.
10. If you went to Deakin, and lived in MC more specifically, you may have said the following to yourself several times: "It's quiet. Too quiet." *Fire alarm goes off* "Ah, I thought so."
11. You've realized Aus is like a geographically reverse California, with the best beaches up north, the more liberal people further south, less people and less politics in general, and therefore, more chill.
12. You've stayed in more hostels in the last 4 months than the rest of your life combined, and you've changed as a result. You've seen things you can't explain and things you can, but would rather suppress.
13. You miss Aus a lot when you go home, but let’s face it, home wasn’t the same without you. You’ve been singing a lot of Adele out loud to yourself, with extra soul, so it’s safe to say you’re coping with the adjustment pretty well. And in all fairness, it’s nice to have outlets that fit your plugs again.

A link to my blog, while studying abroad: http://blogs.gcu.edu/blog/category/study-abroad/

This program was excellent and I would highly recommend anyone looking to study abroad to choose San Sebastian. The apartments provided by USAC were all in great locations and close to the beach. The city was big enough to have a city feel but small enough to get a feel for within a week or two and the public transportation was convenient and easy to use. I was also able to easily travel to different countries by flying out of Madrid which is a short bus ride away. The culture of San Sebastian is truly unique as it incorporates not only Spanish traditions but it also has a large Basque influence that is interesting. I highly recommend this program, you'll have the time of your life!

On paper, this program didn't look as exciting as some of the bigger study abroad programs, but it turned out to be so much more than I could have ever asked for. Every week USAC staff led cook outs, hikes to castles, kayaking trips, tours, cultural activities, weekends away, a tour of central Europe, and more. There was never a dull moment and I got to explore both Prague and the Czech countryside. I feel like I got know the culture c from local people who are passionate about sharing their lives and culture. The courses were filled with field trips that kept the classes interesting and allowed us to make personal connections with the course material. In my diplomacy course, we visited Prague Castle and met with Czech diplomats. In my Transition from Communism course, we visited Radio Free Europe, Parliament, and other monuments in Prague.
Being in Central Europe was such a unique experience because it is affordable, close to other countries so you can easily visit different countries and cities on short trips, the culture is so vibrant and there is so much to see, do and learn. One of the best and most impactful parts of this program is how knowledgeable and supportive the USAC Prague staff were and I feel very connected to Prague and the Czech Republic.

Cork is an incredible city in Ireland. I would highly recommend it over Dublin. The university is a beautiful castle. The on-site advisor for USAC was one of the most wonderful people I have ever met, she had me over for tea and scones and I'm still in contact with her a year later. Housing was great, I lived in The Spires which were so close to campus and to downtown. There's a large international community at the university and in the city which is amazing.

I knew I wanted to study abroad from the moment I went to college. By the time I reached my junior year i finally decided to do it! I wanted to go somewhere that would push me out of my comfort zone. Somewhere where I didn't know the language, so id pay attention. Somewhere where the customs were different from my own, so Id open my eyes. Somewhere where I could fully immerse myself into a world I didn't know much about. Florianopolis, Brazil was just that. In my time there I made friends that will last me a lifetime, learned a new language, enriched myself in Brazilian culture, ate the best food i've ever had, and made memories that i will never forget. If I could back and do it again, id do it in a heartbeat. USAC crafted a perfect program to support us throughout our time there without being overly involved, and It was nothing short of perfect. I still talk to my program director even to this day, and he even made a visit to San Francisco and saw us! I loved every second of it and would recommend to anyone thinking of going through USAC to Florianopolis Brazil to give it a go. Even if it wasn't initially your first choice, I promise you wont regret it!

I’d recommend going to a small city like Viterbo in Italy. I was forced to communicate in Italian and I learned a lot of Italian and of the culture (I also rarely saw tourists). I met so many people from all over Europe and made so many American friends as well. It’s important to make those extra choices and step out of your comfort zone, because you’ll never know what could happen. After taking the initiative to travel on the weekends, sometimes by myself, I now have the itch to travel the world. Once you study abroad, you’ll catch the travel bug!

I could not have picked a more perfect destination for my study abroad experience. Reggio is a smaller, intimate city in which tourists are uncommon. With its beautiful streets, kind residents, and central location, it is truly a great place to live. I felt safe once I was in the city, but I will admit my apartment had a somewhat sketchy walk from my apartment. I loved that through this program, we had multiple opportunities to bond as a group, including our welcome dinner and a few different excursions around Italy. The train station was only a short walk to get to, and there are truly so many places you can easily get to from Reggio. My favorite memories were going to K2 for gelato, Candor for pizza, and hanging out with my friends at Piazza Fontanese. My life truly changed from this program, as it immersed me into a new culture, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and allowed me to make friends from both Italy and the U.S. Reggio was small enough to feel like a part of the community, but big enough to truly experience all aspects of Italian life. I would recommend taking the cooking class- it was truly one of the best parts of my experience!

I loved my semester in Alicante. I would recommend living with a host family. It really helped me improve my Spanish and get to know the city. If you want to live with a host family but you're nervous, just go for it! You'll learn so much The staff at USAC were superb and they also made my trip great. They were always very helpful when we had questions. They also brought us on amazing field trips to Granada and to Morocco. The trip to Morocco was my favorite trip from my entire semester abroad. Alicante itself was a beautiful seaside city that I would recommend to any traveler!

I had an absolute blast in Lyon. I met a ton of really interesting people from around the world in my courses, and made life long friends. I had a great time with my host family! There are many options for transportation but everything was close enough I chose to walk most everywhere! It was an absolutely incredible experience, and lyon is an amazing city to live in: great food, lots of amazing art, and an overall buzz of a fantastic place to be.