USAC Reviews

I had so much fun in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. I got to experience their lifestyle, culture, and holidays. I got to interact with many local people and made great friends from there and from other parts of the world and United States. My host family took me to different places that I would have not gotten to see. To the future participants, go out and have fun.Get out of your comfort zone and travel. Interact with the locals and help out at a local school.

I participated in the marketing and communications expedition and internship program with Massey University. I had such an incredible study abroad experience! I had the opportunity to travel around New Zealand for 2 weeks with a group of about 30 people who I became good friends with. During the expedition, I got to see many beautiful places in New Zealand and got to hear from marketing and tourism professionals throughout the country. After completing the expedition part of the program, I interned with a nonprofit in Wellington. During my internship I did mostly social media marketing for an event but also was given the freedom and support to create a campaign with the other interns promoting the event. With this opportunity, I was able to see so much of New Zealand, meet amazing people, immerse myself in a new culture, and develop my digital marketing skills. Participating in this program was truly a life-changing experience and I would recommend it to everyone! Side note: you’ll definitely get the travel bug after this program!

For anyone considering studying abroad in Thailand, let me just start off by saying that it was the best experience of my life. I know that everyone says that about their study abroad experience, but I can honestly say that it left a lasting impact on me. I studied abroad in the summer of 2017 and honestly wouldn't have left if I didn't have to come home for school.

The people, food, and endless adventures make Thailand like no other place. I rode an elephant and was blessed by a monk in a temple on top of a hill. I slept on bamboo floors with hill tribe people and got to pet a tiger. If you are looking for some place that is adventurous, then you have come to the right spot.

I would recommend trying to take a weekend trip to the islands or Bangkok, I had a lot of fun there too. Its also very easy to get to other places in Asia too. Everyone always say Thai people are super nice and I can tell you they are! Mostly everyone spoke english or enough to where you could communicate. If you love Thai food, like me, then you will be in heaven. Everything is CHEAP and make sure to bargain for anything you buy in markets.

10/10 would recommend, you won't regret it.

The USAC team is very helpful and offers a ton of fun trips out side of the curriculum. Santiago can be dreary in the months may-august and in general is not a touristy city. this program is for people that are willing to reach out and get to know people around them in your community, if you're outgoing and can facilitate your own adventures both in an outside of Chile this program is for you. The best alpine skiing in the Southern Hemisphere is an hour outside of Santiago, the Atacama desert is unlike anywhere you will ever go on the planet and Patagonia is Patagonia. Nightlife very fun in Santiago, their bar districts are massive and karaoke is massively popular. People are shy but friendly if you make the effort to meet them. Overall, having a good time is not something that occurs just by being in Santiago, you have to immerse yourself and go out and seek it. USAC does the best they can to help you do this.

It was honestly one of the most eye-opening experiences from seeing a different culture as well as going without internet or phone service for the 3 weeks that I stayed. I did have the option to pay for slow internet or pay to call home but I decided to save the money and live in the past. I rode in cars older than my parents. I got to try new foods and listen to many Cubans tell me about their life. I was pushed outside my comfort zone by going 'alone' meaning that I didn't have any friends or family that went with me. I made friends in the same group as me and we all looked out for each other and had an amazing trip.

This place was amazing. I loved every second of this program. Not only did I get to learn how this country teaches, which is completely different from the US, but I also got to experience the beautiful land. Everyone is super friendly and wants to help you better yourself in any way. This place is one of my fondest memories. I would highly recommend going to study abroad in Australia and/or at least visit. You will never be the same after experiencing this culture. Also, other countries are so close and highly recommend traveling to them as well.

I decided to study abroad alone without knowing anyone which made my experience memorable. I was able to meet a lot of great people from the program and local people. They became some of my best friends showing me around the area so I became quite familiar. The best thing is that I still keep in touch with those friends, definitely recommend my friends to study abroad! IT is a life changing experience, leaving the country and meeting a whole new culture was very interesting. I fell in love with Costa Rica and have plans to return some day! A great place to spend vacation.

I picked this program location because I was a Biology and Spanish major and San Ramon incorporated these two perfectly. I took tropical Ecology, field study, and medical Spanish. I loved how much we got to go outside and explore and the excursions were awesome. The wildlife in Costa Rica is unbeatable. One of the best experiences was swimming in bio-luminescent water at night on a field trip for ecology. I also highly recommend taking dances of latin america which got everyone out of their comfort zone but was super fun. My host family was the absolute best and I keep in contact with my mama "tica" to this day. The only downside was that the city really shut down at night because it wasn't very safe to be out after dark (which it got dark at about 6:30). But I never experienced any problems and if you are smart about it, you shouldn't have to worry! Pura Vida!

This program was fantastic! The classes provided (I took Tropical Conservation Biology and its corresponding field study) were very applicable to my majors of Zoology and Environmental Science, and the field study itself was unforgettable. The electives (I took Latin American Dance, but Latin American Cooking was also an option) are also super fun and relevant to the culture of the country. My host family was super friendly and hospitable, and the USAC staff were very accommodating. All of the trips/tours that were provided through the program were loads of fun--I got to zipline through the jungle, see Arenal Volcano from hanging bridges, and ride horses on the beach.
Though the program description says that it is not required for you to know Spanish, I'd highly recommend you learn a bit of it before you go, because many of the locals in San Ramon do not speak English. That only added to the adventure for me, though!

This was one of the best decisions I made throughout my entire college career. There was so many things to do and the perfect amount of support and freedom. The people there speak Sichuan dialect, which is a little different than standard Mandarin, but it's really fun to get to know the slang. The people there are also really relaxed, and the program site is in an area where there are a lot of Tibetan people, so you'll learn a little more about minorities in China and Tibetan culture/language.