USAC Reviews

Open-minded people. Spirituality. A family. A new career outlook. Perhaps your old self. France, like many other countries, is a pathway that will lead you to places you never thought could be so beautiful had you not decided to take them.
Everyday is something new. In France, a day in the life for me was so much more than the smells of warm chocolate croissants coming from the patisseries, or the rain splashing down on my umbrella. It was learning about myself through the struggles of language barriers, to the unfortunate forgetfulness of my boarding pass, to the talks about life with local taxi drivers at 2am. You will never be able to limit what you are looking for if you decide to embark the path of studying abroad, because they will undoubtedly find you, and prove you wrong in all of the best ways imaginable.

Before studying abroad, I had never left the United States. Going to Europe absolutely changed my life. I made many new friends, went on adventures every single day, and was faced with small challenges in my everyday life. I was immersed in an entirely new culture and I experienced things that some people will never experience in a lifetime. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who is considering studying abroad.

At first, I had issues with the customer service in Spain - it is downright awful. The people in Spain tend to be more straightforward and cold, but then you realize you don't have to do things like leave a tip ever and it is more apparent why. They are very proud people which for me was an issue being the descendant of indigenous people who were oppressed and killed by the Spanish. You will see no recognition of that genocide caused by Spain but that is more pertinent to Latin American people for those who care about those matters. They WILL think your spanish is funny if you are a native speaker from another country, but for the most part I saw much more respect for other races than I do in the US. They are not as modern in Spain like in the US but very sustainable nonetheless. Their transportation system is incredible. There is a tram that goes everywhere and a bus. You can also walk almost everywhere- it is amazing. The city is one of the safest cities I have EVER been in. My roommates and I go out to parties, come back home late, and never felt in danger. It is a very laid-back, liberal city, and despite some rude people- the lifestyle they have makes you never want to leave! I traveled a good amount on weekends to other countries and truly grew attached to Alicante. I honestly feel like it is my second home. I would always miss it, even on weekends. I love how close the beach is, the clubs overlook the water, there are always great deals so it is also very cheap!!! I was very undecided between studying in Madrid, San Sebastian, or Alicante and I am so glad I chose Alicante. If you are into very big cities, then Alicante is not for you. It does not have a big city feel in my opinion, but it has everything you need. Big shopping malls, nice clubs (although not crazy ones like Barcelona obviously), a really clean beach, a beautiful view of a castle, great restaurants, and an amazing lifestyle. I learned to go party every single night and still went to school the next day. People don't drink the way Americans do, drinking is purely social. I thought it would be crazy and at times it was, but for the most part I think Spanish people just know that going out and being outside is crucial for happiness and being social! There is never an excess of drinking or being crazy. I really love it. There is no better place to be as a young person than Alicante! Also, the advisers at USAC will go OUT of their way to help you. They are truly amazing. Luis especially. The classes offered at USAC were challenging but fun, and you will learn much more than Spanish. The professors were so well rounded and always talked about current events, and so much more than the topics in class which were equally educational. Europeans are just so much more well rounded than Americans. They were also very supportive of our weekend travels and always had good advice. I will always carry this time period as the best time of my life. I hope to return very soon!

I just finished my semester abroad in Alicante using the USAC study abroad program. This program is supportive of you from day one when you decide you want to do study abroad. Your advisors in Nevada are fantastic and go the extra mile to make sure you are ready and prepared for going to study across seas. Once you get to Alicante or wherever you are going the support continues on. In Alicante, the staff there are very nice people, and want you to succeed and have a great time. I had a fantastic professor named Lordes. She really cares about her students and has a passion about them learning Spanish. If you are ever struggling she is more than happy to spend time with you outside of class to help you improve. The program offers so many fun field trips and events so you can get to know other USAC students. The housing I was provided was perfect for me. I asked to not live with USACs students. I wanted that arrangement so that I could have both friends from USAC and friends from other places in the world. I lived with 2 British , 1 Malaysian, 1 Polish, and 1 Spanish roommate(s). This opened me up to new cultures and amazing new friendships. I was living with Erasmus students. Having Erasmus roommates allowed me to make friends from all over Europe and learn about different cultures and ideas. I recommend you bond with USAC students, but also make time for making friends with locals and people who are not American. I strongly recommend doing the Intercambio program. This allowed me to be paired up with a Spanish local that wants to learns English just as much as I want to learn Spanish. We helped each other improve in our language skills. My intercambio became a good friend of mine. Lastly, I know many of you will want to explore the other surrounding countries which is great, however do take time to get to know the beautiful city of Alicante or wherever you go, and also explore many cities of your host country as well. My time in Madrid was so magical. Toledo is also a very interesting city to see. If you are studying in Spain during the fall semester you may want to visit Zaragoza in October and observe and participate in the Fiesta del Pillar. I was lucky to have a Spanish friend from Zaragoza who took me to her home in Zaragoza and introduce to me this annual week long party and celebration there. Enjoy your time abroad and savor each moment. The time goes fast because the experience is amazing.

I really loved this program. When signing up for the program, I listed that I preferred to live on campus. I originally wanted this option because I thought it would be easiest, and because for those of us who aren't morning people it's faster! I do not regret this decision at all! I lived, literally, across the street from the school and it was really nice, especially when there was 2 feet of snow!

My day started, I woke up and went to German class, followed by 2 other classes. It was really nice because I was finished with my school days pretty early in the day. After class, my classmates and I would go eat in the Mensa with other international students and some German students as well. We would then do whatever else needed. I went to Pennymarkt, which is a local grocery store, to get food normally two or three times a week. It's really close to the university, probably about a 4 minute walk, at the most, so extremely convenient. We had classes only Monday through Thursday, Fridays were reserved for tests, which wasn't every week.
Wednesday nights we typically went out to the city and went to the bars and clubs with other international students. I'm not too sure why, but Wednesdays were the days that we noticed lots of the Germans out as well! It was really fun and became a tradition in our group.
The only downside of living on campus, is getting home after going out all night. The first semester I was lucky enough to become really good friends with someone who I would always walk home with, but during the spring semester I typically either rode my bike home, or walked alone (which I don't entirely recommend). Lüneburg is a very safe city. I never feared walking alone at night, like I do here in America.

This truly is a great program and I recommend it to every person in the German department at my University. It's in a small enough town to where you are forced to speak German, but is also only 30 minutes away from Hamburg, where you can go shopping, visit the Reeperbahn and even see HSV play!

Studying abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica was one of the best decisions I could have possibly ever made. Every minute of everyday felt like a dream come true. I lived an amazing adventure for several months that I could never possibly forget. Costa Rica itself has amazing places to see, very kind and humble locals, delicious food! I spent nearly every weekend out exploring and trying new things I never would have done! I went bun-jee jumping with the most peaceful views in Monte Verde, hiked up to miradores that had amazing views of the cities, laid on the beach for hours at a time enjoying the sun and the amazing views Costa Rica offers, rode horses along breathe taking rain-forests, zipplined nearly a million times in several different parts of Costa Rica, repelled down water falls, spend hours dancing to latin music at local clubs, and made some of the most amazing and unforgettable friendships and memories that I wouldn't trade for the world. My experience in Costa Rica would have never been the same without my USAC family, each and every one of them hold a special place in my heart. My mama tica y mi hermana tica who literally treated me like their own! The program directors Dehalma and Carlitos were more than amazing. They always went above and beyond to make sure you were happy and having a great time. The professors were all fantastic, you learn so much in so little time!! I found myself completely in love with Costa Rica and wishing I was a local. When it was time to finally go home I as well as most of the USAC students that I studied with started crying. I did not want it to end. Even now, 6 months later my experience never leaves my mind. I miss everyone and everything so so much!

I remember that the first time I woke up in my new home in Costa Rica, I underwent a number of emotions. I remember waking up the welcoming bright sun and the warm skin-hugging air and having a moment of disbelief that I actually did it, I am officially studying abroad! I don't know if it was the thousands of birds sing-songing on the tree in my backyard, or the warm welcome I received from my two new host pets (two gorgeous poodles, one black and one white), but I felt like I had instantly found a home away from home. As I continued to experience the life of the Costa Rican, I found myself not looking forward to leaving the beautiful relaxed lifestyle, in which I truly belong, to go back to the City That Never Sleeps. Though I love my loud and bustling New York City, the "pura vida" atmosphere that I experienced in Costa Rica was unlike anything I had experienced before. It allowed me to be able to relax and enjoy my thoughts as I embraced the subtle soundtrack of the waves of the beach and the soft rustling of the trees that I am so often deprived of by constantly being surrounded by cement and loud noises.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country that I got to explore with this program. The country is great for any type of traveller and there are so many great places to sight-see or escape the tourism. I learned a lot about a new culture and improved my Spanish without being pushed out of any comfort zones. Awesome first time abroad!

Studying in the USAC Torino Program you get the full Italian culture immersion. It was one of the best experiences of my life. The courses were interesting and the staff were super helpful. I wish I could go back. The apartment I stayed in was super nice as well. I love Torino!

Chile was amazing!

I loved the chance to stay with a host family - most of the students lived with older couples or singles who didn't have children or whose children were older. I lived with a young family with a 7-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy and I loved it!

The trip to the north was the highlight of the semester. I highly recommend it - Chile's north is incredibly beautiful, both naturally and culturally.

I also recommend taking the opportunity to travel around the country as you can - definitely take a weekend in Valpo or Viña, head up into the mountains for hiking or rafting, and go south if you can afford it. But don't miss out on Santiago! There is SO much to see within the city, and the metro makes it very easy to get around, so take advantage of that. Explore the city! Get out of your comfort zone.

As far as academics go, I didn't think that the courses were challenging at all. There was hardly any homework and the exams were easy. Honestly, I wished that they had been more challenging.

But overall, I had a wonderful experience in Chile and I highly recommend the program.