Program Reviews

I could not imagine studying abroad with any program but ASA! The staff in the states (hi Cayleigh) and in Ireland (hi Olwyn) was supportive in every step of the process! The most valuable benefit that was offered through the ASA program was the excursions. Not only was I able to explore the city I called home for a semester, but other beautiful cities in the country. Another valuable benefit of ASA is the variety of living arrangements offered. I lived in a residence hall at Griffith College; the hall community sparked immediate bonding with fellow study abroad students that I have already visited and reunited with in the states. Just from my experience, a few reasons to study in Ireland include the city's charm and craic (Irish for “good fun”) and with no language barrier, the ability to chat with locals!
TIP: the Irish use the phrase "top up" instead of "reload money" when it comes to phone plans and Leap cards (for DublinBus)

Going abroad with ASA was so easy. The staff is friendly and easy to contact, the planned trips are fun and the housing is perfect. The company is small but has representatives on every campus they work with and are available through email anytime. Overseas there are location directors to guide you around the city and take you on a couple of weekend trips, Chiara is excellent! The weekend trips planned for when I was abroad were Rome and Venice, which were perfect because I might not have gone to either of those locations on my own. We also had a few program gatherings local to Florence to check out museums and do a gelato crawl. Housing is in the city center minutes from nearly every monument, museum and all the best restaurants. ASA was the perfect fit for my abroad experience.

I could not have picked a better program to study abroad with. Everyone from the advisers to the programs main contacts were exceptionally helpful every step of the way. I was drawn to this program because of the afordable price point, and I'm so glad I was because the left over money I had let me travel all across Europe with some of my now best friends. Studying abroad is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so happy that I got to experience it through ASA

This program was such a perfect fit for my study abroad experience. Chiara was an amazing 'abroad mom' and makes everyone feel so comfortable! My apartment was right in the middle of the city and close to everything I needed. The university was perfect. It had multiple locations therefore students had to explore the city more which I loved. The excursions for ASA were great. I would not have figured out Rome without Chiara and it definitely got the group excited to travel since we went so early on. I would do it again in a second and wish I had another opportunity to go abroad with ASA!

I had an amazing experience in France! I loved Aix En Provence so much. I feel like ASA & IAU made the experience phenomenal. Like everyone who studies aborad, I was home sick but then I got over it. I had the opportunity to meet amazing friends, and travel together. I would do it again if I had the opportunity, I fell in love with it that I hope I can move there in the future. My host Mom was adorable! She made me feel at home.

ASA was a great program to go through. The staff was extremely helpful. I got sick while I was abroad and my program director immediately helped me find a doctors office to go to and helped me through the steps to get an appointment since the healthcare system is different than it is here. They are a great company. I really liked that we had trips throughout the semester to other places in the UK. My group went to Stonehenge, Bath, Oxford, the Cotswolds and on a weekend trip to Wales. I definitely recommend ASA to anyone wanting to go abroad.

I have participated in many exchanges abroad with many different programs, but never encountered one quite like this one. The in-country support from our program director, Gabi, was amazing from the start. Before arriving in Argentina, she answered any and all of my questions, making me have zero worries about living thousands of miles away from home. I was impressed with the number of trips we took through the program (my favorite being to Iguazu falls!). I felt like through the program we were able to experience many things that may have been overlooked or missed has I traveled alone or without a program.

The best part of Argentina for me was the people. From my host family to strangers on the street, I found the locals to be welcoming and excited to show me the real Argentina. My favorite memory was actually my taxi ride to the airport on my last day in the country. The Taxi driver saw I was sad to leave the place I had called home for 4 months. He ended up driving me on a "city tour" and making sure I saw all the landmarks I might have missed. Before reaching my final destination, the taxi driver ordered me Choripan and Alfajores so my last meal in Argentina could be as authentic as possible. This taxi ride truly captured the Argentine spirit.

Studying abroad in Florence was a beyond amazing experience that words cannot describe. Florence brought a whole new perspective to my life that has forever changed me. As a hospitality management major, I learned more from the local business owners of Florence than I will ever in a college classroom. Their hospitality is overwhelming and they knew how to make you feel at home even in a foreign country where I did not know the language. My friends and I returned to the same businesses almost daily because we liked the familiarity of the place and how the owners slowly became to know our orders and names. It's nice to have somewhere to go where you feel welcome when being thousands of miles away from where you have felt welcome your whole life. These businesses have been loved and cared for by these families for generations and I just wished that America had the same outlook on small family businesses as Florence did. I will now, almost always choose a family run business before I step into a chain restaurant. Thank you Florence for your amazing, family-oriented atmosphere and I hope some of your gracious hospitality has worn off on me.

One sunny Friday afternoon people everyone living at our house prepared a parilla to celebrate the long weekend. We had chorizo, bife, pan, salsa criollo, and ensalada de mango. It was delicious! My roommate and I even went around the neighborhood picking flowers from the street to decorate the table. We sat around the table talking about life, philosophy, and basically whatever popped into our head. It was a great day with delicious food and amazing company! I am grateful to have had this experience in Buenos Aires, I will always remember it.

My time in the beautiful city of Florence was by far the best time of my life! I got to live in an apartment perfectly located in the historical center and fully immerse myself in the Italian culture. Although the academics were not traditionally challenging, I got the chance to learn in a personal and flexible environment learning things I would not have in a classroom in the states. A large part of my extremely positive experience came from our site director Chiara. She was incredibly kind, enthusiastic and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know us and making sure we had a wonderful time. We even began to call her our "Italian mom." ASA was extremely helpful and supportive throughout the entire process from application to boarding my plane to go home. I would highly recommend the program as well as the general study abroad experience. It truly changed me as a person and how I look at the world. I have a thirst to explore more of the world and to experience other cultures. I greatly miss Firenze and hope to one day return to my favorite city in the world!