Program Reviews

My study abroad experience was hands down the most incredible experience of my life. API made the trip amazing with their continuous support and the excursions. When I began the journey I was terrified to be going alone, but they were with me every step of the way. I made amazing friendships with people who I am still close with today. When I tell people about the cost of my trip and what was included they are blown away. API definitely beat out the competition since I spent so much time researching. I will forever remember my trip and I can't wait to someday return to Spain and Portugal!

When making my decision to study abroad in Ireland, I had researched a few different companies and by far, API was the best choice for me. API provided a slightly longer summer program than my second choice and I am very happy it did. After 5 weeks in Galway, I had mixed emotions about going home. Although part of me missed home, the other part didn't want to leave the friends I had met and the experiences we had.

Before leaving for my trip, I was definitely very nervous since I had never gone on a trip by myself, let alone out of the country. My nerves were set at ease by the API Staff, Kevin and Finn. They were always available if we needed anything and treated us like family from day one.

Galway was an amazing city and I cannot wait to go back some day! There was always something going on. During my trip there was a two week long Arts festival, along with the Volvo Ocean Race festival. On any given day there were numerous musicians playing on Shop Street. Of course, the pubs are also a main attraction. Not to worry, there are plenty to choose from.

Life in Ireland seemed some much more peaceful than in the US. Be prepared for a lot of walking, though with such beautiful scenery, walking everywhere was very enjoyable. Even in the rain, I didn't mind walking. The strong, chilly wind was occasionally an issue though, as it made umbrellas useless.

During my trip, I lived in Gort na Coiribe with two other API girls in a two bedroom apartment. The apartments were roughly a 20 minute walk to campus and the city center. Overall, the place was a great home away from home. There were definitely quirks such as cold showers and occasionally low water pressure in our bathroom; however, the maintenance staff did their best to fix the issues. One thing I didn't prepare myself for was the cost of doing laundry and the cost of food. Although the kitchen was sufficient, it was often much easier to just eat out which definitely added up in costs.

The academics at NUI Galway was fairly easy. As part of the program, I took two courses, Irish Society and Archaeology. There were no homework assignments. Instead, each grade was based only on a paper and two exams, a midterm and a final. Some of the courses, such as Archaeology, offered excursions to really get out and experience hands on what you are learning which was great. The one issue I faced in terms of classes was staying concentrated when studying knowing there was a fun atmosphere around me waiting to be experienced.

Aside from individual course excursions, NUIG's summer school program organized program wide trips to the Dingle Peninsula, the Aran Islands, and a theater performance during the Arts Festival. They also provided optional Irish language classes and dancing and singing workshops which were fun to take part in. Another great part of NUIG was the receptions they put on for the students with free drink tickets at the college bar!

Overall, I absolutely recommend API, Ireland, and Galway! The memories and friendships I gained from my trip abroad through API will surely last a lifetime and I could not be more grateful.

I loved the experience best time of my life!! you really get to travel and see so many different types of places throughout Costa Rica! The city can get boring but you for sure live through the weekends and at night there is a lot to do you just have to be safe walking around the neighborhood! I love their lifestyle i seriously had no worries when I was down there it was beautiful and i miss every minute of it!

Studying abroad was one of the most valuable experiences of my life, and I owe so much to API for organizing and facilitating my trip. Before I left I decided I wanted to experience the authentic culture through Spanish cooking lessons, dance classes and more, and wouldn't you know, API had that all organized already. I really, really appreciated just how many trips and activities were organized by API that were all included in the price of the program!

I also loved that one of the housing options included Spanish dorms, where I met many local students my age who I still stay in touch with today. Though academics were very much you-get-what-you-give, I felt like I came out with much, much stronger language skills than I ever expected.

Finally, I couldn't have asked for better coordinators to be there for me the first time I traveled on my own. When my wallet was stolen they were there to make sure I had enough money and was able to get in touch with my parents and bank and get everything solved quickly. When I needed help planning a trip, advice on where to go or even just printing my plane tickets, they were there to help. I came out feeling so confident in travelling and I undoubtedly owe it all to API's support while I was abroad. I only wish that API would offer more programs for post-graduation travel :)

API Sevilla, Spain was amazing. I had the best host mother in a residencia, and the classes at my school were with other study abroad students but taught by Spanish professors. The whole experience was amazing, we went on trips, had thanksgiving dinner, and many other fun activities throughout the city during our semester. The staff is absolutely dedicated to every student, and the program size was manageable, only about 20 students, the perfect size as far as Im concerned.

Studying in Tuscania was a decision I will always look back and smile about. This small, historic town gave me a real Italian experience. My friends and I adored feeling like we were absolutely immersed in another culture. Because it was small and not so much a tourist trap, we actually got to know some of the people in the town, and learned ways to communicate much faster than those studying in Florence or Rome. Plus we lived in the most adorable apartment within castle walls built before America was even discovered. It was so gorgeous and so serene, which is the absolute best way to do Italy if you ask me! My classes were so fun, and I looked forward to learning how to cook Italian cuisine and watching authentic Italian films every day. Plus the excursions that API planned for us to Florence, Rome, and Montepulchiano gave us the opportunity to see and experience other parts of Italy as well. I have only the fondest memories of my month spent in Tuscania.

I had originally chosen API because it was the most affordable study abroad program that I could find in Sevilla. However, that did not stop them from offering an inclusive, cultural program that would be very difficult to beat.

My experience in Spring 2012 was overall very positive, and I'll list some of the highlights, as well as some of my not-so-positive experiences:

1) Excursions - we were given tours of Madrid, Toledo, a bike tour of Sevilla when we arrived, Granada, Cadiz, Extremadura, Portugal, and probably more that I'm forgetting at the moment. Not only were these tours wonderful, informative, and intimate, but we were given great hotels to stay at (a monastery from the 1400's was my favorite), but we were essentially shown a side of Spain that we would have never seen from an insider's point of view.

2) Staff - API hires wonderful, caring people to work with us, and I was very impressed with them. They helped us plan trips, find churches, and gave us candid advice.

3) Housing - It was both a good and challenging experience for me. I chose a host family stay, and I was well-fed and cared for. My mom was a fabulous cook! I did struggle a bit with her timetable; my mother wanted me home at certain times for meals, and it was hard to do so with all of the activities going on. However, overall it was very good. API was very eager to make sure that we had good housing; some of my friends disliked their situations and were able to find better accommodations with API's help.

4) Academics - I took classes in Spanish but with Americans, and that is probably my biggest regret. The classes were good, and I learned quite a bit, but my Spanish would have improved so much more had I taken the classes with Spaniards option. I'd encourage anyone to do that.

Overall, a fabulous experience.

The excursions that the staff in Salamanca had planned for the group were extraordinary. I loved all the places I go to during my two month stay in Spain. From horse backing to trips to Galicia. The excursions were simply amazing! I believe my favorite trip was to Cadiz and Sevilla.

On any given day during my brief but unforgettable life in Salamanca I would wake up at the crack of dawn in my closet sized room and stumble out to the table for breakfast with my host mom. We would watch the morning news together and she would emphatically complain that I never ate enough and insist that I take a snack to class because I couldn't possibly get through to lunch on such a small breakfast.

Then I would set off for class on foot and walk the 15 minute trek through streets older than our own country is, passing by ancient relics like it was no big deal, but always covertly craning my head to marvel at the historic beauty nonetheless.

Then I would spend the next few hours soaking up as much language and culture as possible in my classes. "Women in Spanish History" was my favorite class, followed closely by Spanish cinema.

After class I would arrive back home promptly at 2:30 and tuck into a truly massive lunch with my host family. "Lomo con salsa naranja" was my favorite. Then I would have to sleep it off during siesta because no one could possibly get up and do anything with that much food to digest.

After a quick nap I would head out for the Plaza Mayor to meet up with my friends "debajo del reloj" and we would go shopping, or chill at a cafe, or the cross the ancient Roman bridge to the park if the weather was nice.

Finally I would come back home at 9 for dinner, debate the day's news with my host brother and help my little host sister with her English homework (explaining "good, better, and best" was an absolute nightmare). Around midnight I would fall into bed and sleep like a log, dreaming the sweetest dreams because I knew I would get wake up the next morning and do it all over again.

Thanks to API, those 4 months in Salamanca were the best of my life, and I will always miss my second home.

Studying at Pablo de Olavide in Sevilla through API was such an incredible opportunity. API is a fantastic program in so many ways. They provide activities and excursions that help you get to know the people in your program and see various places in Spain and Europe, ensure that students are housed with great families, and are always open to questions and concerns. One of my favorite things about the program was living with my host family, which gave me welcoming people to come home to every day and allowed me to improve greatly in my Spanish speaking abilities. I also loved the challenge of taking all of my classes in Spanish to gain confidence with the language. Sevilla is a beautiful city and the resources provided by API allowed me to feel comfortable exploring with friends or on my own. I would highly recommend this program in a heart beat!