Program Reviews

This past summer (2012), I chose to study abroad in Stirling, Scotland. The campus was absolutely stunning, and I felt like I had found the perfect place. My favorite part about campus was the loch. The loch was definitely the focal point of campus, and it was a gorgeous place to unwind and relax.

The API staff was helpful in helping us learn our way around Edinburgh and Stirling, and took our group on excursions I will never forget. We went to Edinburgh first, and we stayed pretty close to the Old Town portion, so walking to different places wasn't difficult. We also made excursions to the battlesite of the Battle of Bannockburn, where the Scots won their independence from the English nearly 700 years ago. We also saw several castles, such as Linlithgow, Edinburgh, and Stirling. We also got an unusual opportunity to tour the Scottish Parliament, and since Charlotte, our API guide, had a friend working for a representative, we were able to get an exclusive tour.

My first day in Scotland was quite interesting. I hadn't slept much on the plane ride over because I was very excited to actually go. (I'm 1/8th Scottish). The first thing that I remember is how green everything is. I knew instantly that I had chosen the right place to spend my summer. Then, we landed and went through customs. I must have been out of it or something, because I couldn't answer without stuttering when the customs official asked me questions! Then again, he was close to my grandpa's age, and had that adorable Scottish accent that causes most girls to go weak in the knees (myself included). Besides the landscape and the accent, the biggest difference was the temperature. At the time, it was about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I had just come from the U.S. where the temperature was above 100. So, while the locals are dressed in shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops, I'm in jeans, tennis shoes, and my jacket zipped all the way up. Another thing that weirded me out was that to get onto the highway, we went on what I would think of as the exit ramp for the opposite direction of traffic. We got to Edinburgh itself, and we had lunch at the Elephant Cafe, where the Harry Potter books were written. As we finished lunch, the sun came out, and the sky was absolutely beautiful. We had to go shopping on that first day because for some reason, my suitcase didn't make the plane, and the only thing I needed was night wear. By doing a shopping excursion, we got a feel for the city of Edinburgh, and even though I had only been there for a few hours, I loved it already.

API also showed us how to use the public transportation, which turned out to be one of the most useful things for survival. By using the public transportation, we were able to interact with the Scottish people more than if we had our own car, or had stayed in a hotel. Publilc transportation also enabled us to go nearly anywhere in the United Kingdom, such as London.

Another thing I did while I was in Scotland is that I took a weekend trip up to the Orkney Islands. They are about six miles off the north coast of Scotland. I went with two other girls, and we had an absolute blast. Overall, it took less than 5 hours to get clear to Kirkwall from Stirling, which is not that bad when you compare that to driving distances in the U.S. You can't even reach the ocean in 5 hours from where I live! (I'm from Oklahoma, so the ocean is pretty far).

Where I had the most difficulties was the local jargon and the classes themselves. For instance, rainboots are known as "wellies", and short rainboots are "summer wellies". Also you don't rent a bike, you "hire" a bike. The classes were quite interesting; both of my professors were Scottish, so that was a definite plus. Since I attended the summer program, the classes were more about Scotland from an American's perspective. I took the classes Scotland on the Screen and Scottish History: The Covenanters. The Scotland on the Screen class talked about Scotland's presence on the international film stage, and how places such as Hollywood, portray Scotland. The Scottish History class talked about a period in Scotland's history in which the Protestant Reformation was taking place, and how that affected Scotland. My favorite part was the excursions we would take as a supplement to our classes, and I got to go to places such as St. Giles Cathedral and Doune Castle. However, I did have to write papers, and my professors asked for a certain word length, which was different, but it could be done.

Everyone I met in Scotland, they were all very welcoming and willing to help me out. One example was when I went to church on my second Sunday in Scotland. I went to the morning services at Church of the Holy Rude (Church of Scotland), which is not too far from Stirling Castle. Even though I was the only American there that morning, the couple I sat next to were very nice and gave me a warm welcome. They were quite excited to learn that I was Presbyterian, and they wanted to know if there were some differences between the services I was used to, and the service I had just attended.

Overall, Scotland was amazing. I loved every milli-second of it, and could not imagine studying abroad anywhere else. It was truly a place where I was far away from home, in a brand new culture, but not too uncomfortable for me. My time abroad in Scotland was truly the most unforgettable month of my life. API is an excellent program, and I would recommend them to anybody who wants the most for their money.

I enjoyed the API program very much. It was worth every penny. I loved the structured excursions - it helped me get out and travel without the worry or hassle of figuring everything out. I needed a program with a person there in case I needed anything or had an emergency. My program director was so nice and always willing to meet me for coffee or to discuss classes and give recommendations on ways to get where I wanted to go. The school was beautiful and I got to take classes with Irish students! It was great. I can't wait to go back.

I looked at a lot of different study abroad programs before I decided on API. I chose LdM because of the classes it offered, and chose API because their website was incredibly helpful. This was definitely a great decision overall!
Although LdM was a very small school, this paid off because we got to go on field trips whenever possible in classes.The small groups made the educational experience very personal, which was especially helpful in Italian class.
API was an awesome program. They planned THE best excursions for us, which were always complete with delicious meals. The program directors were so friendly and willing to help. The apartments they found for us were some of the best I saw.

Daily life included classes and exploring the city. My roommates and I had a list hanging on the wall of everything we wanted to do in Rome, and we went on new adventures every day. The best part about Rome is that there are unending things to explore!

I had a relatively smooth transition to my temporary life in Rome, and I think I have API to thank for that. They chose my living accommodations perfectly, helped me navigate my way around the city, and gave me plenty of resources to survive in a foreign country.

My study abroad experience in Paris was wonderful. It allowed me to grow as an individual and to make decisions on my own. Direct enrollment is great because you are in classes with French students and you make a lot of progress learning the language in a short period of time. It also allows you to get a feel for the culture because you are able to make friends with French students and socialize with them outside of class. Joining the soccer team at my school was another great way I got involved. The API Paris staff was very friendly and approachable. I could come to them with any problem or simply for advice. Paris is a great city with lots to do and see. For people with a strong foundation in French, I definitely recommend the direct enrollment program!

I studied abroad with one of my best friends and when she told me she wanted to go to Ireland I was a little scared. I was scared of being in the middle of rolling green hills with nothing to do. I quickly found out this was the perfect, most liveable city I could ask for! It was the perfect size and plenty to do located right on the ocean. The city was so lively with all the pubs, shops and street performers. The people were amazing and I felt more safe and comfortable there than I do at my home town. Everyone was amazing and I can count on one hand the people I did not find down to earth, which says a lot. Out of all the places I visited I am so happy I got to live in Galway for 6 months. I did not even mind that it was cloudy most days or I only got about a ten minute hot shower (something that was tough to get used to).

The academics were not difficult but it was amazing to be in a classroom with Irish students and professors, learning about the world from their perspective. The housing, Gort na Coribe, was absolutely perfect. It was relatively new and located twenty minutes from town and twenty minutes from the school, both a nice walk. There is even a fresh fruit and vegetable stand located nearby that I frequented every week.

API was absolutely amazing providing great support, advice, friendship, comfort and wonderful excursions. The whole trip was the best experience of my life so far. I know I have grown and changed from this experience and I also know my eyes light up when I talk about Galway.

Studying abroad with API in Granada, Spain was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Not only is Granada a beautiful place, with unbelievable sights, and amazing people, API is the BEST study abroad program. Curra, Lydia, and Ingrid are the friendliest and most helpful advisers you could ask for. They made my transition as easy as possible and were always there for me. They also placed me with a wonderful host family who I still keep in contact with and miss everyday! The classes were great, very interesting and also educational, but also not too demanding as when studying abroad, most of what you learn comes from the outside: the sights, the places, the people, and especially the culture! I will forever cherish the memories and incredible experience I had with API and Granada and hold it close to my heart! I cannot think of a better place nor program!

I loved my experience with API in Florence, Italy. My apartment had a good location; close to Mercato Centrale, the Duomo, and several of the LdM academic buildings. I shared an apartment with 4 other API females. The only downside of our living arrangement was that we were the only API students in the building. Other API apartments had more than one apartment per building with students within the program. However, we had nice Italian neighbors who we did not see to often beside leaving and entering the breezeway of the building. We had a few mechanical problems with some kitchen appliances, but API was helpful and quick about having them be fixed.
My daily schedule varied from day to day. I only had classes Monday through Wednesday. LdM did not hold classes on Fridays. My classes were not always in the same building, usually a 3-4 minuet walk to my next class. I enjoyed this time in between classes because it allowed me time to casually walk around the city.
I walked every where! I found the public bus schedule within the city to be very confusing. Unless I was going to Fiesole, which overlooks the city of Florence, I never bothered with taking transportation while in Florence.
I had studied Italian before I arrived and while enrolled in LdM, I continued to take it. I was not fluent in the language, but knew enough to get by. The Italians appreciate the effort! Florence is a popular abroad destination and many of the shops, cafes, and restaurant staff can speak English. However, it more fun to try and speak as much of their language as you can!

My time in Rome with API was a phenomenal experience. Even though I had never taken a semester of Italian before leaving, the program directors made me feel right at home and it did not take long to get acclimated. My apartment was beautiful, it had an amazing granite lobby and it was very spacious. I didn't need to worry about anything except for towels; the apartment was fully furnished, had a fully stocked kitchen, and I was even provided with sheets and a comforter. The location of my apartment was perfect, I was about a 15-20 minute walk to John Cabot University and lived next across the street from Villa Doria Pamphili, which is one of Rome's largest public parks. The nearest grocery store was a 5 minute walk down the street and I also lived right next to the bus stop, which allowed me to easily travel to the downtown area.

As for the school, it wasn't as challenging as my university at home. The teachers were probably the most passionate people I had ever met; they deeply cared about the subjects they were teaching and had such a unique perspective when explaining things. The school was very safe, there were guards at the door and it was right next to a military checkpoint.

As for API, I can't stress how fantastic they were. The weekend excursions scattered throughout the semester were slices of Italy I never would have seen on my own. It was the perfect balance of interest tours during the day and the freedom of personal time at night. The woman in charge of the Rome office were incredibly knowledgeable about any question I could ask. When I was afraid to get my hair cut because of my lacking Italian skills, they took me to their favorite salon and literally dictated what I wanted done and stayed with me to ensure nothing got lost in translation.

As a whole, my time in Rome was a definite life changer. Because of my time there, I've decided to move to Europe this summer for graduate school.

Choosing to study in Tuscania was the best decision I could have ever made! The cozy size of the town created a completely unique experience; within a couple of days our whole group became part of the local community, and it was the furthest thing from a busy, "tourist trap" location. Since very few locals speak fluent English, living in Tuscania made learning the culture and language a necessity, but it was a challenge we all loved. By the end of my month there, we were having casual conversations on the streets with our neighbors. The school was so helpful and accommodating, and our apartment was beautiful. We also enjoyed some of the best food I've ever tasted, and with API's planned trips to cities like Rome and Florence we still experienced the things only a big city has to offer. My only regret is that I had to leave!

I had a wonderful experience studying abroad through API at Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy. API provided me with a trip of a lifetime. They did a great job at engaging the students with the Italian culture by providing us with many cultural excursions and activities. The staff were extremely friendly, and always available whenever you needed them. I enjoyed the class I took at LDM and my professor was very knowledgeable. All of the students are located in apartments within the city, and within walking distance to classes. API did a great job at providing me with an amazing memory that I will always think about. I would love to do it again, and I definitely recommended API to any student who is thinking about studying abroad.