Program Reviews

If I were to explain my experience in Buenos Aires without using clichés of what studying/living abroad is, this is how I would describe it. Keep in mind no analogy is perfect.

It is watching a really profound, enthralling movie. First, you sit down in your seat and you are really excited because there has been a lot of hype about the movie. The synopses you have heard and reviews you have read do not tell you much other than that you must see it yourself. The movie begins and you start soaking in visual and aural stimulation and you understand that you are watching a movie. You are a little detached because you do not fully understand what is going on or what it is all about.

After a while, you stop noticing the chair spring that has been poking you in the back and the fact that the floor is sticky because the action and dialogue start to truly captivate you. The movie’s reality steadily becomes your reality. You become so engrossed in the movie that you begin to feel like part of the movie. You see the characters develop and grow and change and the scenery and setting start to become familiar and home-like. You get lost in the movie. Have you ever watched someone watch a movie? You will not quite understand how engrossed you are watching a movie until you watch someone else’s face while he or she watches a movie.

Towards the denouement, you begin to understand that the movie is coming to an end. You can feel things winding down. You slowly gain objective perspective again of that in which you have just involved yourself. You might even feel a jerk in your heart because you want to see what happens to the characters after the movie is finished, as stories like that cannot and do not just come to an end. The storyline is wrapping up and you are wondering if you put enough quarters in the parking meter. Also, you really have to pee.

Then the movie ends and you leave the theater feeling you finally understand what the hype was about. You have gained a new perspective on just what a movie can be and how it can relate to real life. What you saw was visceral because there was a surfeit of content and aesthetic pleasure that will stick with you. In addition, time was irrelevant because you were so lost in the movie. In the hours it took to watch, you wonder how the little hand on your horologe made so many revolutions. You know you will see it again, but when you feel ready to absorb all that information anew is uncertain territory because it was so beautiful and gratifying that it would not do the movie justice to watch it twice in a row. You have other movies to watch, books to read and music to listen to. Also you spent your last $20 on the ticket and Milk Duds and popcorn to mix together so you get chocolate, carmel and salt all in one bite.

There are no leaks of this movie. You cannot pirate it. You must see it on the big screen with strangers in the theater who will share this movie with you even though you may never see them ever again in your life.

You will return to that theater some day when another movie is worth seeing because as much as you would like to, you cannot spend all your money and time going to the movies. You will bring a friend next time so that you can share the experience together because telling someone about a movie he or she has not seen, no matter how great it is, is about as interesting to the listener as handwriting class in grade school.

I had a great experience with API. The API staff in Paris were extremely helpful in helping the students get used to the Parisian lifestyle. They helped us sign up for classes. This was a direct enrollment program, so we were assisted throughout most of the enrollment process.
The classes ranged from easy to challenging. It's good to take a couple easier classes along with a couple harder ones. The most difficult part, in my opinion, was learning how to write a French paper. The program RD helped us understand how to write one, but without her help I wouldn't have known how different it was from a paper I would have written in the States.
It's great to just be able to live in Paris and experience going to boulangeries and fromageries. The food is delicious and it's definitely worth spending a little more money and going to a nice restaurant for dinner once in a while.
There are also so many museums to visit, and most of them are free or have a discounted entrance price since we have our student IDs.
I definitely got a lot out of living in Paris for a couple months. I learned my way around a new city, made new friends and had experiences I wouldn't have been able to have back home.

I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to study abroad off the beaten path. API provides a good mix of immersing you in the culture, while providing plenty to make you feel supported. I became good friends with Hungarians and other study abroad students from all over the world alike. The overall experience was fantastic, and its a great location to travel from.

This program was really fun. I loved how it was a small group of students and we all got to know each other pretty well. The curfew was pretty early but I felt really immersed with the culture.

So much fun- really felt immersed in Spanish culture and daily life. Everyone that works for Aspire is amazingly helpful and personable- especially Marc! Would recommend this program to anyone!!

After coming back from Salamanca, Spain with the Aspire by API I wished it didn't have to end. Our group leader was fantastic and tried to integrate fun activities with learning. The weekend trips were amazing, one weekend we took surf lessons, which was SO much fun. Throughout the month I was there the I did so many things I never thought I would ever do, they made sure we soaked in the differnt cultural differences. Our other leader who lived in Spain, was very helpful in helping us understand what the locals were saying, as well as just the different day to day differences. The housing Aspire by API provided us with was amazing, my host family was absolutley wonderful, and I didn't want to leave. Never once when I was there did I once question my safety. If I had the opportunity, I would definetly travel with Aspire by API again, no questions asked.

I loved this program and I know you will too! The staff is very fun and chill. The people in the city are nice and welcoming. The host families are great (especially the food). Night life is full of events. I have meet people that I will stay in touch with forever. I really recommend this program and this destination. You will get so much out of it!! Good luck.

Most of the activities we did after school were excellent, like kayaking in a river and taking a bike tour of Salamanca. However, there were some activities that could have been better planned. For example, we did an interchange with a few high school students from the area and it was slightly awkward... we weren't sure what to talk to them about, and the students didn't seem all too interested in talking to us as much as they wanted to talk to each other. We also took a trip on the weekend to Santander, which included a visit to the Alta Mira Caves museum. The real caves were closed and the real trip was on the whole a disappointment.Many of the students would have preferred to have spent another day learning to surf (which we did the day before)rather than visit the museum. Besides that, spending time walking around cities with our group leader was excellent, and if you were willing to explore, there was always something to do in Salamanca. The only limit to this was the curfew, which was far too early in a country that tends to just be eating dinner at 10:00 PM!

This was a great program and I really had a great time. Being in a new country, meeting new people, being immersed in a new culture, and speaking a different language were all things that I will remember for a lifetime and have helped me even after the trip. Even the walk to school makes you feel like you are in a place completely new and interesting, and it has to be one of the best experiences that I will ever have, and I will never forget my time in Salamanca with the people I met.

And the food is amazing!

The Instituto San Joaquin de Flores in Heredia, Costa Rica was my perfect haven for traveling outside the U.S., learning the Spanish language, and learning about the world around me. This friendly town in central Costa Rica embodied just about everything I was looking for in a study abroad experience: a safe location, a beautiful setting, home stays with local “tico” families, and an affordable price. During my four month stay, I was able to make the most of my experience by living with a welcoming host family, taking classes in Spanish at the institute, volunteering teaching English at a local elementary school and travelling extensively throughout the country.

Arriving in Costa Rica for the first time wasn’t easy because I was filled with a whole jumble of emotions; sadness about leaving my family behind, excitement about finally living my dream of studying abroad and anxiety about being a whole new, unfamiliar place. Thankfully, while experiencing these typical culture shock emotions, the staff members on site in Costa Rica were there to guide me every step of the way through this rollercoaster of a ride. They provided safety information, numbers I could call in case of an emergency, and general information we would need to know while still acclimating ourselves to the country. One of the greatest gestures API made was providing the incoming students with a calling card to make the first call home just to check in with our families to let them know we had arrived safely!

The Spanish-intensive classes I took while at the Instituto San Joaquin de Flores were a very important part of my transition to a higher level of Spanish fluency. They were taught in Spanish and my classmates were all students from the U.S. Although sometimes it can be nice to be integrated with local university students from the host country, I liked that the professors at the institute were able to cater to my needs as a native English-speaking student. The school itself was set in a beautiful location right in the center of town. One of my favorite parts was grabbing fresh fruit and Costa Rican coffee that was prepared for us each day before class!

One of the most memorable aspects of my study abroad experience in Costa Rica was my home stay with three wonderful people who I have grown to care deeply for. I lived with a young woman and her two children, a son, who was four years old, and a daughter, who was eight. I found that by breaking out of my shell and really making an effort to make conversation with them, my Spanish was able to improve immensely! The family really made me feel welcome in their home as they invited me to many family events and gatherings which really gave me the opportunity to experience genuine Costa Rican culture. I also got to try typical Costa Rican food on a regular basis as my host mom would provide three meals for me each day. As someone who considers herself to be a picky eater, I was surprised by how much I loved the country’s food. Although I might have been a little too daring when I decided to try “lengua de vaca” (better known as cow tongue!), I would give anything to have another homemade batch of “gallo pinto,” a meal of rice and beans typically eaten at breakfast.

Aside from all of the aforementioned assets, I will never forget the country’s overall beauty! It was incredible to see such a diverse landscape. Well-organized API excursions, along with my own travel adventures, took me to the waterfalls of Montezuma, the beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo, the nearby Poas Volcano, and the unforgettable cloud and rain forests of Monteverde, just to name a few! API even included an international excursion to Panama where we were able to see the Panama Canal! For those who love adventure, zip-lining in Monteverde is a must! All of these exciting travel experiences introduced me to new friends, broadened my cultural awareness and played a key role in my own personal growth. I would whole-heartedly recommend this program. In my opinion, it is one of API’s hidden gems!