Program Reviews

Studying abroad is something I thought I would never do; however, it became an experience that I often look back on and smile. Before this experience, I never traveled outside of the country before so I was a bit terrified; however, API and their resident directors did an amazing job of preparing me for this wonderful experience. Dubrovnik is a great location to study abroad without becoming too overwhelmed.

There were only 13 people in my program, and the class sizes ranged from 4 to 20 students. So, it very easy to get to know everyone in your program and the locals. In addition, almost everyone speaks English! I was a bit hesitant about traveling while I was in Croatia; however, I noticed that English is a universal language, and a lot of people know it. I do recommend learning a few words in Croatian, it's a great way to earn brownie points with the locals. While abroad, it seemed that everyday was a constant adventure, and I am beyond thankful that I had the opportunity to experience this.

I studied abroad in Granada Spain of my spring semester of 2018. The API Granada staff is absolutely dedicated to their students. When I arrived in Madrid Spain for the start of the program & first excursion I was greeted warmly and at the moment I already knew I was home for the next six months. I would soon find out over the next six months Granada Spain, API staff, my host mother, and abroad friends would be my forever home. Granada is located between the beaches of Spain and the mountains of Sierra Nevada. Granada is a walking city and has a local bus station you can easily purchase a bus ticket to any area of Spain. A small airport is also located in the city as well; if you’re looking to travel outside of Spain while abroad you can take a short bus ride from Granada bus station directly to Malaga Airport. Tapas are famous in Granada, and the sunset over the Alhambra is breath taking. I took 12 credits at the at the Universidad Granada ; the professors engaged you in the community & if you needed any assistance with classes API Granada staff could help navigate any concerns. You are able to take your electives in Spanish or English, as well as two additional classes solely in Spanish which you are placed according to your level of Spanish. The API Granada program was the least expensive out of all other programs I was researching, and the city life is very cheap compared to other popular known study abroad destinations of Spain. API staff had an open door policy, and was thrilled every time you stopped in the office between classes, you are never alone! If you are looking to stray away from the normal study abroad destinations, you will not regret living in Granada Spain with API!

Arianna Wolanski

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

TAY Case Manager

Greater Worcester Housing Connection

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Office: (508) 757-0103 ext.6128

Fax: (508) 363-2814

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Wow, how do I start!? I spend the spring of 2018 in Rome, Italy at John Cabot University through API and I have no regrets to this day! If you’re looking for independent living but with a family atmosphere, choose API. The roommates I was placed with are my best friends today, therefore, there’s no need to worry about ‘bad’ roommates when API is choosing! Financially, API was cheapest for me as well which made everything better! Even with this program being cheaper than the rest, they still offered about three weekend vacations and some local tours with the program that was all paid for. I can’t imagine studying with anyone and I have nothing bad to say about this program. From the advisors, to our program mates and apartments everything exceeded my expectations.

I really liked this program because it was a smaller group of people. This allowed me to truly get to know all the people on my program and have positive relationships with the professors. For some of the classes, the professors took our group on field trips to see what we were learning in class, in real life. I really appreciated learning sustainability from a different country perspective and learning about issues Costa Rica faces. The city of San Jose was very manageable. It was not too big so you could easily navigate it but also find cool little neighborhoods with cute cafés and shops. San José was great for traveling out of because it is the capital and also located in the middle of the country. I was able to buy cheap bus tickets to anywhere in the country very easily. Additionally, I felt very safe when traveling in Costa Rica because the locals are very nice and helpful. They are also very patient when you are trying to practice your Spanish. I think the most helpful thing was having program directors on sight in San José. They were API employees but from the area. My program directors helped us with anything we needed, plus they were so knowledgable about the country and its history. I would have lunch with them every other week and they would just check and give us recommendations if we wanted to travel somewhere. They made all of us feel so at home. Overall, a wonderful program.

This program was amazing! Granada is a perfect town to live in because of its beauty and atmosphere. Everyone is really welcoming and it's a safe city that still offers lots of site seeing and night-life opportunities. It also is great for learning Spanish since English is not as wide-spread as in Madrid or other huge cities (although if you don't speak much Spanish you can definitely get around. All touristy destinations and most restaurants will have an English-speaking worker). The on-site coordinators really care about your well being and are great, funny people. If you have any school or travel question they are more than willing to help, and they are there for emotional support if you need it too.

I'm a Spanish major and went in with 300 level Spanish skills and had a great time! I tested into level 7 (and then moved into level 8 after the intensive month was over) so all of my courses were completely in Spanish which was surprisingly comfortable and enjoyable. My roommate had very little Spanish skills (level 3) and she still enjoyed her classes too. The professors did a great job of teaching the info in an engaging way and had lots of experience with American students. Classes were more challenging than I expected, but they tend to not have much homework and they're only 4 days a week.

Our excursions were fantastic and when I spoke to other students in Granada with different programs we were significantly cheaper, but went on the same, or more excursions. We were one of the only programs that had excursion that went to other countries, and we also had lots of freedom when visiting places. I would recommend going to Barcelona on your own, since it is not one of the excursions.

I did the early start option and would highly recommend it since it let me warm up my Spanish before having to be put into semester classes. As mentioned in an earlier review, the placement test is a little intimidating, but really wasn't as bad as I thought. But, I would still recommend brushing up on your Spanish before coming. The early-start option also gives you more time to be immersed in the culture and travel, but don't worry people who do the semester program still get a great experience. There were 2-3 students on my program who enjoyed it so much that they decided to stay the entire year rather than just a semester!

Only downside is that it can be more expensive to buy plane tickets from Granada in comparison to Madrid/Barcelona because the airport is smaller and the flights are much longer from Granada. Day to day cost of living is low though.

I lived with a host family and really enjoyed it. Forces you to speak Spanish and you learn more about the local events and cultural differences (plus they were really nice). I wouldn't recommend living in an apartment if you wan to improve your Spanish. The residencias are good, but can sometimes feel more controlling from what I heard and occasionally you're placed with other api students which doesn't help your language skills.
I can't recommend this enough!

My study abroad experience with API in Barcelona, Spain is one I will never forget. API made my experience even more incredible with all the helped provided with the emotional cycle, culture immersion, academics, housing, and so much more. I'm very grateful to have studied abroad with such an amazing programs. The on-site staff helped us all get adjusted with out first few days being in a foreign country. Also, through the semester, the staff organized trips to other cities in Spain, workshops, 'futbol' league, as well as volunteer opportunities outside of school. API did an amazing job with helping dive into the culture to learn even more about the the beautiful country. The classes at Universitat Pompeu Fabra were exactly what they lived up to, as well as great professor the helped adapt into the new learning style. The living accommodations provided by the program gives the student options on their preference with a host family, apartments, or dorms. I choose to stay with a host family to really immerse myself into the culture. If I could go my trip over again, I would still choose staying with a host family. Again, my decision to pick this program exceeded all my standards and I with I could have stayed longer!

Even after 8 years, studying abroad is still probably one of my favorite experiences in life. Not only did I make great friends, but I was able to see and experience London. One of my favorite aspects was when I started to feel like a local. Even at the end, you’re excited to go home, but you will miss the place you’ve called home for the last few weeks or months. It is something you must experience to really understand. For me, I knew I wanted to study abroad when I got to college. One of the best pieces of advice is to plan ahead, it makes it a lot easier. From applying to cost, knowing your timeline will keep you ahead of things. There are so many options when it comes to studying abroad and for me, going abroad with API was a great option. It was my first time abroad and my mom appreciated the support API provided. I was able to be independent but know someone was still there in case I needed something. Not only do you get information before and after your trip, but there are people physically there with you. I also really enjoyed our API group. We had some arranged outings like the Olympic Walking Tour (prior to the Summer 2012 Olympics), which gave us a chance to get to know each other so you never felt alone. 8 years later and I still talk to many of them. The London summer program at the University of Westminster turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected. They designed an international summer school, so you can meet students from all over the world. One of the best parts was the arranged rips, which made it easy to see a ton of stuff without having to plan it myself. That said, there is still plenty of time after class to explore London. Class was a few hours in the morning and then you had the rest of the day. There was still some homework involved, but it was manageable. I feel like I still learned a lot in class, but the teachers and school understand why you’re there. Some of my favorite memories were my trip to Wimbledon, visiting cathedrals, Big Pit Coal Mine in Wales, and the numerous museums you can visit. There is so much to do and see in London, you will never be bored! If you are even considering studying abroad in London, go for it! You won't regret it. And API helped provide an amazing experience and I would highly recommend them if you plan to study abroad in London or anywhere.

Housing is found by API and is really nice. My host family ended up being amazing, and I consider them my second family now.

Classes are scheduled with API and can be either challenging or not depending on what you want! You can take them in English or Spanish, and you can even take classes with Chileans (and those classes are harder but are more interesting)

The API staff is wonderful and very helpful (both in the US and Chile). The Chilean woman who worked with us was a genuine person and I miss her so much!

And Chile itself is a beautiful country with wonderful people. You're right on the beach, plenty of bars and places to hang out during the day and at night. Transportation is great so you can hop on a micro (bus) and go anywhere!

The only downside to this program can be some of the other students who tend to do this program (not everyone understands they are in another country and that they can't act like they would on a college campus), but hey, you probably get that everywhere!

I had a great time! I was able to complete major requirements and have the experience of a lifetime! I took difficult science classes, to keep myself on track with my biology major. The classes were in line with the difficulty of my home university. All classes were taught in english, by professionals within their field (ex. psych class taught by a real life psychologist) I was able to set up time to volunteer in a local hospital as well, which will look great on my resume. I had no issues transferring credits at all, everything came through easily. The program itself is great. It includes three overnight excursions and many day trips. The program directors are impeccable and easy to reach. Highly recommend for all majors, not just science. Theres no program quite like this for the same cost.

Studying abroad at the University of Leeds was the best decision I made! The staff at API are very supportive, informative and enthusiastic about international education. What is unique about the program at Leeds is the fact that you are experiencing the English culture through the lens of an English university student. This program is one of the only programs in England where you have the opportunity to live in student halls with English students, attend lectures with local students, and fully immerse yourself within the student community. Leeds is also easily accessible, there is a bus system in the city, a train station downtown, and an airport outside the city. Leeds is located near many national parks, so there is easy access to hiking and exploring historic sites in England. API also includes cultural excursions to further teach you about British culture, such as trips to London, Edinburgh, and historic sites in Yorkshire.

Beyond the immersive aspects of the program, Leeds offers a wide range of courses to enroll in. By taking art history courses not offered at my home university, I enhanced my academic studies and strengthened my research skills within the field. The University also sent weekly emails to students about internship and volunteer opportunities. In addition to my studies, I presented my research at an Undergraduate Research Conference at the University of Leeds and held a research placement at a local theater!