Program Reviews

API was a fantastic program to work with!! The pre-departure material was comprehensive and made me confident starting life in a new country. Housing was included in the cost of the program and API took care of setting up the living situation. I was in a co-ed "flat" style living, which is similar to student housing, with people from all across the world. It was a unique experience to live with people from different backgrounds and integrate our experiences, living styles, cooking preferences, and personalities. API provided multiple excursions within the program which allowed me to see amazing places I probably would not have seen otherwise! These excursions fostered friendships and typically included a meal, always a bonus for a student! API went above and beyond to ensure us students were taken care of and had the assistance necessary to thrive in a new environment. There was an international education adviser on campus we had access to as API program members. Everything from housing, travel, and education was seamless through the help of API. Terrific program, and I would recommend to anyone looking for a new experience in a vibrant country!! So much beauty and culture to explore, let the adventure begin!

My experience studying abroad in the Fall of 2017 was incredible! I had a hard time picking a program and location because of all the options that were available. Once I had it narrowed down to the UK, the picture of the University of Edinburgh is what eventually made my decision. It was absolutely dreamlike!

The API staff was with me all along the way. From after I submitted my first application to getting reacclimated to the States when I returned home, I always had a contact within the program that I could ask questions and get answers from. The best part with API was all of our Cultural Excursions. We had four excursions to different prominent cities in Scotland that gave us a good look at the different cultures within Scotland from the Scottish Highlands to the largest city, Glasgow. We also had culture events throughout the semester that gave us many authentic Scottish experiences. We went to things like a rugby game, we had afternoon tea, and went on a scotch whiskey tour. These events happened almost every week and showed me new things that I wouldn't have thought to see or do without the group.

In Scotland, there was an onsite program director that led us in these excursions. She was an American who had moved to Scotland to get married. Alexis had a unique perspective as she had been in our shoes before. She had studied as a grad student at the University of Edinburgh so she also had good advice for schooling and how to navigate that. I got to see first hand how involved she could be in case of extreme circumstances.

API gave us the option of how involved they needed to be. If we needed something, they were there. If we didn't, we could be as independent as we wanted to be.

There was initial training online to do before we left and then there was helpful country-specific training once we got there with information like where to buy toiletries and groceries. There was information on language differences, even though they speak English there are certain words that mean different things in Scotland versus over here in America.

Studying abroad was the experience of a lifetime. I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, there are so many programs out there that everyone should be able to find one that they can make work. It broadens your horizons and teaches you life lessons that can only be learned through experiencing them. I have gained confidence and the ability to articulate my Study Abroad experience while in Scotland and since I've been back!

This was literally the best four months of my life!

Academics:
I loved all of my classes! The teachers were super patient and always spoke to us at our level of French without being condescending. They made classes interesting. Because this is France, your classes will be a lot longer. I had a two-hour grammar/language classes every morning (it was 4 hours on Thursdays) and 2 hours of electives in the afternoon. I did have Friday off though which was great! Your schedule will depend on your level of French. There were also good options for electives. My favorite was Mythology.

Host Family:
I absolutely loved my host family. My host mom was the sweetest. They took me up into the mountains to see where the Olympics were, to visit the grandparents, to eat fondue, and more. I have a lot of really great memories because of my host family. It's also a great way to practice your language. My French was horrible when I got there but my host mom was super patient with me and by the time I left I could actually hold a conversation. They also had the fluffiest cat I have ever seen!

Grenoble:
I love Grenoble!! It will take some time to grow on you, but you will end up loving it! There are mountains all around you and a river that runs through the city. There are lots of pretty parks where you can have a picnic or just hang out with friends. They also have lots of student-friendly deals at restaurants, museums, and other places since there are some big universities there. There are also lot's of places to go out at night and it's always fun since the city is packed with students. It's a little bit of an edgy personality, like a leather jacket and red lipstick kind of way, but I never felt unsafe there, even walking home at 3 am. It's also not touristy at all (but don't worry, there is plenty to do!!) which made it nice because we were seen more as international students than annoying tourists.

API:
API was super helpful pre-departure, while abroad, and even after coming home. I had lots of questions about paperwork and visas and they answered everything they could. They also gave us a big online pre-departure packet with everything we could ever want to know about studying abroad. They made sure we were as prepared as possible for studying abroad. While we were there, Anna and Marie were super helpful! Marie took us around Paris during our orientation and even though I barely understood French she was super patient with it. They also took us on other fun excursions like snowshoeing, a weekend in Dijon, and a weekend in Nice. They also had cultural things in their office like a crepe party and a cheese tasting. I never had any problems, but they were always there to help us out! After coming home, API offers a program called the Global Leadership Academy so that alumni can continue (in a way) their study abroad experience, learn about leadership, and encourage others to study abroad.

Overall, this was the best four months of my life and I wish I was still there!!

Studying in Rome was wonderful. With the Baroque churches, ancient ruins, palazzos, and the infinite amount of fountains, there's no doubt in my mind that Rome was the right place for me. As an art history student, I think it was a more informative city to study in than Italy's other popular study abroad destination, Florence. With that city, there's only one era that you can really delve into: the Renaissance. You see, the thing with Rome is that is has the Renaissance and even more - lots more. Anyways, I'm a Baroque guy. Caravaggio is one of my obsessions. In Rome you'll see not only his paintings but other masterpieces done in the Italian Baroque style.

OK, that's enough about art history... for now. What you need to know about is the program itself.

First things first, if you decide to choose API's program at JCU, you'll be spending your time in Trastevere. Narrow cobblestone streets, hanging vines and a festive atmosphere are what this neighborhood is about. It's very medieval too. (Take that Renaissance Florence!).

That being said, you're probably going to live on the outskirts of Trastevere. Most people I knew in the program - including myself - lived in apartments that were more in Monteverde, not Trastevere. (Monteverde is a more residential and developed area; it's not a big tourist destination, although do check out the Villa Pamphili - it's so cool!). Again, your apartment will only be on the edge and not that deep into Monteverde itself, but if you're observant you'll definitely notice a difference. I don't think this will detract from your experience. I just don't want anyone to expect to be in an apartment with a view overlooking a piazza in Trastevere. In any case, given how active the nightlife is, you probably wouldn't want to have to deal with all that commotion.

JCU is a good school. I'm not entirely sure why the "academics" rating is lower in comparison to the other ones. Since all of the other reviews are 5+ years old, it may be that things have changed. I would say my classes were pretty serious. If you expect to not be challenged, then expect otherwise. Again, I'm an art history major, and all of the classes I took dealt with that subject. They were really incredible classes. Two of them were on-site. That means that, instead of being in a normal classroom, Rome is your classroom! You would spend your time going to any number of sites in Rome. It can be much better than sitting in a darkened classroom while watching a PowerPoint. I really recommend taking a class like that if you're interested.

As far as support on-site goes, the resident directors, Alessio and Naike, are absolutely terrific. I remember going to their office to ask a simple question and Alessio being so friendly and helpful. Even though he didn't have to, he talked to me a lot about my interests and his favorite region in Italy, Emilia-Romagna, and how hyped he was about our excursion to Siena in particular - take that Florence! (I kid, I kid.)

And that's another thing: the excursions are fantastic. I remember speaking to someone who was studying through ISA and being unimpressed by their quality of excursions. Not to worry though, Alessio and Naike will always have something special planned. Our first excursion was to the Amalfi coast (so Sorrento, Capri and nearby Pompeii). There was also one to Tuscany where we saw a medieval wine cellar and had a wine tasting afterwards. Then there were ones in Rome like attending an opera or going to a soccer game.

There was also one to Florence. I didn't go.

Other advice? If you're thinking of LDM vs JCU, I would not go with the former. From what I could tell, very few people were in the LDM program. I think there were only five or so. If exceptionally small classes are your thing and if you want to do an internship, then look into it. Otherwise, go with JCU.

It's only been a year and I miss living in Rome and going to my on-site classes.

(And don't worry, I've been to Florence, it's a nice city, just not my cup of tea.)

When I was applying for my study abroad, I chose API because they could do add-on programs specifically to me. For other students, they likely went with the cheapest/most convenient for them. Being in several different classes with students from other programs throughout the summer, I was able to compare our experiences quite a bit, and from this I gathered that I got lucky with the one I chose. Nearly every other student who came through a different program faced difficulties with their program coordinators/program in general--whether that be through poor schedules, miscommunication, or overall dissatisfaction with what their program offered. The largest and most important difference I noted, was effort. API is accommodating and willing to change what you don't want. They fully understand that you paid to be here and go above and beyond to make your experience what you want it to be.

The two courses I took at Belgrano this past summer were advanced grammar and medical spanish. My first course, the intensive language class, turned out to be very difficult. Although I was initially placed into the intermediate course, I was encouraged by my API coordinators, Carmen and Jimena, to ask to be moved up to the advanced class. Without their support and encouragement, I never would have experienced a challenge like this and advanced my linguistic abilities as much as I have. Throughout this course as well as my second, Jimena and Carmen checked in regularly to see how classes were going and to see if I was interested in any events around Buenos Aires. As an API student, I was always kept in the loop and felt as though I had a strong support system. Looking back, I didn't truly realize how important these coordinators had become until a few months in. They treat you like family, doesn't matter if you're here for a week, month or year, they will support you through it all.

I studied at the University of Limerick for the spring 2018 semester and could not have asked for a better experience. The country, the little city, the friendly people, and everything in between made for a great 4 months away from home.
API did a great job to prepare me for the educational and the cultural side of my semester in Ireland. Myself and my other API friends were wayyyy more prepared than many of the other international students at the university in the sense of knowing what classes we could take and how their whole education system works. We also had Maria and Ger as our on site directors who were so so great about helping us with anything and everything we needed. They also took us on our API excursions and basically became our little temporary Irish family.
As far as the nightlife scene, Ireland has plenty of it, just not the most easily accessible. We had the bar on campus that was so much fun on certain nights of the week, and the clubs in town (40 min by bus, 20 by cab).
The University of Limerick was a really beautiful campus and in good weather just simply walking around is just truly amazing.
The thing about studying abroad in Ireland is that it is very different than studying in Barcelona or Prague. My friends and I noticed when we travelled and met people who did study in more popular study abroad spots that the people didn't get the same experience of their country as we feel we had. In Limerick we spent the first 2 months traveling all around Ireland on the weekends and it seriously felt like home so quickly. UL and API made that super easy and inexpensive to do which was great. Then we got to planning our own trips and still ended up getting to visit 8 different countries. Trip planning from Limerick was are difficult than it would have been from mainland Europe because we had to take a 2 hr, 30 euro, bus ride from campus to Dublin airport to catch cheap flights (Shannon airport is not the most useful). Still very doable and made us expert travelers.

I worked at ASEM English center in Vinh, Vietnam, through API, in 2016. I and the 6 other teachers I lived with, some of whom were university students and some of whom were independent clients, expressed some very serious concerns about our safety and about the mistreatment of both Vietnamese and foreign employees at the site that API has refused to address and that continue unmitigated as of 2018. API has never sent a represnetative to visit the site or to meet your employers. They have no knowledge of conditions at the site and know very little about the city more generally. After you pay them and arrive in Vietnam, they will not help you.

I cannot emphasize this enough: there are many, many English centers in Vinh and throughout Vietnam, and you do not need to pay API or any other third party to be able to work at them.

When most students go abroad for the first time they do so with caution, classmates, and a well-tested support network. I did none of that. I am the guinea pig for my University testing the waters to see whether other students should come over and whether or not the classes are rigorous enough to be counted as transfer credit. In addition i was the only one from my school who ended up going the distance with this particular program. It was also my first time, living in another country, living in a city, flying in a plane and later I would add my first time in an amusement park. This might not sound too crazy until one realizes that it was for six months, an entire semester, and the plane flight was around thirteen hours. However, the staff in this program, my wonderful host family and my great professors at Torcuato Di Tella and Longwood University all supported me. Where I lacked experience I had a sense of adventure and a million people behind me always interested in what I was doing. the classes themselves were some of the most challenging I have ever taken, but worth the effort for all I learned. The trips and activities are just what one needs after a long day of hard work and open a whole other world of possibilities to explore and my host family has provided a caring home for me to retire to at the end of the day when I learn all about the daily life aspects of Argentina like games, cooking and mate. Although studying abroad for a semester in a foreign country with your second language is not for everyone and a lot of work everyday, it has truly changed my perspective. I would not trade my experience for anything.

Study abroad is presented to students as a way to experience another culture by immersing yourself in a new country; to improve your language abilities by being forced to practice with locals; to challenge yourself to go outside of your comfort zone. My time in Buenos Aires with API was all of that and more. The only regret I have from college is that I didn't spend an entire year abroad. This program, along with my resident director Carmen, had such a positive impact on me that I lived abroad two additional times after graduating and chose a career path in the study abroad so that I could assist students and having a life-changing experience like I did. The semester taught me more than classic Argentine literature and the history of Eva Perón, it taught me about learning from the stories and lives of locals around the city. It taught me to be a global citizen and to fight for diversity and inclusion because equality and understanding other perspectives is of the gravest importance. It has directly influenced my career goal: to find ways to make study abroad accessible to every student, to help them learn about the world, and learn about themselves.

I chose to go abroad with API for many reasons, including the company's great feedback from former students, the sensible price for what was included, and the selection of coursework that was offered. I selected the International Studies program at UAB because not only did the classes interest me, but all four I enrolled in covered a requirement for me. While abroad I was able to cover a History General Education class through Spanish Civilisation and Culture, a Communication major class through Intercultural Communication, and two Social and Behavioral Science Global Education Requirements through Urban Interventions and my Spanish Language course. Opportunities are endless here, as I was able to see a great deal of Europe between my studies since the Barcelona trains and airport are at our convenience to travel in-and-out of. Living as an international student in a foreign city greatly improved both my problem-solving skills, as learning how to maneuver a new city can be daunting, and detail-oriented planning, understanding that there is a lot that goes into organizing trips. API: Barcelona was a great program for me; no matter what program you decide it is up to you to mold the experience that you want!