Best trip ever! The students were great, the cities were awesome, the professor and RA were fantastic! I had the best time of my life. Would do it again if I could! I met so many cool people, saw so many different things, experienced many cultures, all while learning!

I was so indecisive about where to study so this program gave me the perfect chance to experience life in a variety of countries. Because of the travel aspect and living arrangements, I truly bonded with other students in the program- like another review mentions: the people made this trip for me.

Academically, you could not ask for a better way to study European art history- morning lectures followed by field trips to the best museums in the world. Having studied art history at my native university, I thought the curriculum was engaging but I didn't find it as challenging as some of the fellow students who had never taken an art history course. And when is the last time you had a professor that you wanted to hang out with and talk to all the time, even outside of class?

There is no shortage of fun on this program. During the first week in London, AIFS arranged a boat cruise down the Thames with fellow AIFS students in the city, which ended up being a highlight of the entire trip. Each city provided a different nightlife scene which makes it hard to pick a favorite. During the day, our tour manager and professor provided advice on where to go eat, shop, and explore.

This program gave me memories and friendships that will last a lifetime, I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

This was truly a wonderful program, one that I would repeat every year if I could:) I wasn't really sure what to expect, plus with the anxiety of traveling abroad for the first time, I was definitely nervous at first, but that quickly dissolved! All of the students (for the most part) were great people, including the staff and guides. They were all really helpful people! What I was most impressed with, was how accurate the itinerary was. We did absolutely everything we were told we would do, plus many more wonderful activities and excursions.

Business and Politics of the EU was a very enlightening and amazing trip to 7 major cities in Europe and 5 countries, all in just 4 weeks. London, Paris, Brussels, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Prague and finally Berlin. Although there was a lot of travel, you really get to know those who are traveling with and become very good friends. The only complaint would be that the days staying in London could be couple shorter while the days in Berlin or even Prague could be a day or two longer. We got sick of London and were ready to go on to Paris. Make sure to definitely have something to entertain you (Ipod, books, laptop with movies) on the long travel between cities.

I honestly could not rave enough about this study abroad. Not only is the company reputable, but our professor and guides were absolutely great. They were supportive and knowledgeable on the sites we visited and the cities we stayed in, but they still gave us enough freedom to explore ourselves. Hotels were great for the most part, with great balcony views and rooms. What probably made the trip for me, though, were the people. I was thrown out of our comfort zone with fifty other strangers, and yet, I made some of the best friends I have on this trip. The European cities we went to (London, Amsterdam, Paris, Lucerne, Venice, Florence, and Rome) should be on everyone's bucket list - we learned so much about each of these unique places through guided tours, museum visits, to-die-for food, night life, and just walking around on our own. Probably the highlight of my trip was when we were in Paris at the Eiffel Tower. It turned midnight on July 4th, and the tower started sparkling for a minute while we all laid on the grass. The trip was worth the cost just for that night!

Most who study abroad will tell you that it is hard to put the experience into words because it truly is an indescribable experience. It is a once in a life time opportunity to take a trip across Europe to see some of the best art and architecture in the world. It is set up and ran by great people. They take care of almost everything so you do not have to worry about a thing.

I hope you take the time to review all of AIFS programs and take advantage of the opportunity that is in front of you. It is a truly remarkable experience that you will never forget. My words and all the pictures in the world cannot do it justice. It is something you just have to experience for yourself.

I'm jealous of your opportunity and would love to do it all over again!

I would not say that it is crucial that you have a major in business or politics in order to learn on the program at all. But with that said, it might make it more interesting if you have a major in either of those subjects, something related, or have an interest in politics or European business practices or what is currently happening with the euro. I'm an international business major, and while I have many friends at home who I think would be able to understand pretty easily what was being taught, I doubt a lot of the ones with non-related majors really care about the history of the EU an the future of the euro. So I'd say if you are interested in the topic, go for it! Just know that most people will probably have a business, Economics or political science related major. This does not give them any advantage though other than possibly having more background in subjects that are discussed on visits and so they can ask better questions.

Like with any trip, it's really what you make of it! We had free time frequently, but even when we didn't in neat places that we might have only visited briefly, we found ways to make free time. You have to be willing to go non stop for a month. If you blink you might miss something! We would get up early sometimes before visits and go to museums and would stay up late in order to experience the culture in other ways. Some of my favorite visits on the trip were going to the British parliament in Westminster and getting to meet with a member of parliament and visiting the European commission in Brussels. It was a neat time to go to Europe with everything going on with Greece, the euro, and the EU. If you went this year (or anytime in the next few years I'm sure) it would be as interesting if not more because you'd be a part of so much. I felt like I was a part of history in the making!

Outside activities were too many to name. I can think of random things I really enjoyed, but also I remember the towns in general and really liking certain ones based on their individual cultures. Of course I liked Paris (but I'm a French minor), I also loved London even though it doesn't have the food culture that most other cities have, but what I really enjoyed were smaller towns like Strasbourg. It just had such a different feel but there was still a lot to see and do. What I would highly suggest is if there is something in a city that you want to do, don't let anyone stop you. If a group doesn't want to do something, go off by yourself and do it! Of course you have to do this within reason and be smart about this though. When we were in Paris, I really wanted to go to the Montmartre area and see the moulin rouge and the sacre coeur and nobody else did.. So I navigated the metro and went by myself. It was one of my favorite things, I think partly because it was a memory all of my own and it made me feel empowered.

But really, the people in your group are what make the trip or break it. The hard thing is you can't find out how everyone will interact ahead of time. I didn't know anyone before the trip. There were 17 of us and only 4 were girls! Our professor said normally there's a lot more girls than guys though. I became really close to a bunch of people on the trip and I even met up with 4 people in Chicago this fall for a little reunion. I don't think it would've been as good of a trip if the group hadn't gotten along so well!

So my overall advice: Go on the trip! Its a once in a lifetime kind of thing, and you get to visit places that you might never have access to go to otherwise (EU buildings, US embassy, etc.). Look up some background information before on the EU and the current happenings. And don't waste time; if there isn't anything arranged for a day, don't sleep in or just sit around. Go out and explore and experience everything!

Also, if I were to change anything about my experience, I would have stayed in Europe longer. While at first a month seems long enough, it went by so fast and there's still a lot of places we didn't get to see. Some people in the group went to other places in Europe before or after and I envy them! You already have a plane ticket over there, so might as well get a little more for your money!