CIEE College Study Abroad in Lisbon, Portugal

My time studying in Lisbon through CIEE has been an incredible experience and has taught me so much. Lisbon itself is an amazing city and gave me everything I wanted in an abroad experience, warm, by the water, city etc. The people were all eager to welcome me and my peers and educate us about the culture in Lisbon. CIEE was a great resource throughout this experience. The classes were insightful and the professors were all so friendly and educated. CIEE staff were all super helpful and caring and made Lisbon feel like a new home! My only issues arrived prior to departure where communication with CIEE was difficult and VISA process was tough but as long as you get through that the program itself was amazing. 10/10 recommend!

Very fun experience! The classes were both educational and helpful for understanding Portugal a little more. CIEE excursions were always fun because you got to hang out with the other people on the program more. Public transportation is very simple, so you can get to surrounding cities eaily, such as Sintra and Cascais. You can also take the ferry across the river and visit more sites down there. Lisbon is a great city because it blends both history and modernity. There is great food around every corner and always an adventure to be found

The cultural emersión program is filled with meaningful learning, exciting excursions and supportive staff members that help create a near perfect study abroad experience!! The program offers a good variety of travel across the country of Portugal! The Portuguese buddies attached to the program gives a good view of Portuguese culture from young peoples perspective! Both the homestay and dorm experience were amazing! The dorms are like mini studios and are perfect for mingling with others in your program!

Lisbon is one of my favorite cities in the world. From the bright tiles, to the charming neighborhoods and scenic lookout points-- it feels like living in a postcard. Due to its location on the river and oceanfront, it is not only beautiful but easy to access surfing and incredible coastal towns. The city itself is eccentric, young, lively, and affordable. There is something for everyone. Portugal as a whole also has endless opportunities for adventures and travels. The Lisbon airport is an easy metro ride from downtown which made traveling to other countries seamless and convenient. I could not have picked a better place to study. Portugal is a place I will continue to return to for the rest of my life.

I would totally recommend studying abroad in Lisbon with CIEE. Lisbon is an international hub which means it is super easy to travel out of. Also, it is super easy to travel around Portugal and very safe. The public transportation is super simple and inexpensive. What I like most about Lisbon is how has city life but is also minutes away from beautiful beaches. I made some amazing connections with my peers that I still talk to to this day. I am very thankful for Lisbon and for CIEE for guiding me through my study abroad experience. I cannot wait to go back to Lisbon!

CIEE offered me many opportunities to get to know Portugal and the wonderful treasures it held. We went on weekly field trips to explore nearby cities, as well as visit local museums and exhibits. The orientation that kicked-off our program was helpful in cultural integration, CIEE provided cultural "buddies" for us, to create a connection. Portuguese local student, but also to have a support system. The program leaders were often in their offices and almost always accessible, which felt secure because I knew someone was close by to help.
The classes were long but enjoyable, my favorite class was International Leadership and Communication because it allowed the class of 20 students to discuss how cross-cultural communication works or doesn't work, and we were able to participate in cultural activities such as going to the mall and having typical foods, learning how to ride the metro, be respectful to the customs, and stay positive and enjoy. My Portuguese class was amazing, I was able to learn so much about the language that I craved in my university classes, we even took a field trip to a fish market and had to practice our Portuguese with the vendors. Other classes included politics and art and history; I really enjoyed learning about the history of Portugal because it opened my eyes to everything I was seeing while I was there and sparked my curiosity to explore further.
It was a great experience to travel in Portugal, I was able to go to the beach or waterfront, get to school, or even travel to a new city in a clean and efficient way. My program allowed me to have free weekends where I would travel to new countries, and I could provide travel information to CIEE to take caution when traveling to make sure I was accounted for if something went wrong.

I loved this program because it immersed me into the Portuguese culture. I took an Art History course where we were walking around Lisbon, and surrounding areas, learning about different architecture styles along with Lisbon's layers of cultural history. We started in Medieval times and worked our way up to Modern Lisbon. Since I am an Art History major, this course was perfect-but all of the other students came from various backgrounds which created a great diversity. I got to explore so much of Lisbon even in the short one month time span I was there. The staff on site, Luísa, Joana and Sara, were amazing! Whenever I had a concern or needed a recommendation for something to do, they were there to help! The class size was small and perfect for those who like a more one-on-one experience. The excursions to Évora, the Escher Exhibit and surfing class were wonderful. We did everything that my Lisbon guide book recommended to do. I was also able to learn more about Portuguese culture, especially since the locals were very friendly and spoke English! The program allowed us to have plenty of independent free time to explore which was very liberating. The homestay gave me the opportunity to connect with a local family and be more connected to the culture. Overall, this program exceeded any expectations I had.

My semester abroad in Lisbon was the most rewarding 4 months I've had since starting college. Living in a homestay with locals and meeting Portuguese students at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa allowed me to engage with and adopt the relaxed Portuguese way of life. My fondest memories of Lisbon are watching the sunset from a miradouro (overlook), getting drinks with friends from school, and talking late into the night with my hosts. Lisbon is not as touristy as London or Barcelona, so I feel that I was able to develop my own intimate, personal relationship with the city.

The program staff was helpful and relatable, and professors were accommodating to foreigners since they are accustomed to Erasmus students visiting their university. Classes were not nearly as rigorous as my courses back at UPenn, but this was a pro rather than a con for me.

I am incredibly grateful for my experience in Lisbon, and highly recommend it as a study abroad destination.