AIFS Abroad: Study, Intern, or Study & Intern in Spain

This trip was my first time outside of the country alone. I was terrified that I would get pickpocketed and that I wouldn't know how to get around. Totally false! I never got pickpocketed and learned the metro and bus system like the back of my hand. AIFS made life so easy for me. They assisted in getting my visa. They arranged the flight and a small stop in London (for a small fee). They made sure I got to and from the airport when I needed and they even set up my stay with my host family. Living with a host family was the most incredible experience. I know for a fact that I learned more about the Spanish culture (and had much better food) than those students who didn't live with a host family. My family was humble and kind and they even welcomed me back when I came to visit the following Spring. Spain is full of kind people and is ultra safe. Do not hesitate to study abroad. And please, try a home stay out. It may very well change your life!

Hola! My name is Sammy and I studied abroad in Granada, Spain in the Spring of 2018. I went through AIFS and can say it was by far the best program I could have gone with. From the pre-departure process to my arrival back in the US, I felt that I was constantly helped with each new experience. As for the location, Granada was truly the hidden gem of Spain. Everywhere you go, there is something new to see and get to embrace so much of their culture just walking through their streets. I lived with a host family and loved every part of it. I felt so welcomed and like one of their family members. I was able to learn so much about their culture and traditional foods. I had classes from Monday to Thursday and this allowed many students to take up on their weekends to search more of the town or explore more within Europe. The campus I was in, also consisted of many other students from all over the world who were also exchange students. Aside from taking all my courses, I also was able to complete a little over 45 hours of my internship at a local hospital as a medical student. I had the honor to scrub in surgeries and closely work with the doctors there. It was by far one of the most life changing experiences for me to get the opportunity to have this internship as an opportunity. AIFS changed my life in every aspect and would do another program in an instant and will forever have a second home on the other side of the world.

Studying in Barcelona with AIFS was unforgettable! Barcelona an amazing city to study abroad in, as it is easily navigable and filled with tons of fun activities. AIFS was amazing with preparing me before and during my time abroad.
Before leaving for my program, AIFS helped me step by step with my visa, and even had a packaged flight deal that booked both my flights, including a 3 day excursion to London before my program started, which allowed me to meet most of the people on my program and was an amazing bonding experience! This was an amazing experience as I got to meet my roommates before arriving in Barcelona.

Upon arrival in Barcelona, AIFS brought us to out apartments, gave us a city tour, and explained hw the metro and buses worked, so that we were prepared to venture the city on our own. Not only that, but they were always available in their office, which was only 3 blocks from my school, whenever we needed help. AIFS also offered several excursions and activities included in the price, which were amazing! My favorite excursion was to Andorra, which is a small country in between Spain and France, and my favorite activity was a cooking class, where we got to learn how to make our favorite Spanish foods!

Overall, I absolutely loved studying abroad in Barcelona and not only that, but AIFS made sure we were always safe, happy, and if we weren't, they were always available to help. I would 10000% recommend going on this program, it was the best decision of my life!!

When I decided to study abroad in Granada, Spain, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was nervous and anxious but also really excited to discover my new home for the semester. When I first got off the plane in Spain, I immediately felt at ease. The AIFS staff were incredibly kind and helpful as I adjusted to my host country. My host family in Granada was amazing. They were very accommodating and kind and made me feel like a member of their family almost immediately. Some of my fondest memories of my time abroad are of me sitting on the couch with my host parents and host siblings watching Spanish game shows on TV. The University of Granada was also an amazing place to go to school with interesting classes and good professors that encouraged us to learn as much from being in the city of Granada as we did in the classroom. The AIFS Program introduced me to new places on weekend excursions and helped me make the most of my time in Granada by introducing me to workshop and volunteer opportunities. By the end of my trip, Granada had become my second home. I knew all of the best places to get tapas, could navigate the Albaicin (a maze-like part of the city) like a professional and had made some amazing friends. Overall, my study abroad experience has changed my life for the better and Granada will always be a place that I go back to.

Madrid is a busy and bustling global city. That being said, belonging to the local culture is a little different because Madrid invites so many cultures. Integration in Madrid was fun and taught me that I can live in a global city on my own. I feel like one of the biggest strengths about my program was that we were in the heart of a major European city, which meant that you could opt-in and out of whatever AIFS excursions or activities that you wanted, and still had the option to go out and explore on your own as well. There is ALWAYS something to do in Madrid. Similarly, I liked how my program was immersed into a Spanish University that had not only other students in study abroad programs similar to AIFS, but also other international students who chose Madrid as their study location. I chose to live in an apartment over a homestay and I wouldn’t change my decision because I got to live with not only other AIFS students but also a girl from Norway and a girl from Italy which was great

Interning abroad has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life so far. From the beginning of the process, Global Experiences went above and beyond to make sure that I was going to get the best placement possible. At my internship in Barcelona, I learned so much and was very grateful to be a part of an incredible team. I cannot put into words how rewarding my experience was and how easy GE made it for me. I was given a platform to grow personally and professionally. On top of that, my site coordinators were amazing! They were always keeping up with us and even planned fun group outings as to stay in touch! We went to a winery, did a bike tour, and day trip to a local beach town on top of many more. GE made this experience so worth my while and one that I will never forget!

From beginning to end I had the best experience and do not regret anything about my time in Barcelona! Throughout the last three months I have learned alot about myself and also about interacting with different personalities. I had 5 roommates and although it was alot of people living under one roof, I would not have changed that because all of us became really good friends and had a lot of fun together. Myself and my three female roommates took a weekend trip to Milan, Italy the first month we were here and it was amazing and this past weekend my roommate and I went to Dublin, Ireland for the weekend. When it comes to my internship, I have learned new skills that will help me in my future career and am excited to use them when I get home. This experience was a 10/10 and I am sad that it is coming to an end but am excited for what's to come.

My experience in Barcelona has been amazing thanks to the staff of Global Experiences! The internship placement I was given was exactly what I was looking for. I was able to work in my desired professional field and learn so much from my host employer. Hearing my roommates' experiences, I think it is safe to say that the Global Experiences does a wonderful job at finding an internship placement that suits each individual. Even though the internship is a major part of the experience, I should also mention that the social events hosted by the Global Experiences team were a key part in this journey. They are so much fun and you get to learn so much about the culture/location! I feel so happy with the way my trip turned out, I wouldn't change a thing about it! I'd recommend this to everyone!!