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

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to visit Europe and specifically Barcelona, Spain. Mostly because I saw Cheetah Girls 2 when I was younger. Despite my strong desire, I was still relatively nervous when I discovered the opportunity through AIFS to study abroad in my dream city to complete my Spanish minor. However, any worries or anxieties I had quickly disappeared as soon as I stepped foot in the city and immediately fell in love. First of all, the warm greeting by the AIFS staff was truly heartfelt and very much appreciated as I could tell how much they cared about us students. Even though I went by myself, I quickly made friends not only with other AIFS students but also with locals. The best part, and also what I am most proud of, was how drastically my Spanish speaking abilities improved! I previously had always struggled to speak Spanish in my classes at my home university. Being in Spain however, allowed me to gain the much needed confidence to allow my abilities to flourish. Aside from all of the great times I had in Barcelona, being able to travel all around Europe was a plus too! Even though I have been back in America for over 6 months, a part of my heart will always be in Spain as I search daily for opportunities to return.

I studied abroad in Barcelona Spain through AIFS for the academic year. It was an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend to anyone. I definitely got my money's worth and the home stay they paired me with was amazing.

While abroad a tore my meniscus and was sent to several appointments at the local hospital. This may have been intimidating if I was by myself. But the AIFS local barcelona staff accompanied me each time and acted as both both translators and just generally good company during the very stressful experience of being in the hospital in another country.

The staff also gives tours of the city and available 24/7 for any questions and concerns during my year abroad. I had an amazing experience studying abroad in Barcelona and account most of that amazing experience to the AIFS staff.

Another great thing to add, at the beginning of the semester they host Catalan classes! This I have found helpful to this day.

Studying abroad in Barcelona with AIFS was the greatest experience of my life! My apartment with AIFS was very nice and was only a 7 minute walk from the UAB Sant Pau campus which was very convenient. My random roommates with AIFS ended up being some of my greatest friends ever! AIFS offers an array of cultural activities that allows students to immerse themselves into the culture and get to know people in the program. The program directors are the nicest and most helpful people! Inma is a saint and my experience wouldn't have been the same with the AIFS program staff! Anything you need the AIFS staff will help you with, from helping you get a phone to taking you to the doctor to translate for you when you are sick. I went to Switzerland and Morocco on weekend trips with AIFS and they were some of my favorite weekends! I felt so comfortable going to Morocco with the AIFS staff and had the most amazing experience! I highly recommend AIFS and Barcelona to anyone who is trying to have there best summer, semester, or year abroad!

I knew that studying abroad was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I wanted to make sure that my trip to Spain was a smooth transition there and that when I returned back to my campus in the spring I was still on track to graduate. AIFS did that and so much. I loved that I could play an active role in choosing courses that I was interested in. I was also thrilled that AIFS prepared me mentally with resources that made me feel at ease (packing list, SIM card options, etc.) While I was abroad, I had an experience like none other. Gaye and Julia treated me like family and when I needed them they were always there to make sure I had what I needed even on days when I was super super homesick. They let us have our freedom and experience around us but were still there to provide support. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my time in Spain and how much this trip changed and impacted me. It is definitely the highlight of not just my college matriculation but my life. The professors were outstanding, the city was beautiful and rich with culture and history. On days that I was homesick one of my greatest memories was going to get frozen yogurt and just sitting outside in the plaza or roam around the city to explore an area I hadn't been. The apartment I stayed in was literally steps away from the plaza and I enjoyed having the option to cook for myself because I am very finicky about food. Of course nothing was perfect, but even on bad days, I wouldn't have traded this opportunity for anything. As an African-American studying abroad was a priority for me. I wanted to travel and engage with a different culture and see what the world was like for myself. I wrote several blogs about my time in Salamanca (head over to AIFS

Going abroad to Spain has been my dream since I first started studying Spanish in middle school. To be able to live out this dream literally, boosted my confidence in the fact that I know I can make my dreams a reality. While I was there, I realized my passion for the language grew so much stronger and that my dream of actually permanently moving abroad could be made true. This experience opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities and I did stuff I never thought I would do. My confidence was so much higher there than ever before. Coming back, I think about it every single day and as I get closer to having to job-search, I know I'm not going to limit myself to any particular location. I am a completely different person with a much more open mind than before going abroad and I think if anyone has even considered going abroad, then they should do everything in their power to make it happen. You absolutely cannot regret going to a foreign country while you're in college. The program far exceeded my expectations. They were there when I needed them, but we weren't required to do anything or stuck to any sort of schedule except for school. We were just given an abundance of options. Having everything included such as accommodation and food, really helped with budgeting.

Granada was the best place to study abroad! I lived with a host family, took all my courses in spanish, and immersed myself in the culture. The on-site resident directors with AIFS were AMAZING!!! They went with me to the doctor when I got sick, helped us with our schedules, and guided us on where we should shop and places we needed to eat at. The excursions they plan were very well planned and very fun! I knew nothing about Granada before heading over there and had never left the country before so I was very nervous to leave but I am so glad I chose AIFS in Granada. I felt completely supported and enjoyed every part of my experience! My host family was great and loving, my classes were not as hard as I was expecting, and the culture and life in Granada is rich! I would recommend Granada to everyone but especially to those who want to go to a spanish speaking country and come back speaking the language. Granada is an amazing place to learn the Spanish language.

My experience abroad completely changed my life. Many, if not all, students who have had the chance of studying away from the United States will say the same thing, but I truly feel like my experience was unique. From the moment I arrived in Salamanca, the AIFs staff made it their personal mission to make me the happiest gal in the world. Not only was I provided with a trip to London to kick off my semester abroad, but I was placed in a loving home stay with a host Mom who truly became my mom. AIFs choice of host families went above and beyond what I expected as my host mom made it her mission to include me and my roommate within Spanish culture as best as possible. In addition, AIFs made sure I recieved the best of Spanish experiences by organizing excursions throughout Spain and giving me the opportunity to take classes in an actual Spanish classroom. When my professors heard I was an aspiring journalist, they went out of their way to get me in contact with local journalists. I tagged along to protests and was able to live a very unique and important moment in Spain’s history, the Catalonia cry for independence. AIFs provided me with trips, memories, and the opportunity to really understand and decide whether this field was what I wanted and I could not recommend this program enough. It changed my life, it could potentially change yours.

Studying in Granada, Spain with AIFS was the best decision I could have made! From start to finish, I felt comfortable with the entire process. The application was straight forward and whenever I had questions, my admissions counselor was quick to respond and alleviate my confusion. While in Spain, the on staff was extremely friendly and they were available for any questions about the city or the adjustment process. When choosing my program for my semester abroad, the value of the AIFS program gave me the best option. This program was the least expensive, which was something I was looking for. Despite that, I was still given many opportunities in my study abroad. The program included excursions to Sevilla, Córdoba, Gibraltar, walking tours around Granada, and even Alpujarras. Going on these added so much more to my experience because I was able to see outside of the city and experience other pieces of Spain and its culture. AIFS even provided opportunities to blog or be a photographer for AIFS and even to volunteer while abroad. One of my favorite parts were the “intercambios” organized by our program directors where we were able to meet with native Spanish speakers to practice the language and make new friends. Upon return, AIFS allowed students to apply to be an Alumni Ambassador to promote study abroad on campus. AIFS does not leave students high and dry at the end of the program, but they create a family for the returning student, so they can know they are not alone. I could have gone to Granada with any program, but I will never regret going with AIFS.