American College Program - University of Fribourg

I had a wonderful experience with the ACP. Being able to study at the University of Fribourg was the perfect way to really be immersed in Swiss culture. There were so many opportunities to take advantage of, from attending lectures in French, to learning how to fence, to writing for the school paper, to meeting people from all over the world...every day brought new challenges and adventures! Fribourg is conveniently located and was a great home base for exploring the rest of Switzerland and Europe. I'll have some incredible memories to look back on--my only complaint is that the semester went by too quickly!

The four months we spent in Switzerland have been the best travel experience we have had to date. Fribourg's location in Switzerland works perfectly for easy day trips, and Switzerland's central location makes traveling in Europe a breeze. The best part of all was being able to see the Alps every day while walking to classes at the University.

I found the American College Program on the Internet. I was searching for a University in Europe where I could study French or German. I was applying at this time also for a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship so I needed to know quickly where I wanted to go. When I found the ACP website, I was positive it was the right program for me. Eleven months later, I am now also sure that I made the right decision. I have improved so dramatically in my French and German, met so many people from so many different countries (Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Morocco, Iran, Spain, Argentina, Columbia, Peru, Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, France, Singapore, China, Japan, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Georgia, Romania and more) and I have so many fond memories of Switzerland and other countries. Perhaps the best thing about Switzerland, besides the cheese and chocolate of course, is the fact that it's entered in Europe so almost every country is close by. I will really miss all the friends I made in Fribourg, but I am sure without a doubt that I will be back.

I don't think any two of the students who were in Fribourg with the American College Program this year had the same expectations. We all came for our own unique reasons, and our individual experiences this year were shaped by those differing expectations. My American College Program experience was, in a word, great. I got out of it just what I had hoped for. I made new relationships, strengthened already existing ones, expanded my viewpoint, and, most importantly, gained a clearer idea of what I'd like to do in the future.