AIFS Abroad - European Art and Culture: Study + Travel

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. 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 or locations relating to the topic covered in class (not to mention getting to skip the lines at places like the Louvre & the Uffizi). Having studied art history for several years already, 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. You are assigned homework weekly, but as long as you attend class daily & pay attention at the museums, you'll have no problem getting it done and having free time. The professor was always available to talk to outside of class, and he was such a fun and interesting man to have conversations with, we really enjoyed going out to dinners as a group or listening to him at tourist stops. 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 one of the many highlights of our 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. Like most people, I wasn't ready to leave! I would have liked to spend more time in each city or even have a weeklong break in the program to give us a chance to try and travel outside of the program countries. People who knew others on the program were able to plan ahead and travel before or after the course ended, but like most, I went by myself and became friends with people as the trip went along. You don't feel as immersed in the cultures as you would if you stayed in one place for several months, but if you get a thrill out of constantly being on the go, dream of studying art history in some of the most famous and historical cities on the planet, and have so much fun your head will spin, this is the program for you.

I was lucky enough to participate in this program the summer before my senior year of college, and it was a blast! Naturally, visiting the vast majority of the important, iconic and world-renowned areas of Western Europe was exciting in itself, but the free time allowed us to customize our trip to make sure we saw exactly what we wanted to see and do while abroad. However, I'd say one of the very best things about going with this program was having all of the tickets for the museums ready to go - that meant we saved a TON of time from waiting in lines, so we had waaaay more time for memories and adventures! Additionally, this class ended up sparking an interest I never knew I had in art from varying perspectives, and it ended up laying the groundwork for both my Economics and Spanish Senior Research Seminar classes, projects, and presentations. My study abroad professor from London was happy to email me resources and suggestions for my projects, and he was just as excited as I was when my research was chosen to be in the Undergraduate Research Symposium at school! I absolutely recommend this class, trip, and experience 100%.

(This is basically the same program as in 1970 from AIFS and great to see it's still happening.) The first time I saw the Sistine Chapel, the Pieta, ate gelato, visited Pompeii ...walked around Stonehenge, Shakespeare's theater, Parliament...climbed the stairs in Notre Dame, went up the Eiffel Tower at night, and much more is still unforgettable, while taking classes in the morning. This was to be an academic review of my study abroad, instead, I will say, if after almost forty five years of life, I can still see and remember the experiences of my AIFS trip, the inspiring, breath taking sites, tasty food, and even the friends I made, that is my testament. My study abroad was back in 1970, and the reason it is significant is to emphasize that no matter what else you do in your life, you'll always remember your study abroad, regardless of the where or what, so go, GoAbroad!