Winter Study Abroad Programs in Chile

When I decided I wanted to go abroad, I was nervous about a lot of things. First off, I was scared that when I went abroad I would have to settle for a location I did not want to be in because I needed my credits to transfer over. Luckily AIFS had a program in a wonderful city with a bunch of classes that would transfer back to my home university super well. When I chose this program, I was overjoyed but nervous about living in a homestay. When I got there I was happily surprised to find that my host family was amazing and provided me with an experience I would not have been able to have if I had been in a dorm/apt. The people that I met in the program were some of the coolest people I have ever known and am happy to call them my friends to this day. If you are looking for a great program in Paris where you have the freedom to meet new people, travel, and find yourself in a new place, I would 100% recommend this to you!

My semester abroad in Granada, Spain was absolutely unforgettable. I decided to stay with a host family and I lived in their home with another student in the same program. Living with a roommate, we became really close friends. My host family was so kind and welcoming, they included us in everything they did. I learned so much Spanish culture and tradition from spending time with the family. The school was called Center of Modern Languages and I had a mixture of Spanish and Business classes. I loved speaking Spanish in class and getting to know other students. AIFS provided a level placement test at the beginning of the semester so that everyone found courses that were appropriate for their knowledge of Spanish. The classes were very fun and I enjoyed going to class. The AIFS program excursions were some of the best experiences/trips that I went on. I was blown away by the Morocco trip as well as the Seville/Córdoba/Gibraltar weekend. The trips were well planned, affordable, and allowed for free time to explore with friends. I made so many connections with locals, got to experience once in a lifetime activities like riding camels next to the ocean, and tried amazing foods. The program application process was hassle-free and the program advisors in Granada are so helpful. I would often visit their office and just chat with them or ask their advice on where to visit on the weekend. They organized cooking classes, art classes, sporting events, and cultural activities like a flamenco show. Granada is such a wonderful city. It is very walkable and the people are very friendly. There are endless tapas bars in the city where you get free food with each drink purchase. I made friends with lots of locals and other students from across the US. I attended exchange club meetings where you get drinks and tapas, and you chat in whatever language you are trying to learn with people from around the world. AIFS did a wonderful job providing opportunities for all of the students in the program to get to know each other. I made a close-knit group of friends and we spent so much time together. I am so thankful for having met them thanks to AIFS. We even visited each other once we arrived back in the US! I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to experience Spain on a more personal scale compared to bigger cities. I think Granada is the most beautiful city, and the Alhambra is a must-see!

Berlin is a really wonderful and historic city to live in. My German is basically nonexistent and I still felt like I was able to get around fine. The AIFs staff are very supportive, and the organized actives were well structured and thought out. If you weren’t interested in some or all of the activities, you didn’t have to participate and there was plenty of time to do your own thing around Berlin or travel throughout Europe. I didn’t particularly enjoy my academic experience at Humboldt, there were a few good classes but also a few really awful ones. So, if I could do it again I would probably do the AIFS program with Freie Universität academic program.

My colleague and I have had the pleasure of accompanying 21 amazing humans on a 3 month journey that will most certainly change them for the rest of their lives. Thank you to AIFS for sharing Rome with us and attending to every detail that made this an experience that will live with us eternally. The AIFS Rome center staff were excellent in providing impactful excursions, extra-curricular courses, and ensuring that all of us were well informed and provided for in every part of our journey.

I had a great experience. I learned a lot about the culture in the Netherlands as well as the surrounding counties. I made connections with friends that will last a lifetime. I would highly recommend this program!!!

I had a lovely time here, although it was not without flaws. The amenities were not great especially considering how much we paid to be here. The company guilt tripped and body shamed us. But I made innumerable new friends and had experiences that I will cherish forever.

Very nice experience, learned a lot. People I’ve met here are now friends I will still be in contact with. The internship was where I learned new skills and networked with people within the fashion industry and got inspired by being here abroad

I definitely had a really exciting and wonderful trip. There were a few aspects like traveling and staying at more cities besides just Salzburg would have been a lot more fun. But the tours and field trips were absolutely incredible and the people who showed us around were amazing! Loved to see the history and beauty all over

From arrival to departure, AIFS made my study abroad experience a 11/10. Great staff through and through allowed for a complete cultural assimilation in the time I spent there. It was the experience of a lifetime that I would recommend to everyone.

AIFS was definitely the right choice for me and I think it will be for anyone else seriously considering study abroad. From the moment I signed up for emails (before applying) to now (over a year out from leaving Germany), I have felt so supported and have had a lovely experience. The included trips and activities were definitely my favorite parts (the street art tour and cooking class especially!) and I’m still in contact with our Resident Director, Nele :)

My Sevilla program through Adalante was amazing! I made some great memories, traveled a lot, and made some friends. Covid cut the semester short but for what it was, it was great. Adalante was cheap enough for me to enjoy my time, be well supported in Spain, and still save money. They were very accommodating and kind.

I have tried a million times to express how much I enjoyed my semester abroad, but I never can do it justice. Prague has a very special place in my heart and I'd move there permanently in a heart beat. Before choosing programs, I knew nothing about the Czech Republic and my mind was set on going to Aix-en-Provence. While I'm sure I would have enjoyed my time there, I now know that Prague was a far more amazing experience than anywhere else I could've gone. I studied abroad as a first semester senior, so if I couldn't take at least three classes that would count for my major, I couldn't go. CEA was amazing at helping me through the entire beginning process, and I was able to get the classes I needed for my Business Administration/Management major. I took Human Resource Management, Corporate Finance, and Business Ethics (plus an amazing Czech language and culture course that I highly recommend). The school is beautiful and always filled with students, it's connected to Prague's oldest garden, that is otherwise tricky to find (there's peacocks running free that sometimes come up to classrooms). The school is right next to several tram stops and a metro stop. It's very central and simple to get to. I had an amazing apartment that was the most ideal situation I could've had. I had one other roommate who I didn't know but is now my best friend. The kitchen comes with all the cooking tools you need and we had so much space, we only used about a sixteenth of it. Our neighbors were also CEA students and the apartments are generally extremely secure. Normally there's a locked gate before you even enter your apartment building. The tram I took to school was only a 3 minute walk away and was right under the absolutely stunning National Theater. Prague always has people out and about at all hours and I never felt unsafe (the crime rate is incredibly low). CEA has guards walking around to apartments to make sure all is well and no one is breaking quiet hour rules (a common thing across Europe). Transportation has made Prague a wonderful city; you can get anywhere. The train station and airport can be easily reached by tram/metro/bus. CEA gives you the tools to get a transportation pass that works on all of these and is pretty cheap. CEA also offered excursions that you should definitely take advantage of (and bonus they're free! they even feed you). CEA also has events you can attend and has pastries and fruit available pretty much all the time. The staff encourage you to come in and get to know them. They even hosted a Thanksgiving meal (with a Czech twist) to help with not being home for the holiday. When in Prague you only see about a third of the city. What I mean by this is that for every building you see, you're only seeing one third of it. Buildings go underground and have secret courtyards you wouldn't see unless you go in. Definitely check out the bars because they're well known for this. There's farmer's markets all of the city (my favorite is along the Vlatava on Saturdays). Czechs are very friendly and casual. They're family oriented and have fun interests (mushroom picking is a big thing). I had the time of my life and 100% wish I could relive that semester. I'm also really glad I chose CEA because they were so friendly, helpful, and organized.

CEA responded to this reviewSeptember 25, 2019

Anna, this is music to our ears! We are so grateful to hear your kind words and positive experience with CEA. Your detailed review and advice will serve as a guide for future students when researching their own study abroad experiences! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors, and don’t forget to stop by the next time you’re in Prague to say hello!

Everyone needs to go abroad. It is awesome experiencing so many cultures. Professors while abroad are very helpful and care about their students. I really enjoyed getting to know my professors and learning not only class content but also from their real life experiences. Traveling on the weekends was obviously my favorite part of this experience. I was able to visit a bunch of different countries. Wish I could stay longer.

By getting outside of my comfort zone as much as possible, I was able to experience parts of the world while figuring out new things about myself! Staying in a home stay is completely worth it because you get to practice your Spanish and meet incredibly interesting locals!

Living in Spain was such a great experience! From the food to culture and things to do, Spain has it all. I´m definitely going to miss my time here and all the great people I met. Studying abroad helped me grow so much as a person, and I won´t ever forget this experience.

I made the most of my time here by travelling every weekend except for one. | recommend that everyone does that and explore their home city during the week. The professors were great and a lot better than in the US.

This experience allowed me to reflect on the type of person I am, what I like and what I do not like, and really step out of my comfort zone. Studying abroad has allowed me to develop critical values that are important for everyday life. I have always believed that one of the best ways to erase ignorance is by traveling and my experience here has proved that.

In college, I am majoring in International Studies and double majoring in International Business and Sociology. Upon studying abroad, I didn’t know exactly which route I wanted to take with my career upon graduating. So, I decided to intern while studying International Business abroad. At the spark of this program, I had a passion for Environmental Ethics and Global Agriculture but didn’t know how I could link it to my other passion being International Studies. Luckily, the Czech NGO internship that CEA matched fit me perfectly. Within the internship, I was one of the main student fundraisers, but they also invited me to some of their colleague’s climate change, forestry, and entrepreneurship conferences. Without studying abroad and being in such a constant learning environment, I wouldn’t have accomplished and be as confident as I am within my sector as I am now. Upon leaving the program, I am intern for a Congressman and his district office as well as become an advocacy intern for an anti-genocide company within South Sudan that is based in my hometown.

CEA responded to this reviewJune 19, 2018

Alexis, we are so pleased you were able to explore a variety of career paths within our Prague internship program. Thank you for sharing your story and best of luck with your career! - CEA

Studying abroad was something I knew I had to do before I graduated. Before I knew it, it was my junior year and I had yet to travel the world! Surprisingly enough I researched different schools, programs and courses that would help fulfill specific requirements for my Business Management major. I was able to study abroad during my last Fall semester as an undergraduate with CEA in the French Riviera, and attend an International Business School. Because of this amazing experience I am able to graduate on time and have experience in a global business setting with people from dozens of cultures. It couldn't have worked out any better and it was one of the best semesters of my college career!

CEA responded to this reviewJune 19, 2018

Thanks so much for your review. We’re pleased you had a great study abroad experience with us in the French Riviera. Best of luck starting your career in business.- CEA

I had a great time with AIFS. I was able to travel all over Europe and meet many new friends. I would not really change anything other than I wish it could be longer. I liked how easy it was to get in contact with the AIFS office to solve any problems I might have had. Classes here were not as hard as back home but I found myself learning more and enjoying the work I was doing.