Study Abroad Programs in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

No words can describe how incredible this program is with its passionate academic directors, incredibly planned excursions, and the welcoming host families with whom students live for the majority of the time in Ecuador. During this program, I was taught courses in Quito and took my learning every other week on a different excursion, where we did field-based work. We went on planned excursions to the Paramo Highlands, multiple parts of the Cloud Forest, the Amazon rainforest, and the Galapagos Islands. Overall, the cultural and educational experiences I had here cannot be compared to anything I had experienced in my life until coming to this incredible country with SIT.

Seamester was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding. Living on a boat, sailing every day, and diving in some of the most incredible places in the world pushed me far outside my comfort zone and helped me grow so much as a person. The dives were unforgettable, the sailing taught me resilience and teamwork, and the people made it all worth it. I met some of my closest friends and made memories I’ll carry with me forever. It challenged me, changed me, and gave me experiences I never could have had anywhere else. I’m so grateful I did it.

Seamester was a last minute decision for me, kind of came out of nowhere. Best decision I could have made. I met 30 incredible people that I am happy to report are some of my closest friends now. This trip was so fun but also extremely difficult. I wouldn’t change my experience for the world though. Thank you Seamester.

What this trip gave me was unreplicatable experiences. I got to live on a boat for 90 days with like-minded individuals, and do things and go places that most people will never be able to. We crossed the Panama Canal, got to scuba dive in Galápagos, and had a special ceremony as we crossed the equator. We visited many remote islands that would be hard to get to otherwise. We sailed the Pacific, and went eighteen days without seeing land. And as we were doing it all, we studied marine biology and oceanography, learned what it meant to be a sailor, and how to be a leader. This is a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m grateful for every story I have brought home with me.

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!

SIT's Comparative Ecology program was a life changing experience that I will never forget! Due to the nature of the program, including living with host families and going on trips to different ecosystems so frequently, every second was an opportunity to learn, grow, and laugh. Each of our excursion destinations holds a very special place in my heart. From the biodiversity of hummingbirds in the Paramo to swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos, each day in Ecuador inspired me more. In addition to the time spent experiencing new cultures and biomes with a great group of new friends and our professors, I had the opportunity to complete an individual research project. With this I had the chance to live and work in the Amazon Rainforest, completing research that has implications on my current position post-grad and being lucky enough to experience life with a Quichuan family. If you're considering this program, my advice would to be to get lots of rest before you go and prepare to trust in the process of things, but to definitely do it! I love and adore this program and everything it taught me, and hope you do too!

Before applying, I had doubts about whether I should study abroad and whether or not it should be with this program. Now that I have completed it, however, the thought that I might have gone elsewhere haunts me. I am so thankful to have been a student in Ecuador with SIT, and it has had major positive impacts on my plans for the future. As a student of Environmental Biology in St. Louis, this program gave me field research experiences I couldn't have gotten anywhere else that perfectly complemented what I had already learned in school. After numerous trips to conduct research in some of the coolest places on Earth (cloud forests, the Amazon, the Paramo, and the Galapagos islands), I spent a month studying spider populations in the Amazon for an independent research project that I was able to bring from initial concept to a completed research paper. If this seems intense, fear not! The lovely professors of this program will help build your confidence over the semester and teach you the skills necessary to do something similar yourself (I certainly felt that way). On top of all of this, I met lovely people along the way and felt truly comfortable and informed within the Ecuadorian cultural context. If you are interested in gaining field research experience, seeing some of the most gorgeous parts of the world, and applying theoretical ecology concepts that you've learned in school, look no further. This program is perfect.

SIT Ecuador was an incredibly challenging, but incredibly rewarding semester. I am an ecological and evolutionary biology major in New York City, so I had not had many field experiences before this program. I have now stayed on an island in the Amazon River Basin for 3 weeks by myself researching monkey behavior. Throughout the program I learned how to conduct my own research, write papers, and analyze data. I had a heavier work load than typical semesters, but the field excursions that caused them were well worth the late nights. The professors are incredibly knowledgeable and genuinely care about the students. I could not have asked for a better program.

Studying abroad in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands was a once-in-a-lifetime, life changing experience. As a biology major, I was looking to gain more knowledge and hands on experience with nature in other areas of the world. Getting to visit the Amazon Rainforest and staying in the Galápagos Islands fulfilled these desires! The courses I took exposed me to new material and were much more hands on than my courses at my home university. In fact, we spent more than half of our class time in the field in some of our courses. Besides the biological aspect, I had wanted to learn Spanish and experience life in another culture/country and Ecuador was perfect for both of these things! The people in both Quito and the islands were friendly and patient as I practiced my Spanish. As for the university and program staff, everyone was super approachable and there to help us adjust to a new life and environment. This experience taught me so many good lessons and I learned so much about my future aspirations. If you are looking for a study abroad program that is both culturally and biologically diverse, this is the program for 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!

I have always wanted to study abroad. Additionally, I have always wanted to be a wildlife biologist and do field research. Furthermore, The Galapagos and The Amazon have been at the top of my “Bucket List” for my whole life. The fact that my first field research opportunity in my life was at both of these locations is mind boggling.

I went on this trip during a hard time in my life. I have always wanted to go to a rainforest and have always loved learning about the delicate balance of the environment and human society. This trip allowed me to find who I am, including who I want to be! I was immersed in the Ecuadorian, and South American culture and their beautiful environment. I realized my dream of protecting nature through conservation and found a college that would be a perfect fit, for my path and purpose as a human being, and that is pure magic. This was a beautiful experience, and I still talk to my group on WhatsApp!!! We formed a bond and learned a lot from each other. We all pushed past the box we grew up in, and our learned limits, which is such a beautiful thing. Difficult of course but so so worth it!!! I suffer from a lot of anxiety as well as Chronic Lyme and this helped me grow from the barriers I thought those labels put me in, including how and what I needed to work on for myself especially mentally.

We got to explore so many parts of the country, from Quito, Mindo, Tena, Banos, Riobamba, to Galapagos, everything was so different and interesting at the same time. We explored rainforest, waterfalls, Chimborazo and the Galapagos islands. We saw so many different animals and experience so many different physical activities that are really once of a life time experiences. We hiked in the Amazon Rainforest for 4 hours, snorkeled in the Galapagos islands, climbed the Chimborazo mountain that is the closest to the sun and experience homestays in Riobamba.

I was very hesitant about leaving my college and missing out on a semester, but I'm so glad I made this choice! This program is an amazing combination of hands-on environmental science and ecology fieldwork, program-organized travel to all major ecoregions (that wouldn't be accessible to typical tourists), exposure to very different styles of life and groups of people, and experiencing Ecuador through living with host families and exploration with other students in the program. The excursions were the highlight of this program- it was such a refreshing change of pace to have days filled with setting up mist nets for birds in the morning, learning about macroinvertebrates and sampling in the afternoon, and looking for monkeys or using moth light traps in the evenings. They were exhausting, with long days of hiking, collecting data, and listening to guest lectures about topics related to that region, but so incredible and never felt like "work" in a burdensome way. Snorkeling in the Galápagos is certainly not a normal type of schoolwork. Less mentioned in program material is how easy it is to travel and explore independently, too. Almost every weekend, members of our group took buses to different parts of the country and got to see awesome volcanos, visit indigenous markets, ride bikes down waterfall routes, climb mountains, and explore the awesome food, museums, and neighborhoods of Quito, all for very cheap. For me, the independent research project was the most rewarding and challenging experience. I had a wonderful month spent living with a rural community and 2 other SIT students and designing and carrying out a project that was very relevant to my community's needs. I am a much more confident researcher now, have great professional contacts who served as my advisors, and feel more qualified for a variety of field research positions and academic work in Spanish in the future. This program is not based around a university, which meant an adjustment to a very different academic structure, but people are drawn to this program for its uniqueness and we became a very close-knit group. In addition, I felt very connected to my host family, my host community from the research month, and others who I met throughout my time in Ecuador and can't wait to visit some of them again. Ecuador is a very friendly country and I absolutely loved getting to talk to people in academic and social settings and learn about their lives. I would do this program again in a heartbeat.

Seamester was the adventure of a lifetime. I went into it not knowing how to sail but wanting to learn, and came out of it not only with that knowledge, but also with memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me so many new things about myself. The staff members were amazing with their teaching and support, especially when times got rough. Their diligence ensured we all made it safely across the pacific. I also loved the places we visited, with my favorites being the Galapagos, Mo'orea, and the Panama Canal. The class schedule could be challenging at times, and waking up for watch in the middle of the night was definitely not my strong suit, but overall I had an amazing semester. I couldn't recommend Seamester enough and I'm so grateful for this wonderful experience.

I am so thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity. This is something I will never forget and will always have this story to tell. However no one outside of this program will ever understand the true meaning because they did not experience it the same way I did. They were not there. I have attempted to explain the jokes or stories we told but very little people understood it like the crew on Argo did. The staff and students were the nicest people I have ever met, I know I made lifelong friends. From swimming with manta rays to midnight watch during a long passage, to cleaning the boat and making her sparkle. We made every moment fun. We always turned something that the staff told us wasn't going to be that fun (for example boat appreciation or clean up after meals) into dance parties. There was never a dull moment.

This trip has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something I will never forget. I have made so many lifelong friends that I will continue to keep in touch with and see again. Sea|Mester is the greatest thing I have ever done. It opened my eyes in so many different ways and has made me change in so many great ways. I made many great memories I will cherish forever. All the staff was incredibly kind and made sure all of my needs were taken care of. I could talk to the staff about anything and always had fun talking with them. The staff treated us as equals which was super nice. All the classes were taught very well and every teacher was very passionate about their course. For me, the most valuable aspect was the social factor. I was pretty nervous coming into this trip about meeting new people and broadening my social circles. I have always been anxious about introductions and showing people my true self and this trip helped me so much. This trip allowed me to be myself and unlock a part of me I didn’t know I had. Everyone embraced me for who I was, which was great. I owe a great deal of this trip to my fellow crew members who were so kind and funny. Sea|Mester is awesome. Don’t change anything. This trip is probably the greatest thing I’ve ever done and I’ll remember it forever. I have lifelong friends all over the world now.

While this study abroad was short, it was full of amazing opportunities and we were always doing fun things. I would recommend this study abroad to anyone looking for an opportunity outside of their university. Very organized and great people!

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.

I took a gap year after high school and chose to spend my Fall onboard S/Y Argo and sail from Palau, through Indonesia, to Bangkok Thailand. I had some scuba diving experience, but had never even been aboard a sailboat before. The Seamester staff was supportive and amazing. I made some of my strongest friendships and had the most amazing experiences, from diving with oceanic manta rays to long night watches sailing through the rough South China Seas. I learned so much about diving, sailing, and marine sciences, as well as so much about myself as a person. I would recommend Seamester to anyone considering it!