Trimester International Relations Study Abroad Programs

Before Expanish, I struggled to feel confident/comfortable in Spain due to my lack of knowledge in Spanish. Expanish not only allowed me to finally feel comfortable in Madrid, but helped me to really thrive in Madrid. By being able to learn Spanish I felt so much more connected in my Madrid community by being able to build relationships with my gym instructors, the clerks at my regular grocery store, waiters at my favorite restaurant. That changed everything. I also learned and saw so much of Spain and Madrid through the cultural immersion events. It had the most positive impact on my experience and I’m forever indebted to Expanish. The classes themselves were great! My instructor was Aurora. She was very kind and patient which is so necessary when learning a new language. She was also great at explaining new concepts and will repeat it as many times as you need. Everyone on staff is absolutely incredible. Everyone was more than willing to offer help if I needed something. I was having issues with my apartment agency and one of the staff was more happy to call the agency to speak with them in Spanish on my behalf (I didn’t stay in housing that was part of Expanish). It just goes to show how much they care. They all ask questions about you and want to get to know you personally. You’re not just a number at Expanish. If anyone’s considering signing up, I promise you won’t regret it!

Expanish responded to this reviewJuly 25, 2026

Alexa, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a nice review! :) Reading this genuinely made our day, especially the part about feeling connected to your Madrid community, building those everyday relationships that really make a place feel like home. That's exactly what we hope for, so knowing you got to experience that means the world to us. We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Aurora, she'll be so happy to read this. And to our team, thank you for noticing and appreciating that extra effort. You're not just a number to us, you're part of the Expanish family, and we love being able to support you even beyond the classroom. Thank you for recommending us and for being such a wonderful part of this journey. It was truly a pleasure having you with us!

The experience perfectly combined both academic exploration with cultural expsoure. Antonio was a great guide who was available for us at all times of the day. There was effective communication between us, the students, and those in charge.

NOTE: i traveled to arcos with a college so they handled most of the logistics of payment and insurance and such. I took only Spanish with Arcos and it was a very nice class that I honestly wish we had for a longer period of time. Sometimes I wished it was as long as the excursions that we took, which were absolutely amazing and the Arcos team had deep insight so that our guide was never overwealmed by the amount of students/questions. They were able to translate and answer questions about Oaxaca during excursions and even recommend things to do/places to go during time off.

I had a great time in Oaxaca. Toño and Eva were such great facilitators of the program, and living with my host family—Gude and Ramiro, as well as their kids Veronica and Husai—was a really special moment in my life. I am eternally grateful that they decided to open their home to me and David.

It was good I enjoyed living with a host family and being immersed in Spanish for the most part. I was also frequently impressed with the sites we would go to. I never felt unsafe and the experience allowed me to bond with my classmates

I’ve had an amazing time here at Expanish. The teachers are great and I really like the small class size so you get to connect with each individually. I like how community driven the program is to. The seating area out of the classrooms feels like a great hub for students to socialize. I like how the program is set to travel as well. Teachers are encouraging us to travel on the weekends and see Europe. I also enjoy the study/travel balance and having a pretty strict attendance policy forced us to attend each class.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 21, 2026

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback, Ben! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such an amazing experience at Expanish. It’s great that you enjoyed the small class sizes and were able to build strong connections with both your teachers and classmates. Creating a welcoming, community-driven environment is something we really value, so it’s wonderful to know that came through during your time with us. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un abrazo!

Altogether, I had a great time. We got to see so much and I believe the pacing of the program was great, spending the right amount of time at each location. La Fortuna was my favorite! Traveling in a large group brought up trouble with waiting on students, health issues, etc. but I still think they were able to make the most of it. Having a flexible schedule and being open to adjustments definitely helps. Our guide Rodrigo and our bus drivers were the best!

Doing study abroad is a MUST for character development and the opportunity to travel at a young age. Expanish made the program super easy and convenient. The predeparture preparation, VISA application process, and onboarding was so smooth.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 21, 2026

Thank you for your great feedback, Sean! We couldn’t agree more—studying abroad is such a valuable experience, both personally and culturally. We’re really glad to hear that our team was able to make the whole process smooth and stress-free for you, from pre-departure to arrival. It’s wonderful to know you felt supported every step of the way and could focus on enjoying your experience abroad. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

I really enjoyed this experience. My review is based off of a free trip less expenses such as food and transportation, as I received scholarships for this course. I do know that many students paid upwards of $7,000 on this study abroad trip, which I do find to be a bit much. Considering we were staying in $80 / night hotels with non-working lights, mediocre amenities, and bad air conditioning and bedding coupled with the scarcity of included meals, the figure should have been more around $3,000 without airfare cost. I do not understand how the cost was so high for what was received. I also found living in the dorms with random Costa Rican people to be fun, but a bit restrictive. The morning meals were literally eggs, a piece of bread, and really bad coffee. I was also staying in a really small bunk bed which was uncomfortable. Staying in an affordable hotel would have been better. Next time I recommend the school book out Ester’s Place which is closer to the tech campus and run by a lovely lady who has many rooms available in her home hotel. She also had a much better breakfast and the cost was only $65 / night per person. I stayed here my first night flying in on the 12th and wish I could have gone back but due to restrictions I was not allowed. My family of four at the time in 2019 went on an all inclusive cruise to Italy, Spain, and France for under $10,000 with included meals, drinks , stay, etc. So this trip being $7,000 + for just ONE PERSON is a bit crazy. Regardless, the activities were awesome and for me, price was not an issue as stated before. So, my review without price factored was it was amazing. Great tour guide Rodrigo was so knowledgeable and a very nice guy. He took us to authentic places and not just generic touristy places. I enjoyed seeing the stark contrast in sustainability initiatives between exotic resorts, quasi-governmental organizations, and design firms. I truly did get a wonderful experience with understanding how firms work and the metric process used to gather sustainability info, as well as how to tell if a company may be kind of BS-ing the situation with their sustainability initiatives, or holding themselves accountable. I loved the zip line tour and the coffee and cocoa bean tour. The history tours around the towns was cool, but truly was not necessary. I feel we could have just had an informational PDF sent to us instead of touring these relatively boring historical landmarks. Activities are always more fun than learning about history. I think it would have been much more effective to fly into Liberia, tour the beach and Penninsula Papagayo’s HOA office, then make our way back to San Jose and visit firms, then fly out of SJO. The amount of time driving was frustrating. Or, instead, we would just fly into SJO and tour the Caribbean side of things and skip the western side of Costa Rica altogether. This way the time could be allocated more effectively. I also wish the professors would have split us into groups so we could have gotten to know everyone. There were certain folks I never really got to have conversations with because the groups would naturally clique and we never had forced exposure to each other. Overall it was a wonderful trip and, with a few adjustments I know the next one will be awesome as well!

Coming to TTU Costa Rica was an amazing experience and allowed me to try lots of new and unique things. Rodrigo was the absolute best and the entire trip wouldn't have been half as great and smooth without him! Gonna miss him back in the states, thank you so much for an amazing time!

When you are a Bulldog at Butler University, it’s hard to leave your vibrant campus life behind for a full semester. Still, choosing to study abroad became one of the most rewarding decisions of my college experience. Thanks to Calie Dickey and staff at Butler's Center for Global Education, the decision quickly became a no-brainer. I took my international business and Spanish studies from our campus classroom all the way to Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. Living life as a Madrileña, every day brought something new. Spanish language immersion was central to my goals, and living with my incredible second family as a host daughter in their home became the most impactful part of my experience. My family welcomed me into every part of their lives - their gastronomy, daily rhythms, friends and family, evening street culture, and cherished traditions. I learned that Spaniards can always find something to celebrate. During my time abroad, three things stood out: • Discomfort turned into confidence • Curiosity turned into cultural exploration • Strangers turned into family As a student at the Instituto Franklin-UAH, I was challenged in nearly all Spanish-speaking courses and connected my daily experiences with coursework in Spanish poetry and traditions. I also completed a marketing internship with local business Buceo Alcalá, where I grew as a professional in my secondary language - proving to myself that growth lives on the other side of discomfort, even amid cultural and language barriers. The International Business major in me was eager to absorb everything around me. Before I departed, even my former colleagues at Eli Lilly and Company were excited to send me off. I was later invited to visit our Government Affairs team at the international office in Alcobendas, Spain, an unforgettable opportunity to see one team working across seas. My time with Teresa Millan and her team Cristina Escudero Marquez, and Claudia Penzol López will always be cherished. Now back in Indianapolis for my final semester as a Butler undergraduate student, the golden question remains: “Do you miss it?” And while yes, I miss the adventure, the unknown, and the beauty that is Spanish living, I am grateful to be home. I smile with contentment for the life-changing memories and apply my broadened perspective to my life every day.

great experience; wonderful interaction with students from all over the world . I would recommend this program to anyone interested in learning/improving their knowledge of Spanish. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in improving or learning how to speak Spanish.

My Canada study visa experience was smooth and well-guided. The team provided clear information, timely support, and professional assistance throughout the process. I’m grateful for their guidance and highly recommend their services.

BrainEdge GoAbroad offers expert study abroad guidance with transparent counseling, scholarship support, and smooth visa processing. Highly professional and reliable service. Highly recommended for anyone looking for reliable, professional, and result-oriented study abroad guidance.

Though the two-week program is condensed, my kind teacher focused on practical skills. The homestay was the best part; my family was incredibly inclusive and helped me practice Spanish. I improved my language skills and formed great relationships. A tip: learning basic Spanish helps communication with your homestay family. Budgeting was my main challenge due to the amazing food and places to explore in Oaxaca.

The program offers an incredible experience. Paulina was a wonderful director, sharing her deep knowledge of Oaxacan and Mexican culture. My class with Professor Itzel was phenomenal. The homestay with Rosalva and her family was incredibly welcoming; I truly felt like part of their family. Don't let a language barrier scare you—everyone was patient and understanding.

The Arcos director was knowledgeable about Oaxaca, especially its art and culture. I highly recommend this program in Mexico; it was worth it! I learned Spanish and took a Spanish class, and I can't wait to return to see my host family and all of the excurison sites we went to.

Studying abroad at UAH was one of the best decisions I ever made in college. I'm a semester away from graduation and can say without a doubt that the four months I spent at the university were some of the most impactful and inspiring of my life so far. My Spanish speaking ability greatly increased, I made awesome new friends, explored Toledo, Madrid, and Alcalá, as well as the Valle de los Caídos, and figured out what I want to do with my life. I cannot recommend this experience highly enough! Go get lost in castles and monasteries, find yourself in awe of the Roman ruins, and make friends with the locals in cafes and bars. Getting to know the lovely people and participating in daily life activities alongside them, even joining in all the festivities for Semana Santa, was incredible. If you have the opportunity, by all means, what are you waiting for? And if you do, please be sure to go back to the río de Henares and tell it I miss it already <3

I’ve only been here a few weeks, but it has been so much fun! I’m learning a lot about Spanish culture, and I love living with my host family. I cannot wait to continue making memories here in Spain!!

The Arcos Learning Abroad program in Oaxaca is an invaluable experience. The on-site staff was excellent and communicative, offering great suggestions for local activities. My UABJO classes were instrumental in expanding my Spanish skills. The homestay with Ángeles was a highlight—she is incredibly kind, generous, and her cooking was wonderful. This program fosters significant personal growth, and I highly recommend it for both academic and personal development.