Study Neuroscience Abroad

Coming to the American University of Beirut from the Kurdistan Region was a big step for me. Like anyone moving to another country, I had so many questions. What would studying in Lebanon be like? Would I find my people? Would I feel at home? Looking back, I can say that my experience at AUB turned out to be much more than I expected. Studying Nutrition and Dietetics taught me a lot, not only about my field but also about how to think, question things and look at problems from different perspectives. There were opportunities to get involved in research, explore subjects beyond my degree and connect what we learned in class to things happening in the real world. One of the things I appreciated most was being surrounded by people with different backgrounds and experiences. I learned just as much from the people I met as I did from my courses. But honestly, some of my favorite memories have very little to do with academics. Moving to Lebanon meant figuring out how to live independently, adjusting to a different culture and building a life away from my family. AUB brought together people from so many different places, and somewhere along the way, a place that was once completely unfamiliar started to feel like home. The friendships, long conversations, spontaneous plans and even the ordinary days on campus are things I still look back on fondly. AUB also gave me opportunities I probably wouldn't have imagined before coming to Lebanon. Through the MEPI Tomorrow's Leaders Program, I was able to explore new interests, meet people from different backgrounds and take part in experiences that pushed me beyond what I thought I could do. These opportunities helped me grow in ways that went beyond my education. Of course, living abroad wasn't always easy. There were days when I missed home, days when things felt overwhelming, and moments when I had to figure things out on my own. But I think those experiences were just as important as the good ones. If I could tell future international students one thing, it would be to come with an open mind and not be afraid of what you don't know yet. Give yourself time to adjust, say yes to opportunities, meet people outside your usual circles and enjoy the little things along the way. You might arrive with a certain plan, but leave with experiences and friendships you never expected. For me, AUB was never just about getting a degree. It was about finding my independence, discovering new possibilities, and growing into a person I hadn't quite imagined when I first arrived. And for that, I'll always be grateful.

I arrived in Lebanon as a high school graduate who had never traveled abroad alone, who did not speak Arabic, and who was full of nerves about what lay ahead. I expected to feel lost and overwhelmed, but the truth was exactly the opposite. The moment I stepped into campus, I fell in love, i wandered around campus for a week straight discovering new parts of it. People with warmth that I never really saw elsewhere, from first day on AUB became my home. Friends, teachers, and even strangers on campus made room for me as if I had always belonged, and the campus quickly stopped feeling like a place I was visiting and started feeling like a place I was meant to be. I found myself at AUB; I became a living part of this campus, and it became a living part of me. There were challenges along the way, as there always are, but each one made me stronger, braver, more patient, and more open to the world, and together they shaped me into the best version of myself. Had it was not for AUB, I could never imagine myself pushing through this journey... During my studies the country fell into war not once but twice, yet AUB was running, it was my first time witnessing the state of war, there were days where I wanted to leave, yet my professors and peers pushing through to ensure our academics don't fall behind made me stay. "Impressed" was an understatement, Amidst chaos AUB was here giving us glimpse of a bright future. It was this assurance which taught me not to give up. For what i must say this indeed has been the most rewarding and eye-opening chapter of my life, and it is the reason I call AUB my second home. Studying here was never just about earning a degree; it is about the experience of being a part of AUB, a community that welcomes you, believes in you, and changes you for the better. If you are standing where I once stood, nervous and unsure, I assure you to take the leap, because it will give you a home, a community, and a version of yourself you are proud of. I will admire this university, it will always be a second home I'd go back to.

I studied abroad at UM Maastricht in spring 2026, and I wish I never had to leave. Maastricht Netherlands is a municipality within the Netherlands and I originally chose this location based on the country of the Netherlands itself as it was my number one option from the day, I knew I wanted to study abroad. The country of the Netherlands seemed very beautiful, it seemed to have nature included in daily aspects, and the Netherlands seemed like a place where people could be themselves and be weird. When I arrived, that is exactly what I experienced. I was immersed within the university and country from the first day that I arrived. The university itself is spread out through this small but beautiful city, and is integrated with history, art, and nature across the whole campus. Which means that the city itself was also immersed and full of art, history, nature, culture, and a lively lifestyle. I learned a lot about Dutch culture, but studying abroad here also allowed me to continuously learn about at least 13 other cultures. It allowed me to be immersed within different language, and it allowed me to professionally and personally develop on every corner that I turned. UM was designed in the Dutch Way, and as accommodating for all cultures. The university had a message to understand and educate all and for me that applies to my day-to-day as I am a fourth year student about to graduate and become a teacher. As a teacher, it is important to understand all of my students, individualities and characteristics that set them apart or together within the students around them. A part of this requires to have minimal biases, which is how you create a positive environment within the classroom. I believe that the courses I took here enabled me to learn more about the psychology of learning and being around others. I took social psychology. Esther Slits was hands-down the best professor I had within the university, this course connected to previous courses I had taken within child development. Her course stuck with me the most and I have been able to apply what I learned in her class to my current classrooms. So far I have been in the four different classrooms and since coming home, I have been in one. So I am able to see the different mechanisms of application from before I learned more in her class compared to after I gained a full understanding of connections within social psychology. I had many ah ha moments within this class that have led me to encourage the education department within my university to encourage our studying educators to study abroad to gain a wider knowledge, and understanding of our classroom mechanisms, as well as as the students themselves. I found that studying in a university that required English within all courses was infatuating as almost every student and each tutorial or lecture spoke a different language. Which led me to gain a water understanding about how students feel within the classroom in elementary, middle, or high school, who don’t speak the same language as everyone else, and I learned how my students feel when they don’t understand what is being said because of a language barrier, and how to incorporate those student students into the classroom environment. All of my professors made it apparent that everyone could understand any language being spoken during instruction, however, when we had downtime or group work, everyone around me would speak in their own language. Or in Dutch. Which I definitely loved and would never prevent, I learned Dutch for a few months before attending, but in reality I still could not speak full sentences. My professors would always chime me in and ask the students around us in free time to speak in English, because even if a student is not involved in a conversation with a language, they don’t speak. It is still important that that student is not left out or feels unseen, or unheard. And that is my largest Takeaway within my study abroad, and I’m so thankful that I was able to continue and travel throughout my experience as the Netherlands country is in the middle of the European continent itself. I believe that I will encourage more educators to travel abroad and that I would always recommend them to go to Maastricht Netherlands to visit, because living there is not for everybody. But it was for me, I miss it every single day, and I cannot stop thinking about it. The nature, the people, the jokes, and the environment of the country has a whole. It’s stuck to me and I wish I could say that a part of me is Netherlandish but I can’t. One day I plan on coming back, as it truly was an impeccable lifetime experience, that you can’t only experience once.

I am part of a program at my university that provides students with funding to pursue independent research over a summer. My project aimed to better understand holistic nutrition and medicine in a traditional context and compare it to the holistic culture that has developed in the U.S., largely through social media. My hope for this experience with Linguistic Horizons was simply that I would learn about holistic medicine from people with strong ties to a community that has it in its history, and that I would hear about the significance of nutrition in that culture. My expectations were more than met, and I will give the highlights of the trip below. My group met with Eva, an 80- or 90-something-year-old herbalist, and her apprentice, who explained the history and uses of more than 20 herbs, both traditional and contemporary. They went into the theory of plant classification, which drew parallels to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Unani. At the close of the session, we also experienced a spiritual cleansing with herbs and smoke. It was exactly the kind of passed-down tradition I had hoped to find, taught by those who grew up with it. It also helped answer the question behind my research. In the U.S., alternative medicine tends to define itself against Western medicine, often positioning itself as a counter to, or rejection of, it. In Peru, traditional medicine exists more humbly, without fighting for relevance among the locals. In this way, it is less divisive, with less pressure to fully accept or reject the practice. The most impactful part of this trip was the 3-day nutrition class with Felipe. I learned a lot about fermentation techniques, as well as alternative schools of thought around food. His opening remark was on the etymology of “diet,” which translates to “way of life” in Greek. As a class, we were invited to reflect on our relationships with food and meditate on how our diet has impacted our manner of living. We also did a non-food-related guided meditation that I still talk about almost a year and a half later. I was pleasantly surprised by how much of what we covered went beyond nutrition and into existentialism. These hours with Felipe, without exaggeration, have changed the way I view my relationship with the world around me and the materials I consume. Beyond this core curriculum, which also included a session on breath/bodywork with a holistic therapist, the group made numerous excursions for meals and hikes in the surrounding mountains. At one point, we ventured to see the stone structures built into the hills that were used to “refrigerate” food. I love nature, so I was happy to see the land tied directly into what we were learning about food. We also learned a bit about alpaca wool, and I bought an alpaca sweater that I wear all the time. The biggest excursion, if you can even call it that, was to Machu Picchu. It was unforgettable, of course. This trip would not have been the same without our fabulous local contacts, Francis and Erika. I believe Nicole (the Linguistic Horizons director) met these wonderful friends during her time in Urubamba, and I am so glad she did. They helped us navigate the area, arranged and assisted with local travel, were present at meals, and generally made the group feel like friends. I immediately felt like I belonged. The living arrangements were comfortable, and the breakfasts provided at our stay were satisfactory. I am not particularly fussy, but if you’re thinking of this program, know that hot water is only available at set times. That’s common abroad, so plan your showers accordingly. My one regret is that we were unable to shadow at the local holistic medicine/chiropractic clinic. That was due to unforeseen circumstances and not at all the fault of the program facilitators, but I was looking forward to it. I wish I could experience this program again for the first time. It was my first time abroad without family, and I was very nervous, but I really had no reason to be. Nicole was extremely available and communicative via WhatsApp even though she was not in the country, and Francis and Erika were eager to help while in town. I took this trip in July 2025, well over a year before writing this review, and my memories are still vivid and fond, which I think is a testament to the quality of the program. One packing tip: The weather in July was just right for pants/athletic pants at all times. I wish I had left my shorts at home, since they just ended up taking up space in my luggage. Overall, 10/10 for Linguistic Horizons, Francis, Erika, and Nicole.

I chose AIFS Abroad because I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and experience a new culture through a program that offered support before, during, and after going abroad. I participated in the Barcelona Maymester program in summer 2026, and it was an experience I will always be grateful for. The pre-departure process was stress-free, which made preparing to study abroad feel much less overwhelming. Once in Barcelona, I loved exploring the city, trying new foods, going on excursions, and experiencing everyday life in a new culture. One of the most meaningful parts of my experience was learning to navigate a new city independently, as well as making lasting friendships with the people around me. I got to live in an apartment in the coolest part of the city all while living with my best friends. I was so grateful to be able to go to classes and become so independent in an unfamiliar city. I would recommend AIFS Abroad to anyone looking to experience a new culture, make lasting memories, meet new people, and grow both personally and professionally.

I chose AIFS Abroad for my semester in London because I wanted to experience living in a new country while continuing my education, and I’m so glad I did. The staff were incredibly helpful and supportive, which made adjusting to life in a new city much easier. The housing accommodations were also a great part of the experience and gave me a place to feel comfortable while living abroad. Having an Oyster card to use on the Tube made it so easy to get around London and explore different neighborhoods, landmarks, and attractions. The Eurail pass was another great benefit because it gave me the opportunity to travel and experience even more while studying abroad. One of my favorite parts of the program was getting to explore London, visit museums and landmarks, and experience everyday life in a different country. I also made amazing friendships and became more independent and confident navigating new places. As a marketing and management student, studying abroad gave me a new perspective on different cultures and helped me grow both personally and professionally. Between the supportive staff, housing, transportation benefits, and opportunities to explore, AIFS made my experience really memorable. I would definitely recommend AIFS Abroad to anyone looking to study abroad, make new friends, and get the most out of their time in another country!

My time in Stockholm during the summer of 2026 was one of the best moments of my life! The entire program was well organized, and I always felt informed, prepared, and supported throughout the process. Academically, the opportunity to learn in a different educational environment, gain new perspectives, and connect what I was learning in the classroom to experiences outside of it. The courses were engaging and gave me the chance to grow both academically and personally. As someone studying abroad alone in a new country, I also felt safe and comfortable navigating the experience. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will always be grateful for, and I would absolutely do it again if given the chance!

Overall I loved my time in Costa Rica but the unfortunate part about it was I was there for 2 months and the 2nd month we did not have any excursions or cultural events even though we paid so much money to be there and I feel like we were lied to on what everything would cost to travel individually. I think I loved my time in Costa Rica because me and my roommates made the most out of it even though we felt separated from the rest of the program because we were the only ones who lived away from everyone and we could not walk to our other friends home stays because our homestay mother would make us Uber once it was already dark we did not have the money to continuously do that if we just wanted to hangout with our friends. Also we were mislead about the internship transportation luckily I was in a group of 4 for my internship and we could split Ubers but even then I was struggling financially towards the end of the trip and had no idea that we would have to figure out our own transportation to our internships if I had known that before I would have never done the internship it was totally misleading. Lastly, I enjoyed my homestay but I hated having the same meals from lunch and dinner and when I told my homestay mother that we all did not like that she did not change it she continued to do it.

My name is Kabba and I studied abroad in London, England during the Fall 2025 semester! I chose to study abroad because I wanted to explore an opportunity to grow by doing something out of my comfort zone. AIFS helped make my experience an unforgettable one by ensuring I was prepared before departure and providing me with support during my time abroad. I would recommend studying abroad with AIFS to anyone who is willing to expand their horizon!

I very much enjoyed my time in Córdoba, the program was smaller than other programs in Spain and it felt like we got fairly close pretty quickly. The town was a maneagable size while still having several place to visit. Kim Griffin is one of the kindest and most supportive people to run an abroad program, she was there at every step of the way making sure that we felt supported academically, emotionally, and in general. She drove me to the hospital when I had a minor health concern, she showed us many parts of Córdoba that she had a deep knowledge of, and she hosted us at her house for an end of semester pool party.

My time in Italy was one of the most amazing, life-changing, and enjoyable experiences I have ever had. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to visit Italy for the first time, especially since it was also my first time flying on an airplane. I loved how affordable the program was for everything that was included. We traveled throughout Central Italy, enjoyed amazing food and accommodations, and were guided by caring faculty and tour guides who truly wanted us to have the best experience possible. This trip gave me unforgettable memories, new friendships, and experiences that I will always be grateful for.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewOctober 09, 2026

Grazie, Samuel! We are so glad to hear this trip made such an impact on you, and we can't wait to hear about your plans moving forward!

I had so much fun studying abroad in Costa Rica through Arcos. My program director Angie was super caring! The university professors and the rest of Arcos staff were super friendly as well. I learned a lot of Spanish, ate really good food, made some new friends and explored really beautiful places.The study abroad had excursions and activities planned throughout the weeks. There was enough structure to have something to look forward to, but also enough flexibility to do something on your own!

I had an unforgettable time in Italy with Molise Italian Studies. It was my first time visiting a country outside of the United States, so I was a little worried at first. However, the program was so well run and smooth that I soon had no worries whatsoever. Our guide, Andrea, was excellent and our trip would not have been what it was without him. I would highly recommend Molise Italian Studies to any one who is interested in Italian culture, history, or exploring another country.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewOctober 09, 2026

Grazie Jay! We are glad you had a great trip and we passed along your gratitude to Andrea!

My study abroad experience to Italy was incredible. I had met so many new amazing people and new connections. Our tour guide, Andrea, was very helpful, patient, and kind throughout the whole trip. I am very grateful to be chosen to attend this trip.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewOctober 09, 2026

Grazie Luisana! We are glad you had a great trip and we passed along your gratitude to Andrea!

My time at Richmond has been the best 3 weeks of my life. I've never felt freer and happier. I have made so many friends along the way that I will never forget, friends that I laughed with until we were all out of breath and crying. The history that London has is almost unreal, walking by churches that are older than America. Everyone was unbelievably kind, at concerts we were upgraded to front row seats, and in class we were given opportunities to see Oxford and York - both of which were some of the best moments I had with the friends I made. Our professor was always willing to answer two million questions, before Richmond I had never had fun learning. I'll never forget my time in London with Richmond and every opportunity it's given me.

Spending five months in Paris was one of the most influential experiences I've had---Paris being the first time I have ever lived in a big city really set the bar high. I lived with a host family in the 13th arrondissement where I felt incredibly at home (with the whole city accessible through just a few metro lines) and had the opportunity to fully immerse myself in different cultures. Being able to take courses at a French institution really opened my eyes to a different country's education system, and allowed me to learn a lot while also making local friendships. Middlebury's program itself is really amazing. Having to live, study, and form relationships in a foreign language is not necessarily easy, but Midd provided tools and support needed to ensure our success. The connections that I've built, both to people and to Paris, are immeasurable.

My experience studying abroad in Molise Italy was absolutely life-changing. I learned so much about culture, made lifetime, friendships, and endless memories. Getting to experience the culture and beauty of Molise was the absolute highlight of my summer.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 21, 2026

Grazie, Breanna! Colli really is beautiful and it's such a great partnership!

The Molise Italian Studies program was a wonderful way to be immersed in the Molise region, some of the Puglia region, and Rome. By visiting some of the smaller, lesser-known areas in these regions, I got to see firsthand how people live, work, and support their communities through the activities and social work experiences. I can say I grew as a person and have a new outlook on my everyday life at home. It was evident that Italians in these regions value community and connection. I appreciated the opportunities to participate in activities at some of the agencies, such as at LAI and in Capracotta, rather than simply observing the activity. Our tour leader, Andrea, was kind, patient, organized, and knowledgeable throughout the entire trip.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Grazie, Maggie! We are so glad to hear this trip made such an impact on you, and we can't wait to hear about your plans moving forward!

I had an absolutely amazing time; I made so many incredible memories that I truly won't ever forget. The friendships I made were so awesome, and the opportunities to experience true culture were life-changing. Both of my professors were absolutely wonderful, and our guide was incredible. Everyone was so amazing and truly tried their best to give us the most rewarding experience possible, and they exceeded my dreams.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Grazie, Alex!

I had an amazing time studying abroad with Middlebury in Paris. I decided to live with a host family, and my host mother was sweet, accomodating, and helped me improve my French a lot. I lived in Paris's 13th arrondisement, in Chinatown, and the experience of living in a part of the city I might have not thought to visit if I wasn't living there was super interesting. I loved finding hidden gems around my neighborhood and the city as a whole.Taking classes at Middlebury with the other American students was a helpful anchor to my experience as I navigated a lot of new experiences -- taking classes in my second language at a local university, traveling solo for the first time, and more.