Technology Study Abroad Programs in Portugal

SIT Portugal was a great study-abroad opportunity, where I was able to further my academics, gain cultural experiences, and explore new places. The support provided by SIT was wonderful! They were accessible and always answered questions, whether it was about needing help with school assignments or trying to find a doctor. Some of my favorite experiences abroad were the excursions within Portugal, to Porto (and the Douro Valley), São Miguel, and Alentejo. These trips included trying new foods, going for hikes, and exploring scenic areas. The trips were always well organized and action-packed. SIT Portugal also gave me so many wonderful friends; the cohort system allows you to live and go to classes with all of the people in your program. Making it easy to commute, grocery shop, and cook together. I truly felt that SIT Portugal provided us with all the tools to feel comfortable living in another country, making it enjoyable to try new things and explore. For example, in the first week we did a Portuguese cooking class, which helped us work on our cooking skills and learn to make traditional Portuguese food. The academics abroad were serious, but the amount of structured class time forced you to stay organized and plan activities, which I found incredibly beneficial. Additionally, the ISP period (Independent Study Project) is about the last month of the program, during which you have no classes. This period was great for so many reasons; first, it taught you how to manage your time on your own. It was also a great time to take a longer trip or travel to a couple of places since there was less structure (though you have to make sure you plan time to work as well!). Also, the project is completely your own, and you are able to research something that interests you. Overall, I found that SIT Portugal provided me with a wonderful abroad experience where I learned a ton, travelled, and had enough balance to do social things and explore.

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

Tremendous staff. Environment is like none other and they accommodate well. For Seville, the city has been tremendous and CIEE gives you a proper introduction to this magnificent city. Whether an intern or a student during one of the sessions, you can get along with everyone and overcome the anxieties of a new city

I would be very likely to recommend CIEE Study Abroad to a friend because this program gives you many opportunities to explore the city you are in as well as the surrounding areas. All of the employees are very kind people who will be their to uplift and support the students who are abroad.

First of all, I must state that the service provided was truly outstanding. The admission process was smooth and seamless, making it easy for me to select the destination and apply within only two weeks. The staff was helpful and efficient both before and after the departure. The exchange program has been an incredible opportunity to experience life in a new country, with different culture, in my case Lisbon, Portugal. The city is vibrant, the people are very welcoming, and the university taught me skills that I will cherish for the years upcoming. Overall, I would highly recommend Asia Exchange to anyone looking for a unique and enriching experience. Whether your aim is to learn a new language, explore a new culture or gain valuable skills for your future career and university curricula; the association will provide you with the guidance to fulfil your dreams! https://asiaexchange.org

I have had a great experience, it is organized and comes at a good cost. The staff on-site is very supportive and helpful (as well as Brooke in Portland), but we had an emergency situation and the Portland higher-ups didn't handle it well, nor did anyone answer the emergency number provided to us.

I feel that CIEE tries to have activities for us and I really do feel that I am learning a lot here. Also everyone here seems really nice and I feel that though we are different a lot of the students seem to have the same mindset and its a good chance to network.

iXperience is a program that I recommend to everybody as I truly believe that it is an opportunity that can not be passed up. I learned more in the 6 weeks of classes than I have in my years of college combined. Although it was rigorous, the teachers all wanted you to succeed, and were all willing to stay late and meet with you early to ensure that you understand everything. All the kids that attended the program end up being like family at the end of the trip, and you make many life long friends.

iXperience responded to this reviewAugust 29, 2019

Hey Alex, thank you so much for the epic review. We're so glad that you felt supported throughout the intense learning, and that you made some really good friends :)

CIEE is very well-staffed and they do everything they can to make sure you have the best experience possible. Everyone is friendly, the rules and guidelines are laid out for you, and the excursions CIEE plans are a blast!!

This has been the best summer of my life. Everything about CIEE has blown me away. Virginia Niera has been an extremely attentive and helpful program director. She and Antonio Romero were both quick to offer help with any issues I might have. The professors, Amador Fernandez and Antonio Rodriguez, taught with enthusiasm and care. Each class genuinely excited and intrigued me. They graded fairly and truly cared about students understanding and learning. We took informative, fun, and interesting trips. They were all well-planned and extremely enjoyable. The tour guides we had, Adrian and Alicia, were knowledgable and made the tours very meaningful. The trip to Morocco really opened my eyes to other cultures and ways of life. Finally, my homestay could not have been better. I really got close to my host family, and I felt like I had a place in Seville where I could be totally comfortable. I have already recommended this program to two of my friends, and I plan to encourage more to do it if they w

My first experience abroad and I love it here. I feel that CIEE tries to have activities for us and I really do feel that I am learning a lot here. Also everyone here seems really nice and I feel that though we are different a lot of the students seem to have the same mindset and its a good chance to network.

Study abroad is something that everyone needs to be apart o at least once in their lifetime, and CIEE was a great way to do it. I think I would recommend this because we’re given a place to reside in a foreign country with people who have no problem helping you at the drop of a pen. The CIEE community becomes your family and makes you feel like you’re at home and always offer things to do for free or at least help to make your study abroad experience as great as it can. It’s also nice that you can choose from different programs and either be a student for half and an intern for the other half, be an open campus student and stay for an entire semester, or every 6 weeks choose a new home. It’s an amazing experience for a reasonable price but an opportunity and of a lifetime.

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.

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.

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.

This semester truly changed my life in a positive way. It changed the way I look at the world, other people and cultures, daily life, and even myself. I would highly recommend to everyone thinking about it!

Had a wonderful time! Staff went above and beyond to be sure each student had a safe and comfortable experience, and provided many cultural activities without making students feel like they had to participate. Housing situation was great- my apartment, as well as those of all the other students that I saw, was spacious, clean, modern and well decorated. Roommate situation was also great! Overall really great time and good balance of school work and fun.