Study Sustainable Development Abroad

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.

Studying abroad in Zagreb, Croatia, was one of the most transformative experiences of my undergraduate journey. As a Biology major on the pre-medical track at Spelman College, I wanted an experience that would challenge me academically, immerse me in a different culture, and allow me to explore medicine beyond the traditional classroom setting. Zagreb gave me all of that and so much more. During my time abroad, I had the opportunity to participate in clinical shadowing at KBC Sestre Milosrdnice, where I spent much of my time observing cardiology and cardiovascular procedures, learning about patient care, and understanding how healthcare professionals collaborate in a hospital setting. One of my most memorable experiences was observing the medical team's response to a complication during a cardiac stent procedure. Witnessing the level of precision, communication, and critical thinking required in that moment strengthened my interest in cardiovascular medicine and helped solidify my aspiration to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. However, my experience was about much more than medicine. Choosing Zagreb was intentional. I wanted to travel somewhere unfamiliar, where I would have to step outside my comfort zone, navigate cultural differences, and become more independent. From learning basic Croatian phrases to exploring the city, connecting with my roommates, and experiencing everyday life in a new country, each day taught me something valuable about adaptability and confidence. As a first-generation college student and a Black woman pursuing a career in medicine, this opportunity also reminded me of the importance of representation and making international experiences accessible to students from all backgrounds. Studying abroad is not limited to students majoring in international studies or foreign languages. STEM students can also find programs that complement their academic interests and professional goals. My advice to anyone considering studying abroad is to research your options, ask questions, and remain open to destinations you may not have initially considered. Some of the most meaningful opportunities come from choosing experiences that challenge your expectations. I returned from Zagreb with more than memories and photographs. I returned with a clearer understanding of the physician I hope to become, greater confidence in my ability to navigate unfamiliar environments, and a deeper appreciation for the global nature of healthcare. If I had the opportunity to choose again, I would choose Zagreb every single time. This experience did not simply allow me to explore another country; it helped me discover a new direction for my future.

The instructions were clear and expanded my understanding of Spanish. The teacher was great and helped with any problems with expertise I made many friends and tge cultural trips added to the overall quality of the program

Expanish responded to this reviewOctober 19, 2026

¡Hola, Barbara! Thank you so much for your comments! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed your time with us and that your classes helped you take your Spanish to the next level. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to your teacher! We hope to see you again soon for another Spanish adventure! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

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!

Forum-Nexus was incredibly well organized from start to finish. Travel between cities was efficient, and I still had the freedom to explore on my own. The Independent Cultural Visits pushed me to get out and discover each place. Laura did a great job in International Business, and I learned a lot. The teachers and staff were nice and caring, and Adam was the best! It was the adventure of a lifetime, and it showed me I can do new and scary things. I’d recommend it 100%. You won’t experience anything like it.

My experience studying abroad in South Korea was so much more than I could have ever expected. Honestly, I went into it thinking I would just try a bunch of new foods and do some sightseeing. However, it ended up being so much more than that. I attended Hanyang University, where I met so many amazing people and formed friendships that I know will last a lifetime. One thing I quickly realized was that everyone around me was in a similar position. We all wanted to explore, try new things, and make the most of our time in Korea. Because of that, it was incredibly easy to connect with people and build meaningful friendships. Before I knew it, my schedule was completely filled. Every day brought something new, whether it was visiting a different city, trying a new restaurant, going on a hike, or simply meeting someone new. For me, this was far outside my comfort zone. I had never traveled internationally before, and I barely knew how to speak Korean. However, the people around me made the experience so much easier. I probably asked more questions than I could count, and I'm sure I annoyed a few people along the way, but everyone was always kind and willing to help. Overall, studying abroad in South Korea taught me that there is so much more to a country than what you see on the surface. Being able to experience Korean culture firsthand, explore new places, and share those moments with friends made the experience truly unforgettable. What I originally thought would just be a few months of traveling and studying turned into one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

The teachers were fabulous! Using games mixed with instruction made learning interesting. I especially enjoyed our assignment of going to the high market across from our hotel. We learned how to order what we wanted, and interviewed the proprietor. Ours was a bull fighter before buying his stall in the market! The cultural activities were fun and the hotel where we stayed was very comfortable.

Expanish responded to this reviewOctober 07, 2026

¡Hola Joanna! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience! We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to our teaching team. We hope to welcome you back soon to keep learning and exploring together. ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

The Expanish 50+ study abroad program in Malaga was amazing! The instructors were awesome and made the lessons engaging and fun. The cultural activities were really interesting and allowed for an excellent opportunity to learn about and experience the local history and culture. I highly recommend it!

Expanish responded to this reviewOctober 07, 2026

¡Hola, Dana! Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear you had such an amazing time on our 50+ study abroad program in Málaga. Thank you for recommending us. That means a lot to our whole team, and we'll be sure to share your kind words with our instructors. We hope to see you back in Málaga soon for another adventure. ¡Un abrazo y hasta pronto!

Hi! My name is Lily Nevarez, and I am a Biochemistry student at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). I love cooking, makeup, K-dramas, learning new languages, and, most importantly, exploring and experiencing new cultures. During my study abroad experience, I had the opportunity to spend an entire Wintermester in Seoul, South Korea, where I studied at Yonsei University. Yonsei is one of the most prestigious and iconic universities in South Korea, and if you are interested in Korean culture and studying abroad, it is definitely a university I would recommend exploring. I really recommend going to Yonsei with Worldstries because I think it has a program in which you can learn about and study the culture at the same time, here below is a video of my day to day life.

Having the chance to study abroad in Australia was such an amazing experience I will remember forever. I made lots of friends in my program and having my parents visit was truly special. I loved travelling throughout Australia to Melbourne, Tasmania, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, and Byron Bay. Surfing over there was pretty incredible too, and having the opportunity to intern with a local surf school was awesome. I hope to return someday and would definitely consider living there.

This summer I joined Green Building Solutions (GBS) in Vienna, and it turned out to be one of the best learning experiences I've had. The topics that stayed with me most were energy modeling, life cycle assessment, and parametric design with Grasshopper and Ladybug. I work with LCA every day in certification projects, so going deeper into the method with people who teach and practice it was exactly what I was hoping for. The site visits were a real highlight. We walked through actual projects and had honest conversations with the people behind them, which no textbook or software tutorial can give you. The organizers made everything easy. The accommodation was great, everything ran on time, and the evening sports were a nice way to get to know the group. Thank you to the GBS team and everyone I met there. I'm bringing a lot of this back to my work in Cairo.

Going abroad with CYA was truly a life changing experience for me. I got to immerse myself with the Greek culture and got to visit areas of Greece that I didn't even know existed through field study trips. For example, besides living in Athens, I had the opportunity to visit Northern Greece and see more of Greece's country side. Additionally, through the academics that CYA provides, I was able to take a modern Greek class and even got to learn a little bit of Greek. I will never forget my time with CYA and am grateful for everything it taught me.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewSeptember 25, 2026

Hi Daisy, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We are thrilled to hear you felt supported throughout your semester and had a chance to immerse yourself in the culture. We hope you can visit again soon!

Studying abroad is the adventure of a lifetime! With CYA, it was even more memorable. The program is located in Athens, in a safe, lively neighborhood. I felt immersed in the culture immediately, with tavernas and local grocery stores just steps from my apartment. The program not only offers opportunities and activities right there in Athens, but it also coordinates trips throughout Greece to further our exploration of the country. I loved how supportive and organized the program was. It made it easy to not only learn more about culture, history, and language while in Greece, but also to get the most out of our study abroad experience. I liked the size of the program because everyone gets to know each other really well, and it makes it feel like a family. The professors are extremely supportive and are always looking to make personal connections with the students. There are so many class options for any major or interest. A lot of the classes like to use Athens as their classroom, and I think this was one of my favorite parts. I loved meeting at the Athenian Agora or the Acropolis to actually see what we were learning about. I loved taking Greek language, mainly because my professor was the best! I learned so much from her, and she made learning the language possible and exciting. It was so fun going to the local coffee shops and practicing my Greek. CYA is a great program for anyone interested in Greece, history, arts, culture, the Greek language, or a program that takes the abroad experience to the next level!

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewSeptember 25, 2026

Hi Emily, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA and these amazing photos! We love hearing you had the chance to explore both inside and outside of the classroom. Hopefully you can visit again soon!

Applying to CYA and studying abroad with them was one of the best choices of my life. The program was diverse and captivating, the faculty were so supportive, and the academics were top tier. This program not only fostered my growth as a student but as an individual and global community member.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewSeptember 25, 2026

Hi Tori, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love to hear you found the courses to be impactful and had the chance to grow. Hopefully you can visit again soon!

My time at Sogang University through WorldStrides was the most impactful, life-changing, and rewarding experience I have ever had. Beyond my incredible course studying K-Pop, Hallyu, and the way it has spread across the globe, I found so much joy going and experiencing everyday life in Korea. From the beautiful temples to practicing my Korean with locals, I cherished every moment I had during my time there. I was always taken care of, supported, and felt like I was truly cared for by the on-site team, from airport pickup to organized activities (including a super fun excursion to Nami Island!). I would do anything to go back again and re-experience the entire thing!

This was one of the best experiences of my life. I spent a month in Seoul and took classes at Hanyang University. I felt very immersed in the culture and made so many new friends from all over the world. I took a Korean traditional fan dancing class while I was there, and it was so much fun to learn and perform at the graduation ceremony. We also got to go to Jeju Island during the trip, which was so amazing. It was really interesting to see an island filled with so much history.

Forum-Nexus was an amazing experience. I made many new friends, enjoyed the professional and cultural visits, and loved the balance between school and fun. The staff was amazing, and I would definitely recommend 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!

My experience in Seoul was amazing, I had so much fun exploring and with my fellow WorldStrides attendees. Together we explored different parts of Seoul, tried new foods, experienced Korean culture and got to experience what daily life is like in South Korea. Being able to learn both inside and outside the classroom made an experience even more meaningful for me. One of the most memorable parts of my trip was exploring Seoul on my own. I spent an entire day navigating the city by myself, using the subway system, ordering meals in Korean, asking for directions, and visiting places I had previously only seen on social media. The WorldStrides team also made the experience much easier and less overwhelming. They provided clear instructions, answered my questions, and were always there when I needed support. Knowing that I had people I could turn to allowed me to focus less on the logistics and more on enjoying Seoul, learning about Korean culture, and making the most of my experience.

My cohort was the first to attend this program in Fredrikstad in the fall of 2025. I had an amazing time, full of different experiences (excursions to Copenhagen, Stavanger, Oslo) and were really able to have a deep understanding of the country and culture, their strengths and weaknesses. I would recommend this program to anyone that is interested in the topics of social welfare, democratic socialism, and democracy. The housing is really modern and nice, and you live 2 minutes away from beautiful hiking trails.