Semester and Term Programs in Europe

My advice for anyone going on this program is to hit the ground running! Take in as much as you can, it will go FAST!

80-days drags on in the real world, but with MEI Academy your days will be so fast and so full you will be telling stories about your adventure for the rest of your life!

I tell my friends to do your research before choosing a program. I know people who have been on other programs and they didn't have the same positive experience I did.

The morning starts with a workout. We are up and getting ready for a big day - you also make space for a big breakfast! Next, you are on site -- the Colosseum, the Eiffel tower, or any other landmark where you can imagine the best lecture taking place.

With a break for lunch, some downtime for working on assignments, catching up on readings, and a final lecture before dinner you will go to bed exhausted, but ready to start fresh and start again.

One of my biggest fears was making friends with other students I was traveling with but didn't know yet. 80-days is a long time, and I admit I was a bit anxious to meet everyone. Honestly, when the trip started, we moved so fast that I didn't worry about this.

Everyone is in the same situation as you, and as soon as you are on the plane and on your way to Paris, we all became not only friends, but BEST friends in your first few days. I heard other MEI alumni say this and I was a skeptic -- but it's true!

While Tuscany was beautiful, Santorini shocked me! I am a food fanatic, and gyros at every street corner is one thing we North Americans need to experience and adopt!

Not only was Santorini beautiful, but it was one of the last destinations, so we were all so comfortable with one another and we were holding on to our last weeks together.

By that point, we all realized how lucky were had been to experience a semester like this with the people who we would be our life-long friends.

A lot of students talk about the self-confidence that they gained from their experience on MEI. It's confidence that comes with being out there in the world, away from home on your own and navigating your insecurities, leaving behind this person that you thought you had to be all throughout high school because of the social pressures, being alone and having to make new friends for probably the first time in a long time and really, truly learning about yourself and what you are capable of overcoming.

Students go on to feel much more prepared for making that college/university transition having already gained so much independence and confidence in themselves after MEI!

All of the trips go to incredible locations, so it's really about where you want to go and what you are hoping to gain from this experience!

Summer programs are jam-packed, whirlwind, two-credit trips where you are going to see and do a TON in those 6 weeks and you don't need to take time away from your regular high school. This is a really popular option that most students choose in order to free up some space in their timetable and spend an exciting summer abroad.

If you want a slower-paced, more immersive experience, then semester programs are that.

I say this all the time and I truly mean it: I have never worked with a more inspiring, creative, FUN, intelligent, dedicated and passionate team of teachers. These are not your average, everyday classroom teachers and that's what makes MEI so unique. I am always proud to be not only teaching, but collaborating with, and learning alongside my team.

The locations we visit, the courses taught, and the topics explored are all carefully planned and blended in order to deliver a unique, all-encompassing learning experience!

Having whole-heartedly dedicated and passionate teachers is a HUGE part of the success of MEI, paired with students who are ready to come out and give it their all on the adventure of a lifetime.

Our class becomes very close, like a family unit, and the open communication, trust, and support within the group is really the foundation needed for having a successful trip. A teacher on MEI becomes also a mentor, a counselor, a tour guide, a friend, a guardian and even sometimes a nurse; an extra in your media film project, a workout partner, a lunch buddy, and soo much more!