Program Reviews

I was a bit nervous at first because I had found this program through Facebook. However, the course was definitely challenging and being in Lisbon was an amazing experience. I'm grateful for the rigor provided as the program didn't just encourage pure memorization of CS concepts but rather the applications and self-learning (ex. asking instructors, Google, and peers). More importantly, this course empowered me to keep learning and creating as personal projects are great ways to dive into a topic. I also made great friends from other universities and explored and ate through what Portugal had to offer, from the seafood delicacies to amazing chicken at Frangasqueira Nacional. Lisbon is such a walking-friendly town and the cost of living is quite reasonable. Honestly, this summer was the perfect balance of work and fun.

I think it was a great learning experience, not just academically speaking, but personally as well. I took the data science course and I learned quite a lot but I suggest you learn a bit of python (or the language you will use) before coming because you will not be able to keep up if you don't. Learning so much content in such a short amount of time is not ideal. There are definitely a lot of things they should improve but I am glad I was exposed to important aspects of machine learning and that I got to apply some of the concepts through the internship. It's a great opportunity if it's what you need.

It was also a great experience to learn more about another country, others and especially yourself!! You will definitely grow as a person!!

This past summer I participated in iXperience's inaugural Immerse program in Cape Town, South Africa. The first four weeks of this program entailed a UVa Global Studies portion incorporating an art, archaeology or astronomy, conservation, and history element. During the next six weeks, I took the Management Consulting course. Collectively the liberal arts program and pre-professional program make iXperience a study abroad program like no other. The former instills an appreciation for South Africa, its inhabitants, and the country’s vibrant culture. All the while, the latter provides you with an opportunity to build a foundation in an area of your choice with industry experts (in my case a former project manager at McKinsey’s Johannesburg Office).
In the management consulting program, the clients are primarily South African startups with the governing logic being the smaller the firm the more likely that you, the students, get delegated meaningful work and that your final recommendations will be implemented. In my case, we consulted for a behavioral design agency that worked predominantly in the advertising space to develop a financial inclusion project that would enable township-based entrepreneurs to access their services. We delivered a business model which our client is moving to pilot this month.
Prospect students should be assured that they will have a great opportunity to experience personal growth and professional development while having ample time to take advantage of all of Cape Town’s recreational activities. Parents should know that their students will be working hard contrary to the reputation of most study abroad programs. Moreover, they are able to expand their network to include the iX staff, industry experts, and other students at some of the world’s most prestigious universities. The iXperience program is truly one of a kind and I imagine that it will only get better as they learn how to better integrate UVa’s institutional aims into their curriculum.

When I found out about iXperience and the amazing opportunity it provided to not only study but also work abroad, I was immediately sold. I love traveling and exploring new places, but I thought that I needed to get some real work experience the summer after my sophomore year of college. iXperience allowed me to combine both in one summer. I met some of the most amazing people, explored some really cool spots around Portugal and made so many great memories. Our classes were interesting, but never too intense or overloaded with work, and the internships provided so many cool opportunities to learn a huge variety of skills. As well, the program made sure to provide us with plenty of opportunities to explore Lisbon on our own and through outings they planned. I will never forget this truly incredible summer with iXperience.

I thought that overall iXperience was an incredibly enriching experience. I took the full stack coding course and learned so much (learning how to build front/back-end applications/APIs/databases/applications in multiple frameworks etc...). The administration was run very well. The program director and legal assistant lived very close to the accommodation and were able to tend to students very quickly should the need arise. Students mainly worked on projects/assignments throughout the program. However, weekends are free, and students are allowed to explore the surrounding towns as they wish. iXperience even provides included excursions to certain sites as well. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in getting into web/software development!

This program was very interesting and explored a variety of artistic outlets; however, the emphasis on the history and study of design was not what I anticipated. The program is advertised as an opportunity to expand ones skills in the practical aspects of digital design. In reality, there aren't many things that are taught in class that benefit your practical skills. Naturally the internship provided some opportunity for this but overall the program is centered around a more liberal arts oriented structure. The experience as far living abroad was perfectly comfortable. The city of Berlin is very livable and most areas felt quite safe relative to big cities in the U.S.A. Berlin is also in a great location for those who want to travel throughout Eastern Europe during the program.

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. IXpereince put in a lot of thought into building a well rounded community of smart and engaging people. There was not a single person that I could not stay up late talking to, or that I was not willing to go out to an event in Lisbon to. The friends I made from this program are ones that I will carry through life. Finally, the administration was very responsive to any problems or concerns that I had. Not only were the very responsive, but they actively seeked to solve the problem at hand. They were easy to talk to and became my friend at the end of the trip.

iXperience Berlin was everything I could have asked for and more. It allowed me to learn the practical and technical skills needed for my dream career path, and I can say in all honestly that I do not know what I would have done without the program. What made it so special, though, was how much care and attention was put into making sure the students were happy, safe, and had everything we needed. Our housing in Berlin was incredible, and we were in a perfect location to get to class and our internships. The teachers hired by iX to teach digital design were incredible, and the TAs were an extra cherry on top. We learned so much from our teacher and TAs, and had so much fun doing it. I left with incredible memories, new skills, and lifelong friends.

Doing iXperience was such a cool experience! Not only were we studying abroad in a cool country (ie. Portugal), but we were learning relevant skills and getting real work experience.

I learned a lot about how different other countries could be, as I hadn't traveled much before this. I also learned a lot of major-related skills that will help me in the future when looking for another internship or a full-time job.

The classes were very intensive: we went to class 5 days a week for about 2 weeks, then 2 days a week for about 4 weeks. In that timespan, we learned multiple technologies and built an entire web application with many different functionalities. It was a lot of work, but I managed to learn a lot about full stack. Afterwards, the internship during the 4 week period, my fellow interns and I created another functional web application using those technologies we had learned. It was a great learning experience.

I absolutely loved iXperience Berlin. The design class was amazing: I learned so much in the first two weeks, I almost can't believe it. From design theory to software tutorials, we covered pretty much every area of digital design. I had the most amazing professor and teaching assistants. I have never had a close relationship with any of my teachers in college until iX. They provided me with so many resources including studio visits and drop-in lecturers. Not only that, but they also provided me with thorough support and guidance. The iX staff was also nothing short of extraordinary. When I ran into a medical issue, they were with me every step of the way, helping to make sure I found a clinic where someone could speak English. Berlin is also an amazing, spunky city. I could talk about how much I loved it forever.