IES Abroad Reviews

Borrowing the title from a song from the movie "Dirty Dancing" I think this is the most accurate way to describe my semester abroad. It was a incredible semester filled with new friends and lots of new experiences. From living with my French host family, to taking classes all in French, to getting to explore France everything about the IES Nantes program was incredible! I truly enjoyed my time and my French improved immensely. Nantes is an really fun city to live in and perfect for practicing French. The classes offered as well as the places you visit as part of the program really give you a good understanding of the French culture and way of life. Studying abroad in Nantes taught me so much and helped me to expand my world view and grow as a person and I would honestly recommend this program to anyone!

New Zealand is a great place to study geology and spend lots of time outdoors. Christchurch is still fairly quiet for a city, as it is still recovering from recent earthquakes, but living there for a semester proved to be a very good experience. It was a good cultural experience to see how the city has responded to the earthquakes and come together as a community.

I was initially very disappointed to learn that IES had discontinued the homestay option for this program, but in the end I was very satisfied with my student apartment, which was a great way to meet other students and engage in university social life. Some students in my IES group did manage to arrange a homestay, but they had to arrange it themselves without any help from IES.

The IES program was often quite disorganized, but the on-site program director, Eunice, was wonderful and was always very approachable and willing to help. The best part about studying abroad with IES was the organized mid-semester trip to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. It happened to rain a lot while we were there, but Eunice managed to reorganize our scheduled activities so that we managed to fit everything in (Biking, snorkeling, hiking, etc.)

As a direct-enrollment program, this program is best for people who are able to take their own initiative to interact with the local culture and people.

Participating in the IES Abroad Nantes program was the best decision of my life. Not only did my French improve immensely from the intense language immersion focus, but I also made lifelong friendships and connections with the program staff, participants, and my host family. Having a homestay was very important to me, and, as I had hoped for, it made my experience wonderful in just about every way. The staff at the IES Nantes center is amazing and they are willing to help with just about any problem one might have, whether big or small! I enjoyed all my classes through the IES Center, and was able to take a class at the local university, which extended my outlook on the French education system and my own personal experience. I highly recommend this program, especially if someone is looking for a chance to improve his/her French language skills and truly experience an authentic French lifestyle for four months. I wish I could have stayed forever, but I will certainly cherish my time in the beautiful city of Nantes with the best host family a girl could ask for, my whole life. It is my second home, and will always have a special place in my heart.

I definitely recommend studying abroad to anyone who has the chance - my semester in Madrid was the best time of my life. IES Madrid is an amazing program, providing so many opportunities to meet new people (both American and Spanish!), immerse yourself in the culture (with weekend and day trips to other cities and activities to get to know Madrid better!), and improve your Spanish (living with a host family, taking classes in Spanish, and interacting with the wonderful professors and staff!)
Such an incredible experience!

I dove into my study abroad experience with little to no expectations. I wasn’t much of a traveler before studying with IES Abroad in Rome – I had been to Canada and Italy with my family before but can’t remember much about my experiences. I was too young to appreciate my surroundings, and, to be totally candid, family vacations aren’t exactly the kind of travel adventures a tween romanticizes later in life.

And so, with my limited knowledge of travel and growing knowledge of Italian culture and language in college, I decided to go to Rome and embark on my own whimsical adventure abroad.

I could tell you a million cliché phrases that encapsulate my experience abroad, so I’m just going to say this: I learned, I grew, I saw, and I lived – oh, how I lived! Every day was an adventure. I lived near the Vatican, so walking to school every day meant fighting through crowds of tourists while simultaneously drinking in the beauty of Rome on my daily passing of Saint Peter’s and the Castel Sant’Angelo. The men selling selfie-sticks on the bridge in front of the Castel began to recognize me and, eventually, the bridge became a second home where I would read between classes and meet friends for a night out. In fact, the entire city of Rome became home towards the end of my program. I was able to off-handedly identify hills, landmarks, and monuments, as well as streets and random history about the socio-political framework of the city. My daily wanderings around Rome, combined with weekend adventures, in-class lectures by brilliant professors, and my internship with an Italian film company, deepened my appreciation and knowledge of Rome – and Italy as a whole – with regards to art, culture, geography, sociology, politics, and language.

My comfort with living in Rome helped me explore places outside of the city, starting with peripheral neighborhoods like Garbatella and San Lorenzo, and eventually branching out to other regions of Italy. For spring break, I took a leap of maturity and went to Turkey and Greece with my friends, which is something tween Adrienne never saw coming. Come March, I was booking my own travels, making my own itineraries, and researching new places to explore. After my program ended, I visited different parts of England and Sicily before finally returning back to the states.

Being abroad raised my confidence to levels I never knew I could reach. Exploring, making new (amazing/lifelong) friends, immersing myself in a different culture and language, and working hard in my IES courses showed me that I am both my greatest tool and obstacle. If I choose to live in ignorance, so be it. However, if I choose to educate myself, break out of my comfort zone, and stay curious, I am unstoppable.

After studying abroad, the world has become smaller and less intimidating -- though infinitely more interesting.

My IES abroad experience was one I would not trade for anything in the world. Aside from my beautiful apartment (seriously, I was shocked at just how gorgeous is was), my adorable neighborhood, my ideal location in the heart of Rome, and my awesome roommates, the IES staff both in Rome and in Chicago (where their headquarters are located) were extremely helpful and welcoming throughout both the application process and the duration of my stay in Rome. The IES center was beautiful and conveniently located just a few short minutes from the Vatican, and right along the Tiber river. My apartment was just a 20 minute walk from school (something I dreaded at first, then began to enjoy once I got there). Though the center was located it a highly touristy area, being from New York, I enjoyed the excitement and slight chaos the city offered, and although the area near school was busy, my neighborhood was cozy and quiet and very much residential; I got the best of both worlds. My classes were very different from any I would take a Fordham, and I enjoyed each one immensely and learned a great deal from each, things I would have never learned previously. Each week (usually multiple times a week) my classes would have field studies, where we would go to historical or relevant locations and learn first hands the topics we studied. I went everywhere from the Coliseum to Saint Peter's Basilica, to the Roman Ruins, even to Florence to visit the Uffizi Gallery and the Academia museum. My professors were not only passionate about their work, but engaging and helpful as well. They became more like mentors and friends than teachers and the entire IES staff made us feel like one big family despite the 90 students in the program. Additionally, there were various activities both within and outside the program we were constantly notified about, I even got to go to Easter mass at Saint Peter's and hear Pope Francis speak. I was also given the option (which I chose) to live with an Italian student companion, along with the 4 other American girls in my program. This was great because it gave us more insight into the Italian culture and someone to show us around and expose us to more places, people, and things. Overall, my experience with IES and in Rome in general was unlike any other I have ever experienced, I am extremely happy with the decision I made and I am proud to say I now consider Rome a second home to me and am excited for my next opportunity to return.

The keyword for IES Abroad’s program in Salamanca is ‘balance.’ The setting itself is about as balanced as can be, uniting a classic Spanish university town with ancient architecture and a modern, bustling city like any other in Western Europe. Given that my home school is a small school of about 1,600 students, Salamanca was perfect for me because it was big enough to be exciting, but not so large as to be overwhelming. Because of the constant influx of American and other European students into the population, Salamanca manages to possess something of the international flavor that you might find in larger Spanish cities like Madrid, Barcelona, or San Sebastián, while imparting a more intimate and welcoming cast to one’s experience. There is no shortage of cultural programming in Salamanca, which consists mostly of literary discussions or readings and theatrical productions. I was able to see a very good performance of Verdi’s opera 'Nabucco' in town for only thirty euro; a production of a similar caliber probably would cost in the hundreds of dollars in the U.S.

The nature of the program itself is also very finely tuned, as it effectively balances structure with freedom. The weeklong orientation program at the start of the semester is exhaustive (and often exhausting). However, as the semester progresses, it becomes clear that the program allows you to budget your time and plan your activities as you see fit. Nevertheless, the IES Abroad staff is always available should you need guidance with some aspect of life abroad, and the Center puts you in touch with cultural activities throughout the program, most of which are free. At least in my case, I felt that the level of counseling on classes that I received on picking classes was appropriate, although I did hear of some of my classmates having difficulties with university courses which are not frequently attended by foreign students. In particular, I cannot say enough about the mentoring program which connects local university students to IES Abroad participants—this was a major help in navigating the social scene in Salamanca.

In sum, I highly recommend IES Abroad Salamanca, with glowing reports for both the program and the city.

Location:
Freiburg is the biggest town in the area with around 200,000 residents and a lot of them are college kids. It's very walkable and the public transportation makes it even easier to get around. You will get to know the city pretty quick as it isn't that big, but you definitely won't get bored of it. Definitely take advantage of the Schlossburg and the numerous biergartens around it during nice weather. The best Döner kebab place is most definitely Uni Döner in downtown. There is a train station in town which can get you to some major cities around the area, but you will have to travel via train to either Basel or Frankfurt for the closest airport which some view as a hassle.
Academics:
You will come out of this program with a much better understanding of the EU than most EU citizens. The syllabi may look intimidating, but don't let that deter you. The papers are meaningful and related to the coursework and the professors are not overly harsh graders. I definitely encourage people who want a challenge to take the Leadership course with Kerstin. That has been the best class I have ever taken, including high school and college. The only aspect of the academics I was disappointed with was the lack of business courses, however, that encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and take classes, like Environmental Policies, I otherwise would have never taken. The Field Trips are incredible. You have one or two academic meetings in the day where you learn about different topics relating to the EU from people who are experts in those fields, which is much better than having your professor make you read those chapters in a text book. Then you have the nights free to explore the city. My friends were so jealous of all the travel I experienced through my program and how I didn't have to worry about any of the logistics of those week long trips.
People:
My program had the largest amount of people they have ever had with over 90 students so there was a wide variety of interests and personalities which I loved. From my experience, the kids enrolled in this program are more academically driven than your average college student. The kids on the program are going to be holding some high positions in the political, business, and international affairs world in a couple years so it is a great place to do some networking. That being said, they also know how to have a lot of fun.
Overall:
Incredible experience. You mostly hang out with other Americans on your program so if you want to meet Germans, get involved with some pick up sports and or another program on campus!

The previous four months while studying abroad in Granada, Spain, I was lucky enough to experience one of the best semesters of my life. Not only did I get to live in a new country, but I found myself easily immersing myself into the new culture and absorbing all I could each and every day. With an incredibly supportive host family, I personally found the adjustment phase the first few weeks simple. While my Spanish may have lacked in fluency and confidence in the beginning, my understanding family in addition to the reassuring IES teachers, staff, and classmates made transitioning painless and I never once felt overwhelmed or fearful of this new place I would be living in for almost half a year. Once I became completely comfortable and no longer unsure of my surroundings in this new city, I was able to realize the amazing opportunity I had. With every walk to class, each new tapas adventure, and the interesting spontaneous conversations with welcoming Spaniards, I recognized I wouldn’t be in this incredible situation without the help of IES and I came to love this new city I now am lucky enough to call home. It will always be a special place holding some of my fondest memories and I will forever be a Granadina en mi corazón!

When I decided I wanted to study abroad, I knew that I wanted to do more than study. IES's direct enrollment program was great because I was guaranteed to fulfill both my academic requirements and my wish to travel. My main concerns while planning my semester were not where I was going to live or when to book my flights, but rather what I wanted to see and what I wanted to do.
Living and studying in Dublin was wonderful. The college, while it may be a bit behind the times administratively, has world class professors who love their subjects. Class attendance and homework are more optional than in the States, but the library has every book you could possibly find useful for the final papers. The Trinity campus is picture perfect (just ask the line of tourists) and the adjacent Grafton Street provides street entertainers who are a great study break.
But living in Dublin doesn't mean that you're confined to city life. Within a thirty minute commuter train ride are two coastal walking paths, several charming seaside towns, and a castle. On weekends or days when I didn't have homework, I tried to take the train to a different city every time.
Traveling outside of the Dublin to the rest of Ireland is a must. The island is stunning, with plunging cliffs, otherworldly woods, and peaceful mountains. IES offers trips to the north and west of Ireland that are well worth the price. With nice hotel rooms, local meals, and a bus that goes beyond where tourist buses normally go, the trips are a great way to see Ireland. Beyond Ireland, the discount airline Ryanair offers cheap flights (costing 5-15 pints of Guinness if you want a practical measure) to much of Europe. While traveling, I loved seeing as many different cultures as possible while I had the chance and was surprised at how much braver I became after navigating around a country in which I did not speak the language.
Now that I am back, I have no regrets about studying in Dublin. I am much more willing to try new things now and to find out what is going on in my community. Studying abroad forced me to seek out and try new experiences and I am not going to let that habit die. I am also more confident advocating for myself now. I have moved to a foreign country where I didn’t know anybody and know now that I am strong enough to make new friends and a new life, wherever I end up.