IES Abroad Reviews

For six memorable months, I lived in a small central town in Madrid called Embajadores. Although my Spanish was limited to “hola” and “cómo estás” before I arrived, I managed to get around pretty well! My host mom was phenomenal - IES does make sure that families are very welcoming and they check on you throughout the semester. She knew some English but she made the effort to teach me Spanish by speaking very slowly and talking to me about the different aspects of the Spanish culture over our daily sobremesa. Long story short, I highly I recommend living with a host family to improve your Spanish and get a glimpse of the typical family life there. When I first arrived to Spain I traveled to other European countries frequently on the weekends since domestic flights in the euro zone are cheap, but as my departure date drew closer, I realized how much I enjoyed the local trips that IES has organized and decided to explore Madrid more closely which turned out to be a great decision! IES organizes many trips throughout the semester but most of the trips happen during orientation. Traveling around within Madrid was really easy with the unlimited transportation card that IES helps you get during orientation - you have to apply online before you arrive though so I highly recommend doing that. I think letting myself get lost with my friends and learning how to use a real map rather than GPS always ended with an interesting story! Overall, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to expand my cultural awareness and widen my horizons. The incredible experiences I had and the long-lasting relationships I made will always be a reminder of how incredible it is to open your mind and heart to a new culture and embrace the little things, like the slower pace of life, the impeccable fashion style, the great tapas and sangrias, and of course, the being casually late rule!

I was extremely impressed with IES Study in Nantes and my stay there ended up being some of the best five months of my life. The program is very well organized and the staff is professional, enthusiastic, and truly cares about the students. They made it clear that they were there to help us and they were all very approachable. All of the assistants were great-our TA went out of her way to answer our questions and help with our homework assignments and we never had a lack of planned activities. We were provided with everything we needed both physically in the form of our school center and mentally in the form of information and preparation. They offered a nice variety of courses and one had the option of taking courses at the University of Nantes of they were so inclined. Both through my IES courses and my course at the university, I greatly improved my French and learned so much about their education system. The four fieldtrips that were included in the program were also well-organized, fun, and took us to places that we greatly enjoyed and probably would never have gotten to on our own. I personally absolutely loved my homestay. My host family and I got along so well! Not only did they make sure I had everything I needed, but they really cared about me and we enjoyed spending time together. They were very inclusive with me and by the end of the semester we were all so sad that I had to leave! We still keep in contact and plan to for years to come. There was no better way to learn the French language and culture than with my host family! I was lucky to go the semester that I did because I ended up with a wonderful group of peers. We all got along really well and making friends was never an issue! Nantes itself is a lovely city. I loved the fact that it is not tourist-y and so I got a real feel for French life. The city is a nice size, not overwhelming but plenty to explore. I also felt very safe in Nantes and in my host family’s neighborhood. With all of the wonderful experiences I had, I hardly felt homesick at all! I have nothing but positive things to say about my time in Nantes! Overall, my semester abroad through IES Study in Nantes was very educational and a great adventure! I was able to make Nantes my home away from home and hope that future students will have just as successful of a semester!

Studying in Sydney, Australia via the IES Program was the best decision I've ever made. The staff stationed in Sydney were wonderful and the city couldn't have been more perfect. The trips we went on as a group were affordable and heaps of fun! It really allowed me to get cultural immersion easily and in a fun way. I would highly recommend this location and program to anyone wanting to study abroad. Happy Travels! :)

On a school day, I would get up, try not to wake my roommate while getting ready for class, and walk down the street to the the cafe for a delicious pastry and hot chocolate. As I walked to the bus stop I would always admire the morning light on King's Cross. A 30 minute drive to the IES center on the double decker bus is great for people watching and seeing the city come to life. Getting off the bus, looking right and not left to cross the street, the center blends into the surroundings on Bloomsbury. You buzz into the center and Simon and Vanessza welcome you with bright smiles every time. As you walk up the stairs Albus Dumbledore gives you some education tips. The classrooms are small but cozy, and make the two and a half hour classes not as painful. The teachers, not Professors but teachers, insist you call them by their first name and constantly engage you throughout the lesson with their humor and fascinating experiences in their topics. The day is like a throwback to High School when you're in class all day, but you want to be there and you want to learn.

When I decided to study abroad, I thought I knew what I was going to get out of being in a new culture. I wanted to learn more and learn from a different perspective. I gained far more than what I expected. I increased my confidence in my ability to adapt to new places as well as my confidence to navigate a new place by myself. I gained a greater appreciation of cultural differences and furthered my understanding of other cultures. Overall, studying abroad helped me grow in ways I didn't know I needed to.

If you are seeking a study abroad program to help improve your French language skills, IES Nantes is an excellent choice. It is an exceptionally well-organized program (they are very experienced and just celebrated their 50th anniversary!) with support staff who are always there to help. The city is a nice size--a big city but not so big that you encounter English speakers (read: NOT the touristy maze that you find in Paris). I loved my semester and was able to immerse myself in my host culture, but I also had the opportunity to travel extensively outside of France. The Spring semester students generally get two separate week-long breaks in addition to multiple three-day weekends. Take advantage! I would re-enroll in a heartbeat.

Running in Hyde Park on a Sunday morning was one of my favorite memories of London. I threw on my running sneaks, hopped on the Piccadilly line and ran for 5 miles around the park while still seeing historic monuments, like the Albert Memorial. It's really the little things that make abroad more memorable.

The four months that I spent in Amsterdam were, for a lack of a better word, amazing. I got to know the city in a way that I didn't think I ever would, and got to meet great people. It was a cool balance between doing my daily things there and feeling at home and exploring the city, which made me feel like a tourist. It was also nice that our program all lived in the same building, which made us all very close. This experience was special for me because I have family that lives in the Netherlands, so it was nice being able to see them more often than I usually do. Additionally, the IES staff did a great job organizing trips and other activities to see other parts of the Netherlands that many visitors don't think of visiting or seeing.

Shanghai. What an incredible city. I spent my spring semester there with IES and was just blown away by all that this city has to offer. The city never sleeps – there are always people around and always something to do, making each day exciting and different. New experiences happened almost daily, from exploring the city, karaoke, and trying out new food at different restaurants, to learning some tai chi in a park, going on a river cruise, and playing intense badminton. Shanghai has it all, and I had a blast being a part of this remarkable, international city.

I was able to live in a homestay and really enjoyed it. My host mom took great care of me – providing delicious and traditional food for me, taking me out with her and her friends, and showing me around the city, while also helping me with my Chinese throughout the semester. I was glad to be able to use my Chinese daily in my living situation and pick up new local sayings because of it. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of a homestay; it was extremely beneficial to my experience.

We studied at Shanghai Jiao Tong University – one of the top universities in the country – and were taught under Chinese professors which gave us new perspectives and helped us understand how things work and function in China as compared to what we know about how it is in America, a very useful and enlightening aspect. We didn’t have class on Fridays so students were able to do some traveling or spend more time exploring Shanghai. We also had a week-long break during the semester and students were able to travel to different parts of the county to see how unique the ways of life are in other provinces. Our language skills were utilized daily and we enjoyed using them to meet the locals and in getting around the city – be it for transportation or ordering food.

Though it is a very modern and international city, the ancient customs and traditions from China’s long history are still very evident and important in Shanghai society, so getting to learn about and understand the different views and beliefs and where they come from firsthand was extremely valuable. From the city to the classes to the people – it was an absolutely incredible semester, one I am so thankful for and that I won’t ever forget. I was challenged a lot and I grew a lot and have gained a new outlook on life. So, thank you IES and thank you Shanghai, I’ll be back.

I am currently suffering from severe wanderlust and am fighting the urge to hop on a plane to Dublin as I write this review. As I settle back into my old life in the U.S, I took the time to decipher what my study abroad experience meant to me. Simply put, my semester in Dublin was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) decisions I have ever made. Let me explain that before I left for Dublin I was a painfully shy personality who came from a tight-knit family and had lived in a small town all of my life. Of course I was excited to go abroad, however, I had never done something so out of my comfort zone. I have never been more scared to do anything in my life and I boarded the plane (Departing from Chicago) while trying to control my ugly sobbing. All of the fears and nerves I had were completely assuaged as soon as I stepped foot on Irish soil. At that moment I knew this would be an experience of a lifetime, and it was. Let me tell you why.
1) The Staff- The IES Dublin staff is in my opinion the best out there. I was immediately greeted in the airport by some of the nicest, most enthusiastic people I have ever met. The teachers, coordinators, counselors, RAs, ect. were so welcoming and inspiring. These individuals quickly became a part of my abroad family. From tea and cookies in the middle of class to last minute flight and travel advice, the staff was what really made my experience so unique. The classes were so interesting and pertinent to my every day life in Dublin that class became fun to go to. The staff did everything they could to make sure that we got out to see the rest of Ireland and Europe and were cognizant that although we were there for school we were also there to grow as people and experience travel as well. They will be the first people that I contact as soon as i get back in Dublin (which I hope is soon)!
2) The City- Dublin is such an amazing city in so many aspects. It is a large, modern, growing city with tall modern buildings and businesses, however, the city still maintains its small town feel. The streets are peppered with small locally owned restaurants and cafes and the pubs are all so different and cozy. The city is so full of history that I found myself simply walking for hours each day just to see and learn more. From historic O'Connell street to the Georgian buildings and squares, the city is such a beautiful juxtaposition of the new and the old Dublin.
3) The Culture- The culture and people of Ireland are so warm and welcoming. From "pub culture" to storytelling, there is simply nothing to dislike about the people and way of life in Dublin. I enjoyed a more laid back lifestyle in Dublin and was able to be stress free and take a walk down the canal every day. The locals really love to showcase their history and are so willing to include you in their culture and customs that the transition from US to Ireland went seamlessly.
4) The Land- Everything in Ireland is breathtaking. If I had a euro for every time I found myself saying "is this place even real?" I would have enough money to buy my flight back to Dublin already. The sights I saw and people I met along the way are something that will forever be engrained in my memory.
5) My Fellow Students- As a shy person, I was so nervous about not making friends abroad. I learned very quickly that when thrown into a foreign country, people are so open to meeting new friends and having new adventures. My classmates became my travel buddies, my pub crew, my homework help and my best friends. From Spring break in Spain to a farewell weekend in Galway, my crew was up for anything. I made friends that will last me a lifetime!
As my review is getting extremely long and I am getting increasingly more nostalgic, I best wrap it up. Simply put, my semester in Ireland changed my life. I became a more confident, adventurous and curious person and Dublin secured a permanent place in my heart. I can only say that I sincerely hope that every student can be as fortunate as I was to undergo the amazing adventure I did!