IES Abroad Reviews

IES was very helpful in preparing me before my departure and answered every question I had. Upon arrival, the staff was supportive and really got to know each individual in our program and really personalized the experience. I stayed in an apartment complex that was a five minute walk from campus and I had my own room and bathroom which was very nice. One of my favorite parts of the IES program was going on the fieldtrips that were offered throughout the semester. We were able to visit all across Ireland with other IES students and even some of the IES staff. All in all, studying abroad at DCU was such a positive experience and I'm so happy I chose to go through IES.

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My time in Vienna did a lot of good for me. I'd like to first talk about the IES staff. The group was rather silly at times, but they do their jobs extremely well and gave me some great advice over the course of the semester. The housing was pretty nice and provided for my needs. Everything in Vienna is easy to get to, so that's awesome. As for Vienna, it's still the imperial city, and there's nowhere in Europe or possibly the world that does it better. The grandiose architecture is beautiful, the giant palaces are breathtaking, and there are enough museums to keep even a giant history nerd like me satisfied. Not to mention that cities like Bratislava, Salzburg, Budapest, Prague, and Munich are an easy train ride away. Being in so many foreign environments really gave me an opportunity to learn about myself, who I truly am and what I care about, and that's the most important thing I'll take away from this (along with several kilograms of souvenirs).

The program was overall amazing. The staff was extremely helpful and the city was beautiful. The people of the city were always willing to help with anything and there were always plenty of things to do. I must mention that I did not have a language barrier but through observations those who were not native speakers were doing just fine.

I actually loved my experience with IES Paris. First off, my daily activities gave me a really great way to experience Paris and French culture. I lived with a French woman in a beautiful apartment in the 16th, I took the metro daily and walked through a market district to school. The classes, taught by professors from French universities at the IES center were interesting and certainly challenging. I never felt overwhelmed though, especially as I was taking all of my classes entirely in my second language. I felt as if the classes I took (sociology, grammar, film studies, literature) were also tailored to better understanding the culture and the history of France. I also had the amazing opportunity to work in a French start-up through a tech incubator. It was incredible getting real experience working abroad. In my free time and on weekends I could travel around Europe or explore Paris, which is amazing. I would go to French movies, museums, shopping and explore parks. I wish I could have spent more time outside, but sadly I was there in winter and early spring. Overall, I would say that my experience made me test my own confidence and self-sufficiency. I am much more aware of my ability to succeed and to rise to challenging situations. The IES staff were always helpful and always seemed genuinely interested in helping and improving the quality of student life.

I had an amazing experience with IES Abroad Quito-Direct Enrollment. The on-site staff is incredibly caring, fun to be around, and has lots of advice to give. Although I did not ask them for much help and didn't have to resolve any problems at school, I felt comfortable knowing that they were available and able to help in case something came up. Having a "home-base" in Quito (the program building) definitely contributed to how much I enjoyed my experience. Although the direct enrollment program was quite small, the area studies program was there at the same time, and I could always count on someone being in the building if I wanted to hang out. We always met up at the building, studied together in the computer room, or once we even made empanadas with the entire program and the on-site staff there. I loved having a non-public place to go to in Quito other than my homestay, to get a change of scenery for studying, etc. Although I enjoyed only half of my classes at the local university (next time I would ask more students about the professors), I think the opportunity to direct enroll added another cultural level to my experience. Students at the university come from a much wealthier economic background than other Ecuadorians we usually encountered in the city. It was also interesting to observe the classroom atmosphere, how professors teach in varied styles, to see how the emphasis on certain assignments is different, and to see the students' perspective on school compared to its importance at my home university. A high level of Spanish is very helpful in classes with exclusively Ecuadorians. These classes are challenging but also helped me improve immensely, as the topics were new (such as the Ethnohistory of Ecuador) and there was also never an excuse to speak English. Living in a homestay, taking part in the Service Learning component of the program, and attending the local university, gave me a varied perspective on social and economic classes in Quito and helped me better contextualize the Ecuador's diversity, which we learned about in my Service Learning class. I also loved the field trips IES took us on and appreciated the freedom we had to travel on the weekends with friends.
I especially enjoyed the last two months in Quito!! I had made amazing friends from the program that I knew incredibly well at that point, but had also gotten to know Ecuadorians well enough to spend time with them after school, which was great for practicing Spanish! I loved exploring Quito, and would definitely recommend this program to anyone! I didn't want to leave!!

I studied in Rabat for an entire academic year, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I took classes in French, took a class at University Mohammed V, learned basic Arabic, and learned so much about Moroccan culture and history. Spending the year seemed daunting in the beginning, but at the end of my first semester I was happy to be staying. I had finally gotten into the groove of things and that allowed me to get an even deeper, more fulfilling experience. I loved my host family, who I stayed with for the entire year and am still in contact with on a regular basis. I also enjoyed the exploring that I had the opportunity to do living in such a vibrant country in an amazing part of the world. I am glad I didn’t just pick any old French program and instead found myself with an interest in a part of the world I hadn’t known anything about before my adventure.

Studying abroad with IES in Kunming was amazing. While academic were more difficult then many other programs. It was amazing to see how much I learned at the end of the semester after the regional symposium. IES gets us involved with some of the top leaders in Southeast Asia and Yunnan Province. The ability to see villages in China, Vietnam and Cambodia was also incredible. Any one interested in getting off the beaten path should strongly consider IES Kunming

The IES European Union program was a phenomenal and unique experience. Located in Freiburg, Germany, we were afforded the chance to call a beautiful, safe, and convenient German town home, while spending a large portion of our semester travelling through the European Union. The program took us on 3 week-long field trips on which we took all that we'd learned in our EU seminar in Freiburg and applied it to each new city and country we visited.

Taking "off" the week from scheduled classes, we had 1-3 meetings or presentations scheduled almost every day of the field study in government buildings, media outlets, and IES centers to meet with/hear from government officials, topic specialists, and civilians alike. Once we stepped out of our meeting, we stepped onto the streets, each new city at the disposal of (in my case) 84 eager Americans.

We spent the evenings and lunch hours exploring, trying local cuisine, meeting locals, taking walking city tours, and enjoying all that European night life has to offer. Freiburg was the perfect launching pad and host city, having a good night life and day time experience of its own, and also being located within an hour of both France and Switzerland and close to other major German cities.

Advice for anyone reading this: GO ABROAD... and if you find yourself on the IES EU program, enjoy EVERY bit!!! (But I don't have to tell you that... because you will!)

Studying for a semester at Trinity College Dublin was an amazing, life changing experience. IES did a great job at preparing me before I arrived in Dublin. Adjusting to the city was an easy process, and through the help of IES I was able to navigate Trinity's confusing academic system. I am so happy I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Dublin and explore Ireland!

Choosing to do a semester abroad with IES was the best decision I have made in college. Being an engineer, finding a study abroad program you like can be really challenging, but I LOVED this program and am so happy I chose it! Not only did it give me the opportunity to dust off my Spanish, but as an engineering student, I got to take classes with Spanish students at a real Spanish university. This really made all the difference between a program with just a satellite university with all American students and professors and the IES Engineering program. I had the opportunity to meet so many Spaniards my age who shared with me their culture and lifestyle (and also gave me really great tips on what to do and see in Madrid and the rest of the country). The IES staff were so supportive all throughout the semester, making a point to check in at least every month and make sure we were adjusting well to the new experiences. Also, I loved having the opportunity to live in a home-stay for five months with a Spanish family. This was one of my favorite parts of living in Spain for 5 months because it truly immersed me in the Spanish culture, forced me out of my comfort zone, and greatly improved my Spanish language capabilities. Thank you IES for an absolutely unforgettable semester!