IES Abroad Reviews

Before I studied in Shanghai, I knew nothing about the Chinese language and very little about Chinese business or culture. I came out of the program with a much greater understand of all three of these topics. It was a very enjoyable experience that I would highly recommend.

I was satisfied with the academic courses I was a part of, which included one Mandarin language class and three business classes. The required Mandarin class meets four days a week, which helped me to keep improving my language skills and made it easier to get around on day to day basis. My three business courses were not as rigorous as the courses offered at my home college, but the teachers were easy to understand and seemed to put a lot of effort into their courses.

The on-site administration members were very helpful and set up a number of trips and cultural activities which I really enjoyed. They were almost always available and really seemed to care about making each one of us have the best experience possible.

We got to stay in an extended living hotel, which was a lot nicer than any college living arrangement I'd experienced. The apartments are spacious, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a common room. Our bathrooms were cleaned twice a week and the entire room once a week, which was much more generous than I was expecting. The apartment is in a great location just outside of the center of Shanghai with many restaurants nearby and a subway stop less than five minutes away. My only complaint was the internet, which was often very slow and sometimes unable to connect.

Food is on your own, but if you like Chinese food, you are in luck. A lot of the local options are very cheap, however, Western food will cost about the same as it would in the United States. Shanghai is a very international city and you can find pretty much any kind of food there. Your cheapest option is street food, which is easy to find (especially at night), convenient, and often very delicious.

Our on-site staff set up a few cultural exchange activities for us to talk to Shanghai locals (such as a volunteer event with middle school students and a Chinese yo-yo lesson from local experts), but cultural integration was mostly on our own. At the beginning, we were set up with language partners, but most of the students didn't click very well with theirs.

Overall, I had a great time in Shanghai and would recommend my experience to anyone interested in learning about Chinese language, business, or culture.

Studying abroad in Sydney was one of the best decisions I've made. It's impossible to describe my five month experience in a review, but upon my return to the states, I have recommended studying abroad to everyone. I arrived back in the US a different person than when I left, and the changes I went through while abroad shaped me so fully in a very short period of time. Outside of Sydney, I was able to travel to Cairns, Brisbane, Melbourne, New Zealand, Thailand, and Bali. Australia is an amazing destination because there is so much to see within the country, and it is close to lots of outside destinations.

IES was very accommodating and helpful, especially concerning direct enrollment at UNSW - they made the process very easy. The trips and excursions IES offers throughout the semester were great, and really allowed us to explore areas outside of the city and near our schools. The mid semester trip to Cairns was a great experience that IES was able to provide for us. Australia is a beautiful country with lots of sites to see and amazing people to meet - I will definitely be returning soon.

The semester that I spent in Buenos Aires, Argentina was by far the most memorable and valuable experience I have ever had.

I lived in Argentina from July to December of 2013 with an Argentine host family who were spectacular. Along with my host family I was assisted by IES with getting accustomed to the city and learning how to be successful through my language immersion. I was most impressed with the IES orientation that occurred the first two weeks of classes; it allowed for me to thrive in the city of which I was totally unfamiliar with because I am from a very small town.

In addition to my courses I was able to travel through Argentina throughout the semester. My most memorable trip was a 3 week backpacking trip in December throughout Chilean and Argentine Patagonia.

Words cannot describe my experience in Argentina nor could an essay. It was the best time of my life and I owe a lot of that to the organizers of my program.

Coming to Freiburg gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, but with a small enough group and city that it was a smooth transition. My experience has introduced me to friends, both within and outside of the program, who will be lifelong friends. The people of Freiburg are exceptionally kind and helpful, especially when you make the effort to practice your German. The program itself has given me the support to feel comfortable living here in Freiburg and the staff here have helped me with things related directly to school work as well as any other questions I have had.

My time abroad was everything I expected it to be. By that I mean that it was completely unlike anything I'd done in my life thus far. The city itself was amazing, as were the people (and the weather). Virtually every aspect of my time abroad exceeded me expectations in terms of how I would grow personally and what would come about because of it. Specific to the program I was enrolled in, I have no complaints. On the contrary, IES treated me and my fellow students with the utmost respect and were nothing if not extremely helpful and adaptive. Every member of the staff was extraordinary in their own way -knowledgable of the city and capable of fulfilling our needs while still pushing us to do more. Each field trip (Howth, County Mayo and Northern Ireland) brought us closer to the island in different ways, illuminating some other aspect of Ireland that we hadn't yet seen or filling us in on some secret of the land (either historically or aesthetically) that we never would have expected. IES really took care of us in every way I can imagine. The housing was excellent; the RAs accommodating and helpful; the professors brilliant and challenging; the staff eager to give us the best experience possible. Day to day life was always exciting, but never uncomfortably so. The roads are beautiful, the ducks were never aggressive, and class always enticing.I will recommend the program to anyone who will listen, and will always look fondly on my time in Ireland as told through the IES Dublin experience.

Although the standard response to the question "How was your semester abroad?" is that it was amazing, unforgettable, best experience of my life, etc, in my case it is indubitably true. I lived in a residence hall which allowed me to meet local and Latin American students. The night life is amazing as is the food. The actual courses, however, were not very challenging or stimulating, which isn't a bad thing as it opened up more time to explore Spain. Overall, a fantastic program.

"Dale limosna, mujer, que no hay en la vida nada como la pena de ser ciego en Granada." -Francisco de Icaza

The quote above is not only very telling of the city of Granada, but also of my own personal experience there. Granada was an incredible environment for studying abroad; it offers the best of so many worlds. The Andalusians and other Spaniards I met in Granada were kind and open people, the popularity of UGR brought international students from all around the world to the city, the night culture is very lively while also very safe, the city center plus the surrounding neighborhoods offer a diverse urban environment not only in terms of people but also in terms of places and things to do, IES home-stay mothers/families are chose selectively, very accommodating and a huge part of your cultural immersion, IES provides a wide range of courses and work hard to help create the right schedule for you, IES also organizes numerous field trips within Granada but also to other cities in Spain, and the list goes on and on! The best part of the experience, hand down, was the people I met and built lasting relationships with, this not only include the faculty and staff at IES and the amazing group of American students this particular program attracted, but also the Spaniards, Europeans and other foreigners the city brought together in one place. I can't exactly put my finger on it but Granada has this special energy that, like I said before, fosters a very stimulating study abroad experience. I can genuinely say that I had the time of my life studying abroad in Granada with IES. The city has become a home away from home; I fell in love with the history, the people, the lifestyle, the culture and so much more. I have and will continue to recommend this program to anyone and everyone I talk to about studying abroad.

After having the opportunity of a lifetime to study for a semester in London, I have nothing but appreciation and happiness when I think about my time there. Through IES Abroad, I was able to have 3 months of pure bliss in London. IES helped us not only accommodate to our new world, but helped us every step along the way. I have eternal gratitude for IES for facilitating a safe and life changing experience. I would recommend IES Abroad without hesitation for anyone wishing to study abroad.

I spent the last semester in Dublin through the IES General Irish Studies Program. I found Dublin to be a wonderful city, but the staff at the IES center fostered the transition from tourist to student. They were extremely supportive and generous with their time. Whether they were discussing in greater detail a topic brought up in class, or giving advice on the events and festivals happening that weekend, they were excited to help me gain a better understanding of my host country through my experiences. They created an incredible support system that encouraged us to visit and take advantage of the many places and experiences Dublin, Ireland, and Europe had to offer.

The classes I took focused on Irish literature, history, culture, language, and politics. They gave me the background to have meaningful conversations with people living in Dublin and around Ireland about topics that were important to them. What further helped me gain a better sense of Irish life was my Service Learning placement. I volunteered one a week at the amazing Solas Project, working with children from disadvantaged backgrounds. I worked with permanent volunteers and other students to help children with homework, and engage in activities with them such as Gaelic football! In addition to my time at Solas there was a seminar where I was able to talk about the experience I was having with other students in the Service Learning course, and we reviewed topics and issues that affected the children I was working with.

At the end of the semester I did not want to leave. I am trhilled to have the new friends in Dublin and in the Sates to share this with, and we are all so excited to continue to travel and (of course!) go back to visit Dublin and the center!!

My time spent with IES Abroad in Vienna was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. Living and learning in the heart of central Europe allowed me to travel to much of Europe, including places I had previously not thought about going to such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia. The classes were engaging and the teachers took an interest in every student. IES made it easy to socialize with many trips and events throughout the semester. I cherish my time spent in Austria and hope others will too!