IES Abroad Reviews

I couldn't have made a better choice in coming to Barcelona through IES Abroad. The staff is full of wonderful people and the whole program is organized in a way that helped me to take full advantage of my time abroad. Barcelona is an incredible, vibrant city full of life and color. You will never run out of things to do; from the beach to the surrounding mountains and each and every city street in between, there is so much fun to be had. The culture is wonderful and each and the people are full of passion - something you must experience yourself to truly understand. I lived with a local family and consider it one of my favorite parts of the experience. From eating breakfast each morning while talking to my host mom to riding the metro home each night, even the routine I found was something I never got tired of. I left at the end of the semester with a new state of mind, open eyes, and numerous indescribable memories. If that's what you're looking for in a study abroad program, come to Barcelona through IES Abroad!

I had wanted to study abroad in Barcelona for years before I actually went. My school didn't offer any programs specifically through the school, so I had to go through IES, and though I was nervous that the program wouldn't be as good, from the start, IES did all they could to help me. They provided each student with so much information and so many possible ways of contact, that if I ever had questions, I could ask someone and get a response very quickly. I chose to live with a host family, which I think was the best option because it really fives you a chance to learn more about the culture that you are living in for 4 months of your life. IES places at least 2 students with each other in each house so that you don't feel uncomfortable being alone. The classes at IES were challenging yet allowed the students to be able to travel on weekends and not have any worries about not being able to keep up with the workload. IES also offers weekend trips that are planned through the program, which I think were well worth the money. I went on most of the trips, and they were all very well planned and each one was a great way to meet and connect with more of the students in the program. My experience in Barcelona was one I will never forget. You have to take advantage of all that you can while you are abroad, that way you can leave feeling confident that you did all that you could and you can really see the growth in yourself by the end of the program. Barcelona is an amazing city to be able to immerse yourself in cultural activities, see beautiful places all over, go hang out at the beach, and have a great nightlife all in one. I would offer this program to anyone who was interested.

Studying abroad in Barcelona is something I will always cherish and will forever be a significant life event for me. Barcelona is truly a unique city, combining the ancient Roman times with the modern post-Franco era. I particularly loved how each district, or barrio, in the city had its own distinct character, which made exploring even more fun. I was satisfied with the IES program, from having professional and excellent teacher to helping with personal needs. Through my IES apartment located in a residential neighborhood, I got to experience Barcelona as a local and excel my proficiency of Spanish. Barcelona is an amazing city that has countless things to offer, and I cannot wait to return to this city one day.

Amsterdam is one of the best cities to study abroad in in Europe. The people are friendly (and almost all speak English) and it is a city with rich international history. It is easy to be a foreigner in the city and explore another culture. Amsterdam is incredibly easy to navigate by bike-museums, restaurants, and nightlife are all just a short ride away. The city provides many varying opportunities, while still being a relatively small European city. After 4 months I still feel as if there are a million things I never had time to experience. However, while I loved my time in Amsterdam and learned a lot, I do not feel as if I really experienced Dutch culture. As a result of living with so many other American students it is easy to interact only with them and not get out and become immersed in the Dutch culture. Additionally, taking classes through IES and participating in activities at the center encourages spending time only with other American students on the program. Meeting Dutch students and really immersing yourself in the culture requires a great deal of effort. While classes at the University of Amsterdam are available, the classes tend to consist of mainly international students and few Dutch students. At the beginning of the semester my coursework was extremely easy but toward the end it became more challenging. If you are looking for an academic challenge while studying abroad, IES Amsterdam is likely not the best choice. However, if you want to travel to other European countries like I did, the easy academics leave a lot of free time for travel and exploring the city.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in London through IES Abroad. I ultimately chose this program because of the classes I would be taking. As a public health major interested in global health policy, the classes corresponded wonderfully to my academic goals and allowed me further explore possible career opportunities in social services and public health.

That being said, I would only recommend this program if you are sure what you want to study and what you want to get out of this program. I loved that it involved a lot of independent learning - I got to self-direct my learning in my courses. If I wanted to focus more on understanding past international health laws, I could choose to do more reading about that and get really great answers out of my professor. If I wanted to understand how international actors get involved in health policy, I could choose to focus on that. The teachers do their best to teach you what YOU want to learn. That was true in all of my classes. So, if you are unsure of what you want to learn, you might find yourself a bit lost in this program. However, if you know what you want to learn, you can really get a lot out of this program.

London is a great location to study abroad. It's a very modern city, but like many European cities, has lots of history and culture. As this is a very independent program, you get what you want out of the cultural experience. If you leave the country every weekend to explore the nearby European countries, you won't have as much time to absorb the rich culture of London itself. I loved being able to take advantage of the free museums and late night events offered. IES also has a wide selection of field trips on the weekends, which really helped me explore more of the English countryside and cities farther away.

This program includes a course at Oxford University as well as a Service Learning Placement. The course at Oxford is what you make of it. There are positives and negatives, for example, the long commute to get there every Friday morning. However, Oxford is a beautiful little town and I really enjoyed walking around with my friends after class. The Service Learning Placement is also what you make of it. The staff at IES try to place you with an organization that you have interests in, but it's not always perfect. You just have to remember that this is just another experience, and take advantage of the opportunities. I loved my placement and made some great British friends.

Finally, the program ends in Kingston, Jamaica. We spent about a week there volunteering at health clinics and learning about the health system in Jamaica and the Caribbean. I will say that I probably learned more in Jamaica than I did in London the past 3 months. It was a great way to end the program and I am infinitely thankful for the experience in Jamaica.

This study abroad experience was filled with adventure! I was given the opportunity to visit several incredible locations in China, Tibet, Thailand, and Laos. I do not know of any other study abroad program that infuses this much travel into their itinerary.

If you are looking for routine, this program may not be for you. Every week is filled with something new. If we have a destination to visit, our classes are shaped around our trip, making the weeks very different from one another. Classes shift around constantly, so flexibility is a must!

Furthermore, Kunming is a fantastic location to better your Chinese since the expat community is very small. Everyone is very friendly and willing to help you speak Chinese in restaurants, pharmacies, train stations and the like.

I left with a whole new outlook on environmental issues, social issues, and I left with life-long friends!

I learned so much during my time in Quito. Becoming a part of daily life in the city taught me more about how people live outside of the country than I could have ever imagined. On the other hand, I did not have the best host family experience. The accommodations were incredible but I had very high expectations of living with and becoming a part of a local family. Instead I lived with an older single woman and we hardly spent anytime together. My favorite part of my experience in Ecuador was the service learning internship I was able to do. I got to work side by side an Ecuadorian doctor in a private clinic for patients with disabilities. It was awesome to have the hands-on experience and be able to contribute something to the host country.

Freiburg is an exciting college town nestled in the Black Forest, which makes for great hiking, lined with cobblestone streets and the beloved Bächle (the little streams scattered around the city where you often see children playing). The feeling of this home city is indescribable, but trust me there is no better place to go home to after each field study trip. Freiburg has something for everyone whether you prefer bars or the theater.

And let's not forget about those trips. The most unique part of this program is not only do you have the opportunity to learn about the European Union while living in Germany, but you get to experience it for yourself through first-hand witness of a variety of places in the EU. The trips that are included in the program include relevant meetings that integrate classwork into 'real-life' encounters while providing the time needed to see each city and its wonders!

Overall, I had a very rewarding experience during my time with IES. What was great to me about IES was the fact that teachers wanted to make sure you learned while also giving you the chance to explore Japan and your surroundings. Although this is a language intensive program, you aren't pushed to the point of being stressed. You will learn more of the language, but I don't think I was challenged enough academically. What was helpful in learning more Japanese was being surrounded so much by the language and by hanging out with my e-pal. IES pairs each abroad student with an "e-pal", which is a Japanese student attending the university who you can get to know before getting to campus. This was super beneficial for many of the abroad students because they had the opportunity to befriend and hang out with a Japanese student to learn more about Japan's culture. We could practice our speaking skills with them and jump into the social scene with more ease. IES was also extremely involved with the students in providing constant information about events going on around Tokyo. We got to go on two long field trips to the countryside (3-5 days each) and also went on a lot of other student council-run trips around the city. IES Tokyo definitely wants their students to be able to get the most out of their time in Japan. It is a great program for students looking to get immersed into the culture while also practicing their Japanese skills.

Studying abroad in Barcelona through IES was easily the best decision in all of my 21 years of life. While walking through the city my friend and I even noted how all your life you, "Oh be careful, be wise, these are the decisions that will impact or change the rest of your life." Our decision as to study abroad, electing an international program vs. a school ran one, which program, which term put all of my best friends and memories and I together. Studying abroad showed me a clearer picture of who I am, what I am capable of, and of the world around me.

As far as the program itself, I was overly impressed in my close connections with those who worked with the students and led the sponsored activities and trips.

The trips themselves helped me better understand and see other parts of Spain. It was nice to on a few IES planned trips mixed in with my own as I was able to successfully see the best parts of a city while having everything pre-planned for me, even with scheduled independent time to do as I pleased. This was very nice, especially being on our own completely after the planned day activities.

The school was largely committed to helping us live as part of Barcelona. They held firey and interesting debates over current issues for students to attend, mini tours and explorations through vineyards, markets, and cool up and coming neighborhoods. They also offered plenty of workshops for dancing, cooking, and bike rides! They even hosted plenty of events planned by current student to keep us involved like massage and pizza days during test weeks, dinners or parties on celebrations, and photo competitions on Instagram.

My favorite part about choosing this program was that whenever my friends and I would travel anywhere, or others would travel to visit us, they all would leave saying the same thing. It was always a parting thought of how others wish they would have chosen our program and picked our city.

This always filled me with such pride. Although everyone liked their study abroad experiences, but I was full heartedly in love with mine. In love with my new friends that I still have and am flying to visit next week, in love with the best city that will always hold a place in my heart, and in love with the culture that is unlike that of anywhere else in Europe, or the rest of the world for that matter, which I will miss so much.

If you want to try great food, learn rich culture, leave your comfort zone for an international program whose students are from different states, and different countries, experience the best night life and have the most beautiful architecture, parks, and scenery that I have ever seen, IES Barcelona is for you. You won't regret it.