IES Abroad Reviews

I absolutely loved my time in Madrid, I was always busy and usually it was with something fun. The museums were great, the food delicious and the nightlife fantastic. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

This was the best experience I could have hoped for. I learned so much about myself and the world, and I have grown so much. The classes were amazing and the opportunities in London are endless. I highly recommend everyone should study abroad. It will change you totally for the better.

Going to Milan, Italy with IES was the best decision I have every made in my entire life. I truly was pushed out of my comfort zone unlike any other experience in my life. I met new people and was immersed in a new culture. The location was fantastic and teh program was so helpful. I grew exponentially as a person and would advise this to anyone.

I studied abroad with IES-Paris BIA in the fall of 2014 and it was the best experience of my life! I became more culturally diverse and learned the language even though I was only in the amazing city of Paris for 4 months. The program was great and it involved doing things you wouldn't normally do with your home university like going champagne tasting for a course. Everyone normally says that became a changed person after studying abroad and I didn't think that I would be that person but I did change for the better and glad that I did. I hope one day to return to Paris whether it be for vacation or to work so that I can relive that one semester I studied abroad there.

My experience in Argentina was five of the most exciting months of my entire life. I was able to backpack in Patagonia, hike the desert landscape of the Salta region, enjoy a quirky twist on Oktoberfest in Cordoba, and learn to tango in Buenos Aires. Argentina is a unique, and diverse country filled with a proud and resilient population. It was so hard for me to leave Argentina that I change my flight to leave a month after my original departure date. The time spent in Argentina hs altered my life forever.

I chose IES, because I wanted a program in which I would be able to improve my Spanish and fully immerse myself into the host country's culture - Buenos Aires proved the perfect vehicle for just that. Buenos Aires is an exciting and vibrant city, I loved that each barrio (neighborhood) was uniquely distinct from one another, and that simply walking a few blocks could transport you into a dissimilar subculture within the larger context of the city. IES helped ease us into the foreign culture by providing field trips to local estancias, museums, nearby towns, etc. IES helped make Buenos Aires feel like home within a few short weeks.

My typical day would start in my apartment with my four amazing roommates! One of our roommates was our CA, or community assistant. She was a native Italian who really helped us adjust to living in Italy and was just a wonderful roommate in general. Then we would head to the IES Abroad Center via the metro and have our Italian class only for the first month of studying abroad. For the three remaining months I participated in a Social Innovation class, a Fashion Management class, an Internship Seminar class, and an internship at a cool e-commerce company where I worked for about 10-12 hours per week. My commute was always using the metro which was very easy to use and figure out. Typically after classes we would all have lunch at one of our favorite sandwich shops - Panini Durini and then go and explore Milan! Almost every weekend I planned a trip with friends in my program to another place in Europe such as Amsterdam, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Munich!

This program was fantastic but it really depends what you are looking for. The program is mostly with American students and you live together so it's hard meeting foreigners. However, the profs were amazing and really got to know their students. The British Youth Culture class is so interesting and you learn about things that you can relate too. The Jamaica part of the program was invaluable. It helped me figure out what I want to do with my future and what fields I enjoyed.

I spent a semester in Santiago studying with IES and at la Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (PUC), one of the top-ranked universities in South America. There are also opportunities to take classes la Universidad de Chile, another excellent school. All classes are taught in Spanish, and, though Chilean Spanish, with all its "chilenismos," is admidedly difficult to pick up on right away, after a few weeks of adjusting, I felt comfortable in the classroom. The IES staff is fantastic - friendly, knowledgable, and willing to help - and the professors really know their stuff, and are generally very patient with American students.
IES arranges housing with host families, which is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the local culture and language. The homes are in safe neighborhoods, and IES takes care to make sure the students feel comfortable there. I also highly recommend signing up for Tandem, a language exchange program sponsored by PUC which pairs foreigners who want to practice their Spanish with Chileans who want to practice your language. You meet once a week for an hour, speaking alternatively in the two shared languages. This was one of the highlights of my semester and it is a great way meet local students and make Chilean friends.
There is plenty to do in Santiago - lots of museums, cultural events, and nightlife. Beyond the city, there are incredible travel opportunities. The Andes Mountains provide a perfect location for hiking or skiing and are just an hour or so away. Or go west for a Pacific Coast day trip. From north to south, Chile is home to spectacular landscapes that are must-see's. The Atacama Desert, Chiloe, and Patagonia were some of my favorites.

Studying Abroad in Rabat was one of the most profound experiences of my life. It was difficult at times with the entirely different language and culture, but gaining that perspective was invaluable. Whether it was haggling for that jalaba in the souk entirely in Arabic or surfing in one of the many beautiful isolated beach towns or climbing the Atlas Mountains, Morocco holds an incredible amount to experience, especially in the differences it holds in their way of life, which maintains stark difference from our own. I probably could have had more fun in other abroad programs, but I would never have learned as much as I have anywhere else and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Going abroad to Australia was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to see things, do things, and meet so many amazing people. IES abroad definitely made the abroad process easier. I was placed in the university village for village which turned out to be amazing. Being in the university village allowed us to meet so many Australians and other people abroad and was a lot of fun. The village was also great for hanging out in, and there were always people who were willing to talk to you.

Studying in Sydney, while different then in the US, was also cool. I had the chance to take a sports class which mostly consisted of attending popular sporting events in Australia. This class gave me the chance to see an AFL game, multiple Rugby games, and even allowed me to try bowls. This class was definitely a highlight to my abroad experience.

Going abroad with IES also had a lot of bonuses. IES planned multiple events during our first few days in Sydney such as hiking the blue mountains, going to a wildlife park, and going on a dinner harbour cruise. These activities were a lot of fun and a great way to see some amazing sights. Our IES program also had a trip to the Royal National Park which was amazing. This park was beautiful and although it was freezing, we had the chance to go swimming in a swimming hole. Such and incredible experience. For our mid-semester break, IES also planned a trip up to Cairns to go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef and jungle surfing in the Daintree Rainforest. This trip was AMAZING and definitely one of the highlights to my time abroad.

Besides travelling with IES, I had the chance to travel around Australia and to New Zealand both with friends and by myself. I definitely recommend exploring as much as Australia as you can, but also go to surrounding countries as these are incredible experiences.

Overall my time abroad was amazing and I cannot believe it is already over. I loved every minute of it and am thankful for all of the experiences I had. I cannot wait to go back there dome day!