IES Abroad Reviews

This past semester, I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Amsterdam. Overall, it was truly an amazing experience. Amsterdam is a city full of life and culture, and to get to explore such an enriched city was an opportunity I will never forget. There is so much to do in Amsterdam that I really never felt bored. Sometimes the weather made it difficult to explore, but the Dutch do not stop their routines because of rain, so that definitely added to my authentic experience. I was underwhelmed with the academics. I only had class three days a week the first half of the semester, and two days of the week the second half of the semester. This gave me lots of time to explore and travel, but also made it much easier to get lonely and homesick. Also, I was interested in enhancing my academic resume, and don't feel like I succeeded in that sense. However, I did learn a lot about Dutch history... Nonetheless, I don't regret my choice of studying abroad in Amsterdam through IES at all. Overall, my experience was unforgettable. I cannot wait to travel back to Amsterdam to visit the beautiful canals, the amazing shops, the delicious food, and the overall alluring atmosphere.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience. IES center staff were helpful and easily accessible, and the center was close to both my homestay, downtown, and the Universidad Complutense. The city has great public transportation, and is also easily walkable. The IES center facilitated great outside activities with Spanish students as well as several field trips included in the program cost with other IES students. I visited Bilbao, San Sebastian, Segovia, and Toledo with the IES program. For students hoping to take a class at the Complutense I would recommend that they begin searching before the semester begins and that they maintain close contact with the academic staff at IES as it's sometimes tricky to facilitate. I had an internship with a Spanish nonprofit that IES helped facilitate--it turned out great! I worked as a translator between Spanish and English. Madrid has a bunch of daytime cultural attractions (art museums, historical sites etc) as well as a really vibrant nightlife, though beware, the metro closes at 1:30 AM. I quite enjoyed my IES classes, even though they were less rigorous than what I was used to at my home school--my grammar class was especially good for teaching me "native-like" grammar and expressions. The classes, since the workload was less than I was used to, also allowed me to travel on several weekends, which was an added bonus.

The past 4 months of my life in Berlin were absolutely great. The IES program in Berlin provided me with everything I could have ever imagined. The staff was always informative about events and things going on in the city, as well as having events for students at the center. My housing selection was well picked and conveniently located in relation to school and public transportation. Public transportation was a little overwhelming at first, but once you take the train, tram, or bus a few times, you will learn your way around pretty quickly. I always felt safe in my neighborhood and loved exploring around the city. The academic program at the IES center is not very hard and allows students to use their time to see things Berlin and Europe have to offer. All in all, I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to study in Germany.

Studying abroad in Freiburg with IES was one of the best decisions I have ever made. While the language barrier could be a challenge, all of the staff were helpful, friendly, and always available when/if needed. I specifically chose this program because of its focus on language immersion and I got just that. All classes were taught in German and the professors presented the material effectively and were willing to help if someone was confused.

I lived in a dorm about 10 minutes away from the city center by Straßenbahn or bike with other German students. This was great for cultural immersion and helped improve my German drastically. The city is beautiful and surrounded by hills and forests. While it is a smaller city, there is always something to do, from hiking in the Black Forest to exploring the side streets or neighborhoods of Freiburg. IES is great at encouraging German language and cultural immersion and plan a few excursions for students to partake in. These range from week-long trips to day trips and are all wonderful experiences that help students see different parts of the country and Europe. My semester in Freiburg with IES was one that I will never forget!

I studied in Paris, France with IES abroad in the Fall of 2014 and had an absolutely amazing experience. Each member of the IES staff and faculty was incredibly kind and helpful. The program organized several excursions outside of Paris, including trips to Normandy, Reims and Lille, as well as lots of activities within Paris, such as guided tours of art museums and galleries, the different quarters of Paris, and a guided walking tour of different Parisian chocolatiers. There were also opportunities each month for students to win tickets to things like operas, ballets, and soccer games.

The activities planned by the IES staff weren't the only aspects that made the program wonderful. The academic atmosphere was tremendous. I loved each one of my professors and was genuinely interested in all of my classes. I think that IES provides unique classes covering material that students may not otherwise have the opportunity to study. It was also interesting to experience first-hand how French professors teach and grade, and to be able to compare French and American academic systems.

Finally, I felt that the IES staff did a great job encouraging students to fully immerse themselves in the French culture and language, and to make the most of their experience. One of my favorite parts of my time with IES was the weekend trip to Normandy at the end of our two-week orientation. I found that by the end of the trip, I had already made some good friends and felt confident that the rest of the semester would bring things for me. In closing, the IES Abroad French Studies program is a wonderful one, and I highly encourage any student looking to study abroad in Paris to consider going with IES.

As an international student originally from Romania, studying abroad was a familiar experience since I was already abroad in the USA. However, the semester I spent in London at University College London was a unique experience I enjoyed very much. The first couple of weeks I was there, the most challenging part was to find my way around, remembering how to get from the building I was hosted at to school, to the groceries stores, or to restaurants; being used to a small university campus, I found it relatively hard to live in a very busy city. This experience however turned out to be a rather pleasurable and exciting one as I started to get used to the public transportation. London is an amazing city, having to offer incredibly many attractions and exciting places to visit and enjoy such as restaurants, museums, parks, etc. Not only did the city of London impress me, but also the classes I took at UCL were extremely interesting and stimulating. I was enrolled in the Psychology department, where I also had the privilege of working on a research project with amazing professors. This study abroad experience was definitely a very positive one, and I highly recommend all students to try at least one study abroad program.

This is one of the most unique programs in the study abroad world I have personally encountered. Meet representatives from all different types of governments and learn about Europe in a way no one else will by seeing how various governments all function uniquely under the EU. Meet with think tanks, ministers, and locals as they all explain their experiences and stories to help you have a comprehensive understanding of the difficulties their specific region or city has faced historically or in the present. Three weeks of built in travel is one of the nicest and most convenient aspects of the program as well, especially since the last trip has a few options for students to pick their area of study.

Freiburg is an amazing city which has many different aspects to offer. It is also very international and is extremely close to France and Switzerland. I really liked the outdoor activities that Freiburg had to offer. Hiking, swimming, rock climbing, and more. The program was great because it fit well into my major, but the classes were lacking rigor. I would say that this is good for a study abroad program though. The social life was great, but it was hard to integrate into german culture because we didn't have that many interactions with german students. I had two tandem/speaking partners which at least allowed me to get to know a few more german people better. I would highly recommend having a tandem partner. If you are there to learn german I would suggest branching off from the people in your program because otherwise you will just end up hanging out with only americans. Overall it was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend everyone to take part in some study abroad program.

I studied in Granada, Spain in the Fall. In an average day I ate lunch with my host family, went to class, explored Granada, and had tapas with my friends. The hardest part was the language barrier though my favorite part was how much my Spanish improved.

IES and its staff at the Paris center are all extremely helpful. All questions or concerns were answered in a timely manner and they prepared us for everything very well. We were given very specific instructions to prepare us for everything, such as a full packet of how to obtain our visas or the week long orientation to explain things about city life specific to Paris like the Metro or how to buy and recharge a cell phone.
The academics were definitely challenging, but not too much that you could not enjoy and immerse yourself in the Parisian culture. After finishing a semester of 5-6 classes all in French, you feel so accomplished and like you can take on anything. Your French will improve immensely and all of the hard work is 100% worth it.
Overall, this was an amazing experience and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world! I highly suggest IES to anyone searching for a study abroad program!
Happy travels!